Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Tikka T3 pro's and con's

Getting ready to buy a T3 in 25-06 for my son. I know several people that own them and have had good luck. But I also have seen a lot of posts on here knocking the Tikka's. Just wondered why and if any one has had a bad experience with them.

Don't own one, but can say they are bloody accurate. A friend here has one in 22-250, and the targets he shoots are great.

i have 2 T3's (223 and 6.5) and 2 older tikkas, a 595 22-250 and a 695 280. I had another T3 in 270. They all shoot factory ammo and handloads very well. The triggers are great, and the bolt throw is the smoothest that I've experienced. The 270 shot better then my $1800 Win M70 custom 270, so I sold it....

The major complaint people have had is the plastic bolt shroud and trigger guard, and the expensive magazines. I have broken one bolt shroud, but Beretta sent another one free. The mags are ridiculously expensive but just buy one and get it over with.

THe older rifles were quite a bit heavier then the new T3's.

I like them.

Tom

I use to knock Tikka rifles just like many others who spent 3-4 times as much money on guns to achieve submoa. Today, I'm eating my words. I still love my high end guns but for value and accuracy, you can't find a better rifle under 2K that can shoot dime size groups at 100yrds using cheap Rem 165g core-lokts.

Superb trigger out of the box-it is easily adjustable

Quality barrel-same as Sakos-that shoots better than any common factory rifle I know of-

Free floated-no bedding issues to deal with

Very light in synthetic, perhaps too light for the more poweful cartridges-You can get wood or laminate models to increse weight

You will have less problems with the detachable magazine than most common factory bottom metal, at least that's been my experience.

Simple, direct, and cheap design that works and the shroud should have been improved by Tikka.

It comes with factory scope mounts

It's reasonably priced-$450 to $700 depending on the model

The above refers to the Tikka 3

The earlier Tikka model 595's and 695's are much heavier, substantially so, and have almost the same great accuracy. They are cheap and can be difficult to sell but should be easy to buy for the same reason.

The T3's should resale with no problem but no profit either and with some depreciation.

How they would stand up to a hunt in Africa or Alaska in horrid weather and hard knocks, I don't know,

Due to the net hype,I bought two(338 Fed and 300WM). They are ok for the price.

These are my personal feelings based on the two I own:

Cons:
-Plastic Mag
-Ridiculous price for extra plastic mags
-Plastic bolt shroud
-Plastic trigger gaurd
-Cheesie factory rings
-One of them has the scope mount holes drilled off center
-Neither shoots as good as I often hear on these forums, they will barely shoot MOA with the right handload.
-Must be on "fire" to work the bolt
-Worthless recoil pad
-Mag length to short to load close to the lands
-SA carts are on a LA(same action for all carts)

Pros:
-Good Price
-Smooth action
-Descent Trigger
-Light weight
-Fairly accurate
-Accuracy guarantee


I have quite a few other bolt rifles of various makes that I prefer to use(better accuracy as well), but the T3s are a descent rifle in their price range.

Would I buy another? Probably not, if I wanted a similar rifle, I'd buy an A7.

loder

I've posted a few times about how much I like my T3 in 06. But if I were buying a rifle for a youth (don't know how old your son is so YMMV!), I'd look at the A7. Has the features, for safety, that I like - detachable mag,and I believe the bolt can be opened on 'safe'. That's the only thing I don't care for on the T3 - just creeps me out to be manipulating the bolt with a live round while the rifle is on 'fire'.

That aside, I think it's pretty hard to get more rifle for the money than the T3.

My opinion: Buy it!

As to the "negatives" most speak of (again, my opinion only):

Plastic Parts - Who cares. I shoot a 300WM and have no issues.

Expensive Mags - First, I don't "need" another. Second, the rifle is a good enough value I wouldn't worry about it even if I did need another.

Factory Rings - I replaced mine due strictly on aesthetics, plus I like Talley's a lot. I've read plenty on people that use the factory rings with no issues.

Bad Recoil Pad - A lot of rifles have crappy recoil pads.


For the money, these are hard to beat, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if/when I wanted to add another rifle to my collection.

Positives,
Smooth operating bolt, the stacked magazine feeding is consistent even with WSM's. A really great and easy to adjust trigger, a continuous grooved integral mount that allows positioning of any scope anywhere along the receiver. Smooth and positive magazine removal and replacement.
Also, handy extra magazines available to carry in the pocket of your hunting parka. Impact guns is selling these for $60.99 which I feel is not expensive, but about the price of a nice sport shirt.

Negatives,
A rather ugly cpmposite stock, I wish I would have bought a laminated stock.
The factory recoil pad needs to be replaced with a LimbSaver.

I'd like a T3 Hunter in 257 Bob. As far as I know, they don't make one. Too bad! Might could settle for a 6.5 Swede.

I have the opposite experience as Reloader7 as to accuracy.

Let me add to my earlier post. My last Tikka T3 in 300 WSM shoots three different brands and weights of factory ammo into less than .5 MOA, sometimes under .4 MOA. That's with deer and elk type projectiles. I can't find anything wrong with the rifle, anywhere.

My 30-06 , simply add .2 MOA to the numbers above. It's very well made and sturdy.

The other of the three is pure quality, with gorgeous wood and just works, with no defects. It's a .5 MOA rifle, too, but with reloads.

I reckon I lucked up with mine.

I know the next one I get could be a disappointment, like any product. Not everyone is going to be good, even coming off the same line.

Poster dogzapper on here, perhaps one of the most knowlegeable gun writers here, who has always owned expensive custom rigs, bought a synthetic Tikka T3 in 30-06. He thought it was one of the best buys he ever made and said it competed with some of his customs. His only complaint was it's light weight.

It loads from the top easily w/o backing in and then going forward like some short actions, and the one size port for all chamberings bothers some. It's a cost cutting feature.

I think I'll be done now with my once a year rant on behalf of Tikkas.

I fellow on here who prefers Kimbers and Sakos and dislikes cheap guns posted this:

Tikkas=Taliban

I thought that was hilarious. You have to have a sense of humor when arguing about product brands and their pluses and minuses.

Tikkas=Accuracy, proper weight
Sakos= Truck Axle

Funny.......I haven't bought a new rifle in a year and just this last weekend I bought a T3 Lite (SS) in 25-06. It is my 6th T3 Lite in SS.

I've been pondering selling my Sako 75 in 25-06 for a few years due to it's extra weight over the T3's that I just can't justify anymore. Recent spinal fusion helped me to make that decision. Sooooooo, got up Saturday, grabbed my 75 and drove the 15 minutes to my favorite gunshop.

Walked in the door, several "lookers" were already scopin' it out. The owner said that the 75's as well as the newer 85's aren't movin' right now due to the economy and all so he'd not be interested in a trade, but added that mine was in excellent condition and that I should be able to turn it immediately with the right person. No problem I told him, just please show me the 2 T3's in 25-06 that I can look at 'cuz I'm gettin' one today. I noticed an employee paying more than a little interest in our conversation and he came over and said he was very interested as he already has 6 or 7 other 75's. Before I left the store and with the owners permission, the employee offered me enough to make the sale of the 75 worthwhile and after a handshake, he will take possession on/around Turkey Day as he's a little short right now.

Could I have lived with my Sako 75 for the rest of my life?.......yep. Heavier than I like?......yep. A very well made and good looking tack driver with an enviable reputation and rabid following (for good reason).....yep. I easily could have lived with it, but knew a lighter rifle would be much easier on me now and in later years. After owning so many T3's, some in laminate and others in synthetic (but all in SS), I know thus far that they are shooters, silky smooth, ultra reliable, they handle wonderfully and just as important these days............all in a lighter package. Oh yeah.....after decades of fingerin' enough triggers to have a pretty good idea of what a good trigger feels like......these T3's have one of the best "out-of-the-box" triggers out there. IF you don't like how it comes out of the box (many here find the factory setting's to be about perfect), it is also one of the easiest triggers to adjust that I have ever had the pleasure of adjusting. That, in my book, is worth a bunch. No creep, no over-travel, no 2 1/2 lbs. feel one time and 3 1/2 lb. feel the next.....and the pull weight can be easily adjusted with only the one screw made available for such adjustments.

Movin' a nearly $1,500 rifle (when NIB) that obviously has more "sex" and "prestige" appeal, while then purchasing another one of these cheap, ugly, "plastic" and unpretentious T3's to take it's place.........well, some might think that I must be either nuts or just needed the extra cash.

Well, definitely "no" to one of them......sometimes not sure about the other......

Best of luck with your T3 and the 25-06 is a wonderful cartridge.

I have 3 Tikka T3's . All of them are SS/synthetic.

I bought a 6.5 x 55 just as a rainy day gun or a beater. This gun will consistantly shoot 5 shot .400 or better everytime. My mind changed a bit on the rainy day/beater gun. It's one of my go too's over all my expensive or custom builds. I bought it for what it was and I got a lot more than I expected.

I now own :
-6.5x55
-308 have not fired
-270 have not fired

KLM

I have the very rifle you are talking about.Never had a problem with it.

I've got a T3 Tactical in 308, great compact "feeling" rifle that is very accurate, it will accomapany me on my coues hunt in November.

My three, a Tikka 695, and 2 T-3's are superbly accurate with anything I try. Going on 9 years with the 695, 4 years with the T-3's. Tough as nails with no problems whatsoever.

I currently have 4 T3's and have shot 2-3 others. All would easily shoot 1moa or better with cheap factory ammo. 3 that I own now and shot (got to pickup #4 tonight) shoot .5 when I'm up to it.

I like my T3 .223.

I notice that a couple guys commented they'd rather have a Sako A7. Seems that all the features they hate in the T3 are in the much more $$$ A7. What's with that? Find a gun you hate and then buy the higher priced twin sister?? Huh?