Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Sako A7/Tikka T3

One VERY IMPORTANT difference that nobody has mentioned is that the Tikka has a 2 position safety. In order to unload it, you have to put it on "Fire". I dont like that.

The Sako has a bolt release lever that you push and allows you to unload the rifle without ever taking the safety off the "safe" position.

Tried loading my A7 in .300WSM while leaving the mag in the gun and it is possible and relativly easy. Just thought I would let you know.

Thanks
kevin

Your arguement still makes no sense. Where do YOU keep your extra shells? For all my guns without mags, I keep some extra shells in my pack, and I keep five in a little leather shell holder that I put in my pocket. I don't understand why putting a little plastic mag in my pocket instead is any different? Actually it is better, all I have to do is pull it out of my pocket, and stick it in the gun -vs- taking it out of my pocket, and pulling each shell out individually, and loading one at a time. You are creating an issue that doesn't exist.

I would think a Sako or Tikka magazine placed in a secure pocket with a zipper or button closing it a lot easier then carrying loose ammo or ammo on a belt but that's just me.

Does the New A7 have a 2 or 3 position safety?

Sorry for starting the top-loading stink fest. I thought one was refering to stuffin't the magazine (such as an ADL would be loaded). For loading single roundds on the bench, my 595 is a breeze, drop one in atop the magazine and close the bolt ... no fuss no muss.

Cain't really talk about hunting situations with it, I don't hunt it. Its more for punchin' paper, although next year it may get to shoot some little furries.

I think we are all learning about the differences between the A7 and T3 on this thread.

For me, the detachable mag "deficiency" doesn't exist. I have a spare, The T-3 is the best bang for the buck known to hunting rifles, and is far worth the $400 or so you save over the A7. I have Sako's, I have 3 Tikkas...all are fantastic shooters. I do like the limbsaver idea also.

Yep.....right on down the line.

Many years ago I had an aversion to DM's as I'd heard all the horror stories as well about the obvious concerns of losing them during inopportune times, but never heard first or second hand, just someone this and someone that. Bought hinged floorplated rifles for years due to that concern. I suppose losing DM's, for whatever reason, has happened and perhaps still does on occasion (some guys also get their wieners stuck in their zippers more than once.....hey, every guys entitled to one screw up......right?), but I also suppose that most manufacturers nowadays that offer DM'd rifles have taken that into consideration when designing rifles with such devices. My Sako and T3 mags seem to lock up quite securely.

I own several Sako's and Tikkas like JGRaider with DM's and have never had a problem either and I carry each afield a great deal every year. I also own and carry spare mags for each rifle......just in case. I'm not exempt from Murphy either and so I also feel that it's prudent to do so.......and Sako mags, in particular, are not cheap, so I am an ardent believer in always being prepared......no matter the cost.

There may be someone who now posts that he lost a DM and it cost him the largest muley, WT or BT ever seen by man, but even if true, I would expect that it occurs about as often as someone who gets a Tikka that shoots like chit, costs more than it's worth and has a lousy trigger.

Oh yeah.....every big game rifle I own wears a Limbsaver. That is a truly worthwhile suggestion made by a few here.

Oh, BTW, for clarification purposes only........not the entire wiener, I was referring only to just a very small piece of the entire 8th Wonder of The World. If it was indeed the entire appendage that was so caught, this entire thread is lost on you and perhaps this forum is not where you belong.


Having said that, in mid-October I'll be hunting a great deal and therefore not posting for awhile. Please don't confuse my absence from this forum for any reason other than that..................no really.

Yep. And furthermore, if you want a metal instead of plastic magazine for a Tikka (mine's a 595) get a 5-round replacement. They're made of blued metal, except for the bottom cap and the follower.
Actually, being a 223, the clip holds 6 rounds, and I can have another in the chamber, making it a 7-shooter.

Funny ... there was guy in our deer camp in PA that had a Remington (I do not recall the model) that when fired at game would cause the magazine to drop. Never happened at the range. Happened TWO years in a row while shooting at deer. The first year he tracked the deer need a finishing shot and CLICK ... no magazine, hence no finishing shot.

The third year he showed up with a new rifle!

Now that is a safe rifle , must be a new Remington feature.

Gotta love those "single shots".........now that's a horror story.

Shooting at the range and shooting at deer (unfortunately, due to the way we practice) have almost nothing in common, sans the report of the rifle. I expect, but obviously don't know, that the way he held or gripped his rifle when anxiously shooting at a deer as opposed to when shooting off of a bench, might have had something to do with him detaching his magazine inadvertently. Purely a guess on my part, but when in the excited moment of pullin' the trigger on any live target (big game animals in particular), people do funny (not ha-ha funny) things and sometimes resort to methods yet, unpracticed.

I was with a guy who was handgunning for deer and he had an unexpected and very quick opportunity at a nice, safe, close shot on a nice blacktail with his 6in. 629. He likely had more time than he thought as we often do, but went immediately into the "I gotta get this shot off as quick as possible" mode and his left support hand did something unusually funny (again....not ha-ha funny).

He was a very accomplished hunter whom I'd seen take numerous animals quite efficiently with a rifle and practiced equally with both handgun and rifle. For whatever reason, he placed his left support hand loosely underneath and almost entirely around the front of the cylinder and forcing cone area. Only his sights were unobstructed by his left hand. The escaping gases and ensuing pain felt in his support hand, at the shot, still remain a very vivid memory for this fella. I've seen pictures of fingers almost made useless from employing such ill advised and excitable practices.

All this to say that sometimes we do things to ourselves (via our equipment) that cause us to be inconvenienced. We'd like to think otherwise and we often make that choice, but sometimes such mishaps lay directly at our own feet.

No matter what the reason, if I were your friend, duct tape and a good throat slitter would have become a staple in my day pack that second year...............grin.

Oh yeah......very dead deer, but the congratulatory part was much shorter lived than usual.

It has a 2 position safety with the bolt release lever. It works slick. Personally, I think that is a significant difference, but it isnt getting near the attention that a detachable magazine is getting!

I can load my tikka T3 magazine from the action. You just have to start pushing down on the shell when it's in front of the magazine cartridge retainer "ledges." Not that hard at all.

IMO the A7 doesn't have enough features to warrant the $300-$400 extra over the T3. Still has plastic in the same places, so you are paying extra for steel feed-lips and a bolt release.

That said, get a Rem 700.

So they kept the 75 trigger group and safety with the A7?

If you want the best rifle for the money get the Tikka. If you want the best rifle get the A-7. I've handled both and the A-7 with it's open top ejection port and it's push button bolt release that allows you to unload the rifle while it's still on safety are nice touches not to mention the better magazine the A-7 has, The A-7 is a little classier rifle than the T3. If your sweating the money you can buy used Savage 110's really cheap. they shoot great and function perfectly.............547.

If I wanted a cheap rifle that shot well I would buy a Savage. I have been around two lately and the both shot very well.
If I wanted a step up I would go A-7.
To me the Tikkas always looked like cheap junk.

I own a Savage, and the machining, and metal finish isn't fit for a BB gun. It is accurate, but there is no comparison between the machining work on my Tikka.