I bought a 222 Rem Tikka Varmint today. Technically, not new. Used. 50 rounds through the barrel. $1100 CDN. New, they are $1400. So I saved $340 for the sake of a few rounds fired. It's immaculate. It compliments my 222 T3 Lite. I have to stop buying this stuff. It was just too good to pass up.

I wish the Varmint model was available in a LH configuration.

"I have to stop buying this stuff."

Heresy!!!

You'd think that there are enough LH shooters to make a run of them a couple of times a year. I guess the bean counters don't see it.



For years, I've been saying that I will stop, or at least cut back. It isn't happening.



I put a box together of some bullets that I want to try. It includes several bulk deals I've bought over the years. This is what I took off my bullet shelves to try in the Tikka. I discovered that I have over 2,000 Rem bulk bullets - mostly 50 gr. PSPs, but also 45 SP and 55 gr PSPs. Remington doesn't sell them as components bullets anymore.

Winchester still sells 46 gr HPs and 50 gr. PSPs, but they aren't the bargain they used to be. These are Canadian dollars, but Win 46HPs are $28/100 ($21.50US/100). Win 50PSPs are $25/100 ($19.25US/100). A quick look at Midway shows the 50 PSPs selling for $15US/100.

When I started reloading, I bought up any Win or Rem bulk offerings, as well as anything lying around on gun show tables. You can still find deals, but they are harder to sniff out.

You have a lot of shooting to do.

It’s a .222 or a .223?

Yes, I do. It's a 222.

The rifle arrived yesterday. I won't be doing much with it until the end of next month. Currently, I am working with a 30-303 and have been hunting.

T3 SS Varmint 222 ?

C O O L ..........way cool..........

Let’s just start making this a thing for every manufacturer while we’re at it.

Looks like a sweet rig. I bet it’ll shoot.

I'm all in.

There have to be surveys kicking around somewhere that indicate the number of left handed shooters in the States. The bean counters for the companies would have access to that. They can sniff money walking with the wind on a mountain slope.
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I was at the range today with my 222 T3 Lite and a 223 Axis. The Axis will soon be a 6x45mm. I talked about swapping out the new barrel in a thread we had about Boyd AT-ONE stocks. The stock and trigger have been replaced. The T3 Lite shot rings around the Axis. Mind you, I was shooting factory 55 gr. 223 vs reloaded 40 gr. Hornady VMaxes from the 222.



The only thing that's gotta go with the T3 Lite is the scope. I got a Nitrex 3-10 several years ago at a trade show. It was on the shelf in my workshop for a few years before I put it on the T3 Lite. Yuck. Like looking through a room full of cigarette smoke. I think I'll put a 2-7 Burris on it. In the wind and rain, the little Tikka still shot 3/4 inches at 100 yd, but I've come to expect no less from these Finnish lasers.



I have no qualms about keeping the T3 Lite stock. Same with the T3 Varmint. No need to fix anything that doesn't need fixing. For the T3 Varmint, I just ordered a Bushnell Elite 6-24x50 Tactical SF with mildots. It's got a 30mm tube. Great price for Canada $599 ($457 US).



I was the only one at the range again today for the first hour. About 11, a guy showed up with a 223 Tikka Varmint. I told him the only thing better than his 223 was a T3 Varmint chambered in 222. We had a few laughs, punched some holes in our targets and left happy. Despitfine day. the cold rain and wind, it was a

SWEET!

That's what I said!

I played with that scope a lot, helping a friend develop loads for his 308. It's rugged, has nice, clear glass and, just as important, has repeatable adjustments. It didn't get muddy at 24x which surprised me. I told him that if I ever replaced the 6.5-20 on my HB 308, that would be my choice. We had to put a 20MOA base on his rifle because this scope does not have the adjustments to reach out beyond 600 yd without help, but for the Tikka 222 Varmint, it will work perfectly with std a 0 MOA base.

But then I got thinking about the baby Tikka and that crappy Nitrex scope. I took it off, went up to my office, and ordered a Burris 2-7x35mm. It's got good glass and is properly proportioned for the baby T3. It will look elegant with the 2-7.

For crisp, clear images, Burris and Nikon lenses work for me. The LOW Bushnells do as well.

I believe for the dollars spent, Burris Fullfield II scopes are hard to beat.

I agree. It should be here sometime next week.

The Elite 6-24 arrived today. I will install it later today. Still waiting on the Burris 2-7x35mm for the T3 Lite.



We got a few inches of snow over night. Range on Monday or Tuesday.

Has anyone tried this ammunition? It's expensive. $34 CDN ($26US) a box. They use Sako ammunition to test every Sako and Tikka rifle before it leaves the factory. I haven't seen it around much. Kind of surprised to see it at Canadian Tire. CT is a general store of sorts that started out seeling automobile tires and gre into tools, batteries, oil, sporting goods, etc.

I have one of the Tikka heavy barrel guns in .222 Rem. Got it a few years ago for about $660 if memory serves me correctly. Presently it has a cheap 6-18x scope which I paid either $100 or $110 for. The gun prefers 40 grain V-Max bullets. It is almost as accurate as the Browning heavy barrel .223 it replaced.

Jim

Steve, Nice setup, but why the tall bases and rings - that scope is really high.

drover

Yes, the Tikka rifles were cheaper until importation changed. We used to get them sent here directly from Europe. Now, they are imported into the US and we get them from down south. A result of that was a 15 - 20% price increase. Then you have to add the exchange rate - 25 to 35%. All of a sudden, my Tikkas went up at least 50%.

I have a 308 Varmint that I bought new eight or nine years ago for $750. Its $1400 now. My T3 Lites were all $500 to $600. Now they are $950. They are still bargains, but not nearly as cheap as just a few years ago.
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I was at the range again today. Another quiet session. I helped a fellow who had just bought a Savage Arms 10FCP-SR Tactical Bolt-Action Rifle and Cabelas Covenant scope. $1100 - $1250 all in. It's the first time that I've seen one up close. It looks clunky. That is, the bolt handle and scope mount don't quite seem right for the rifle. Still, if it shoots, I can get past the looks.

It was my good deed. He did not know how to zero the scope. He put a target up at 100 yd., but wasn't hitting anything. He shot off a box of ammunition at 100 yd and didn't hit the paper once. He couldn't understand why, and wanted to send it back to Cabelas. He thought something was wrong.

He told me it was boresighted, and thought it should be on paper. I explained that it isn't always the case, and suggested that he should try at 25 yd .It was obvious he didn't know what to do, so I gave him a hand. His rifle was shooting too far to the right. In the order of 10 inches or so. I got it hitting the bull and told him he will have to get it set up for 100 yd. He now knows how to walk the crosshairs over to the bullet holes.

My own shooting was fun. The Tikka likes 40 gr. VMaxes, just like my other 222s. It also likes my homemade 52 grainers. It does not like my 60 gr.bullets made from 22 LR cases.The 40s and the 52s grouped from .5 to .75 inch at 100yd. The 60s sprayed 1.75 inches. No surprise of course. The Bushnell scope is a sweetheart.

The scope looks higher than it is. I used medium rings. It's 0.55 inches off the barrel. We shoot informal silhouette matches and it's easier with the higher scope. It's actually a compromise. If I was doing that seriously, the scope would be different and mounted higher. We shoot plates from 40 to 100 yd. We used to have pigs, chickens, etc., but they got chewed up, so we just put up steel plates now. We also don't bother with removing or installing scopes. Some guys shoot with scopes. Other guys - the serious ones - prefer iron sights.

Thanks, that makes sense now. I shot silhouette for a lot of years and used high mounts for that also.

Nice looking outfit. I have been shooting Tikka's for 20 or so years now - 595's in 223 and 243. I have now gone to the T-3's, it took me quite a while to come around to the T-3's but with the way they perform I have come to love them. I had a 595 Continental Varminter in 223 that I used for our local bench-rest style meat shoots, it was so accurate that when I entered a match with it no one else would bother to enter.

drover

Tikkas are amazing rigs. They are also the only rifles I own that haven't been modified. Slap a scope on it and shoot.

People crab about them, but they just do that to hear themselves talk. Or maybe it's jealousy. In my opinion, they are the finest production rifle made. I have the baby Tikka, a T3 Lite in 222 Rem, that shoots way out of proportion to its skinny barrel and size. But we both know how well they shoot. Shooters of other brands have to spend money to get their rifles to shoot as well as Tikkas do out of the box.

I asked if anybody used these for hunting in the 'hunting rifle' section , Steve maybe you need more .224 bullets .

$25.17 for 250 bullets

www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item...thp-with-cannelure-250-count?clicks=pak5

Thanks for posting that. I'm sure someone can use them. They will work great in a 223. They are probably too long for the 222, but .223 shooters should jump on those at .10 a bullet!

I received some 222 ammunition this morning. I ordered PP, Igman, Win, S&B cartridges, 2 boxes each except for the PP. I bought 5 boxes of this. I'll run them through both the Tikkas and see which factory stuff each likes. I will also have to do a bunch more reloading for this cartridge. Lots of new bullets to try, although I've no doubt that 40 gr. VMaxes with 4198 will be hard to beat.

Steve,

Why not cut to the chase and boresight at 100 yards from the start?

m

Steve,

I shoot 40 gr bullets exclusively in my 222 and 223's, I did a lot of comparison testing with the Hornady 40 gr versus the Nosler 40 gr ballistic tip.
I only have one rifle in 222 -a Cooper Classic. The other rifles I have done testing with were all chambered in 223 - two Remington 700's - a sporter and a varminter, three Cooper's - one Custom Classic, two different Varminters, and three Tikka T-3's. Twists varied from 1-8 to 1-12's but that did not seem to make any discernible difference, except that my best results were from the 1-10 twist rifle but I only have two of them so maybe just coincidence.
So it was a fairly wide-based test and in every case the Nosler BT's shoot slightly tighter groups than the V-Max's, not by a lot but enough to be noticeable.

I like the V-Max for shooting ground squirrels because they have a thinner jacket and are a bit more explosive on the smaller rodents. But I have gone to the Nosler exclusively because they have a thicker jacket and not only work on ground squirrels but also work great on badgers and coyotes. You may want to give them a try before committing to the V-Max.

I spend enough time in your part of the world to know how outrageous loading supplies are for you, here the V-Max are a bit less expensive than the Nosler but if buying in bulk (1000 ea) the prices are about the same. I watch Cabelas and quite often get the Nosler for around $150 per 1000 on-line, which is pretty cheap shooting, they don't list them in their sale flyers but online you can find them in that quantity.

More than likely someone will chime in with results different from mine.

drover

The individual had no clue about sighting in a scope. It was much easier to show him what to do from 25 yd.

I use rolls of brown paper similar to the ones that shotgunners use to check load/shotgun patterns. It's easier to find bullets at 25 yd on 3'x4' sections of paper.




I've been shooting 222s for about 35 years and always used Remington bulk for hunting, but they do not offer .224 bullets anymore. I still have some left, but they will be gone soon. I have about 1000 50 gr Winchester SPs as well on the shelf in the workshop.. They are for the baby Tikka. I could not make hunting bullets cheaper than what they sold bulk bullets for. That said, I will continue to use what I make, but it's fun to test.

Speer bullets were, and still are, inexpensive as well. They used to go on sale, and were about 10% more than Rem bulk. Their 45 gr. SP shot well in my 788 and the T3 lite. Unfortunately, we don't get the sales or the selection up here from Cabelas or any of the other stores. It's too bad. Not too many years ago, I bought from the US directly, but that's not possible now without an export permit.

For target shooting, I use my own bullets. Part of my workshop is dedicated to bullet making. I learned years ago to make my own. I could not rely on suppliers. I make .224, 6mm, .308 and .313 bullets.

I used to have a set of Corbin dies for forming jackets from fired 22 lr cases, they shot surprisingly well, and of course cost practically nothing to make except for a little time. Not a bad way to spend a long winter day.


drover

That's what I do when it's stormy and cold outside. I spend a few months catching up with various projects in the workshop. I have 6 or 7 buckets of range 22LR cases. Enough for several lifetimes. I get about 40,000 cases from each bucket. I also have boxes of .224 and 6mm J4 and Sierra jackets.



I have three dedicated presses, so the process is fairly quick.



Tonight, I have to mount the Burris scope I ordered for the baby Tikka.

The scope is now installed and boresighted. Out to the range on Monday to finish things. It's so much better than that clunky Nitrex.

I got this in the mail a few days ago. A Tikka single shot follower. It makes load work ups and firing singles so much easier. No need to pop the mag in and out. It fits into any T3 or T3x mag. From Tikka Performance. $19.99

It is. At least up here in Canada.

I wish the .222 and .243 Tikka Varmints were available down here!!

Just saw this and had to object just a bit.

Actually, neither is the case. While I admire the way Tickers shoot and function, they simply don't appeal to me visually. The x-models are better and if they'd make that magazine flush or even go with a blind mag, I'd like them more, maybe enough to buy one. Until then, you're welcome to my share.

'Course, compared to the Smellys you're used to, that mag barely sticks out at all.😛

BTW, I just picked up a Bob's Sled for my CZ Grendel that does the same thing as that yellow thingy you bought. Very slick and handy.

That's alright. You're entitled to your opinion.

I probably would have objected if you had said that Remington 700s were good rifles. They were long ago, but that was still when we were watching B&W television!

Man still dreamed about walking on the moon.
Being gay just meant you were happy.
Back when there was a telephone booth on every corner.
When they still sold leaded gas.
Heck, they still pumped the gas for you!

Jack and Elmer were still verbally sparring.
Elmer had an idea about making a more powerful 44 Special.
Deer were hunted with 30-30s or 300 Savages.
Magnums were just large bottles of wine.
Rifle scopes were unreliable and broke all the time, so few people owned them.

Red plaid was hunter camo.
Tents were only made of canvas.
Everyone drove to their deer camps on bias ply tires.
When Dewey defeated Truman
You could trust your car to the man who wore the star.

Cars that had radios, only had AM ones.
Military surplus firearms were everywhere, and dirt cheap!
Rifles, shotguns and handguns were stocked with wood.
Reloading powder sold for $6 a pound.
Only swanky hotels had air conditioned rooms.

Milk, Coke and medicine came in glass bottles.
Deer didn't wear Kevlar vests.
Hot chocolate was made with real milk and real chocolate.
Firearms companies actually cared about quality.

I probably would have objected if you had said that Remington 700s were good rifles. laugh They were long ago, but that was still when we were watching B&W television!

Not sure that was the case even then. The 720 (last of the Enfield-based Remingtons for the youngsters out there) is the last bolt gun I'd call good. Never seen one.

But then, I always compare everything to M98s, a tough act to follow. Somehow, despite all my pissing and moaning about detachable magazines, I've managed to acquire two rifles that use them in the last few months: the CZ Grendel, and a nice Model Six .30/06. The Grendel scratched a serious itch and the pump provided a graceful exit from an AR I should never have bought.

I can remember when cars were advertised with "Radio and Heater", because both were still options, about $50 IIRC. I don't remember if my Grandfather's '53 Chevy had them or not, but I do know it didn't have a back seat, because he used to throw me back there on the rubber mat to "keep me safe" when we went somewhere.

No wonder I threw up every time I got in a car.😳

I've always been partial to European made rifles - specifically Sako and Tikka.

Of the N. American makers, I think Savage did a great job shaking up the domestic manufacturers with their Accutriggers and better accuracy. There are also the barrels. It would be nice if all rifle companies made actions with screw off barrels that could be as easily removed and installed as Savage. No doubt there would be some resistance to this, but I don't think gunsmiths would see a drop in business over that.

That's why I buy Shilen aftermarket ones.Their Savage drop ins make short work of switching barrels. Not to mention less cost and much less down time for your rifle.

A couple of things. First, I have to correct myself about where Canadians get their Sakos and Tikkas. They are directly imported from Finland.

The second is the 2018 Tikka catalog. I note that they are not offering the 222 Remington this year in Canada.

Tikka in the US has not released their 2018 catalog.

https://www.stoegercanada.ca/wp-con...ada-2018-Spread-Catalogue-02-12-2017.pdf

Oh, man!!

You never know what they'll bring in next year. You can ask them. Try here.

http://www.berettausa.com/en-us/service/

This is their regular site.

http://www.berettausa.com/en-us/