I have been thinking for some time about a Tikka T3 lite. I like the idea of a lighter rifle and all the positive opinions on here have me thinking Tikka would be a good choice.

I have wondered a lot about caliber and was thinking about a .270 (don't have one at the moment). However, to fund a new rifle something needs to go. I started thinking maybe trading or selling my Ruger Hawkeye in .300 Win Mag is a potential solution. As I do like that cartridge and I have dies, brass, etc., it hit me that perhaps a Tikka in .300 WInchester is the way to go.

My only concern is recoil. I shoot the Ruger fine but can do the math and see the lighter weight of the Tikka will make a significant difference. I also had a friend who traded off a Tikka in .300 WSM because he said it "killed on both ends." I have never shot a Tikka so can anyone enlighten me here? I want a rifle that I will carry a lot and shoot a little but I shoot all my rifles enough that I feel comfortable with them. How about the aftermarket recoil pads, how much difference do they make? For what it is worth, I haven't spent any time behind a rifle larger than a .300 Weatherby, but haven't had any problem with that or the Winchester.

I have shot both the Tikka t3 in .270 and .300 wsm both with limbsaver recoil pads. The .270 is fine. The .300 is pretty sharp. For me, I don't want a rifle that light in that particular caliber. Others may be completely fine with.

If you do go .300 in the Tikka you could always consider a KDF brake or similar if it is too much. Most folks don't seem to like them, but I have two rifles with them and get along just fine.

If the .270 caliber will do what you need to do, you will be hard pressed to find a lighter better shooting rifle. For the price and accuracy, it has to be one of the best deals going.

I have 2 Tikkas, a lite in 25-06 and a superlite in 22-250. Great rifles, I highly recommend them. That being said, I wouldn't consider one in a 300WM. I've had a couple of 300WMs in heavier rifles and the recoil was more than I wanted to deal with. To me, a T3 Lite in in a magnum cartridge would just be the definition of misery on the bench.

I'm not a big 270 fan, but I'd go with one over a 300WM in that light of a rifle any day of the week.

My son, was 15 when I got him his Tikka t3 light in .270 Win. I sighted it in and after the 3rd shot I had a splitting headache. My son said he didn't mind but I think he was in denial cause what do you do with a gu ya can't shoot decent. I didn't believe him so I got a limbsaver pad and that helped a bunch. Still kicks though, especially with bear loads.

A 300 Win Mag in a T3 is going to rock your world...I've got 2 338 WM's and a 7mm RM.....with the factory pads off the bench they are definitely not fun. The problem with the after market pads is the increased LOP....at least for me. My idea LOP is 13.125", this is considering wearing a heavy coat. I have the stock cut and a Kick-Eez or Decelerator installed.
This makes these hard kickers bearable off the bench....in the field you will rarely remember the recoil
Of all my Tikka's....my 30-06 sprg in super lite with a Edge Mcmillan and 3.5X10X40 Leupy (6lbs,9ozs) is the lightest and the recoil is snappy pushing a 165 AB @ 2900 fps

I have a Tikka T3 wood stocked, blued in 300 WSM.

Now, I am used to 300 Magnums and 7 Magnums but this Tikka is the lightest by far of any I have ever owned in a magnum caliber.
It wears a Weaver GS 3.5-10x40.

It's a sweetheart and the most accurate rifle I have currently. The recoil feels less than a Winchester Sporter in 300 WSM I own that weighs in 1.5 pounds more. I, also, own a Tikka in 300 Winchester Magnum, wood stocked, too, that does not bother me, but I have spent a lot of time with magnums as I stated.

It's fine as to recoil to me personally-not a problem or hindrance to good shooting as both of these routinely shoot groups below one half MOA. It's hard to shoot such groups with a rifle you are worried about roughing you up.

Use a PAST recoil pad and good hearing protection.

I have a T3 Light in .270, and it is the hardest kicking of the 6 .270s I own. (6 of them because sons and I use same ammo for deer) But it's also the most accurate.

WITUfan,

If you remove the factory pad and install a slip-on Limbsaver, you should be able to withstand the recoil for a few shots, but be advised, light rifles are just plain harder to shoot, and the Tikka certainly falls in this category. You may need to refine your technique, especially relative to shooting from field positions. My T3 is in .270 Win. and I shoot a lot, and it is fine. A Tikka .300 mag. would (for me) bring out the shooting jacket, gloves, and sandbags.

You can fill the hollow buttstock with something, but the rifle will then be butt-heavy and poorly balanced (as well as weigh more).

forepaw

Might I add that the 300 WSM Tikka's recoil I posted about?

That if you shoot factory loads, then 300 WSM factory fodder is usually the equal of the anemic 300 Win Mag factory stuff out there.

I chronied my 180 grain bullets in Winchester Power Points at 2976 fps and 180 grain Federal Premium Accubonds at 3080 fps while the Winchester 150 Nosler BT's were moving out at 3252 fps. Many 300 Win Mag factory loads do not approach those numbers and as I said, I find my 300 WSM Tikka T 3 wood Hunter model comfortable to shoot.

I would prefer the wood models in the magnum cartridges and save the synthetics for the standard and light cartridges. Some synthetic stocks don't give or absorb any recoil. I actually traded a Rem 700 7 Rem Mag in a cheap synthetic factory stock as it punished me while I have never had a 7 Rem Mag affect me before that one.

I'm not sure why you think you might need 300 Magnum performance when you want to downsize your rifle, other than you already own loading dies in that caliber.

Lighter rifles are handy, and so are lighter calibers. 308, 7-08, 243 are all up to task with today's excellent bullets. 308 gets me to 600yds with several different bullet weights, (Scenar, A-Max), and smaller calibers have the edge in the ballistics department.

Even if you're not recoil shy at all, why choose a heavy kicker? Long-range is more about retained velocity, not muzzle velocity. A 7-08 hits as hard down range as the larger bores due to the ballistic advantage, and within normal range, I haven't seen that caliber matters if you put the bullet in the right place.

I like the 300 Mags and own a few of the variations. Recoil within reason doesn't really bother me, and if I still owned a Tikka, I would happily run a 300WM knowing that I would likely never need to load it up with full-power loads for just about any purpose I can think of. If I did, it certainly wouldn't be for shooting at targets from the bench.

Since you already reload for the 300WM, you can easily tailor your loads to what you want them to do, including the recoil level you are comfortable with. A lighter recoiling load will work just as well for all-around, and you will have more power potential on tap when you think you might need it.

Thanks for the replies. It kind of sounds like I need to just get my hands on a Tikka, shoot it and see what I think.

I understand that I don't "need" a magnum, particularly if I am going lighter in weight. I have several rifles back there in the safe that I don't need though. I already have a couple of .257 Roberts and a 7mm-08.

I may not have asked my question well. I don't consider myself particularly recoil shy. I've just never had an opportunity with a rifle to go above a standard weight .300. I have shot a bunch of turkey loads in a relatively light weight shotgun, and I shoot them well. I don't enjoy patterning work after a while, however.

I suppose what I am really asking is will the Tikka be a major step-up in recoil from a standard weight rifle? It sounds like for some it is and for some it really isn't that bad. I appreciate the replies. The fact that I know a guy who got rid of one and that he has shot a .338 a good bit just got me wondering. I know some rifles have more perceived recoil than others regardless of weight.

Again, thanks to all for taking them time to share your experiences.

I have a Tikka T3 lite stainless in 270 Win. I bedded it in a B&C Medalist stock. It shoots great (.5" regularly with my handloads and .75" ish with most anything I feed it). I own three 270 wins: A Ruger 77, a Winchester 70 Featherweight and the Tikka. The Tikka is the lightest but also seems to recoil less. Maybe it is the stock.

I shoot magnums regularly. I will say that the lightest 300WM I own is pushing 8 pounds. I have a .338 win mag that weighs slightly more, but I shoot it fairly regularly. My 77 375 H&H Safari Grade seems to give a bit more of a push and less recoil. My 338 is a Model 700 with a Krieger barrel bedded in a HSP stock. I guess I'm just not recoil sensitive, so to me the 270 is a joy to shoot.

I love the Tikka T3. I also own a Hunter in 260 Rem. Tough to beat them for the money. Both of mine are as accurate as some customs I own.

WITUfan,
I had many Tikka T3's over the years and can report that anything above the 30-06 is time to look for a Limbsaver. I was shooting a new .270Win today and it was fine.
The 140 Acc's flew very well.
But the 300WSM's, 300WM's and even a couple of .338WM's all had Limbsaver pads installed. You can do yourself. The downside to the Limbsaveer is that it lengthens the lop about 1/4" which is noticeable.

I had a 300wsm and sold it off because of recoil. It was the way it recoiled - not pleasant, just bounced up hard.

my 270 t3 has less recoil then the rem 700 bdl 270 i was shooting . it also weighs a lb less

Tikka's recoil differently from other rifles? Recoil, and its companion muzzle blast, are nothing to sneeze at, they can damage you over long exposures. There is no such thing as recoil insensitivity, repetitive exposure to recoil will cause accumulative damage. These days I equip every rifle with a muzzle brake, even the lowly .22-250. Why? Because my neck was taken apart to remove a spinal cord tumor, I just can't risk the recoil any more. Now muzzle brakes will refocus the muzzle blast, so wearing earplugs and muffs is necessary to keep it under control. On long bench sessions if you come away with a mild headache, or later on feel extremely fatigued, that's a form of concussion. If your scope backs up and knocks your head and blood flows, that's a concussion. So my suggestion is install the Limbsaver, have a muzzle brake installed, and if the rifle isn't equipped with a resilient recoil pad, add that too. My friend has an even worse problem, he had detached retinas, he can't shoot without recoil control either. His eyes are full of floaters, if he gets smacked around by recoil his vision deteriorates. They will be removing the floaters, but even then he will use muzzle brakes on everything. Remember that as we age the termites of time take their toll, and we pay for all those little injuries that didn't seem like much at the time.

Boy do I identify with the phrase..."TERMITES of TIME" .

A 73 year old buddy who has lived a long and interesting life with lots of trigger time, on top of everything else ...recently had to have a rotator cuff repair surgery.

A supposedly simple 45 minute proceedure took 4-5 hours...ther doc's said they couldn't find anything to anchor the tendons to that would hold. Still can't hold in place much less shoot a shoulder mounted weapon almost a year later. Told him I'd do him a favor ...and that he needed to sell me his fancy duck guns & boats at 25cents on the dollar, and get a couple TC pistols to hunt deer with LOLOL ...he DIDN'T think that was too very funny, but sez he's till strong enough to whoop my butt anytime I want to try him LOLOL His grumpiness is legendary...and this won't help much either.
Ron

I think Tikka's T3 Lite is a terrific hunting rifle, but I would not buy one chambered for anything larger than .308 Winchester. I have owned and shot most of the big Winchester and Weathetby magnums. I've had .375 H&H rifles, and several 45-70's. I have never shot an more unpleasant rifle than the T3 Lite I had (for a short time) in .338 Federal. Just thinking about shooting a T3 Lite in .300 or .338 Win Mag makes my eyes water...............

jobyjob - prior to having my T3's recoil pad replaced recoil with even a mild round like the 6.5 Swede was a bit harsh. Hard pad and stock design I guess. Like my Savage in 7mm-08 the stocks design slaps your cheek. I would not want to shoot either rifle with more potent rounds. Homesteader

I would not want a Tikka in a 300 Mag of any sort. I owned a 7lb 300 Win mag and it was not fun to shoot. I literally thought I was going to get a concussion squeezing one off. To each his own, so good luck.

I have tried to learn to shoot the 300 Win Mag, and never have learned to tolerate it. But I have a T3 in 300 WSM and it doesn't seem so bad.

300 magnums that weigh under 8.5 pounds ,suck.

I should mention that Mountain Tactical has 3 or 4 after market wood and laminate stocks in the $300 - $350 range. They appear to have a quality recoil pad on them.
As I alluded to above, a Limbsaver ($38) pad is the quick fix to a robust cartridge.

I put a limb savor on my TikkaT3 lite 300 WSM and the recoil is very tolerable to me. Frankly, I put limbsavors on most of my rifles because they really do work.

Not sure this is the best philosophy, especially going with a lighter rifle unless you plan to keep distances short. Might be better to shoot a light rifle MORE to maintain proficiency.

Do you plan to shoot from prone?

I had three Tikklers in 300 mag and the recoil from prone is more than I wanted and I wouldn't call myself recoil shy.

Jason

I bought a .243 T3 Lite through a special deal at cost, and loved it so much that I got another one in .300 Win. It is not very pleasant to shoot from the bench, so I put on one of the pre-fit Limbsaver pads. It made a pleasant difference, especially when in field shooting positions. At the bench, I still put a PAST shoulder pad on. AS someone else mentioned - the Tikka in .300 mag does jump. I also replaced the factory rings on the .300 with Talleys - the factory ones have worked fine on the .243 but came loose on the .300. The screws that come with them are soft, too.

I've shot my biggest mule deer (about 180") with the .300 and never noticed the kick.

I had three T3 rifles in 300 mag... 300 WSM T3 Lite, 300 Win T3 Lite, and 300 Win T3 SuperLight. Never had a problem shooting from a bench using a limbsaver. Prone is a different ballgame though.

Sorry folks, I mistook the Limbsaver for the Graco BreakO Mercury type recoil reducers that install inside a buttstock. Makes it a bit more difficult to install in a synthetic stock rather than wood, but if it can be done they do work. Add a shock absorbing recoil pad and muzzle break and even the most horrendous recoiling monster becomes tamed. Well maybe not the .577 Tyrannosaurus - but you get the idea.

When my friend and I would shoot our big bores off the bench back in the day, rifles with muzzle energies running 4,500 to 7,500 ft lbs it was always exciting to have the entire shooting bench slide backwards under the recoil. I soon learned to never lean forward into the rifle, but remain upright or slightly to the rear before positioning the stock against my shoulder. That way recoil didn't work against me in straightening me up, it just shoved me, my stool and the bench back.

Only impacts I had that were worse were a headlong flight off a motorcycle that broke my shoulder, wrist and shoved a finger up into the palm of my hand, and a two-year old colt that decided to take me through barred barn doors while I hung on his neck with the halter half buckled (I held on and we made firewood that day. The colt was my best friend afterward.). Then there was the head-on wreck that destroyed my county pickup - oh and the train wreck in Indiana that buried me under a Saddlebred horse. If you can avoid stuff like that, do so.

Ron, I really appreciate stories such as that. In my first job I worked with a farm manager who had been a horse breaker for the U.S. Army Remount Service, a competitive show jumper on the Army team, and later a stunt man in Hollywood standing in for such notables as Ronald Reagan. He served in WWII in Europe. He walked a bit funny, his knees were shambles and he was as grumpy and gruff as as bear with hemorrhoids. Last I heard he was still alive at age 93. Kids like me are honored to learn a craft from men like that, when they all cross over we will loose a wonderful source of wisdom and history.

As for me, I have enough suture lines to mimic a confused road map, but wouldn't trade the adventures they resulted from for anything.

They make a lot of difference because the Tikka factory pad is very hard!

The LimbSaver pad tames quick kickers better than any brand I know. I have a Tikka in 300 WSM with a Limbsaver pad, and I can shoot 40 rounds in a tee shirt from the bench without getting my shoulder very sore.

I wouldn't want a Tikka in a 300 Win mag., to me they just cross the line of my tolerance.

The downside to the Limbsaver is they get sticky if you get copper solvent on them, so be careful when cleaning your rifle to not touch the pads.

Everybody handles recoil different. I use my Tikka T3 lite .338 Winchester mag for almost all my hunting. With a limbsaver pad I have no problems and I really like the weight of the rifle for hunting.

My wife has a T3 Lite in 270 WSM. I handle recoil fine and I will be the first to tell you that the factory pad on a bench is NOT PLEASENT. It won't "kill you" but it really takes all the fun out of shooting. We slapped a limbsaver on there and now it's a fantastic rifle that will have a place in my safe as long as I'm still breathing. The factory pad is basically a plastic honeycomb with a 1/8" thick piece of rubber stretched over it, in other words it' simply looks like a recoil pad but really doesn't do much.

Critternator - from all these posts I can only assume that the Tikka, Savage and Ruger (All Weather section) engineers went to the same school of stock design. Perhaps a crash course in human ergonomics would help. Same with recoil pads...they've read all the same cost accounting memo's i.e. use only the least expensive material as they're HARD pads. One would think they'd read the Pachmyer or Limbsaver proposals and not the one from the Stone Masons (LOL). RAR rifle pads are quite a bit better. Homesteader