Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Which budget rifle is King?

I'm sure it would drive you crazy too. You'd have to find an entirely new schtick to make yourself seem important and relevant on the internet. It must be lonely at the top.

That's what I thought. You can't do it. Just out for a whine. Nothing constructive to add.

The fact remains, I have yet for anyone to validate the extra $250 or so the Tikka costs, in comparison to actual budget rifles like the 700 ADL, Marlin, Mossberg, RAR, etc.

But please, feel free to enlighten me......

It seems you are doing that all on your own. Again, I thank you....

How about this for a start -

A good barrel

A very good, easy to adjust trigger

A sturdy non-flexing stock

Smooth operation of bolt.

Out of the box accuracy guarantee

Basically a "put a scope on it and go shoot rifle" rather than being a project rifle.

I will admit that I liked the Tikka better when it was $450 rifle but even at $650 it is better than buying one of the others and starting to throw money at it in order to make it perform to Tikka levels.

drover

And???? And????? Is that it, oh guru of the internet??? I'm starting to believe what I've been told about you from someone who says they know you.

You can get all of those things for $250 less. And I'm not so sure I agree on the stock comment. It is just as run-of-the-mill as any of the others IMO, and anything but what I would consider "sturdy". But the bedded B&C that I installed on the ADL was very sturdy, and included for the same price.

It seems many here claim "Tikka performance" from their $350 RAR rifles. But some choose not to listen.

I look at everything subjectively, and am brand loyal to none. If Remington or anyone else turns out a POS, I'm more than happy to call it such. Even if I bought it. Others go out of their way to justify their purchases. Which is sad.

I can't see the Tikka barrel and trigger costing any more to produce than any of the others. Nor the stock. But I can see the "recoil lug", shroud, magazine, and (in many cases but not all) receiver costing less. And unlike some, I really do prefer a true short action for s/a cartridges.

A hammer forged barrel is just that. Nothing to write home about, and hardly more costly to produce in comparison, once the equipment is paid for.

The Tikka trigger is excellent. Best part of the rifle, IMO. Mine is set at 19 ozs. and required no work. I can get 700 triggers down pretty low and have them break like glass. But it requires work and time to do so. Sometimes stoning and/or a new spring.

In part for part comparisons, I can't justify the much higher price tag over much less costly rifles. I have asked others to do so, but they never seem to be able to either.Where is the extra $250 at? He11, a $300 Stevens compares favorably at half the price and shoots well.

There are plenty of other rifles that shoot well and cost less. And I don't consider that opinion.

The topic was "budget rifles", right?

And I'm starting to believe that you can't tell me of a better rifle for $600, and that you can't justify the far greater price tag of the Tikka. And that you were just running your mouth. As expected.

What are you, some kind of drama queen?

So exactly what was your agenda in running your mouth in the first place? To make yourself look bad? It certainly wasn't to talk about rifles.

Next time you decide to run your mouth, at least have something to back it up. Because as of now, you have made a mockery of yourself............

The standard Tikka T3 Lite SS used to cost $500 around these parts at any given retailer. The same rifle sells for about $900 now. It's a good rifle, and I've been happy with my Tikkas, but it's a hard purchase to justify given the better options for just a few hundred more, and the roughly equivalent options for several hundred less.

Excuse me, I just had a RAR SS show up on the doorstep for roughly half of what a Tikka would cost me, so I'm off to tinker...

Jordan, that would be my read as well, at least this side of the border!

Tikkas are not budget rifles.

RAR look nice. In a homeless shelter.




Travis

Nice, no. Budget-friendly and functional, yes.

Allow me to fix that. The Marlin X guns were the pick of the budget guns, but Remington's marketing department decided the 783 would be an "improvement".

The Howa / Weatherby Vanguard is good if the price is right, the Savage Axis is OK.

I haven't had a chance to examine a Ruger American in detail yet, so I'll withhold judgement.

The worst? Easily the Remington 710/770. Wouldn't own one if it were free.

I have a 700 ADL in 30/06, An RAR 243, used to have a Marlin XS7 243, and I've got to some Tikkas.

In the accuracy department my Tikkas win hands down especially at the 500 yd line.

The Marlin XS7 243 would often times shoot around 8" at 500.

The 700 CDL shoots around 7" at 500

My 270 Tikka has turned in a lot of 3" groups at 500

As far as actions go I pulled all my rifles off the wall and handed them to my 7 year old who now is 8 for a true action cycling test. The result were the Tikka action was the only one she was able to cycle. She cycled the action with relative ease. She now is the proud owner of a Tikka super lite in 223.

Bedding.....I glass bedded my 700 ADL,
.....Glass bedded my Marlin XS7
.....The Tikkas, only an idiot would glass bed something that doesn't need it.
.....The RAR I haven't touched yet because its going up for sale. Won't say why...I'll just say I'm unhappy with it.

Trigger.....Tikka hands down

Dependability

Tikka.....zero problems, it does have some polymer parts. Though I and most others have never seen a failure of the polymer parts apparantly they are crap.

I guess they should have made them out of steel like the Remington bolt.

Marlin XS7...zero problems

RAR.....No way in hell I would take it as is on an important hunt

700 CDL....misfires, note to self....don't shoot it like a Tikka because it won't go that many rounds without a good cleaning.

Overall performance from the factory with zero modifications.

The Tikka will dependably take game at 500 yds+ off the shelf

The Marlin XS7 I would use off the shelf to 400 yds.

The CDL in stock form with zero modification sucks. Groups without bedding were sufficient for 200 yd accuracy.

The RAR with zero modification sucks. The trigger is horrendous and the action feeds like sandpaper.

Yes I do realize NASA completely missed the boat when they refused to build the space shuttle out of steel.

It was at this point when the lead director of NASA.....now known as 2muchgun had no alternative but to resign.

PS...This is only my opinion. By making this statement thereof I hereby declare to be free and clear of any pissing matchs with any individuals or individual thereof.

Thank you

Shod

I'm no Tikka basher. I like the rifles and they've all shot well for me out of the box. I don't consider their price point to be in the budget category.

But to say they need nothing out of the box is a stretch....

I've owned 5 of the stainless T3 Lite's. I didn't put 1 to a fair test, but the other 4 walked when the barrel heated up. The culprit in all 4 were the pressure points located 4 inches or so in front of the receiver. They all shot better when hot after the pressure points were removed.

The best shooting Tikka I've ever seen was a 7-08 Eddie F bedded for me in a B&C stock. The same rifle shot well in the factory stock after the pressure points were removed. The rifle shot exceptionally well after the stock switch and the bedding....

Shodd knows his shiet......

SAS, I'm not calling BS but in 2 Tikkas when the pressure point was removed I've noted larger groups in the first 3 shots cold bore.

In all fairness I don't know how they shoot after 3 shots as I always let my rifle cool for a good 15 minutes after a three shot group and commence to shooting other rifles and pistols.

I'm only interested in cold bore performance from the T3 because essentially this is what the rifle was designed for.....especially so of the super lite.

Tikka does build rifles that are designed to shoot repeatedly.......or (Warm) but that rifle is not a T3.

If the T3 is used for its intended purpose it requires nothing more than a scope be mounted right out of the box.

It wouldnt be a stretch to say that most tikka owners would agree with that statement.

Shod

This is an accurate assessment.

The fact that you can take an ADL and glass bed it into a Medalist, and still be under the price of a factory Tikka sporting Tupperware, is one that should not go overlooked IMO......

Only an idiot would glass bed a recoil lug that is the equivalent of a free floating nickel cut into a slot in some Tupperware?

You get a free pass tonight Shodd. I'm too tired to deal with you.

The fact that you can take a ADL and have to do lots of things to it to get it on par with a Tikka has never gone overlooked. I'm not sure why you think it has.

Shod

It's easy to overlook the obvious when you're sitting on high in your throne and talking down to the peasant masses.

I'm no big pusher of Tikka rifles, but this constant mantra gets old very quickly. People buy what they buy. No one is right or wrong in real life, except when the don't agree with the guru in his fantasy world.