Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting T3 243 with 2 jobs: How to get there?

I have "Tweeners" for that kinda work.... laffin...

It's made hits at 1k... and running outta a elevation ain't an issue.... we have 35+MOA of travel to work with. Might shoot it at the next SRM... or, I might trip it and go M'rican Predator in same chambering...

IMO, this is the way to go, although I'm not sure you'll see the hits because the T3 is not a heavy rifle.

Also, I've been a competitive long range handgun and rifle silhouette shooter for over 30 years. Not a great one mind you but OK. If I've learned anything during that time period while getting beat by some of the best shooters in the USA, it's this:

It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian!

BTW, I've owned and shot several T3s, and have friends with many more, and EVERY single one of those Tikkas is a less than MOA rifle with the majority of loads tested.

My response was intended to the OP. I already know you and Tanner's prejudice against Tikkas for some reason. Trading it for a Ruger is a brilliant move, haha.

I fully expect the factory Tikka to be a shooter. Wanted to hear thoughts on using the platform to add a faster twisted barrel with a little more meat, bedding into new stock, and having for dual purpose of watching LR hits on steel and deer hunt from elevated boxes. Thanks for all the input.

I've no prejudice of the sort.... in fact, I recomend them all the time. My only beef with this gun is the 1-10" twist.... that's it. I might give one a whirl in 7/08 just to see WTF... 150 Scenars at 2850 would be pretty slick...

A T3 lite is almost never a bad choice.... the only places I'd want more gun is colony varmints or tac-matches.... neither of which are really my style. We both know accuracy/consistency isn't typically a Tikka issue... and I think they're wonderful all-purpose steel/hunting rifles if the caliber is moderate and one is kinda judicious about round count.

Same.

Might give the factory barrel a go with 90's, as suggested. But a 1:8 in AI sure could be fun.

I've owned a Tikka... No prejudice... They work pretty damn good and I recommended one above. Those CTRs look like a fun rig.

Indeed....

A 6.5 Creed Tikka would be pretty cool too....

Thought about the Creed, but I have a 270 thats a shooter, and I just can't see enough real world difference just for the cool factor. But it does indeed have a cool factor.

LOL!

Getya one!

Got a woods scope on my CTR .260 now, but have a Mk IV 3.5-10x40mm M1 on my LTR that may get snatched for it. Prolly be getting a lighter 6x42 Leupold w M1 elevation at end of week,

Thinkin the 6x42 and Scenar 123s could probably render a Colorado elk dead pretty quick next fall. Or do ya think the big variable would be maux better?

One can shoot critters and steel w/ any rifle made. It's just that some are better suited for each individual task than others.

Regarding the Tikka, why must the "caliber be moderate and round count judicious", as you say?

I was happy toting a M70 Carbine 20" Syn/matte around Colorado w/4x33mm, Mule deer did not like it...a Bull Elk almost did not like it, but was not enough to be legal, and only 30 yds...

What's not to like about a 10t T3? A 95 NBT will kill further than 90% of where game is taken.

They weigh 7lbs... they aren't much fun in 7 Rem/.300 Win, I'm not guessing.... ... they're still 'accurate', just a lot tougher to shoot 7lb guns that run 60-70 grains of powder and fling 160-210 grain bullets.

Round count for the same reason... they get hot fairly quickly, 4-8 rds with my .243, depending on ambient temps. Not sure how it'd shoot during/after a 3 minute 15-20 prairie dog massacre... but that's not really my style either.

As much as it kills me to say it.... a guy could pretty much hunt anything on 8 continents... and bang steel with booring regularity @ 300-600+ yards(as OP stated)... with a pair of bone stock T3s in .243 and '06 wearing Turreted Leupold 3-9s.

You wanna shoot the 'hide cup.... then it probably isn't your huckleberry.... you'd never look cool enough to impress anybody with it. I bet a guy with a little talent wouldn't suck hind tit with it either.... but that wasn't the question... or was it?

I couldn't make it look cool enough to be seen with it or impress anybody no matter where I took it

I'd shoot the barrel out before I pulled it, but either way you have a spare 243 barrel or two that will come in handy around 2k rounds...but that's a lot of bullets and powder down range if a slower twisted 243 is not what you want to shoot.

You're in good shape no matter what you decide, but if you do decide to build one of them Tikkas use a barrel lug.

Yes, a recoil lug is always a nice to have. But don't tell any Tikka fans that......

lugs are nice.... but $450 rifles that shoot like $1500 rifles are better....

I could live with a Tikka at $450 with the right twist...