Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Tikka Experience

Yes, there is a need for them to compete with the Tikka, but theirs sell for $300.

And I think you're right. Dollar for dollar I don't think you can beat a Montana.

Price a Sako, and you will have your answer....

OK I am just about burned up on this topic. Truly

But who exactly do you feel has tried to copy Tikka designs? What manufacturers and what parts? I don't see a whole lot of similarities anywhere really. Or are you just saying in general, by others offering budget lines? But then I do not see much similarities in price of said budget rifles either. Or just don't answer, I don't care......Lol.

And yes, it is always funny.

I just got in from hunting. 5 Deer, no shooters. Hoisted a couple coldies with a bud. Just mowed some food and am chillin' watching what is left of Red Wing/Toronto game and Michigan/Rutgers. Although at 57-0, not much left to see. Michigan has some 3-4 string players in, and may just end up putting in the tcheerleaders before this one ends.

Oops. They just scored again. 64-0 now and almost a full quarter left. Ouch. Michigan vs. Ohio State is gonna be a battle royale...

Funny... there's a Montana, a Tikka, and a "budget" American pictured here from this afternoon.

The Montana .300 WSM shot .55" and .36" groups with the 208 Amax....

The Tikka .260 shot .56" and .57" groups, one suppressed the other naked, with 139 Scenars....

The American .223 didn't come close to those two...

There ain't a Remington left in the house....

Remi, Winchi, TC, Ruger, all a have similar copies. But what the hell ever. If we were hanging out at a real campfire we'd be talking the same shchit. Do I like them? Sure. Can I take them seriously? Dunno. That's why I bought a Montana.

It's bad ass, even though it's a 270 and soooo gay. Won't kill anything. Never have, never will. Sissy booooolits. Yadda, yadda.....



More good guns these days than schit...

I am certainly not brand loyal but take each brand on their merits.

For decades the Rem 700 was the default rifle used to test and hunt many calibers. Back in the day these 700's generally shot well with a few that shot exceptionally well and a couple that wouldn't shoot at all.

In my opinion the 700 is probably the safest design but is a manufacturing nightmare if it is to run with a T3.

Gunsmiths love this because they get to install/tune triggers, square bolt faces, bush bolts, true actions, replace barrels, ensure that the action is square with the recoil lug on one side and ensure the recoil lug is square with barrel on the other. A Rem 700 that is 'blueprinted' is a fine piece of design and engineering. The cost will be high.

This high cost to make it right makes it noncompetitive in the market place. Remington's answer to competition is to rely on the equity generated by decades of good quality control and tight manufacturing specifications.

To be competitive today means something must give and that is the opening up tolerances that at one time would have never left the factory.

The Tikka T3 is a well thought out platform that hits a decent price point that competes with the 700.

However, the performance and quality control can not be matched by a modern 700 at that price point.

I no longer have any 700's, they have been replaced by Sako's and Tikka's. Sako's are hunting tools and the Tikka's are for targets and varmints.

Some say the Tikka's are cheap, the recoil lug is of particular concern, it is a 'return to battery system'designed for function and easy manufacture, the bolt handle in a dovetail slot makes for easy handle replacement if one is looking for a tactical type handle, the magazines are tougher than steel, the actions are square with the barrel, the 'tupperware' stock is very stiff, the triggers are excellent as is for hunting and a Yodave spring transforms it into a target grade trigger, and the barrels in the Varmint weight are on par with anything the aftermarket can come up with, the sporter barrels are not to shabby as well.

The Tikka Tactical in 300WM with a YoDave spring is a <0.4 MOA rig out to 1000+ Yards.
The 223 Rem in a Tikka Varmint with a YoDave spring kills rattle cans at 550 yards with ease.

Also, I have two T3's rebarreled to 6 Dasher, excellent shooters with out spending hundreds of $$$ on making it right.

My decisions are made on performance and cost. Fully understand that some don't like them for aesthetic reasons but then one could default to a Kimber......another excellent piece with a little work.

For a rifle that some find having so many faults I find it interesting that the Canadian Rangers chose the T-3 to replace their 70 year old SMLE's. For those not familiar with the Canadian Rangers they are generally First Nations people or other rural dwellers and are affiliated with the Canadian Armed Forces. They specified a rifle for reliability and to stand up to extreme outdoor conditions and after testing have chosen the T-3.

http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/...maller-more-powerful-new-rifles/ievvvdk2

Google Canadian Rangers Tikka T-3 for more info.

drover

That's pretty cool. Must be something about Scandinavian rifles. A few years ago I read where Special Forces operating in northern Greenland had every one of their Blaser rifles fail in the cold and they had to purchase Husqvarna's from the villagers.

Late to this party but if I were in the market for a rifle, Tikka would be my choice.

As said by many: Butter smooth action, good trigger, accurate out of the box and I way prefer a detachable magazine for my hunting.

My sons and grandsons have five of them now, all T3 lites in stainless synthetic for hard core rain forest hunting. You wanna look at it or hunt with it?

We do replace factory rings and screws. They seem soft and only good for one tightening.

Then you'll really like the T3x, it doesn't come with any rings at all.


I'm still using the original factory rings and screws that came with my T3 Lite and haven't had anything loosen, but will say it is a .223 which doesn't stress the mounting system very much and I've never dismounted and remounted the scope. The rings seem okay but the screws sure could be harder. But they did fix that with the T3x - they make you buy your own from the get-go.

My new T3x got low Talley lightweights which actually sit a smidge lower than the T3 rings. They'd look really slick and be even lower with that milled out mod that IIRC 16bore did but even without it they look and work just fine.

I replace the factory screws with a harder screws purchased from Ace Hardware, it is less than $2 to replace all 6 of them.
I have often wondered if they do not deliberately use a softer screw to lessen the chance of folks over tightening them and stripping the threads in the rings.

I have never had a problem with the factory rings but the largest caliber I have is a 308,however I know T-3 owners of 7 Rem mag and 300 WSM and they have not had issues either.

I owned three Tikka 595's prior to purchasing my first T-3, they were traditional blued, wood rifles and all shot as well as the T-3's but they were also considerably heavier. For a hunting rifle I prefer the T-3 stainless/synthetic but that is just me.

I purchased my first T-3 in their first year of introduction (2002 ?) and have come to appreciate them for the simplicity of having to do nothing more then adjusting the trigger to my desired weight of pull and mounting a scope. Every Tikka I have owned has been at, or near, half-inch groups for 5 shots with the only thing being done to them is to lower the trigger weight of pull to 2#, which takes less than 5 minutes total time.

As far as changing out bolt shrouds, recoil lugs, or breaking any of the plastic parts - not in my experience.

Easy bolt take-down, bolt locks down when safety is engaged. As far as not being able to top off the magazine without removing it - is that really an issue? If it is then simply carry a spare loaded magazine.

If you want to change a shroud, replace a bolt handle, or a recoil lug they are available and can easily be done by the tinkerer rather than having to have special tools or a gunsmith do it. I suspect that the main reason for most changes is simply that the folks who frequent the 'fire are more apt to simply have to change things.

I own other rifles including Rem 700's, Win 70's and Cooper's but I could easily get by with nothing more than an out of the box T-3.



drover

Agreed. Most could "get by" with a Tikka.

drover,

Interesting info on the Canadian Rangers and the T3!

I've replaced the soft screws on Tikka mounts myself, in fact I keep a supply of harder screws in a drawer of my scope-mounting workbench because some other brands of mounts can also have soft screws. Years ago one scope-mount manufacturer told me this was not only to prevent over-tightening, but because softer screws don't vibrate loose as often when under-tightened with a poorly-fitting screwdriver.

Soft screws bite well and tend to dig in. Kinda like soft bullet jackets. Problem is, it works at both ends. Over tighten, and it is a problem.

And why wouldn't the Canucks choose a T3? They know they have Americans with 700s defending them....😆

I have two older M65 Tikkas in 30-06 from the mid to late 70s and the both hold very close to moa and better. I have a T3 SS in 6.5x55 and it shoots sub moa very consistently with a variety of components.

I love em.

The Ruger Scout rifle was a very close contender. However the rifle had to be produced in Canada, this particular Tikka is a collaboration with Tikka and Colt Canada.

Of course once you mix this together and the Government is involved the price goes up. Military version with case somewhere north of $4000.00 Canadian.

The civilian version is $2599.00





Flyer

Holy fuglyness

I wouldn't pay $25.99 for one.........

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11494834#Post11494834

Anybody here believe me about the $hitty customer service and overpriced replacement parts now?

Keep giving Beretta your money.......

WOW!!!! Never expected so many responses. I bought the Tikka.
.243, wood stock. Handles very nice, and in my opinion it's a nice looking rifle. I mounted a Leupold 3-9.Total cost for rifle & scope was $708.00, and I sent in a $50.00 rebate coupon to Leupold, wich brings it to $658.00, but the best part of all this is that the rifle really shoots. I had some old brass, and Speer 6mm bullets laying around and loaded some up, and went to the range. .75 @ 100 yards,and it wasn't the greatest day for shooting. If you live or have ever been to central Wyoming, you know what it's like. Wind, wind, and more wind.
A friend of mine has a Seminol elk tag, so I'm going with him in the morning. Hopefully the winds will calm down and I'll try some different loads in the Tikka towards the end of the week.
Wyomike

You got a decent deal. Glad you went with the wood stock also...