Anyone here have a Tikka Lite in 223? Was wondering how’s the accuracy and how quick does that barrel heat up? Those that own it do you wish you would have gone with the heavier varmint model?

Had one, accuracy was phenomenal, hate to say I never heated it up. Replaced it with the fluted Superlight, and the flutes help with the heating. Accuracy also phenomenal, and seems to maintain even when hot.

Had a superlight that was really accurate.

10 shots @100

In my Tikkas chambered in 223 Rem, I have owned/own a blued T3 Lite, a stainless T3 Lite, a stainless T3 Superlite (fluted) and a stainless T3 Varmint (heavy barrel). All were/are superbly accurate with many of my reloads grouping at or under 0.5 MOA for 5 shots at 100 yards. The heavy barrelled Varmint model was the most accurate of the four but not by much, and I let a prairie dog blasting addict buddy talk me out of it. But I wasn't using it much since I prefer to walk and shoot, not sit and shoot, rodents, and the Varmint models are too heavy for my tastes. The two standard Lite versions also got sold to friends but not because they weren't accurate enough. However, I'm hanging onto the stainless fluted Superlite. The only change I would make to it is to put a T3x stock on it so I can set it up with the vertical/target grip module.

T3 lite stainless 1-10”, T3 Superlite 1-8”, T3x Varmint 1-8”. My experience mirrors MT DD FAN’s but I still have all three. I can see the bullet impact with the Varmint, not so much with the Superlite.




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I have the T-3 lite in 1-10. Accuracy has been great with it up to 69 gr Sierra Matchkings. Like any sporter, the barrel will heat up if shot rapidly.

Mine has been great with 77gr TMK and 75gr hpbt. Both hell on deer and yotes

I have two T3 Lites with 1/8 barrels on them.
55 gr Ballistic Tips and 65 gr SGKs shoot to same point of aim in both of them.
They are both 1/2 MOA at 200 yards.

Haven't tried any of the heavier bullets in either of them.
My only complaint, I wish some one made a magazine that had a longer internal dimension to be able to feed the 75-77 gr bullets seated out a bit further.

And yes the barrels will heat up pretty quickly as any rifle will.

Mountain tactical does make a mag with longer max COL that feeds long bullet just fine.

I think if you were shooting sage rats here, you'd probably prefer the varmint over the lite or sl. I was shooting my varmint the other day and it takes a lot longer to heat the barrel up compared to a superlite. The lites and superlites shoot well though, for skinny barreled rifles.

Thanks for the heads up !

I have 4 of the Mountain Tactical extended capacity mags. I can seat really long.



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Only with 3 shots buddy? That is not good.... I didn't think my buddies 223 sl was that bad. Hell, I was shooting 10 shot groups with my 22-250 the other day and after 10 shots, it was barely warm... I shot 10 rounds from my 6.5cm AR and it (the 22-250) was cool enough to shoot another 10... That's the beauty in the thicker varmint barrel. I'm only posting this because I know the op has been questioning himself on which one to get.....


You would think a .223 rem would take a long time to heat the barrel up in a varminter... The sl and lite, not so much... I won't shoot a rifle if the barrel is too hot, I know my 7mm rem mag sl would get pretty damn hot after 3 shots as well... The creed, not so much until about 6 shots, then I'll slow down my rate of fire...:


Superlites and lites can shoot pretty damn good, you just have to be a little more gentle with them, so you don't toast them out too soon... If it were me, I'd buy the superlite with the 1 in 8 twist barrel or the varmint model vs the lite... You have a little more options for bullet weights with the 1 in 8...

Not just on those three shots! I’d lit the barrel up pretty good with 50’s on steel, then grabbed a few 75’s to see how they grouped.

Coulda branded cattle...

That seems like a perfect setup, how are the throats on the Tikka for running 80gr ELDs ( or even 88s)? Can you take full advantage of all that mag, and did you have to mod the bolt stop to run long?

I haven’t tried the 80s, I’m loading the 75 ELDM with Varget, getting 2934 FPS and great accuracy.

My write-up:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/13776147/1





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80 Amax and Varget were peaches & cream in my SL.

What rings if using the factory dovetail do you recommend!

My Talleys for light and tight, but Sportsmatch seem to be the thing. No “real” experience with them yet, other than monkeying around. Pretty damn tough.

I forgot to add, my new T3x Varmint shoots the same 75 ELDM load into half an inch, so that’s four Tikkas using the same load.



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Definitely Sportsmatch.

My Tikka 223 on top with Sportsmatch rings

Is there a factory-like 223 magazine for longer OAL, more then 2.25?

That is not surprising at all buddy. Usually Tikka's are not finicky... My new Tikka varmint rifle loves my steven's 200 load well enough, that I don't know if I'll even mess with fine tuning it.. Both rifles shoot sub moa 10 shot groups religiously... Not talking 3 shot groups for a varmint rifle. That should be against the fn law...

I’m with you on the 3-shot groups, they don’t tell you Schmidt. All of my target shooting includes eleventeen shot groups, while rotating targets so I can make sure the most recent eleventeen shot group isn’t on the same target.

You see, I catalog my targets by atmospheric pressure, moon phase, and tide. You’d think moon phase and tide would be positively correlated, but when you factor in the Coriolis effect you can synergize backward overflow unless the bullet becomes transonic. I select previous targets based on the aforementioned metrics to retain mandatory re-entry placement. The last thing you want is randomized re-entry! Might as well be savages.

When properly applied, eleventeen shot groups provide the best indicator not only of precision, but accuracy as well. I call it precisury. I used to call it accurision but I got sued by Honda over trademark infringement.

Anyway, I’m happy as heck with my Tikkas. Same load works great in all three, and fired brass rechambers in all of them with just neck sizing. So I have that going for me, which is nice.



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