Tikka T3 lite for a .338 Win Mag Cartridge

firefighter

firefighter

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Hi All,

I am thinking of selling my Ruger Hawkeye in 338 and replacing it with a Tikka T3 Lite in the 338 Win Mag. The 338 has a heck of a kick and wonder if anyone who has the T3 Lite in a 338 can comment on the this? They are actually comparable in weight but have heard people talk that the T3 Lite would be a real pain in a 338 calibre. My reason for switching is to get away from the hinged floorplate and into a detachable magazine. Any info on the T3 would be appreciated before I make this move.

Thanks,
Mike
 
Yeh I have a Hawkeye, a T3 and a Rem700 SPS currently, I can say the T3 is noticeably lighter than the others..
My hawkeye is now ina Ramline stock which weighs the same as the Hawkeye Woodstock, its in a 35 Whelen, even with a 35 Whelen, a smaller bloke like myself wouldn't be too stoked on shooting a 338winmag accurately.
I traded a 300wsm Abolt for the T3 308... recoil was an issue for me, even with a kikeez recoil pad.

maybe you are better built than myself?

Do try one of your friends or associates before putting down you're hard earned...

id prefer your Hawkeye in 338WM over the T3.personally.


WL
 
WhelanLad said:
I traded a 300wsm Abolt for the T3 308... recoil was an issue for me, even with a kikeez recoil pad.

WL
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+1
My dad has a T3 in 300WSM, recoil is sharp to say the least, i can only imagine what the same T3 in 338WM would be like. I'm trying to convince him a T3 LSS in 6.5 SWE would be a nice addition to his stable..
 
i have had two t3's in 338. with a limbsaver pad it was quite easy to shoot. from the bench no more than 25 or 30 rounds at a time was quite doable. i now own a rem 700 but would probably buy another t3.
 
I had a T3 Lite in 338 for a while but I switched the factory pad for a Limbsaver before shooting it.
The rifle was superbly accurate and the only reason I parted it with was because I found something that I had been trying to find for a long time.
Recoil is a personal thing, what works for one person may be too much for another...
 
I have a T3 stainless in a 338wm, it is my go to moose gun. Recoil is noticeable on the bench, not so much when hunting. Mine came with an aftermarket limbsaver butt pad installed, I don't think i could shoot it without it. I shoot 250 gr bullets but lighter bullets in the 200 to 210 range are also available and have noticeably less recoil. On the bench with the 250s I have had the scope brush my brow, so it can come close to scoping you if not careful

You need to buy good rings for it, the ones that came with it that attach to the dovetail broke off from the recoil, I replaced them with some Talleys.

The standard magazine only hold 3, you can get an extended mag that is suppoe to take 5 but only 4 actually fit.
 
First thing, get rid of that hockey puck recoil non-pad on the Tikka. A self install Limbsaver will tame it down considerably at the expense of making the stock longer. If the increase in LOP is too much then you enter the wonderful world of modifying Tupperware stocks. It offends my sense of decency to spend 150 or so to improve a 3 dollar stock.
 
Unless you are fairly inured to recoil, the T3 lite will be punishing from the bench. I have shot one of these, and it is no "maiden's caress", to be sure.

I had a T3 Hunter in 338. I am not recoil shy in any way since I shoot magnums a fair bit.

But, even with a Limbsaver installed, it seemed to boot me about 1½ times as hard as either my Vanguard or my M77 Mk2 Ruger. [both 338 Win Mags]

It was plenty accurate, but I just couldn't learn to love it, so passed it on.

Regards, Dave.
 
Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the replies. I agree that recoil is a personal thing so might be better to find someone who has the rifle I am looking at and go to the gun range with them. I do appreciate all the input.

Mike
 
I'm not opposed to a rough tussle with a trim Finnish gal, but unless your last name is Ghomeshi this one might be a little more than you had in mind.
 
One more thumbs up for the limbsaver. My T3 with a walnut stock in 7mm recoiled a bit more than I liked. The limbsaver took it down to a comfortable level. The Mountain Tactical Company sells good upgrades for the T3. One overlooked facet is the stock recoil lug is not really up to the task of heavy recoiling calibers. They have steel recoil lugs that the TRG uses.

http://www.tikkaperformance.com/
 
I owned a T3 lite in .338wm for about 2 years. It certainly wasn't a pussycat to shoot, but with the limbsaver recoil pad , it was decent enough. Accuracy was sure good with it. And I've never owned a smoother bolt action. I did get rid of it, but not because I didn't like the gun, but I got out of shooting .338 altogether, and went up and down. (300wm and 375ruger)
If you plan on shooting 80-100 rounds at the range with it, bring a thin lifejacket to wear to help with the recoil, or use a lead sled with about 25lbs of leadshot in the carriage. My leadsled make my big kickers feel like a 25-06 rem
 
I have a Savage 111F in .338 WM that weighs 6.75 lbs without glass. I've shot 250 gr projectiles at 2800 fps out to 200 yards and still manage to keep a group within 4 inches. Thats good enough for hunting where I live. Recoil is about the same as my .450 Marlin, but that .338 load carries over a ton of energy out to 500 yards & if i was planning on shooting that far I'd definately have to make some changes. I'm not sure what the T3 Lite weighs but if it's at least 6.75 lbs when you shoot it you should survive. :)
 
I'd LOVE to get into the 338 but I just find the caliber is too rare where I live and hunt. If something ever happens and I forget or lose my ammo when going hunting I'm BONED if I cant find any more. I'm hunting in an area that's too remote to risk that happening, I only know of 1 very small shop I can run to in a pinch to save my hunt and if I have a more common caliber I can get back in the game quickly.
 
TSPIRI said:
I'd LOVE to get into the 338 but I just find the caliber is too rare where I live and hunt. If something ever happens and I forget or lose my ammo when going hunting I'm BONED if I cant find any more. I'm hunting in an area that's too remote to risk that happening, I only know of 1 very small shop I can run to in a pinch to save my hunt and if I have a more common caliber I can get back in the game quickly.
Click to expand...

That's why you always take 2 rifles to camp. One boring and one cool!
 
powder burner said:
I don't find the 06 tikka too bad with the limbsaver. Never shot anything higher than 180s in it. I notice it, but not that bad.
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I don't think I have ever admitted this before, but if I'm firing anything more than 20 rounds down range in 30-06 and up (and 12 ga !), I use this under my clothes...
past.jpg

I bought mine 3 years ago at Bass Pro, and it was the best $40 or $50 I ever spent.
 
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