Stuck on which Tikka T3 rifle to pick...

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Greenspartan117

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Dear THR members,

I am stuck on which Tikka T3 rifle to get. I want to get a left handed rifle 6.5x55, but Beretta USA does not import that left handed version only the right hand.

Should I get the .30-06 T3 in left hand and rebarrel to 6.5x55?
or
Should I get .308 T3 in left hand and maybe rebarrel eventually to .260 Remington?
or
Should I get another T3 rifle in different caliber? .243 Winchester?



I really like the BC of the .264 bullets and like the range and lack of recoil. I would like to use this gun for range shooting mostly (100 yds - 800 yds+ eventually). I will be reloading so ammo type is not too much of an issue. I might go to different sniper schools with it if I have the time and money after school is done with my bank account... Thanks for all your help and advice!

Greenspartan117
 
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If that is the limit of your choices...
Buy the .308 and load it with 155 gr Scenars or Bergers. It won't have quite the trajectory and wind resistance of a 6.5 but it will do the job if you will.
By the time you have worn out the factory barrel you will know enough to pick a new caliber... or not.
 
A sporting goods store in Omaha Nebraska (scheels all sports) has the walnut/blued for $429, and the laminate/ss for $529. Google Scheels Omaha for the #.
Tikka's are great rifles, you will love yours.
 
Skinnewmexico, well I am not stuck on a Tikka, but I do like that the T3 has to offer, a detachable mag system, a moa or less guarantee. :) What would you recommend?
 
Good luck trying to beat the t3 for under $700.
Great rifles, exceptionally accurate, a fantastic buy.
I have the hunter in 30-06, and would love to have a 6.5x55, or the 260!
 
I looked up their website and they stated that only the rifles they are importing are the ones they are offering. It seems implied that they cannot/will not import chamberings they feel are not popular.
 
If you want to spend a lot of money changing out barrels/stocks/triggers, etc. the Tikka is not the rifle you want. They are actually quite boring. Just mount a scope with the supplied rings, buy some ammo, most any will do, and go out and shoot tiny groups. You could spend twice as much and not have a better rifle. Can't help you much with caliber selection but I would have have a hard time pulling off a Tikka barrel. I would think you would stand a good chance of getting something less accurate.
 
I would just say you can get a LH Savage and a Shilen Supermatch barrel for a lot less than you'd think, and do it yourself. How much does the DBM on the Tikka limit your COAL?
 
Greenspartan;

We've talked about this I believe. I am currently in the process of converting an LHB Tikka to 6.5 Swede. No, it's not inexpensive, but the point was, I wanted a lefty 6.5 Swede. I'm converting a standard length action, ie .30-06 length, because the Swede works much better in that than the short action.

I'd have bought a Sako, but can't find that offered in 6.5 anymore either. The other choices were Blaser or Mauser, both rather high dollar.

By doing it as a true custom, I as least get to spend the money in chunks rather than having to pony up the entire amount for a Euro-exotic. No big difference in price really. If anything, the custom will likely be the less expensive, and built exactly to me and as I want it.

900F
 
Shawnee;

No flames meant at all, but you really need to get out more. :D. Tanner Sports in Jamison PA., has (or had) LHB Tikkas for far less money. My donor Tikka came delivered for $399.00! See what I mean?

900F
 
LOLOL ! :D

Well, it's a fact I don't do a lot of shopping in PA. Last time I was there was in a place called Gettysburg. Marse Robert's boys were making things warm for us along the Taneytown Pike and I didn't even have my .243 with me at the time.:(

Except for a couple ounces and 3" OAL (and a couple hundred $ in price), it looks from the specs that the Tikka T3 Hunter might compare fairly well with the Remmie Model 7.

True? False? Insane? :confused:

:cool:
 
Shawnee, I have a model 7 as well as a T-3 Hunter with walnut stock and a T-3 lite with synthetic stock. The synthetic stock Tikka weighs exactly the same as my stainless synthetic model 7. But with a 2 7/16" longer and heavier barrel. The Hunter with walnut stock weighs about 1/4 lb. more. All 3 are perfectly acceptably accurate for hunting but the Tikka,s are more accurate and seem to shoot almost any load pretty well. I'm not selling the Model 7 because the short thin barrel makes for a very good carrying gun that feels lighter than my scales say it does.

I've yet to actually see one but Tikka shows a "Big Boar" model with a 19" barrel that looks promising.
 
I didn't read all the posts FWIW.

Well, if its a T3 you desire, I say stick with it so you are happy. If you are open to different rifles, I would suggest a Rem 700 SPS Tactical, but then again I drink the Remmy cool aid. Sniper Central had good things to say about the SPS Tactical, and shot sub .5 moa groups with factory ammo iirc, but you'd have to check their website for the review.

For caliber I'd say start with a 308, weather you handload or not. If you were planning on building a custom rifle to start with, I'd suggest spending no more than $400 on a rifle and have the stock changed, barrel changed and action trued in that order. At the same time, I don't have much experience with custom rifles or shooting paper at those ranges so I may be totally off.

In the end, take suggestions from myself and other posters, but DO NOT get something you really don't want. Don't look too far into the future, as you may decide to get another rifle instead of changing the caliber on your first rifle.
 
Thanks jmr...

How would you compare the "carryability" between the T3 and the Remmie 7? How about their triggers?

A 19" barrel concerns me a bit - like a muzzle-light shotgun - fun to carry but can be sooooo easy to muscle off target.

:confused:
 
Shawnee, while both guns weigh roughly the same the balance is completely different. The Tikka has a very light weight stock with a fairly heavy 22 7/16" barrel which gives it a muzzle heavy feel. This contribures to its accuracy and helps with off hand shooting in my opinion. The model 7 has a pencil thin 20" barrel and a heavier synthetic stock which puts most of the weight in the stock. It is whippy and harder to shoot accuately off hand. It also makes it easier to carry, especially through rough terrain and thick brush. I can hold it with one hand much easier. While I like both guns my stainless synthetic 30-06 Tikka is my "Go To" gun. For hunting I know all of my rifles are plenty accurate but the Tikka shoots so darn well and is so light to carry it gives me the confidence that my shot will hit the mark.

Out of the box the Tikka has a much better trigger than new Remingtons, or anything else I have tried. I have some 25-30 year old Remingtons that are just as good as the Tikka and the new ones can be adjusted to be pretty close. I bought the model 7 used and someone has worked on the trigger because it is almost as good as the Tikka.

Tikka's are not perfect, no rifle is, and I would reccomend a couple of modifications. I personally like the supplied rings but I highly reccomend getting better screws from a hardware store. I rounded out 2 screws using an allen wrench tightening the rings. The new screws are much better quality. A lot of people buy after market rings. The synthetic stocks are slick. I used to wear gloves with some type of grippy texture on the palms. Just last week I painted my stock with Rust-Oleum multi-color textured paint. I used the forest green with black and think it looks good with the stainless barrel and receiver.
 
Look at the T-3 Tactical with the heavier barrel. It better than the standard T3.

They are also availble in .222 remington which isnt a bad cartridge at all. In Europe most T3's sold are in the .222 caliber. Then again the average price here is about 1K Euro's :mad:
 
jmr 40,

how is the recoil on the 30-06 for the Tikka? do you think the .308 would recoil less?

Thank you all for your input!

Greenspartan117
 
My wood stocked Tikka is in .308, the synthetic is 30-06. The .308 does recoil noticebly less but because of the heavier stock it is hard to get a fair comparison. I did buy a limbsaver recoil pad for the 30-06 and they make a big difference. With this pad I find recoil to be no problem.

You can completely change how any rifle feels and recoils by changing scopes. My Tikka 30-06 and Remingtom model 7 in .308 both weigh slightly more than 6 lbs. with no scope. I have been using a Leupold 2.5-8X on the Tikka for several years which brought the total weight up to 7 lbs. 2 oz. I found a slightly used Zeiss Conquest at a good price a few weeks ago and put it on the Tikka which increased the total weight up to 7 lbs. 7 oz. Still lighter than a lot of rifles with no scope.
 
Thanks jmr...

How does the Tikka with the wood stock compare to the Tikka with the synthetic stock in terms of portability and ease to shoot/hold well ? There isn't that much weight difference is there? Does the wood stocked Tikka feel "butt-heavy" or "balanced" or "muzzle-heavy" ?

Thanks a million !
:cool:


Hey CB900F - Called Tanner's - the price you got was a special on Southpaw rifles - they had 500 of 'em and were blowing 'em out the door at $359 but they went so fast they bumped the price $20. The (right-handed) walnut/blue T3 at Tanner's is $609 + shipping. The synthetic/stainless is $499 + shipping.
 
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jmr40,

Which limb saver model did you you for your Tikka? I tried looking for a Tikka made one, but could not find it.

CB900F

Yes I did contact you about your 6.5x55 project. I was trying to decide whether to just pick up a rifle and start shooting, or should I wait and have a gun made to my specs. I only have a 2 month window every summer to shoot. I am going to school out of the country and can not bring my guns while abroad. I was thinking of either going a .308 or 30-06 and just shoot it while I am back in the States. I know that the 30-06 can use the heavier .308 bullets like the 185gr and 220gr. while the .308 is relegated to the 175 smk's. I will be buying reloading equipment so caliber choice is not too much of a problem...

Thank you all for your help and input thus far.
 
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