Sing your Tikka praises!

[Dougfirtree]

Lately, I've been thinking about trading in my primary hunting rifle. It's a Winchester M-70 featherweight (one of the newer FN ones) in 7mm-08. It's a beautiful rifle and I love the way it feels. I've been able to get some good-shootin' loads for it and overall, it's been a good rifle for me. Here are the things that are making me want to change:

1. I just hate wing safeties. They're awkward and this one is very loud if you take it off with just your thumb, which I sometimes have to do.

2. As pretty as I find the walnut/blued combo, I can't deny the practicality of a synthetic stock and a weatherproof finish.

3. My current rifle is picky and often takes some work to get a good load for. I've found it especially tricky since I've switched to lead-free. I have one halfway decent load for the 140 E tip, but have had terrible results with 3 different Barnes bullets.

4. I'd love it if my rifle weighed just a tad less.

As I look around for what I might switch it out for, the Tikka T3x lite keeps coming up as a potential solution. It's weatherproof, of similar value, has a safety that I like better (I think) and I keep hearing people talk about how darn accurate they are. Do you have one? What do you think of them? It's been a little while since I held a Tikka, but my memory is that I liked the feel of them, but the stock seemed a bit cheap and the recoil pad was crap. Have any of you put a different stock on one? How did that go? If you feel like it, sell me on the Tikka, or on something else (but keep in mind I don't have a ton of money to invest. Hoping that the money I get from selling the Winchester and a bit more will suffice). Thanks!

 

[VikingsGuy]

I have 3 of the new T3x lite SS. The stock is better than average tuperware (must have some fiberglass in the polymer), but I don't like the way if fits my hands. I put all 3 of mine in B&C medalist stocks and love them. 2 of the 3 were super easy to develop loads for and were tack drivers out of the box. 1 was a little fussy but seems to like the Hammer bullets and now it too is a shooter. I would put Tikka T3X in a B&C stock against any factory rifle under $1250.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

The factory pad on the newer generation (T3x) is much better than the T3. Tikkas go bang, have very good factory triggers, come in fast twists, and have been easy to get to shoot IME.
The factory stock is very adequate, though I’ve generally put mine in aftermarket options. I’ve gotten picky on ergonomics over the years.
Tikkas aren’t a miracle rifle, but I feel they’re a lot of rifle for the money, and have a good track record.

 

[Schaaf]

Mine shot very well. I finally got tired of swapping out plastic parts and sold it.

 

[SticksMcKinley]

I have two Tikkas, a T3 Lite in .308 and a CTR in 6.5 Man Bun. Both are consistently accurate. The T3 is a solid MOA shooter in the factory stock and the CTR is easily half that in a chassis.

I had a T3x in 7mm-08 once that I couldn't make a shooter, but there were other factors involved like a cut and threaded barrel and a QD suppressor. Without the can, it could shoot, but not great. I think there was a contact issue with the stock. Other than that, my Tikka experience has been extremely positive.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Tikka and sako are easily the best selling rifles in Australia and NZ. Put a limbsaver on them and they're really the best value for money gun you'll find.
I've owned sako 75 and 85, both great guns, got plenty of mates with sako or tikka. I now have a Sako A7 which is kind of a hybridised rifle between tikka and sako 85. I like the light weight, guaranteed 5 shot in an inch sako accuracy and really like the rubberized stock. Any of them are good though.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I have 3 of the new T3x lite SS. The stock is better than average tuperware (must have some fiberglass in the polymer), but I don't like the way if fits my hands. I put all 3 of mine in B&C medalist stocks and love them. 2 of the 3 were super easy to develop loads for and were tack drivers out of the box. 1 was a little fussy but seems to like the Hammer bullets and now it too is a shooter. I would put Tikka T3X in a B&C stock against any factory rifle under $1250.

Good to know. About $300 for that stock?

 

[VikingsGuy]

Good to know. About $300 for that stock?

yup

 

[mtmuley]

Looked at a Tikka in 2004. Just couldn't warm up to it. Felt flimsy and had lots of plastic. Maybe they are better now, but It still sticks. Good luck. mtmuley

 

[Mainer207]

I’m a sucker for a wood stock, so I wouldn’t get rid of the featherweight. Why not keep it and add a synthetic tikka to the safe?

I have a t3x hunter in 30-06. My experience with the tikka is that it’s a comfortable gun and shoots well. I’d like to add a 7 mag tikka t3x lite ss to the gun safe in the near future...

 

[MT_Chad]

My only complaint about mine outside of what others have said is the clip kinda sucks, not a fan. It limits OAL on my loads to factory length so I can't load to optimum distance off the lands. Also, having to unload chamber, drop the clip, put cartridge back in clip, reinsert clip is a pain in the ass. Doesn't happen a lot since I never carry loaded but still a pain. I deal with this cause the gun shoots lights out, about 1/2 moa at 300 yards. They are great guns, I like mine.

 

[nrpate05]

This group from my T3x superlite in 30-06 is why I'll never get rid of mine. Sure, the stock and recoil pad aren't the greatest but as a working rifle that weighs 7.5 lbs or so rigged and ready to go its hard to beat. That said, I really want a featherweight M70 in .270! Tough to beat the feel and look of that rifle.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Tikka lite stainless in 6.5 CM. Cold to hot. 10 rounds, 100 yards. 6x SWFA scope. 143gn ELDx.

 

[blueridge]

My only complaint about mine outside of what others have said is the clip kinda sucks, not a fan. It limits OAL on my loads to factory length so I can't load to optimum distance off the lands.

What caliber? If it’s something like a 7-08 or 308 you can buy a longer mag (30-06) and replace the bolt stop with that of a long action. I was considering that on my long throated 7-08. Just a thought.

To the OP, I have the T3 Forest (wood stock). Mine has been finicky with finding ammo it likes. Hornady SST, American Whitetail, Nosler Etips, Federal Premium Trophy Copper, Barnes VOR TX, and a couple others wouldn’t shoot better than 2-3” groups. Remington Corlokts and Federal Premium Barnes TSX are the only ones I’ve found that it will consistently shoot sub-moa. Sounds like mine is an exception, but they’re not all tack drivers with everything you feed them.

 

[MT_Chad]

What caliber? If it’s something like a 7-08 or 308 you can buy a longer mag (30-06) and replace the bolt stop with that of a long action. I was considering that on my long throated 7-08. Just a thought.

To the OP, I have the T3 Forest (wood stock). Mine has been finicky with finding ammo it likes. Hornady SST, American Whitetail, Nosler Etips, Federal Premium Trophy Copper, Barnes VOR TX, and a couple others wouldn’t shoot better than 2-3” groups. Remington Corlokts and Federal Premium Barnes TSX are the only ones I’ve found that it will consistently shoot sub-moa. Sounds like mine is an exception, but they’re not all tack drivers with everything you feed them.

Mine is a 300 win mag so no luck there. I might eventually get the mountain tactical bottom metal that uses aics clips that would give me enough room to bump my seating depth out where I want it.

 

[Kiwi]

I’ve got two T3’s. 7mm08 and 7mm Rem Mag. Awesome rifles. Shoot well, light, no breakages, nice to hold and carry.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I have 2 Tikkas - one is a standard T3X lite in .308, the other is a T3X stainless in .270. they are as accurate as anything I've ever shot, both sub-MOA, rugged, lighter weight than most, pretty much ideal as a mountain rifle. I know a lot of guys change out the factory stock; I recognize they're not going to win any fashion contests, but I actually like them along with the trigger and everything that came off the assembly line.

Tikkas are great. But although a bit heavier, I've also always had a warm place in my heart for the rugged and reliable Ford pickup of the rifle world, the Remington 700.

 

[sbhooper]

I have a 90s model 70 that is a great-shooting rifle. I have not seen much bad about the Tikkas and would probably consider one, if I was to buy a factory rifle. That being said, that Winchester is not that heavy. You would not be saving that much weight and the lighter the rifle, the tougher they are to shoot accurately. If you just want a new rifle, then that is fine, but you will be hard-pressed to get a better rifle than you have already.

I am also a synthetic fan, but there is nothing wrong with the wooden ones, either. They develop character over years in the field. Make sure that stock is free-floated and maybe even have someone glass-bed it and it may surprise you.

 

[88man]

Looked at a Tikka in 2004. Just couldn't warm up to it. Felt flimsy and had lots of plastic. Maybe they are better now, but It still sticks. Good luck. mtmuley

Nope they have the feel of cheap plastic. However, they shoot.

 

[88man]

I have loaded for a few friends who have them in 270wsm, 300wsm, 300win, 7mmmag all the guns shot sub moa and were easy to develop a load for, most of the guns shot 5/8 or 3/4.