I scored this Tikka T3 lite stainless in 30-06 off a local guy for $500. He bought it new in 2012. I've been wanting a quality built rifle for some time now and been researching the Tikkas.

T3, not the T3X? Those T3 lites are a bargain, or I should say sometimes a steal. I bought my 308 with a $200.00 scope on top for $500. Have not regretted that purchase one bit, even though I don't like 308win.. Yours should be a shooter. The only thing I'd think about replacing is the aluminum recoil lug. You can find stainless lugs for about $25. If you or the person before you shot it much, it will probably need to be upgraded.. The recoil pad is also not as nice as the newer T3X, limbsaver makes one that will work great.. Let us know how she shoots, when you take it out...

Tikka is a great rifle and make a great platform to do a custom build on as well

Limb saver is a must!

Yeah you can do lots of cool upgrades to Tikka rifles as aftermarket available stuff is pretty strong, not Remington 700 strong but there are lots of upgrades you can do to your rifle or you can do nothing and hunt it as is and it should do fine...enjoy!....Hb

^^^^What Dre said^^^^

i disagree UNLESS you need the 1/2" of lop that the limbsaver recoil pad will add. i went,and would go, with a t3x recoil pad on my older t3's. no lop change and a pretty dang good waaay softer pad.
Big Ed

T3x much better than the hockey puck of the T3, but it’s still no Limbsaver.




P

Thanks brah!
Limb saver for the win

Good score! Tikka are all that I've been hunting/shooting lately. I have no complaints whatsoever.

Love the Tikka rifles. I buy every one I can find for .$500 in good condition.

I replaced my tikka LH stock with a B&C medalist.....it now has a better recoil pad and the recoil lug insert is permanently part of the stock. Gained maybe 8 oz.

I have one, great rifle

I bought my very first one a few months ago, a Tikka T3 Lite SS in .243 win. I was rolled over by its ease of trigger adjustment, and its accuracy! A real Gem! I am strongly thinking of gett a Tx3 Superlite SS in .308.

I needed a shorter stock.
Hacked it, fit an 1/8" aluminum plate, bonded a flip flop to it.
They are a very easy molded stock to shorten.
Well, easy to attach something to after shortening.

I have a 9 year old grand daughter that is left handed and left eye dominant. I have found a Tikka T3x in .243 W. with a 1 in 10 twist. It weighs 5.9#. Do you folks that know these things think the 1 in 10 will be accurate with the 100 grain Nosler Partition? If I reduce the powder for reduced recoil will that likely affect accuracy. Her Dad has a Stainless Tikka left hand in .308 and I loaded it down for her using 135 grain Cutting edge copper bullets and 38 grains of H4895 which is plenty accurate, but it is one of those rifles that will shoot anything accurately. Her Dad needs his rifle on the same days Liz needs one so she has been using my right handed Weatherby Vanguard2 in .223. The .223 is good but I'm not in favor of it for deer hunting.

9yo girl means AR-15 with a good trigger. It's the low recoil, adjustable stock and easy control with pistol grip.

62gr Fusion works at least as well as 243. It'll go through both shoulder blades on 150#+ deer and keep on going.

A 1:10" twist .243 will have no issue stabilizing 100gr NPT's. Even with reduced loads. And a 100gr NPT out of a .243 will kill any deer walking. Rock on !

21 years ago I bought my 9 year old daughter a Savage 10 in .243W, and have no idea of the twist rate. We bought some Federal Premium in 100 grain NP and to our surprise it was a sub minute rifle. After that we learned to load 100 NP ourselves with a hot load of IMR4350 that shot as well as the Federal factory loads. She has moved to Dallas and hasn't hunted much since having kids but she killed 22 deer and numerous hogs so yes, the .243 is a deadly rifle. I shot 3 deer with it myself. My little grand daughter is tall for her age and her arms are long enough for standard rifle but she is skittish about recoil.

243 does work but it won't kill any better than 223. So, if we're choosing from all available options, we choose based on what is easier to shoot by the shooter. That's an AR in 223 if you have one. It's not really a this vs that. It's how to get the same in a package that fits as close to the very most optimal as possible.

Lots of kids have happily survived being burdened with too much gun. Not the end of the world. Best wishes for success!

You are right that the .223 is a deadly round and I do have an AR15 to spare. We are still working on gun safety indoctrination and I've had to remind her more than once about keeping her finger off the trigger. I honestly believe she is slightly attention deficit despite being extremely smart. The AR could be loaded with 1 or 2 rounds and a spare magazine on hand for safety sake. I would not like to see the woods sprayed down with rifle fire and I think a lot negligent discharges happen after a good shot is taken and a safety gets left off and a finger gets left on the trigger. I've successfully shot numerous hogs with the .223 and a Hornady 62 grain HPBT hunting bullet or a 62 Barnes.

We may go ahead and make the season with what we have but a .243 is legal in most states and as it has become with my 29 year old daughter it can be a lifetime rifle. I appreciate the input.

Shake up a warm can of Coke and shoot it with a .22 from 10 feet away. Have her take a good look at the little .22 cartridge and the now-destroyed can.

It makes gun safety a little more real.




P

I have done something similar for years with kids. I shoot a milk jug full of water with a high powered rifle and tell them that's what happens to the inside of a body shot with a rifle. It is impressive.

Just for fun I bought an extra pumpkin for Halloween several years ago. My boy hollowed it out and I filled it full of water, put the lid on, and put it on a stump in the front yard.

Centerpunched it with a 200 grain Silvertip from a model 71 .348. The biggest piece we found was about the size of my thumb.

My boy was suitably impressed.

Went out to shoot the Tikka I picked up. Had to wait on screws for the Talley rings I purchased because someone took them out of the packaging. I had loaded up some 150 grain Hornaday fmjbt and although I wasn't shooting for accuracy it shot great even though I had 9 to 11 mph winds quartering towards me.

A stainless lightweight Tikka in .30-06 would easily do a person for a one gun does it all.

Yep.
Add Sportsmatch rings and an SWFA 3-9. Out the door for under $1500.

Or 6.5, 7/08, 270 …

That was my thinking and @Pharmaseller helped me make that happen. It’s the only rifle I have now. I never feel under- or over-gunned.

I have one of those yet I own many more rifles. Must be a consequence of coming to this stupid site.

How’s she treating you?

She hits what I aim for if I do my part. I am getting 0.56" groups with Federal Fusion 150gr factory ammo and under 1" with 2 other factory loads. Everything else I have fed it has been 1" to 2+", but all still minute of deer. The sub-MOA loads are the Fusion 150gr, Barnes TTSX Vor-TX 168gr, and Hornady SST Reduced Recoil 125gr. If I can't do it with those selections, then pretty sure it ain't dying to a 30-06 anyway. Interestingly enough, while the Federal Fusion 150gr shoots the best, the Federal Fusion in 165gr and 180gr both shoot the worst.

So, other than not having enough ammo to make consistent range trips, she is doing really well. Shot a 10-point buck with her last season. Haven't seen anything I just "needed" to shoot this year so far. It's still early though.

After action report. She killed her first deer with the Weatherby Van2 in .223. A decent 8 point weighed 188.6 with the guts in. She insisted on the .223 instead of the down loaded .308 so I guess we will look for a left hand .223 Tikka stainless.

Congrats to you and your grand daughter on the 8 point. Thats awesome. My grand daughter is nine, she is shooting a 22 learning gun safety. Hopefully next year she will be able to take her first deer. I cant wait. I hope to be as lucky as you were with a decent Buck for her.

Bullet?
Distance?
Placement?