Anyone have any experience with Tikka rifles?

[HTSmith]

I'm looking for a factory deer rifle with a good trigger that will shoot honest 1 MOA groups with good handloads without having to change out so many parts. I'm left handed, but would appreciate feedback from anyone that has one (or has had one). Thanks all

 

[scope eye]

I had a Tikka and it was very nice and did everything you could want in a hunting rifle, then I traded it for a Sako which had the coolest trigger. The trigger pull was a nice crisp three pounds, but if you pushed it forward first you could feel it "set" and then it became a 1 pound trigger. Sweet

Dean

 

[watercam]

Have had one hunting and built one to match configuration. Both outstanding actions, good mags, very smooth and the factory barreled one was excellent with factory loads. Handloading only made it more accurate. Have not had one with a synthetic stock though...

 

[painter]

just bought a tikka lite in 243 will do 3/4 moa or better, hand loads,85 gr sierra hpbt and nosler 95gr partions, will not shoot hornady amax 105gr, u can see the unstable bullet holes in the target it is a 1-10 twist, nice trigger, good mag, very lite rifle, try one u will like it. good luck a.l. workman

 

[Barlow]

I don't own one, but have talked a bunch of guys into buying them. I have never seen a bad one. The last guy bought a Forster (iirc) in 260, and is well sub moa at 100. Barlow

 

[joshb]

I have 2 and they shoot better than I hoped for. A 22-250 and a .308. I just bought a left hander for my son in law for Christmas, if that says anything. Great guns. This is the first T3, though. Was going to do some load workup, but then the rain hit and the hurricane's coming. Maybe next week. I'll let ya know. Josh.

 

[DogBuster]

Bought my first one in '97...a 595 SS 7-08...now they are called the 'T3'

3rd generation...still built in Finland..use the same barrel as the Sako...

great trigger...well made & still a good bang for your buck....as long as you

can live with the plastic magazine..trigger guard & bolt shroud..accuracy is

usually as expected.....an inch or less with handloads or factory right out of

the box.....oh did I mention the super smooth bolt action ? Beretta now

imports them...I've got some buddies & others into them & they like 'em too

pic is my SS 6.5x55 Swede T3.......

http://www.tikka.fi/rifles/tikka-t3?hunterss_showdata#pagedown

 

[CharlieNC]

Time flies! My budget Tikka Whitetail Hunter is nearly 20 years old; I think this was the forerunner of the current T3. It's a 300Win Mag, used for hunting, so I have never tried to improve the groups better than 1MOA at 200 yards. The action is very slick, great trigger, never a problem feeding from the DBM, and the stock is solid.

 

[CADDIE5]

My son is also a lefty. He has the Tikka T3 lite in 300 win mag. Great gun except for the included scope rings-they are bad and scope moves in the rings. Replaced the scope base and rings and you have a winner. Trigger is great. His tikka doesn't shoot 150 or 165 gr loads well. He is on an Australian hunting forum that has a lot of tikka gun owners and they recommended 180 gr bullets. Haven't reloaded ammo for him yet though I gotten the powder and some Berger 168 & 185gr classic hunting bullets, hornady 208amax and sierra 175gr tmk.

 

[areaone]

My son has a left handed T3 lite in 270. Shoots less than .5 inch, 3shot groups with imr 4831 and. 130 gr speer hot cor. Excellent trigger. But replace the cheap rings with a quality set of burris rings.

 

[DogBuster]

Yes..Tikka 595/695 came before the T3 series...about one pound heavier

Imported by Stoeger in NJ...good point about the JUNK rings that come with

the T3 Tikka...never used them..I use Burris Signature rings & Leupold 2 pc

bases..#54447 if I recall...try a Tikka..........

 

[CHESSIEHUNTER12]

Have 3. 1 .338 and two 280's that we reamed to 280ai. All of them shoot good. The 280ai are both sub moa. VERY pleased with them.

 

[Juma]

We run 3 T3's in 223. Screw the trigger screw back in hard then right out. You can get 1.5lbs if you are wanting a very slight trigger. We run 2lbs and they break so well.

 

[fourpower]

just finished working on one and handloading for it. lapped the barrel and free floated got trigger down to under 2lbs and breaks like glass.it is a 7mm mag and it now shoots under half moa out to 800yds. great gun!

 

[dryhumor]

I have a Tikka M695 in .280. Joel Russo did a repair to the stock for me and also pillar bedded. It was a GB sleeper, as it had the small crack near the bolt release and honest hunting wear; seems like around $450 ish something....
The M695s have a flat bottom receiver.

About 1/2 MOA most days, with IMR4831 and 162gr AMAXs

 

[FryeGuy]

I just picked up one in a hunter model, 6.5x55. only to the range once so far. I had some loads from a previous 6.5x55 in a rem classic that wouldn't shoot worth a crap. I used the same loads in the Tikka, and of 3 different loads, they were all under an inch at 100yards. the last load was under 1/2". so yeah I am super happy with mine so far. looking at another one already. I used the factory rings in mine so far, and so far so good. not so say I won't upgrade later thou.

sure wish mine had a stock as nice as the one above thou. dang what a nice piece of wood.

 

[Changeling]

FryeGuy, is that the stock that came with it? Very nice looking rifle.

Every time I read an article about Tikka rifles they talk about how well they shoot right out of the box. I wonder if anyone has tried to set up one of there actions with a quality competition barrel and see if their is something outstanding about it, like with a Rem 700 action (a good one).

 

[dryhumor]

sure wish mine had a stock as nice as the one above thou. dang what a nice piece of wood.

Thanks. Luck and timing. Some of the pre T3 rifles have some nice stocks on them from what I see ever now and then. I think they are better made rifles as well.

Flipside....

 

[johnfred1965]

I was just looking at a Tikka at whittaker guns. The synthetic stock was not very appealing, but the walnut stocks were beautiful. They had left handed versions of most every common caliber. If I had the cash, I would have picked one up myself.

 

[K22]

I have a T3 in 243.

Great trigger, smooth action and the stock is more stable than most synthetic stocks I had in the past.

Accuracy is good for a factory sporter weight rifle. With tailored reloads I was able to obtain under 1 moa with little load development.

Rifle handles well in the field.

I like that fact that rings came with it.

In my opinion it's a great value for a hunting rifle.