What does Tikka offer you for your money that other rifles like:
Savage 10/110, Remington 700, Howa 1500, Vanguard, RAR, etc. do not? Plastic? Aluminum lugs? Poor CS? One action size? Highly over-priced replacement parts? What? Please don't say accuracy, as I know first hand that every one of them is capable of fine accuracy.
Do tell......
It's just a rifle. Nobody is trying to make it more than it is, however the difference is it is not hard at all to find a bunch of examples of Remington 700's that have major mechanical issues and it is hard as heck to find someone that HAS HAD major issues with T3.
This is what it offers-
Over Savage 110's- everything. A stock worth a flip, a trigger that's not Glock stupid, more consistency in barrels, a DBM that works, and if one cares about such things the smoothest action made.
Over Remington 700's- Significantly better barrels with chambers cut straight, crowns cut straight, triggers that actually work and are as good as most replacement triggers for 700's, safeties that work, bolt handles that don't pop off, and a useful stock (though it's still crap), and if one cares about such things the smoothest action made.
Over Howa/Vangard- better barrels, generally better twists, generally better stocks, a DBM that works, and if one cares about such things the smoothest action made.
Over a RAR- better barrels, WAY better stocks, a trigger that's not Glock stupid, and if one cares about such things the smoothest action made.
I could give two flips about recoil lugs, shrouds, or plastic mags. None of them have proven to be an issue- plastic being the least. The pistol I'm issued is plastic, the mags are plastic, the holster's plastic, the mags for my rifle are plastic, even some plastic sights have proven to be less prone to breakage than the best metal ones.
In short I won't say the Tikke T3 is the "best" it is the one that you can be most assurd will just work without having to screw with it. Everyone tries to make the new inexpensive rifle out to be the "most accurate" ever, the RAR being the newest one. Two weeks ago I had a dude that was doing exactly that with his RAR and how it NEVER shot more than MOA. Funny things was when he brought it out it never shot even close to MOA. Like most he taken one or two groups that happened to land the shots under an inch, and then BS'ed himself that it was him "if he did his part". Now the RAR's have shown a tendency to be good shooters, but they ain't even close to the no fuse easy accuracy of T3's, at least those I have seen.
All of those manufactures may make a good gun, but only Tikka produces a normal hunting rifle that I could take out of the box, mount a scope, zero, and do VERY well in most major LR/Tac matches.
