Tikka T3 Creedmoor

My brother and his son-in-law don't handload and shoot a ton of this stuff. A local store was selling it @ $13/box OTD pricing. His SIL (Tanner) bought up about 25-30 boxes of it. I've shot some and it is very close to my handloads in performance. I can't load my own at this price. I watched Tanner place 5 of these into a 4" group at 600 yards a few months back. The boy can shoot.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020605499?pid=865833

Hornady Match ammo has shot very well too and is often available locally. If you want to really push the range this ammo has much better BC's than the FMJ S&B ammo above.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1016934715?pid=644515
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018230658?pid=700107

I've not shot a lot of factory ammo in mine. I did at 1st just to get some brass, but I've stayed with 140-143 gr bullets so far. I've not had any trouble coming up with accurate loads. Most anything I stick in my rifles shoots great.

Hard to find much that's significantly better than Hornady 140gr ELD Match or 143gr ELD-X.

Here are two 10-shot groups using Hornady 140gr ELD match ammunition.

I believe you will, at the end of this thread, be forced to buy about 83 boxes (I pulled that number out of a body orifice) of different ammo recommended by all the responses as having worked well in their guns along with pictures of tiny groups. That will be because many different types of ammo WILL work well in many different guns, and the only way you will know for sure what works in your gun is to get some and try it out. There is no other way that isn't just "taking someone's word for it".

So read it all, and then go find the best selection of recommended loads you can find in your area, and have fun shooting them all.

Aletheia said:

There is no other way that isn't just "taking someone's word for it".

Click to expand...

I've shot a lot of Hornady 6.5CM ammuntion in a lot of rifles, probably way more than most since it was part of my job description until about two weeks ago.... and I've yet to find a rifle that won't shoot the 140gr ELD Match or 143gr ELD-X very well to outstanding. The OP asked for a recommendation and I'll wager $100 that his Tikka will do very well with either of the loads I mentioned. By the way, I've shot many other brands and types of 6.5CM too, also as part of my previous job, and the Hornady is a "go to" for many for a good reason. I've heard many times that if a rifle won't shoot Federal GMM 168gr SMK well (.308 Win) there's something wrong with the rifle. Based on my experience, the same holds for the Hornady match stuff.

I have had very good results with Hornady AG 140gr in the bulk 200rd cans as well.

The lower price helps quite a bit... and while my results may not match yours... IMHO, it is worth trying.

https://www.laxammo.com/rifle/6-5-c...dmoor-140-gr-bthp-200-round-cans-81483-detail