Recently got a T3 stainless lite. It came with rings. Looking for opinions on them.

I thought I read before that some people had problems with them. I would like to use Talleys, but don't want to waste $40 if the factory rings work.

thanks.

Get the Talleys, that way you will at least have a rifle worth $40.......

The factory rings work just fine.

I'll take a Tikka over a Howa any DOTW.

"Get the Talleys, that way you will at least have a rifle worth $40......."

Now that's a strange thing to say...

Most folks go with either Talley or Warne...

I used the stock rings, fugly but, they work fine.

"Now that's a strange thing to say... "

T3's don't cost enough for some folks, is all.

I replaced all of the screws with better quality after the allen wrench slipped inside one of mine. Cost me less than $2 at the hardware store. Other than that mine have been fine.

Appearance is nothing substance is everything.It goes for guns as well as people.

"T3's don't cost enough for some folks, is all."

Is it that, or is it the fact that at the range they are out-shooting many of those expensive, pretentious name-brands?

It really does bother people that a $500 gun will outshoot a lot of customs, even those wearing a famed McMillan, LOL.

I went with the factory rings on mine but liked the look of Talley lightweights a little more so purchased them .

I have both why would you take the Tikka over a Howa?

Yea, it's about cost, that's it.

Glad to see the humor is only lost on idiots.....

Don't worry, if there was ever one Tikka that didn't shoot worth a flip, it will be 'catchers.......

Good one.

Have you ever really taken a critical look at one?



_

Tikka's have without a doubt earned a reputation for accuracy at an affordable price. The actions are extremely slick, feed flawlessly, and have good triggers that are easily adjustable. They're light and balance well IMO.... I can see where many would feel there's a lot of value for the $$, even if they aren't beauty queens and despite the extensive use of plastic.

However, after owning a few and handling/shooting several others, I simply couldn't warm up to the extensive use of plastic parts as well as a few other aspects that turned me off.

The stock in particular exhibits too much flex and feels flimsy....


As to the original question.... the stock rings worked fine on the three examples I previously owned.

I remember when Glock first made a plastic gun.Most people sounded just like that.

Agreed, he is intelligent.

It seems to me that those of you that are not Tikka fans seem to blame the extensive use of "plastic" parts. Was that just the stock, or other parts as well?

I don't like removable magazines on hunting rifles. I don't like long actions for short action cartridges. I don't like stocks that break at the wrist (call me Irish on the last, and I know it's just an example of one, but a Tikka is the only one I have seen that happen to whilst shooting).

I do like rifles I can tinker with easily and add stocks/barrels without a problem.

They are fine for what they are, if folks like them then I'm happy, but don't tell me they are the best thing since the Savage 110.

Its just the stock!

Mine shoots under 1/2" groups and people get pissed at me when I bring it to the range. I out shoot the custom rifles that cost 4-6 times more than mine. I went with the Talley's because the factory rear ring started moving and changed my POI several times. I put on the talley's and the problem was solved.

Sure about that? The three examples I had, not to mention all the ones I've handled had plastic detachable Mag, plastic trigger guard, and a plastic bolt shroud which has been known to crack.

Thank you for the responses. I appreciate you taking the time to relate your experiences with the gun. I shot a wood stocked Tikka T3 and liked it alot..enough that I'm 90% sure I'll be buying one tomorrow. If there was something about it that was unequivocally sub-standard I would avoid it, but the reasons Steelhead gave for not liking it, I believe, don�t have anything to do with my selection:

1) I don't mind removable magazines, but I will say what Tikka charges for one is insane...
2) I want a long action so the cheesy short action modification is a moot point
3) Steelhead, did you shoot a wood stocked model (which I would buy)? In the store yesterday I tweaked a synthetic stock model like a wad of modeling clay�that didn�t give me any confidence in that stock material!
4) I have no desire (or knowledge how) to tinker with a barrel or any other part of the rifle except the trigger (which I understand is pretty good to start with, but can be adjusted without a gunsmith).

Again, I really appreciate your feedback�if I�m way off base on anything that I said I�d appreciate more feedback. The gun I shot had a great feel, it was accurate, I liked the trigger, and it was inexpensive.

Plastic stock that broke.

As I said, they are what they are. They are certainly a step-up from the Remington 710's for the 'Mart crowd.

Still can't like a magazine for a hunting rifle, ymmv

You sure you don't have a secret Tikka thing, Steeley? Kinda like pulling the pigtails on the little girl you didn't want to admit really liking in grade school? (I'm pretty sure I'll regret that example...grin)

As for the Tikkas, the stock's sure no McMillan, and I don't even like a hinged floorplate on my serious hunting rifles, so I can't quarrel with those who don't like the detatchable mag, but for a truck gun and a coyote killer and a doe culler when I'm not all that serious, they're plenty handy.

I've just never seen a less particular rifle on shooting all kinds of factory ammo really well, and they sure handle and balance better than most of the other cheap rifles I've messed with - I like the weight and how they keep some beef in the barrel despite its lightweight status, and I like the trigger and feeding and action quite a bit better than the Savages I've tried.

The Tikkas are a little better than the 710's for us low bred Wal-Mart patrons...grin.

As for the original question, the factory rings have worked fine on all the Tikkas I've owned or tried, but get the Talleys anyway.

DJ

I like detachable mags, you can toss another one in your pocket, and carry on.

I think their plastic trigger guard, is better than the junk aluminum that Remington uses. Although Remmy owners can always drop $150 on a Williams, that way you can tell someone that the little loop of steel on your gun cost $150.

I think their plastic stock is as good, if not better than the same plastic stocks used on factory Winchesters, Rugers, Remingtons, and Sakos.

I think they have the best barrels on a factory gun (Sako).

I think their adjustable, crisp triggers are 100x better than that booby-trap that Remington uses.

If only they would make a McFillin stock for the Tikkas, then Steelhead would probably start speaking praises of the lowly Tikka. LOL

DJTex,

Thanks for your post. I'm not looking for a Kimber, a Sako, or a Cooper (or one of those other high $$$ guns everyone on the internet seems to own), I just want a gun that's safe, reliable, accurate, fun to shoot, and one that doesn't cost so much that I give a rats %#@ when the stock gets dinged.

Regarding the WalMart comment..that was funny! I'm so happy that a Tikka will put me above that crowd....

Dohhhh!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2685724

Phew, thank God that link didn't lead to a Tikka rifle!!!

If yall hate the plastic so much you can get a wood or laminate stock! People either hate them or love them! No gray area on that!

Or...

http://www.impactguns.com/store/tikka_t3_deluxe.html

I had a T3 Hunter (wood stocked) 25-06. A world of difference compared to their tupperware stock no doubt. Ultimately, certain aspects of the rifle build I simply did not care for.... especially for a hunting rig.

1. Liberal use of plastic parts (trigger guard, bolt shroud, mags)
2. Detachable Clip (not my cup of tea on a hunting rifle)
3. Hard to load from the breech
4. Action Length..... only 1
5. Plunger ejector and a hook style extractor
6. Synthetic stock feels flimsy and has too much flex

After owning and hunting with them I came to the conclusion that the Tikka's simply weren't what I wanted in a hunting rifle... obviously YMMV.... which is fine as you only need to please yourself.

Different strokes.... which is fine. Although, as has already been mentioned, the cost for a second/replacement is expensive.



I agree that the trigger guards and BDL assemblies on the Remington's leave alot to be desired. Same goes for the Tikka IMHO. I've broken trigger guards on both brands.



Which isn't saying much as honestly all the tupperware stocks are junk IMHO and IME.



They do seem to be consistently good shooters.



No argument on Tikka's having good triggers.



Can only speak for myself, but a McMillan or Bansner wouldn't change my opinion. I still have the issues of the detachable clip, plastic shroud, and plastic trigger guard, one size fits all action,.... yada yada yada....

Just my opinion based on previous ownership and experience. Everyone has different needs, desires, and expectations when it comes to their equipment.

Shroud a problem? Toss it, works fine without.

Plastic? Come on, its 2008, not 1908! (not directed at you Fosteology)

Detachable mag? Good points, bad points, a wash in my world.

Top loading an issue? Well if it was a dangerous game rifle or a battle rifle maybe. If you shoot and miss so much its an issue.....

The T3 for me is a beater, it does what I buy a hunting rifle for, it puts a bullet were I point, with boring ease.

Idiot? Huh? So that explains my problems.

Easy solution for the one size only action...buy it chambered in a long action cartridge.

25-06 - Perfect T3 cartridge, IMHO, although a 270 may be the choice of many. Doesn't help my 223, though...grin.

DJ

The plastic parts don't concern me (I carry a Glock..I'm used to plastic/synthetic), I'll buy a wood stock (although not the Deluxe model..it's pretty and all, but I'll put that extra money towards another magazine and rings), I want a long action, and while it looks funky, I don't mind the fact that I can't top load..as mentioned..it'll be a deer/antelope rifle...four shots better be enough!

I'm off in a little bit to Impact Guns today to put my money down on a Tikka. I really appreciate all the feedback as I now know most if not all of the rifles shortcomings....and I can live with 'em.

And yep, DJTex, 25-06 is the cartridge I'll be getting.

25-06 was my choice,I like it just fine because it does everything I expected it to do.The only surprise was the muzzle blast,just a little more than expected(federal 85 and 100 gr.BT)

I wonder why my 30-06 does not have significant muzzle blast., It has never shot even factory with any sign of flash or blast.
Randy

Well, Steely, it's like this:
1) I agree with you ref only one action length. I like long actions for long cartridges, and short actions for short cartridges.

2) I am ambivalent ref detachable magazines. I like the ones on some of my rifles, but can see the logic of a blind magazine on an Alaska rifle, where you may be way out past nowhere and having a magazine get lost or busted could cause a serious problem.

3) If a particular stock design exhibits a tendency to break, then obviously that would be a problem. I'm not sure I'm ready to cut and run with an example of just one.

4) I have Savages in .25-06 and 7mm Rem Mag, which I like. The reason I got a T3 is how light it is. I need a rifle to tote climbing mountains chasing elk, and the lighter the better, within reason.

5) I shoot lefty, which puts me at a significant disadvantage ref what's available for me, as opposed to everybody else.

Once you make clear your complaints, I am more inclined to understand your position. Until you listed them, we were left to speculate, which we obviously did incorrectly. Thank God we can all buy and use what we want and like!

Have a good day, Mr. Steely!

Dont know,but with the Federal Premium 85 gr BT's it is noticeable.They are pretty hot for factory ammo if you consider 3550 fps at the muzzle hot.

That is the draw to the Tikka to me. I lightweight, stainless rifle, with superior accuracy, at a great price. There really aren't a lot of choices in a lightweight/stainless gun, without dropping at least $1k.

Back to the original question.....my four Tikka rifles..two 595s and two T3s... all wear 2 pc Leo bases with Burris Signature rings...I really don't care for the factory supplied rings at all..nothing like good steel bases and steel rings with inserts...no slip/no stress/no scratches....

Did you have slippage problems with the factory rings?

thanks.

I have Dednutz rings on 2 of my Tikkas and Warnes on the other. I would go Dedenutz(DNZ now I believe) for $45 you get a solid and precision 1 piece mount that works great and bolts straight onto the top of the receiver. Less parts, less to malfunction.

If there was so much about it that you didn't like, why did you buy it??

I bought a set of Warne rings to have as a spare when I read about Tikka screw problems.

But so far I have not used them yet, and after 3 years have not had any slippage on my 300 WSM. I only tightened the screws reasonably tight. I don't have a torque wrench but I would guess about 20 lbs.
I can imagine if the screws are tightened until they strip out, there would be slippage!

This is the first I have read about these actually having a problem, how did you manage to crack it?

hey Dogcatcher- congrats. Betting you are going to love your Tikka. Why not give the mounts a go and see how they work before buying different ones? Do you lap your rings? I do - just makes me feel better. One tip I got here was to run a little clear silicon in them and let sit before mounting the scope. The silicon will help hold it in place and keep the rings from scratching your scope. Easy enough to remove any minor excess and afterwards you really can't tell its there. Just a thought.

That's a fair question. Honestly, because I didn't know better at the time. With more time, and exposure/experience with different makes and models I gradually learned what I liked and was looking for in a hunting rifle to suite me.




Do a search. A few years ago there was a great deal of discussion regarding the bolt shroud cracking (as well as some of their SS barrels blowing up.... bad batch of steel).

I actually had two shrouds crack. One broke off in my hand while disassembling the bolt, the other... not sure??? After a range session I noticed a crack in the shroud.

IMHO, the design and the material used are weak and don't give me a sense of "warm fuzzies". The shroud is the last line of defense, regarding gas shielding. Should a shroud let loose, it is in THE exact proximity of your frontal lobe...

I agree the Shroud is the part I like least about the gun . I took mine off when I purchased the rifle to strip the bolt. There is no reason the amount of gas slipping by would be anymore or any less then on a conventional open bolt shroud rifle with the shroud removed. The tolerances are just that good. That shroud is prone to cracking if you service the bolt a lot and use it in different weather conditions or if it falls on something. Other then that I am very pleased with my rifle.

Fost and Steelhead obviously know their stuff on the cons on these rifles, and I think the pros have been described pretty accurately, so this thread seems valuable to me in terms of guys getting good info and making an informed decision.

For me, the pros outweigh the cons for my use. It's one of the best things about being able to own several rifles - one rifle doesn't have to do it all, and I have lots of uses for a T3 where its virtues shine and its liabilities are inconsequential.

For the record, the bolt shroud probably bugs me most in my use, but the removable magazine would keep it from being my only choice for every kind of hunting.

DJ

I never had a problem with the stock rings.My T3 is in 6.5 Sweed so recoil is no issue.I did however fit it with Tally Lightweights.The Warnes were heavy.Tallys didn't leave a spot on my Lupy(contrary to what some may say).
If you listen to some of the kooks here you'll never be happy.The Tikka is well made shoots the best I have ever seen.Oh yea I dropped it, more like fell on it,nothin broke and it still cuts one hole.

I had a bolt shroud crack as well, after a .308 was fired through a .270....

The cracked shroud was the only damage and the shooter did not know anything was wrong until he tried to work the bolt. Everything checked out fine and the rifle is cutting 1/2 moa at 200yards with two loads.

I'll put another vote for the DNZ mounts, I really like the concept of the one piece base and rings.

Never used the factory Tikka rings...just do not like 'em...

No problem with my factory rings on a T3 Lite in .30-06.
I replaced the aluminum screws with steel ones from Lowe's.

Awright, yo, I picked up my T3 Lite today. One or two comments...I am not duly impressed with the plastic magazine. I would feel better if it was metal. Also, since it's a plastic magazine, these things oughta be cheap, not expensive. If they are expensive, somebody is making a killing. I remember from my days working in sporting goods that plastic is all high profit margin. I am also not entirely sure I like the magazine release.
I think I like the one on the old 595 better.

That being said, I sure as heck do like how light this bad boy is. I've put Talley rings/bases on it, and will prolly throw a Leupy VX-II 3X9 on it, for now, anyway. For the money, it seems to be a good rifle. Go metal on the magazine, change the release, and go metal on the bolt shroud, and this rifle would go from 'good' to 'great'. Those changes would add weight, no doubt, but they would add confidence, as well.

If these tropical freakin storms will stand off, to the range on Thursday I will go to zero. Will also zero the Savages in .25-06 and 7mm Rem Mag.

I don't have a problem with plastic mags, but i agree, the price is ridiculous. I figure I only need one extra mag though, so the price will soon be forgotten.

I have a plastic DPMS mag that I use in my AR's, and it has been flawless.

I agree with dogcatcher, do not fret the plastic mags, they are indestructible. I also agree that the price is a total rip off. They don't rust, don't make noise just don't lose one!

I got a spare mag for $29.00, thanks to a heads up from a campfire member here. The plastic mag in my Steyr SSG is 40 years old and works fine, but I bought a new one this year for $20.00.

This is probably the best endorsement of a Tikka.... I remember seeing an expensive Colt/Sauer rifle and stock that blew into five or six separate pieces after the same test.

Well, regrettably, I have a couple of philosophies that I espouse. They are, respectively: 1) The Law of the Seven P's: Proper Previous Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance, and 2) Two is One, and One is None. Consequently, I will be obtaining two spare mags for my Tikka. I'm not interested in my rifle going down because of a lost or broken mag. I'll sleep better at night knowing I have a few spares. Redundancey when it comes to important stuff (pistols, flashlights, knives, condoms) is not a vice.

I cocurr and bought two five shot mags for mine. I consider every hunting rifle a single shot, and having five extra rounds to shoot singly is better than three. By the way the five shot and three shot mags were the same price...go figure
Randy

when i bought my tikka t3 270 know one i hunt with owned one,2 yrs later half of them have bought tikka's. they were tired of getting dusted at the range. i love my plastic stock and magazine.

killed 2 bear with mine this yr so far.

srwshooter,
Dude, I kinda with you wouldn't say stuff like that. I'm loitering with the idea of picking up a .270 Winnie to match my .30-06, esp. since there are lefties on Gunbroker at a good price. Comments like you just made do nothing to shore up my already shaky self-control.

I like rifles that put the bullet where the scope says they should go. I therefore I have rifles that say Tikka and Savage in my gunsafe. There are a more than a few of both marks. There is one with a big R but..... gotta own a Rem in 30-06, it would be unpatriotic not to.

Well on a semi whim I brought home a T3 wood stock in 7mm-08 yesterday.

I scoped it with a new extra Leupold VXIII 3.5x10x40 that I had laying around.

I sat there and played with it off and on for the last day and I can say it's just not my cup of tea. It may shoot 0.010" groups but I couldn't see ever hunting with it.

I don't think I could ever get used to the funky mag and maybe it's just me I found it near impossible to have a mag in it and load one on top without putting the mag in, loading one in the chamber and then pulling the mag out and sticking another one back in...which seems really clunky. Especially considering how loud it is to put in and out of the rifle. Seems like a lot of work just to get the rifle fully loaded.

But to be completly honest this is the first and only rifle I've ever owned outside of a 10/22 or something similar with a detachable mag out of the 30ish or so I currently own....so possibly I'm not giving it a fair shake - it's just so foreign to operate and backwards from everything else I own I don't know if I could ever get used to it. In fact on my last 2 rifles I had them built with a total blind magazine without a floorplate. So I guess I'm in the 1% group on this one.

The plastic doesn't bother me. The quality on the rifle certainly seems better than the average low end rifle nowdays that's for sure.

I just don't think I could could ever get used to it enough to be comfortable to hunt with. Maybe if it was my only big game rifle then I could.

I think I'm going to box it up and maybe give it to a gift to someone who needs a semi youth rifle locally or stick it on the forums here NIB.

Exactly. Just told a poster that.

what am I missing here? Fill the mag, go hunting, pull the bolt back when I am in place, then push it forward to chamber a round? I'm sorry but putting a single round through the ejection port, I am a hunter. What's the point you are trying to make?

I read a lot of reports of how hard it is to load this gun through the port etc.

Now that I have one, I have no idea what the problem is. If you can load an 870, you can load a Tikka. You also don't have to pull the mag if you are shooting one at a time off the bench. Just drop one through the port, and close the bolt.

I guess if you shoot once a day at a trophy or something it's not a problem.

I have a state collection permit for research and have shot more deer in a day than some people will shoot in a lifetime, some anyway.

I like the ability to load up fully quickly. Pulling the mag out and loading it full takes quite a bit of time actually and is fidgity.

Again if you load up your 3 rounds (which is all that mine holds) that leaves 1 shot in the chamber and 2 in the mag. Once you shoot those 3 rounds you have to pull the mag and load it up again just for 3 shots. Seems clunky to me.

I can load a true blind box in 1/3 the time and have less probability of dropping something.

Like I said if you load up at daylight and sit there till dark and might shoot once at a deer then it's probably just fine. I would rather be able to load up full, shoot once and be able to top off.

I'm also guessing it's easier to load thru the port the longer the cartridge. With a short action cartridge I found it near impossible without a jam from the bolt with the cartridge jumping out of the mag. With a longer cartridge I'm guessing you could pull the bolt nearly back and shove in a round.

Tikka 5 shot magazines

Follow the link to nearly double your Tikka ammo capacity (yeah, it only add two rounds, but "nearly doubling" sounds so much better!).

Seriously, you load a round, into the chamber like any other gun, then slap in the mag. I do not understand why this is hard? And there is no way you can reload an internal mag faster than just sticking in a new loaded mag. If that were the case, military guns would not have separate mags.

I traded it off today so it doesn't matter. Seemed entirely too clunky for a hunting rifle. Seems like a great near miss.

I'm glad it works for a lot of people but life's too short to dick with clunky stuff. There's a reason nearly everyone else does it another way.

BTW yes it's true military rifles use a magazine to speed reload. That also doesn't apply to a sporting rifle unless you carry extra magazines. It's still faster to reload a blind magazine with 3 rounds than to pull the clip and load them one at a time and then put the magazine back. Not that speed matters. Just clunky in my opinion.

In the need of a second shot with a Tikka...or research havesting in your case (what the hell that ever is) a spare magazine with 3 or 5 rds in makes fast work of reloading...I would have to say nearly all hunters that use a detach/drop mag rifle have a spare mag in their pocket while hunting...

Wow, people with "Collection permits" are the coolest! But not their barrels, which after blasting away are the hottest!

A lot of fuss over nothing if you ask me. I went to the range yesterday and shot hornady 308 win 150 grain factory ammo at 100 yards. The gun is a drill and outshoots any 308 I had previously by a large margin and there were a few former 308 including a custom 308 on a 700 action. It's going to be hard to replace this one so I guess I keep it until he fails to fire or function. I really need to get another one in 243.

...of which none of this means squat to the average big game hunter, unless you plan to enter the "who can load your rifle the fastest" competition. Alot of fuss about nothing is correct.

My Ruger 338 only holds three in the mag, so I manually put one in the chamber. A couple years ago, I shot three times at an elk, and he disappeared over an edge. I knew I hit him, but thought I better reload quickly before running down there, just in case.

I had to stop, dig through my pockets, and load more shells. It would have been faster to just slap in another mag on the go.

My 300 WSM holds one in the chamber + 3 in the mag with no problems.

Hence for people who can't read or lack understanding of what they read I stated that it appeared to be a quality rifle and fine for 99% of hunters who go and sit all day and "might" shoot once a day at most.

If I have a Tikka with one in the chamber + 2 magazines, I can get off 7 shots faster than you can with a conventional magazine rifle.

For the remaining 1% of hunters who are in danger of being over ran with deer, they need an AK-47 with a banana clip.

blow me

I own two Tikka "Whitetail hunters" which were the predecessor to the T3. I like them better than the T3s. Their synthetic stocks are solid, they are completely free-floated, and they have a full magazine cut-out at the top for easy top/single-feed loading.

I would use the Talley mounts on any rifle above a 22 center fire to ensure a good hold. I'm using steel Tikka rings on my 223 and they are holding up fine--it was an earlier version similar to the Millet design. The Weaver mount system will also work on them, but then you lose the benefit of not needing bases.

THEN BLOW ME!!!!!!!! WHAT A FOOL!!!!

Guy I traded it to wanted me to find him some extra mags for it since he didn't know where to look.

Found these for $39 new. Seems to be about $10-$30 cheaper than anywhere else in case anyone else wants to stock up on em.

http://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-TIKS...tm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=feed

I've ordered some duck hunting stuff from them before.

Edited because I didn't want to be rude.

NathanL thanks for the link I will be calling them later today.

Is that an aftermarket magazine? I ask because it looks nothing like the T3 factory magazine for my 25-06.

Yes...that is the correct product # for the 3 rd T3 308 mag...Tikka OEM mags....good price by the way..

That is a good price. I asked because my magazine is one piece moulded 'composite' (and looks like replacements should cost about $3.75). The one pictured looks more substantial (for lack of a better term) and I'm surprised that they'd be so different for different calibers.

The earlier Tikka 595-695 series are made of metal...heavier yes...the T3 plastic ones work slick as snot too though......

I assume it's a factory one because all I did was do a google search for the Tikka part number. Either way even if it's not factory it might be worth it. It's still cheaper than anything else I've found for him so far.

The T3 has been out a number of years and they are very popular. Unless Sako has some sort of patent (on a plain DM???) I'm suprised someone hasn't jumped on a cheap chinese copy for $10 or something.

Or for that matter a premium (IE more expensive) metal one for those that want one.