Anyone using a tikka for longer range hunting?

I missed out on a remington in 300 ultra recently. And the guy is offering a Tikka t3 in either 7mm mag or 300 mag at a pretty good deal.
Along with a vortex viper 6.5-20x44 scope with turrets

A Tikka T3 in 7mm RM launching 162 AMAX's would be a fabulous general use rifle.


The Vortex wouldn't be my choice, but that gun with a good scope would rock.

My longest shot on flesh was with a Tikka T3 in .25-06. It was a first-shot hit/kill at 942 yards on a coyote. The gun and scope will work if you are able to make things happen.

The scope isn't my first choice either. But the price is right.

I would prefer a 4-12x40 to keep things on the lighter side sense the rifle is relatively light. Throw turrets on it and it should work great as high country rifle for where I'm doing 90% of my bear hunting

Take the 7 and the Viper. Almost a no-brainer.

I have a T3 in 7 Mag. My first three shots were at 50 yards to get it sighted in. Then I switched to the 100 yard target and fired three rounds.

The A-Max, 69 grains H1000, rem cases, and Tula LRM gave me 2743, 2733, and 2743 fps. I know it's 200 feet slower than I want to end up at and I need to try more loads (Monday?), but the new rifle's first group went .4. Recoil wasn't bad with the Limbsaver.

That's my long winded way of recommending the Tikka in 7.

Tikka is solid and I would not hesitate to get either caliber. Regardless I would not go with the factory rings, go with the DNZ and dont look back.

Get it. I just killed a decent blacktail on a high country backpack hunt with mine on Sunday. Clean head shot, though it was only 150 yards away. That gun can shoot much better than me.

Ya gotta be a 'no-brainer' to piss ya $$$$ off on the POS!!

The tikkas I've owned all have been amazing. I just don't about them and a long range rifle

I have a Tikka in 7mm RM. 162 Amax and IMR4831 will get you groups like this and hits out to 1300yds



This was 4 shots. I usally do 4 for load development.


If you use H4831sc your group will open up

So what was your experience that has you caused you to believe it is a POS?

Probably just one of those Chuck Hawkes worshipers.

I'm the guy who wrote above that my first three round group while sighting my new Tikka 7RM went .4, but was too slow.

I went back out and worked up to an average of 3016 fps and a .6 and a .5 inch groups.

I let the barrel cool while I shot a T3 in 270 (.6), then ranged a white rock up on the hill at 594 yards. The rock was about 7 or 8 inches around. I put nine minutes on my scope from my 200 yard zero. My buddy behind the spotting scope said my first round hit a half minute to the right (I was holding too much wind.) I then corrected and hit three in a row. That makes me smile!
(As an aside, I told my buddy to hold 3.2 mils with the t3 in 270, and he smacked the rock his first two shots.)

I have a 13 pound 308 to play with and not burn the barrel out, but this T3 in 7 mag was so easy to get to shoot. It is nicely balanced. I put a Karsten cheek rest, Talley LW lows, and a Limbsaver on and I have a great hunting weight rifle. Even with a 19 ounce scope and a five ounce sling, it goes 8.5 pounds.

Right now my concern is I'm seeing too large of a velocity spread. It's a brand new rifle so it shouldn't have a problem with the throat eroding. I've weighed the brass, trimmed to length, uniformed the primer pockets, deburred the flash holes, and measured neck uniformity. I also weighed each powder charge.
I tried Ramshot Hunter (largest spread, but I only shot a few of thes as the spead was way too slow and it might do better with more pressure) H4350 had the smallest spread at 28, but largest groups at right at an inch) H4831 and H1000 both have ES in the mid-40s with the H1000 a little more accurate.

I need to somehow get the ES lower, but right now I'm really happy with the T3 and the cartridge. November first it goes on a late bull hunt.

A shooting bud of mine has a pretty nice T3-based 300 WinMag. He shoots the 208s, and I think has been shooting some 225 Hornadys too.

We have shot together a couple times. I've seen it hammer at a mile.

Here's the rig. It's in a Manners stock, and I believe it's a Vortex Razor scope.

Your paint jobs ring influential Shane

Don't spare the Krylon......grin.

No worries mate......I wasn't planning on spending any money on you to begin with.

Shod

I had a T3 SS in 300 WSM with a 4x12x40 Leupold VXIII. Hell of a package and would shoot lights out farther than I needed to and was easy to pack. My hunting conditions changed and I sold it. Where I hunt is quite thick and the longest shot would be 100 yards and thats pushing it. I have two, fast handling and extremely accurate '06's. A bolt action M77 Hawkeye that will run damn near with a WSM and a No.1 RSI that packs and swings like a upland O/U. Just didn't need it but it went to a good home. Good rifle and a good price.

I think it depends on what you consider "longrange". I think a T3 Lite is a fantastic medium range rifle for little money, and they are lighter than most other models in their price range with a nice trigger. To me, medium range is 400 - 600 yards.

I currently have two T3 rifles. One is a Super Light in 300 Win, the other is a standard Lite in 270 Win. Both have DNZ mounts and FX-3 6x42 with LRD and M1. I had them out to 801 yards today. All I can say is, "deadnuts, and a piece of cake". Wind was minimal and the M1 is brilliant. 6x was plenty. I was also shooting at 500 yards usig the M1 and LRD, dialing up and down switching from LRD to M1 and vice versa. Everyting worked as it should.

With the tikka I wouldn't want to shoot at game passed those ranges. But on steel I would definitely push to 1000yds or farther...

I agree. For animals, my loads start running out of steam for bullet expansion for truly longrange hunting but I know that some of the more experienced guys seem to be ok using them below recommended impact velocity.

I'm shooting 200gr Accubonds at 2900 fps from the 300 Win, and the 140gr Accubond at 2900 fps from the 270 Win. The 300 is good out to 800-ish, and a bit less for the 270. But the 270 recoils less and makes for a sweet practice rifle on rocks, steel, and dry dirt banks (can see the bullet craters).

After shooting at 800 yards, 500 yards almost seems easy (easy for me at 500 = hitting 8" steel quickly without a lot of fuss and set-up time). Previous to this my max distance was about 700 yards but I had done a bunch of shooting at 400-600 yards.

I've had four T3 Lites (300 WSM, 300 Win, 300 Win, 270 Win) and one varmint (223) and all have been very accurate and easy to shoot.

That's where I catch a lot of slack. Because I want a gun capable of killing at 1000 yards....it doesn't mean I'm shooting at animals at that distance. But with practice at those ranges and being comfortable with the possibly at killing game at 1000 yards, it will make 500 to 800 an almost easy shot. At very least a lot more comfortable.

A few questions for you guys shooting T3 Lites at longer ranges. What kind of groups are you seeing between 500 and 800 yards? Are you getting those results with an out of the box rifle, or have you bedded it or done other work on the rifle (not included trigger lightening)?

Thanks.

Sorry if I use this picture to much, I am usually to busy doing stuff to mess with pictures.

This is my Tikka .270 out of the box with factory ammo at 600. First three were using a ballistic program were a but low and I was just plugging in numbers provided numbers from the box of bullets. I checked the target and then adjusted up a bit more for the last 7. Roughly 3"x5" for the last 7 shots. This was either Federal Fusion or cheapo Remington green box ammo.

This one was the same rifle after dropping it into a BC stock and bedding it. Two head shots were 500 and 600 yards, the rest in the body where out to 1200 yards. Load was the 140 Berger at 3000fps. The high shot in the body was using 800 yard data for a 700 yard shot.

I've never shot groups beyond 400 yards. At 400, my Tikkas have been under 1 MOA (300 WSM, 300 Win) using 6x, 2-7x, and 4-12x scopes.

Generally, I shoot groups at 100 and 200 yards and then I don't chase groups beyond that. I find that I do better when I don't pressure myself for groups. Seems like I try too hard, and then do worse! I just keep track of "hits" and "misses", but am impressed with guys/gals that can shoot tight groups at longrange.

I usually set 1-gallon jugs filled with water out at various distances. At closerange, I limit my set-up time and focus on getting the shot off quickly. A hit is good in my book, so long as its basically where I was aiming. At longer ranges, I allow myself more set-up time and then check the jug for the spot where the bullet impacted. If its way off from my aiming point, I go back and correct whatever was wrong (i.e. holdover, drop chart, etc.) but I never really shoot for groups per se, just a "pass" or "fail".

The last two weekends I shot an 8" steel, dirt clumps, rocks, etc. at 500 yards. Hits were regular and misses rare with both Tikkas (270 & 300 Win), but I never really shot for groups there either. At 800 yards, I shot at a vertical dirt bank (very dry). I could see some but not all of the craters left from the bullet impacts. I also caught several of the dirt puffs through the scope. I don't know what sort of groups I shot but in general the impacts were within the area roughly the size of a basketball, or better. Probably not good enough for F-Class or a benchrest shooter, but pretty good for me with hurried shots! I was just goofing around and next time I'll set some targets out there and see what I can do by taking more time to set-up.

Excellent man! No way you shot that with a skinny barreled hunting rifle... grin

Not sure I understand the need to shoot game animals at long range but it is definately an impressive shooting feat. It is not hunting though, very rare a situation hunting were you can not get within 300 yards of an identified game animal. I can usually get within 100 yards of any North American game. I have two 270WSM T3's they shoot great groups from 100-300 yards. I handload them with 140gr accubonds.

The 'Long Range Hunting' Forum is a great place to talk about how close we get and how unethical it is to shoot over 300 yards.

Rene knows how to pick his forums/threads!

LOL. I have been going to active topics and didn't realize I was in a dedicated "long range thread". I am not used to how active this forum is. It is almost crazy busy here. I used to like long range shooting but slowly lost interest as hunting became more important. I have a 300RUM with 28" Douglas barrel that weigh's a good 11 lbs and that gun spits out 180 gr barns moly coated bullets at 3500fps and I once shot a 3" group of 3 shots at 500 yards with it. I thought that was pretty darn good for me.

dude seriously?? you must have never hunted in the mountains or the western US or the high deserts of the west either. animals don't stand around and wait to get shot. terrain is difficult and often noisy to cross such as rock slides etc. I archery hunt all the time where one does have to get within 100 yards and I can tell you every year a trophy buck would be on my wall if I had the distance of a rifle at my disposal at that time of the season.

Only because I had the black tactical socks on. White socks would have opened the hits way way up. On a side note flat dark earth socks will hold the same group and reduce comeups by 10%.

I've heard that flat tan will cut wind drift nearly in half? Or am I confusing that with ghillied scopes?

Dude, you've got to have a Tactical " Instructor's" belt on...color doesnt matter so much, as long as it matches your BDUs...

THEN you can shoot good....

Do I have to have facial hair? I notice that most bad to the bone "tactical marksmen" have equally badazz goatees and 'staches.

Well......duh....

You also have to get a Spyderco knife with that clip, and stick it in your pocket, clip showing....

It can also be a protech TR3. ;-{>8

Dude look at my avatar. I grew that in a three day weekend trip, I did miss the biggest blacktail I have ever seen that trip because my beanie was regular wool and not under armor/ninja fleece with a berilium coating.

Actually upon further review of notes I was clean shaven when I arrived and missed that buck on the first day (the only nontypical blacktail I have ever seen) and after growing a grey beard for three days I Tikkinated a nice buck at way long range, think it was at least 75 yards and I did not even have a chance to punch it into the android so I held on hair and let the shot go.

Someday, when I have the ability to grow heavy facial hair and make my face match my scalp, I will be a tactical operator.

But for now, I'll keep peering into pudding spoons and asking how I became so ridiculously good looking.

I can't believe you wouldn't have enough respect for the animal to plug in the skin drift at least. That could've resulted in a very poor shot and a suffering deer; shame on you man!

I bet you had some great success with your bow too. I can't shoot ethically past 40-50 yards with a bow but I probably don't practice as much as you do. I would take up to a 450 yard shot with a couple of my rifles and have only done it once on an antelope but overall with patience I can usually get much closer to game animals. I have never hunted sheep or goats but I was reading posts about head shots at 700 yards and 1000 yard shots. That just doesn't seem like hunting to me. That is pure skillful shooting.

varmintsinc was right about another point...I forgot about the UnderArmor stuff...

anyone talking about head shots at 700 and 1000 yards, just pretty much disregard everything they are saying. I don't care what you are shooting at those ranges a head shot isn't a good shot to take there is just too many things going on at that range to consider a head shot anything more than luck.

450 yds you are to some a long range shooter.

It always seems to me that people judge long range hunting on what they themselves are capible of or where they themselves hunt. What they do is hunting and what the others do is just shooting. It never occurs to them the work and dedication it takes to make the long shot. I sure would like to take them out antelope hunting on public land, 1 week after the season starts and tell them to get close.

Last year I put the stalk on a group of antelope, I used the terrain to my advantange and saw myself low crawling through all kinds of prickly things just to get within 550 yds. I put the hammer down on my .243 and ended up with a nice tasty doe. Was I just shooting or hunting? I do what I do to increase my chances of sucsess.

Elk season is going to start soon and if the choice is between an 800yd shot and going home meatless, I think I'll take the shot, I am prepared. I'd much rather fix bayonet and stab them where they sleep but sometimes they just won't coperate.

That is a rockin' paint job!!!

Shane,

Did your amigo use the factory recoil lug in the new stock, or did he use an aftermarket one?