Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Kimber Hunter vs Tikka T3x stainless in 7mm-08

Looking for a new 7mm-08, and it has to be ACCURATE without a ton of tinkering. Stainless/synthetic is 1st choice, although I love a good piece of walnut! Don't like the heavy rifles (think Weatherby Vanguard) and not fond of the ultra-lights - they're just too hard to shoot straight and generally cost a bundle more than I'm willing to spend.

Right now, I've narrowed it down to two: the Kimber Hunter and the Tikka T3x stainless.

They're both pretty much the same price ($699 - &750). I like the stock better on the Kimber, but the plastic triggerguard is a bit of a turnoff. It has a MOA guarantee, but I know Kimbers are not the most trouble-free firearms on the market, just from reading posts here on the campfire.

The Tikka stock is OK, but I wish the rifle had a blind magazine instead of $50 detachable mags. Quality issues are pretty much non-existant, and the ease with which you can find an accurate load in any of these rifles is really attractive!

Anyway, for that price range, which would you pick? Any other suggestions?

Given you can pick up a Tikka 7-08 T3 Lite for $570 new from Whittakers thats where I would go.

Add 7mm08 to your title and you will probably get a response from Pharmaseller he has at least 2 Tikka 7mm08's and sounds like he is very pleased. Weatherby does not appear to be making a 7mm08 right now.

Good luck and shoot straight.

Bob

I can not speak Kimber's, but I can speak for the Tikka. I bought my grandson a Tikka T3x stainless in .308 win. I mounted a Leupold VX-3i 4.5-14x40 CDS Adjustable Objective. He was busting clay pigeons at 300 yards last Sunday.

I would step over a Kimber to pay more money for a Tikka. Much better rifle and certainly more worry free.

Couldn't agree more. You couldn't give me a Kimber.

$569.99 for a Tikka T3x stainless is a great price from Whittaker Guns.

I like my Montana,no reason not to, but there's no way I would buy a Kimber Hunter when I can buy a Montana for about $250 more. If money was that much of an issue ,I would buy the Tikka without a second thought.

I would not play Kimber Roulette.

Hook, line, and sinker!


Among the rifles I load for are four stainless Tikkas, all T3, all 7mm-08. You want accurate?


Superlite #2 (mine)





Superlite #1 (my brother's)





140 Partition





Standard T3 (mine)





Same 140 Partition load as above





I don't have any pics of my dad's T3 but I probably don't need to post more.






P

Hey Pharm, what was that 140 partition load please? Thanks.

Work up, of course.


140 NP
47.5 gr Big Game
WLRM
Rem brass
2.805" OAL





P

Found one of my dad's, 200 yards, 140 Accubond









P

I grabbed the Tikka plus a pair of Talley lows while the grabbin' was good! I have a Leupold 2.5-8x Vari-X III just waiting for a good, light rifle to be mounted on.

And as an aside, the same rifle on sale at Whittakers for $569 is at Scheels today for $749.99. Whahoo!

Now the BIG decision: 120 NBT's (pronghorn) + 120 TTSX's (elk) or 140gr Accubonds for EVERYTHING?

Whichever shoots best. My dad went Accubond, I went Partition, my brother went Berger then went Partition.






P

I'm with Pharm.....accubond or partition, whatever shoots best. Problem you'll have is they'll both shoot great! Good problem, huh? I do know the 140 accubond is a fantastic killer on deer, aoudad, pigs, etc. Only thing I've shot with 120 BT's is whitetail does (worked like a champ) and lots of pigs. It's a stout one too.

Good luck, have some fun with it, you did good! Keep us posted how it shoots if you don't mind.

Is the Tikka still built on a long action or have they come out with a short action version?

Long action, but who cares? The difference is insignificant.

And with a long action bolt stop I can chase the lands to my heart's content.




P

Good choice with the Tikka!

If I where to start over, I would probably only use Tikka T3x..

5 or 6 different T3s, would do anything I would ever need!

Add a McMillan stock, and you are gold!