Sounds like over pressure however it is possible you need to have the bolt face polished and or a chamber reamed to remove a burr. Brass expands quickly and holds heat, therefor even the slights of imperfections from tooling can cause restriction or extraction problems. I would take it to a respected compenent gunsmith, should be able to tell you if it's a simple fix &/or if savage should get involved. A call to savage isn't a bad option. Either way it needs to be addressed before you use or sell it.

As far the tikka if it feels and fits you good go for it. I personally don't like the fit or feel of the tikka T3, so will not buy one on that account alone. However they are good shooters and have a loyal following.

I have a handful of Savage rifles and every one of them are shooters and I have no problems with them. That being said however, I just ordered my first Tikka. I opted for the T3 lite, stainless, in 30-06.
Handling them, the T3 has one of the slickest actions around. Every one I felt was like glass on glass. Absolutely zero drag, no binding or wobble. From butt to muzzle, the company seems to have its act together and backs it with an accuracy guarantee.

Tikka without polymer is a Sako (maybe that's a stretch). I looked at the Tikka and didn't really like all of the plastic. I have an old Sako L691 (pre-Beretta) and I would spend extra money for a Sako, but that's just me. I'm sure the polymer holds up OK, I just don't like it when it comes to mags and trigger guards.

My vote would be not to Tikka.

+1, it does sound like a head space problem, You can go to savageshooters.com, and post your question there. Those guys eat, sleep and breathe savage rifles, Most of them build their own rifles so telling you what's wrong should be a snap.

What 'plastic' are you guys talking about. The magazine is made of a polymer. Very similar to the stuff a lot of handgun frames are made of - so its plenty tough. I've seen way too many metal magazines get dropped and become virtually useless or get rusted from poor maintenance. The stock is a fiberglass re-enforced copolymer. Better than most synthetic stocks and definately stronger than wood. If you like the fit of a Tikka, it won't let you down.

I recently bought a T3 Hunter (can't stand plastic stocks) and could not be anymore pleased. Rifle shoots amazing and quality is unmatched. I have a good friend that swears by his Rem 700 and we shoot same sized groups. 1 thing I have found is it does shoot better with premium ammo than the walmart stuff. I don't know what the big hipe over Savage rifles are I wouldn't own one after seeing a good friend of mine dropping $400+ on one and having pie plate sized groups at 200 yards. He sent the gun back numerous times and they said nothing is wrong with it. I paid a little over $400 for my Tikka and love it, yes the clip and trigger guard are poly but otherwise what would be different between the Sako and Tikka?

Check your primers and see if they look normal, or better yet post a close up picture of the case after firing.

Chas - Actually there are some differences between the Sako and the Tikka. First off, the Sako 85 and A7 guarantee 5 shots in an inch at 100 yds whereas the Tikka only 3. The Sako has a square receiver which fits into a matching bedding surface in the stock. And finally, the Sako has controlled round feeding but not the Tikka.
But for the money, the Tikka is a great rifle.

This points out quit a few of the other differences.

http://www.biggamehunt.net/reviews/sako-a7-review


Proud owner of a Sako A7 stainless in 7 MM Rem. Mag.

I like Tikka for the money !!!

In a word, "absolutely". With a quality scope mounted, properly torqued and quality ammo, Tikka T3 lives up to it's guarantee, in my experience.