Tikka opinions

[coloradokevin]

It's hard to beat a Tikka in the price range, and many more expensive guns don't even work as well as the Tikka line. Tikka rifles are made in the Sako factory on Sako tooling, pretty much right along with the more expensive and popular Sako rifles.

I have a Tikka T3 Scout CTR in .308 Win, which is just a heavy barreled version, and the darn thing is a tack driver. I usually shoot this rifle in the 100-600 yard distance range, but popped a prairie dog with it at 687 and then 711 yards a couple of weeks ago (verified with a LRF). The darn thing just plain shoots!

For the first couple of years I had it, I was shooting it with a $300 scope and some TPS rings. I've liked the rifle well enough that I now have my Schmidt and Bender scope mounted on it with a Spuhr mount (so, the optics setup I gave this gun is worth nearly 5 times what I paid for the gun).

The only real gripes I have is that:

1) I wish it had a threaded barrel so I could suppress it, but that's just the way it was designed.

2) I wish the extraction was a bit stronger. Sometimes I'll have an empty casing just kind of hang out in the ejection port.

But, these are minor gripes when considering that I've got a solid half-MOA gun that I paid $800 for.

 

[wford]

I have a Tikka T3 stainless in .300 win mag that I bought after researching and holding most of the guns recommended. To me the Tikka handled the best and the quality is very good for this price range. I put a Redfield Revolution 4-12x40 on it and shot it yesterday with cheap wal mart ammo. It is a very accurate gun, I sighted it in and shot very tight groups from1,2,3 hundred yards. I ordered a ded nutz one piece system but it isnt here yet, and the Tikka rings held up just fine (only 60 rounds though). These have extremely smooth bolts and I actually like the polymer stock, it has a very light rubbery feeling to it and I really like the location of the safety and the loaded chamber indicator. I am new to hunting rifles but I was recommended this gun by many many people and I am 100% satisfied. Mine was shipped with a bolt that had I very bad finish but Beretta (owns tikka) fixed it and sent it back within 3 weeks. The only things I don't love about this gun are:

1. Mags are plastic and quite expensive to replace. (I got one with my gun)
2. Trigger guard is plastic
3. Rubber pad on buttstock is firm (300. win mag is a kicker)

 

[hdbiker]

I own a T3 light in .243 Win.I wish I had spent the extra 100 bucks for the Hunter,with walnut stock.Great rifle,accurate,smooth as silk,but the 65 bucks for an extra plastIc magazine was a little much.I'd buy another Titka. biker

 

[jmr40]

They work, they are as accurate as anything else and more so than most. They are the lightest rifle you will buy for under $1,000 if that is a goal.

I've had a couple and would recommend them but there are some negatives that some don't like. They are not traditional looking. They use more plastic than some like, but this is overstated in my opinion. Their plastic stock is one of the better factroy synthetics. The plastic magazines work great, but are overpriced and used to be hard to find. I was never able to actually locate one when I owned my Tikka's. They have a plastic bolt shroud that bothers some. I cannot imagine it breaking, and if it does it will still work fine without it. In heavy recoiling calibers the light weight can be too much.

I ended up selling mine, not because of a single problem. I just had other rifles I liked better. If I were looking to put together the most accurate rifle for mountain hunting at the least possible cost one would be on the top of my list.

 

[45crittergitter]

They are outstanding rifles and a very good deal. Among the slickest and most accurate I've ever used.

 

[YZ]

I had a T3 Varmint, with the slickest bolt action ever. It would shoot less than a box to the point of aim, and then go haywire. The barrel just overheated. I experimented with icepacks, but eventually let it go. To this day, I am not quite sure that the rifle wasn't actually meant to be fired sporadically at intervals, and the manufacturer's savings were passed on to me. That might explain why a rifle as good looking and smooth as the Sako was half the price.

P.S. The 223 is scarce but shows up on gunbroker. Saw one last month while price checking.

 

[Mr. Farknocker]

This is how accurate the Tikka T3 SS .270 can be. I shot my handloads (Sierra Matchking 135gr) this afternoon and put just about 4 out of 5 shots through the same hole at 100 yards.

 

[bailer]

Nice shooting. I've quit telling people how well my Tikka shoots, unless I'm at a range where I can back it up. They just shoot too well to sound believable.