Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles tikka t3 in 7mm mag, recoil brutal??

I have one in 338 mag. I put a limbsaver on it and have been shooting it for 7 years. Got a deer with it just last Sunday. As for recoil not a big deal snappy but not bad. Just use a good pad for bench work and you will never notice it in the field.

First off, if you are a big game hunter and worry about brutal recoil from a 7 MM Mag, you might reconsider your hobbies in terms of finding something a bit more "user friendly" for your body. Like maybe checkers or chess, I've never shot a 7 MM Mag that I would consider as being brutal, and I've owned and shot more than just a few. Slightly "sporty" maybe in comparison to a 25-06 maybe, but brutal? Come on.

That said, I own a couple of the terrible, cheaply made Tikka rifles (I heard the "truth" about them on the internet from an expert in such things) and even though they are not family heirloom types of rifles, they are very serviceable. Two of the ones I own are chambered in 30-06 and 300 WSM. Both rifles have been shot over 500 times each, and so far the recoil lugs on both rifles have escaped the terrible bent/damaged by recoil issue that is their obvious to some internet Einstein observers' "weakness".

Snug the rifle into the stock in a normal manner and you won't have the terrible problems that at least one "expert" spits out whenever he thinks he has an apparently ignorant audience to soak up his readily offered advice and personal knowledge.

Please don't misconstrue my comments as being a Tikka only pusher as I'm far from that. But in the same context let's not go overboard with our negative "knowledge" that some choose to share with others whenever they can.

Fair enough?

For a good while my most used rifle was a 7mm Weatherby mag loaded to the gills. It had real recoil, but not what I'd call brutal.

That said, it would be interesting to slip a dummy round in on a large sample of shooters using 30-06/7mag and up and see if they're handling recoil as well as they think they are.

For some people, that same concept could be applied to a 243 Win shooter. Very simply put, if you can't handle the recoil of what you're shooting for whatever reasons (real physical limitations or simply "its going to hurt" mental reasons), a person obviously needs to find something milder to shoot that he can handle.

If you can't shoot a decent group with a rifle that someone else can due to obvious recoil issues, the size of your "pattern" should tell you something just as easily.

Yes, the concept does apply with any cartridge. My point is the percentage of people who are above their personal threshold increases with recoil, and an unannounced ball and dummy drill will produce graphic demonstrations of that problem. The increase isn't linear, it takes an upward jump about where I mentioned.

You could also add recoil reducers in the butt stock and then add decelerator pad.I believe they come in 2,4,6 and 8 ounce versions.

The bent lugs are bullschit. 2muchgun has a hard on for hating Tikkas for some reason, even though by his own admission he hasn't owned one.

The Sako TRG uses the same lug system as the Tikka. Are they junk too?

The T3 actually has three lugs. The main lug ahead of the front action screw, and a little lug built in around each action screw. Note how around the screw hole there is a square cut out in the stock. The action hangs down at this location and mates into the recess. If your action is moving, then you forgot to tighten the screws.

I did a search, but I am not very inter-webs savvy�

Could I see some pictures of these Tikka failures? (lugs,plastic, etc.)

It may save me some money in the long run.

-Thanks.

+1 Never owned one and yet has running commentary on them.

have had three tikka's in the .300 win...the t3, the t3 superlight and currently the boar hunter version...never shot the superlight but the other two were no big deal..have a ruger 30-06 that jumps more and comes back harder then the above mentioned and it still doesn't induce pain, just a random flinch

FYI I have a tang Ruger 77 in 7mm RM and shot it side by side with a Rem 721 in 30-06 for years. The 77 was fine but the 721 was stout in comparison. I figured it was due to stock design more than ft/lbs.

The recoil lugget problems are not internet BS. I tighten my action screws per spec and still get impressions in the lugs in as little as 20 shots(300WM and 338 Federal). I've been flipping the lugs on mine every so often when the impressions get fairly deep. Doesn't seem to bother performance, but just makes me feel like it's moving too much. I'm just about done with the aluminum lugs and will be installing Ti lugs in both of mine after the season.

Great little rifles. My only complaints are the lugs and shrouds.

If lugs and shrouds leave you sleepless, than go to Mountain Tactical and upgrade the two pieces for $80 plus shipping. Please, no snoring.

The only 7 mag i have ever owned, or shot, and still have, is a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless. I cant compare it to any other brand, and won't compare it to any other caliber. Every person is different and should determine what their acceptable level of recoil is.

Mine is still wearing the factory stock and pad, with a Leupold 3.5-10x40 sitting in Sako Optilock mounts and rings. It weighs right at 7.5 pounds with a full magazine and a 1" SuperSling 2 on it. I am pushing 160 grain Accubonds right at 3000 FPS with RL-22. Personally, I find the recoil well within acceptable limits whether standing or from a bench. I haven't tried it prone to see what that is like. If it matters, I am 53, stand 6'2" and weigh around a getting fat and soft 235 - 240.

Jeez! That picture's worse than that flashing avatar that guys had about a year ago. There ought to be a warning before you put that up!

If you think a TI lug or steel lug won't get an impression on it after using it I have a bridge I can sell you. I definitely do not want a material just as hard as the receiver since that will mark up the reciever. They need to be properly glass bedded and that impression will go away or be minimized.

There must be something wrong with my Daughter and me. We both shoot Tikka t3's in 7 mag and the recoil doesn't seem to bother us. As a matter of fact, Daughter Sandi use the 168's for Elk and 140's for Deer.

Like I said prior, if your lug is getting dinged up, then something is moving period.

Sounds like the gun needs bedding.

Read this tonight what is the current opinions on tikka lugs.

If you can handle the recoil of a 30-06 you shouldn't have any problems with a 7 RM.....Good luck ...Hb