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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,337
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,337 |
I'am in the market for left hand rifles. I been considering a Tikka T3 lite weight. None of the local dealers or gun shows have any for me to look at. There web site has been helpful.
I would like to know the good and bad.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,332 Likes: 18
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,332 Likes: 18 |
They're accurate rifles. They have good triggers that are easy to adjust. They have plastic parts where others use metal, like mag boxes.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,432 Likes: 9
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,432 Likes: 9 |
Good: Accurate out of the box Great trigger Very accurate out of the box Smooth action
Bad: Stock is a bit slippery, I put some grip tape on mine. Scope mount screws are kind of cheap but so far mine haven't failed.
Considered bad by loonies: One size action for long, short and .223 sized. Bolt stop limits travel appropriately but the extra and wasted .4" of action length makes it worthless and downright heretical. Nothing to change - no need to spend twice the cost of the rifle on aftermarket parts to make it shoot straight or be reliable or improve it*. No barrel to replace or action to true, just take it out of the box, mount a scope and go shooting - i.e. boring.
* doesn't mean one can't spend twice the cost of the rifle replacing things, just no need.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,592 Likes: 11
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,592 Likes: 11 |
Good
Accurate Smooth action Reliable feeding in every case I've seen Excellent trigger
Bad
Flimsy bottom metal where the action screws engage. Benefits immensely from pillars being installed in the stock. Plastic bolt shroud and bottom metal/magazine One-size-fits-all action length Not much aftermarket support (because it doesn't need much), which is disappointing for tinkerers.
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,239
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,239 |
Bad:
Considered bad by loonies: One size action for long, short and .223 sized. Bolt stop limits travel appropriately but the extra and wasted .4" of action length makes it worthless and downright heretical.
Unless you buy a .308 as a donor (for $300), throw in a $65 bolt stop kit, and build an azz kicking .284 Long Action. Or a .270 as a donor (for $400), and build an azz kicking 7MM-08 with heavy bullets seated out, without having to change anything. The one size all argument is a dead subject. It doesn't make any sense. There are several benefits if you think about it.
I should have just bought a [bleep] T3...
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,239
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,239 |
Bad
Flimsy bottom metal where the action screws engage. Benefits immensely from pillars being installed in the stock. Plastic bolt shroud and bottom metal/magazine One-size-fits-all action length Not much aftermarket support (because it doesn't need much), which is disappointing for tinkerers.
1) Not flimsy, supported inside with steel. 2) Reinforced polymer, show me either one you have personally broken. 3) Discussed above. 4) All you'll ever need...http://www.tikkaperformance.com/
I should have just bought a [bleep] T3...
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 598
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 598 |
The are accurate to a degree way out of proportion with their price.
The pisser is there's nothing to do to enhance that. Maybe aftermarket scope rings, but I've never had a prob with the issued ones
kd
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,205
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7,205 |
That's what's so boring about Tikkas, you don't get to pluck with em to get em to shoot. No bedding issues, trigger jobs/replacements, finicky load development, just feed ....point.....and shoot. Most loonies can't live with that!
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,044
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,044 |
Great rifles and one of the best buys in a LH Rifle.
A Doe walks out of the woods today and says, that is the last time I'm going to do that for Two Bucks.
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,705 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,705 Likes: 2 |
What everyone else said about the good. It's not fancy grade walnut and all milled steel, nothing you'd look at twice but for the money and the way it shoots I can't think of anything bad.
Mine's a 1-10 twist 223 I got back in December. I've had my share of 223s but never had one shoot bullet weights from 40 to 63 gr as well. These were five different, already assembled loads. They were left overs from previous 223s I've owned. Those rifles had been bedded, floated or pressure bedded, trigger jobs, load development, etc. As others said, the Tikka did it right out of the box.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,306
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,306 |
Good - You don't have to buy a Kimber at twice the price and perform the 10 Kimber correctional steps to make it shoot decently - the Tikka does so right out of the box for half the money.
Bad - Kinda fugly looking. Imagine how many they would sell if they put them in a sleek mountain rifle type stock.
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,630
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,630 |
Received a T3 in 25-06 at X mas. Put some Talleys lows on it and a VX-1 3-9-40mm. Have some 115 Partitions and 115 NBT test loads to try this spring. I think it's a fine rifle for the price.
Gonna use it this fall is my plan. I'm stoked to try it. Will do a full range report once some trigger time is accumulated.
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 14,330 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 14,330 Likes: 3 |
Good - You don't have to buy a Kimber at twice the price and perform the 10 Kimber correctional steps to make it shoot decently - the Tikka does so right out of the box for half the money.
Bad - Kinda fugly looking. Imagine how many they would sell if they put them in a sleek mountain rifle type stock. Add a Bell & Carlson stock if you want to jazz it up!!!
Its all right to be white!! Stupidity left unattended will run rampant Don't argue with stupid people, They will drag you down to their level and then win by experience
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,592 Likes: 11
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,592 Likes: 11 |
Bad
Flimsy bottom metal where the action screws engage. Benefits immensely from pillars being installed in the stock. Plastic bolt shroud and bottom metal/magazine One-size-fits-all action length Not much aftermarket support (because it doesn't need much), which is disappointing for tinkerers.
1) Not flimsy, supported inside with steel. 2) Reinforced polymer, show me either one you have personally broken. 3) Discussed above. 4) All you'll ever need...http://www.tikkaperformance.com/ 1) I've personally bent that flimsy, thin steel by torquing my action screws to 55 in-lbs, which is why I pillar-bedded the rifle and bottom metal 2) I can't because I replaced the bolt shroud with an aluminum replacement before it had a chance to break It was more for the tinkering factor, than anything 3) It can be a pro or a con, depending on what you're doing and how you look at it
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,513
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,513 |
They'll outperform your custom rifles costing much more, which is maddening! lol.
Eric
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 20,683
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 20,683 |
I'm a southpaw shooter, have all Rem 700's, older ones other than the CDL .223
if I needed a lh rifle, Tikka would be what I'd buy.
got the oldest boy one on his 16th birthday.
can't begin to describe how impressed I am with it.
let him shoulder everything available in this town and was certainly prepared to shell out the coin for a Kimber which I thought he'd want
he liked the fit and feel of the action better on the Tikka, so that's what he got
chambered in boring old '06
they had a lh version of the same rifle at the LGS where we bought his for awhile and I gave serious consideration to buying one for myself, but then what would I do with my 7 mag and .338?
too many memories in both of those rifles to get rid of them
as others have stated, it's a heckuva value in a rifle in my view.
and I like the plastic mags, bought the boy 4 extra ones just in case.
hunting normally only carry two, one with 150 grainers for sheep or bou, one with 180 gr. for walking in and out with hopefully a bloody pack
if it fits you, I think you'd be happy with one.
I'm pretty certain when we sing our anthem and mention the land of the free, the original intent didn't mean cell phones, food stamps and birth control.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,044
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,044 |
My Left Hand T-3 Tikka in 223 . I ditched the factory supplied rings, and used Steel Burris Picatinny Bases, and Steel Weaver QD Rings, replace the Bolt Handle with Machined Tactical , and replaced the Bolt Cover on the back of the Bolt with Metal. I also changed out the recoil lug from Aluminium to Steel. Scope is a Vortex Viper 3x9 with Bullet Drop Ret.
A Doe walks out of the woods today and says, that is the last time I'm going to do that for Two Bucks.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 17,527
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 17,527 |
1) I've personally bent that flimsy, thin steel by torquing my action screws to 55 in-lbs, which is why I pillar-bedded the rifle and bottom metal
That is too much torque. Drop it back to 40lbs.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,592 Likes: 11
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,592 Likes: 11 |
I prefer a bit more than 40 on all my rifles, and if they can't take it from the factory, I modify them until they can, but regardless, a rifle shouldn't bend or get damaged because of 15 extra in-lbs...
The "steel"-reinforced polymer where it contacts the action screws is very flimsy, and is certainly a weak link in the rifle system.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 17,527
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 17,527 |
Crank an extra 15lbs on your scope rings and see what happens. Tikka does not recommened 55lbs, neither do any real gunsmiths.
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