Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What makes Tikka rifle so popular?

Tikkas are so accurate that angular measuring systems had to be tightened just for them. 1 MOA for a Tikka = .84"......

You are right. Been trying to convince people for years that a .25 inch group beats a .25 MOA group everyday. Some just don’t get math.

I did the same thing, except after I bought my first CTR, I was so impressed with it, that I bought another CTR. At my clubs last centerfire/precision rifle shoot, I even felt guilty for pulling the CTR with Nightforce out. I could have been just as happy with my Savage, but no one of my buddies begged me to pull the CTR out:



I actually like my Tikka's better than my Sako long range hunter, but that rifle actually shoots pretty good too: Furthermore, I don't care if you guys are measuring moa or inches, it's a no brainer that Tikka's just shoot....

I would bet Chuck Norris would like a Tikka rifle.

Tikka Superlite 708

They suck

Pretty fascinating really to see a "box" rifle get this much praise, considering that there are so many options out there today, not that they are all that much to write home about.
I don't need another rifle really but I will be sure to check out a Tikka next time I can get my hands on one. I'm a dyed in the wool Win 70 fan but I suppose I still capable of learning something from time to time.

Accuracy

Accuracy, affordability, lack of quality built affordable, American rifles produced, accuracy (I like accuracy ). memtb

i'm with you mem as in i LIKE accuracy too and can overlook alot of "deficiencies" whether actually there or perceived if i get the accuracy that Tikka rifles wayyyy more so than not provide.
Big Ed

What sets them apart from other box rifles? Everything's already been covered, but below are the reasons I've been using and recommending tikkas above all the other options. And I've put them in rough order of importance to me:

Action - smoother than anything I've tried, and more reliable, I've never had any feeding, extraction, ejection, or other issues, can't stand that happening with hunting rifles, they're supposed to work, every time

Trigger - crisp and light out of the box, simple turn of a screw puts them at ~2lbs

Scope mounting - I like the warne and sportsmatch rings, clamp directly to the receiver, it's solid, and simple

Stock - ergonomic enough, stiffer than most, bedding is pretty optional, unlike most

Accuracy - I've had one tikka before that didn't shoot very well, other than that, all the others are more consistently accurate than most other rifles I've had to tweak to be accurate, and that's straight out of the box

I bought a new T3 SS in .260 before the Creedmoor Craze and was pretty jacked because of the Tikka's cred but it shot ho-hum.
Did some checking and found some contact between stock and barrel. Fixed it.
Noticed some scarring on the aluminum recoil lug. Installed a titanium aftermarket lug from Lumleys.
Found that my mag length wouldn't let me seat VLD bullets very close to the lands. Modified the bolt stop and the magazine to allow a longer OAL.
And now it shoots like I expected. Maybe even better.

Correct I was thinking one inch. I with draw the be part!

Bought my first Tikka 20 years ago.......

595 in 7-08......ordered blue syn..........

opened the box & it was SS/syn.....dammmm

Never got a bad one.all shot well & action was a smooth as a baby's azz........

Prob my least fav was a SS/varmint 223 T3.....shot OK......

but my all time fav was this one in 6.5x55.....G/kids have it now in AZ.......

A little shine has come off
Tikka's with their current pricing. They are no longer a lot cheaper than
a 700 or similar.

However, quality is still what it has been

I don't have any customs to compare to, but many have complained that
the out of box Tikka out shoots their custom.

Mine have been easy. My standards are low, my efforts match.
Everything that goes into the chamber is fine. 1 inch is easy. I'm happy.

whats not to like from a Finnish rifle builder...Sako......Tikka

add the ole 6.5x55 in the mix.......

couldn't be better outta the box

https://www.sako.fi/sako-history

https://gundigest.com/rifles/ars-rifles/the-sweet-swede-ode-to-the-6-5x55

I paid 495.00 for my walnut/blue Tikka 595 back in 2000. Priced a 700 BDL at the time and it also was 495.00 at the same shop where I bought the Tikka.

One more data point in the accuracy population (or 12 more if you want to count it that way).

These are the very first 12 groups from my brand new T3x 6.5 CM Varmint model. Had it out this morning, fired one shot to sight in and then started shooting groups. That group on the left in the top row represents the 2nd through 6th rounds down the barrel, they went into a .386" group for 5 shots. The others are 4 shot groups. I'm a real mediocre bench rest shooter and have a bad habit of throwing a flyer out of a group, otherwise the numbers here would be even better than they are.

These 12 groups represent two different bullets - Hornady 123 A-Max and 140 ELD-M, with two different powders for each bullet, RL-17 and H4350, two different charge weights for each powder with two radically different bullet seating depths. The absolute worst group is the middle in the third row and even with that flyer went into .811". The very best is the left one fourth row down, 4 shots into .236". Average of all 12 groups is .504". Most of these even with the flyers are in the low .4's to low .5's.

Count me among the satisfied Tikka shooters.





The only thing I kick myself over is that if I had bought this in a .270 it would really shoot....

That is some awesome shooting Jim. That Tikka Varmint package is a superb looking setup. Congrats.

Never owned one, but the used ones I've fondled at gunshops have been impressively smooth. Would certainly consider one if I was in the market, which I ain't, REALLY Honey, I swear!

Still don't care for the mag hanging down, or the plastic in places I don't think it should be, but those are quibbles.

I had heard of them and while buying my hunting & fishing license in 2005 I asked the salesman what kind of rifle that was in the rack? He said Tikka, they're made by Sako. I said I had a Sako and it was heavier than I liked. He handed it to me and I said it feels lite and good, but I don't need a rifle today. Go ahead and snap the trigger a few times, I did and I wanted it!

The action was so smooth! The integral scope base grooves were straight which I liked because it would allow me to fit any kind of scope and spread the rings tow here I wanted them. After I bought it, I felt lucky to get an accurate one. As they became more popular I realized they were all accurate and I bought another in stainless.

Between my Tikka's and M700's (with replaced trigger assemblies) they have replaced my interest in M70 completely.