I have one of the Tikka heavy barrel guns in .222 Rem. Got it a few years ago for about $660 if memory serves me correctly. Presently it has a cheap 6-18x scope which I paid either $100 or $110 for. The gun prefers 40 grain V-Max bullets. It is almost as accurate as the Browning heavy barrel .223 it replaced.
Jim
Yes, the Tikka rifles were cheaper until importation changed. We used to get them sent here directly from Europe. Now, they are imported into the US and we get them from down south. A result of that was a 15 - 20% price increase. Then you have to add the exchange rate - 25 to 35%. All of a sudden, my Tikkas went up at least 50%.
I have a 308 Varmint that I bought new eight or nine years ago for $750. Its $1400 now. My T3 Lites were all $500 to $600. Now they are $950. They are still bargains, but not nearly as cheap as just a few years ago.
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I was at the range again today. Another quiet session. I helped a fellow who had just bought a Savage Arms 10FCP-SR Tactical Bolt-Action Rifle and Cabelas Covenant scope. $1100 - $1250 all in. It's the first time that I've seen one up close. It looks clunky. That is, the bolt handle and scope mount don't quite seem right for the rifle. Still, if it shoots, I can get past the looks.
It was my good deed. He did not know how to zero the scope. He put a target up at 100 yd., but wasn't hitting anything. He shot off a box of ammunition at 100 yd and didn't hit the paper once. He couldn't understand why, and wanted to send it back to Cabelas. He thought something was wrong.
He told me it was boresighted, and thought it should be on paper. I explained that it isn't always the case, and suggested that he should try at 25 yd .It was obvious he didn't know what to do, so I gave him a hand. His rifle was shooting too far to the right. In the order of 10 inches or so. I got it hitting the bull and told him he will have to get it set up for 100 yd. He now knows how to walk the crosshairs over to the bullet holes.
My own shooting was fun. The Tikka likes 40 gr. VMaxes, just like my other 222s. It also likes my homemade 52 grainers. It does not like my 60 gr.bullets made from 22 LR cases.The 40s and the 52s grouped from .5 to .75 inch at 100yd. The 60s sprayed 1.75 inches. No surprise of course. The Bushnell scope is a sweetheart.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/AP39Jhm.jpg)
