Tell me about Tikka Rifles!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I've been looking at bolt action rifles. I'm left handed and have a long LOP! I've looked at Savage 10's and Remington 700's. The Savage has an excellent barrel but not crazy about the action?

The Remington has a work horse action but needs blue printing for real accuracy and the factory barrel is so-so?

Triggers also come into play.some people like the Savage accu-trigger,some don't! Remington Mark X triggers don't seem that well regarded and people run to Timney (more cost)

What I hear about the Tikka rifles though is that they have a nice strong action,pretty much already blue printed,hammer forged accurate barrels and an excellent trigger right out of the box!!!

Looking at the Tikka T3 Sporter in LH seems to be ready to go for me as everything is adjustable!

[roysha]

Well, the way I read your post you want someone to verify your choice. So let me say it is not to bad choice. An acquaintance has one in 30-06 and another in 338 WM. Both are excellent shooters. The 338 WM is an sob in regard to recoil but for 3 shots he is able to keep them around an inch and a half. Go for it. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Shop around. They can be had for $450-550 new, depending on caliber. A lot of people don't know about them, so often times they languish on a dealer's rack.

[seagiant]

Well, the way I read your post you want someone to verify your choice. So let me say it is not to bad choice. An acquaintance has one in 30-06 and another in 338 WM. Both are excellent shooters. The 338 WM is an sob in regard to recoil but for 3 shots he is able to keep them around an inch and a half. Go for it. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Shop around. They can be had for $450-550 new, depending on caliber. A lot of people don't know about them, so often times they languish on a dealer's rack.

Hi,
Verify? maybe not so much as I have done a lot of research on this and have talked to people that actually worked on these rifles. What I'm actually looking for is owners of Tikka rifles and what they think.

Another rifle made in Europe doing well with a solid fan base is CZ! I'm actually a little miffed that the Europeans are making better rifles than us (out of box) at a certain price point!

[slim1836]

I like my Tikka .308 Varmint with a bull barrel, however, the stock trigger pull seems to be a little heavy to my liking. J bullets keep groups less than 1/2" at 100 yards. Have not been able to do that with cast yet.

Slim

[MT Chambers]

They are accurate guns but the models with the chintzy plastic stock kick like a mule and I would avoid them, any of the wooden stocked models I would go for.

[Ben]

I love my TIKKA.

I've yet to see one that won't shoot well.

Mine is not the new T-3, mine is the older Tikka Model 695, Cal. 30-06 with a Burris 6 X.

I adjusted my trigger to 12 oz., clean, crisp, with no over travel.
Quite often, the safety won't work with settings this low.

The safety works fine on this rifle with the 3/4 pound trigger pull.

See mini - movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH7o84xXc3s

Ben







The feeding problems that will often occur in a " staggered box " magazine don't occur with this system. This action and feeding system is unbelievably smooth.







I've been enjoying my Modern Bond , 30 cal., 190 gr. Spire plain base mold that I bought from HARRYMPOPE (George ) recently.




I've shot some pretty impressive groups ( for plain based bullets ) at 50 yards with my Tikka rifle.

Here's 20 rounds fired at 50 yards with the Modern Bond bullet, fired with my Tikka 695 , 30-06 :



Ben

[M-Tecs]

I love my Tikka 595's. I prefer the 595/695 over the T3's

[NWPilgrim]

Tikka T3 is very accurate, easy sub-MOA with several handloads. Action is solid and very smooth. Light crisp trigger for a hunting rifle.

[C. Latch]

I love my Tikka 595's. I prefer the 595/695 over the T3's

I also have a 595 and would wait to find a used one before I'd buy a T3.

I once had a deluxe model 658 and sold it . That was stupid.

[seagiant]

Hi,
SWEET looking rig you have there Ben!!! Thanks for the pics! I have never shot a Tikka (yet) but while looking at bolt actions, kept running into problems or things I wasn't crazy about with Savage and Remington!

Why is the older 3 number rifles better than the T3? The problem for me now is that the Tikka T3 Varmit rifles are no longer imported in the US? The only Tikka T3 with a heavy barrel is the T3 Sporter!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Interesting,I'll look into that Excess! Thanks!

[rollmyown]

I have 2, an older M55 in 222 and a newer T3 in 308. I have not shot the T3 yet. Tikka's are lazers and while they might lack the eye popping finish of Sako's, they shoot tiny groups. With the right shooter pulling the trigger I would be very surprised to see any comparatively priced rifle shoot smaller groups. (take a look at Ben's results)
An M55 chambered in 22/250 was the most accurate rifle I ever had. Regretfully I let that one go years ago.

[seagiant]

I have 2, an older M55 in 222 and a newer T3 in 308. I have not shot the T3 yet. Tikka's are lazers and while they might lack the eye popping finish of Sako's, they shoot tiny groups. With the right shooter pulling the trigger I would be very surprised to see any comparatively priced rifle shoot smaller groups. (take a look at Ben's results)
An M55 chambered in 22/250 was the most accurate rifle I ever had. Regretfully I let that one go years ago.

Hi,
What's the difference between the M55 and the T3????

[rollmyown]

The M55 /M65 were models prior to the 595. All timber and steel. There are differences in the action. magazines are steel too. If you loose your magazine you'll have to mortgage your house to replace it. Nice checkering and palm swell.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=T...ml%3B600%3B133

[C. Latch]

The 55 and 65 were imported by Ithaca, IIRC. Then many years later came the 658 series, then the 595/695, then the T3.

The 658 was the first with some plastic parts in the action (magazine, bolt sleeve, etc). When I bought my 595, they were new to the market, I had regretted selling the 658 (a deluxe model in 30-06) and I did a convoluted trade for a 595 Continental, which was the 26" heavy-barrel model, in .223 Remington.

I scoped it, boresighted it, put one shot on paper at 50 yards, moved back to 200 yards, and put the next three shots into 1". Thus began what is now an 18-year long love affair with that rifle. It has killed more coyotes and other small critters than anything else I own (except the '06 I used to shoot deer with). It has shot bughole groups with literally everything I've ever fed it (admittedly I never fed it anything but handloads and premium store-bought stuff). I did a very careful trigger job and ended up with a breaking-glass trigger; no takeup, roughly 28 ounces.

The thing I don't like about the T3 is that they seemed to cut corners when they went to the T3; everything is in one action length. I hate picking up a short-action caliber in a long action. The stocks seem cheap to me, too.

I wouldn't blink an eye at buying a clean, used 595 or 695, and would probably shed a tear if I could find a 658 like the one I traded off 19 years ago. It was an absolutely gorgeous rifle.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Thanks Latch! That was a good explanation! I believe everything you said as I see the T3 Sporter as a bargain even though it has a street price of $1450! For me it has everything,laminated hunter/sniper stock with cheek and LOP adjustments,hammer forged heavy barrel,near blue printed action(not open cut like Rem 700,but more like custom actions with ejection port!)and nice factory trigger!

To take a Rem 700 and get the same build quality and materials would be north of $2000 easy! I don't doubt the older models are more desirable but if you go to Long Range Hunting Sites you will find that there are a lot of T3 owners who a very happy/impressed with their rifles!

Here's a T3 Sporter dyed black!

[Love Life]

My friend's Tikka light in 300 Winmag gets 80%+ hits to 1,000 yds with a skinny barrel and minimal cooling allowed.

Tikka rifles are legit.

[Spud]

Have a Whitetail Hunter (595) in 223 bought new. It's a LH action and was accurate right out of the box. One anomaly, though, I discovered it had a 1-14 twist bbl, not the advertised 1-12 twist. Never would shoot the longer 55 gr. bullets, such as boat tails. 50 grainers, even the cheapies, shot well under 1 inch (100 yds), usually @.75 inch. (3 shots) Never shot cast in it, though.

[cainttype]

My first Tikka was an Ithaca LSA 55 in .308. It is still one of my favorite, most accurate light-weight rifles. It will easily shoot sub-MOA with many jacketed loads. The unusual synthetic stock was way ahead of it's time and is practically indestructable.
I have 2 T3s, a 223 and a 338 Fed. Both will shoot MOA, or better, with loads they like...again, jacketed.
That said, I have owned (still do) quite a few Remington 700s that shoot at least that well. I have never owned a 700 that didn't shoot. I have never owned a Savage rifle, so can't offer any opinion based on my personal experience.

[horsesoldier]

I love my t3's.I think I have around 4 or 5 of them. I hunt only with them.One is a 6.5x55mm and the other is a 300 winchester. The 300 I put an aftermarket stock on it.I flat out love them