At the range today there was a young Mennonite couple sighting in a Tikka T-3 in 22-250. They were pretty simple farming folks and showed up with some Winchester “White box” 22-250 and the rifle but that was about it. I lent them a rest and gave them some targets. After firing three, three shot groups the young man announced that the grouping wasn’t what he’d hoped for: About 1.0 -1.4 inches. I suggested that accuracy would be improved with handloads but he said that he didn’t load. I told him that up on the high shelf at the Trading Post was an old N.O.S. Lee Classic Loader in .22-250 with the original $10 price tag on it and that he might want to look into it. They left.
An hour later he returned, pretty young wife in tow, with 20 handloads they’d put together with IMR 4895 under some 55 grain Hornady Ballistic tips while sitting on the tailgate of his pickup truck, parked on the main street of our little town. I told him that I’d never seen anyone jump into reloading as fast as he had and settled down to watch him shoot. He shot five, three shot groups that measured from .3 to .5 inches. I was impressed! He put the gun up with the remaining five rounds in case he met a coyote on the ride to his farm. He then shook my hand and invited me to shoot prairiedogs on his farm whenever I wanted. They left to get an icecream cone before heading back to their place. It was refreshing to meet such a nice young couple.
I couldn't get that Tikka's performance out of my head. I went back to town and ordered a new T-3 in .223. It’s funny the things that happen to you on a warm day at the range…~Muir
An hour later he returned, pretty young wife in tow, with 20 handloads they’d put together with IMR 4895 under some 55 grain Hornady Ballistic tips while sitting on the tailgate of his pickup truck, parked on the main street of our little town. I told him that I’d never seen anyone jump into reloading as fast as he had and settled down to watch him shoot. He shot five, three shot groups that measured from .3 to .5 inches. I was impressed! He put the gun up with the remaining five rounds in case he met a coyote on the ride to his farm. He then shook my hand and invited me to shoot prairiedogs on his farm whenever I wanted. They left to get an icecream cone before heading back to their place. It was refreshing to meet such a nice young couple.
I couldn't get that Tikka's performance out of my head. I went back to town and ordered a new T-3 in .223. It’s funny the things that happen to you on a warm day at the range…~Muir