Not quite a bull barrel, it's got some tapering after the chamber.
Tikka t3x ace target vs the world of custom rifles
- Thread starter C10
- Start date
Depending on the calibre you run with, a barrel has a finite shot count, so the factory barrel isn't going to last forever and if you stick at this you're eventually replacing it. But you need the rig you're showing up with on day one, and you're going to learn on that and get to know other shooters when you come out and hear about their rigs and somewhere down the line you may want to set up differently. Don't expect to jump straight to a podium finish!
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
You’re good and on the right track. There’s nothing better for less on the market. Once you shoot that for a bit than you’ll know exactly what you want and what you do and don’t like about the ace. I wouldn’t expect it to shoot ten times better than any other tikka though. It’s not a $5000 rifle that they’re selling for half price.
Buy it, shoot it and keep figuring out how to get better. In a few years you’ll have more money than that rifle costs invested in sand bags and bipods.
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
You should factor in the cost of the addons you’ll need though. A spare mag is $239.99. A brake is probably the same.
NDr has TAC a1/CTR mags now, check their website, $190.00 ? I have a couple of their CZ457 mags, cured a feed issue I had with CZ mags real quick. They've also got regular Tikka mags. They are a good quality mag, not cheap, but, a hair cheaper than Tikka, and, made in Cda, not sure what lengths NDr make them to for the Tikka. I have TAC A1 mags, bought some 6-7 yrs ago while they were cheaper, no complaints with them, they're a bit longer than the regulat T3x M Mag for my 6.5CM.
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
Thanks for the tip. I am actually looking for cz 457 mags and was just about to go down the rabbit hole on the ndr ones. Now it’s 10 round? 15? Or both?
I got the 15's, would love a 25. I like big mags when after gophers, 15 is good otherwise. Had 25rd CZ's, they seated too low, couldn't slow feed at all, fast feed was damaging bullets and was "hard" cycling in. NDr mag is unbelievable difference on slow or fast feed, very little or no difference from cycling with no ammo at all.
Some comments from posts above:
Yes buy the 10 round NDr mags for $170, they work very well. I buy their mags for my T1x as well.
No brake, well you can't shoot F-Open with a brake anyway.... I took the one I bought off since the attached pic.
I bought one set of weights from Stoeger for $$$ then someone posted in another thread they bought some brass bars on amazon and fitted them to the chassis with M-Lok. I did the same. Added a couple pounds for $60.
Yes buy the 10 round NDr mags for $170, they work very well. I buy their mags for my T1x as well.
No brake, well you can't shoot F-Open with a brake anyway.... I took the one I bought off since the attached pic.
I bought one set of weights from Stoeger for $$$ then someone posted in another thread they bought some brass bars on amazon and fitted them to the chassis with M-Lok. I did the same. Added a couple pounds for $60.
I don’t have first hand experience with the Ace Target. By all accounts they are very accurate. If the op wants to compare rifles, accuracy potential should be discussed.
In your opinions, will the Tikka’s hang with full custom rifles….accuracy wise? I hear lots of claims that the Tikka’s getting 0.5-0.75 MOA. Is that what you are seeing from the limited caliber choices of the Tikka’s?
My experience is that full custom rifles are generally running somewhat better than that. Granted at a higher price point for new custom. However I feel you could get into a good used gun for similar or maybe a bit higher cost. The used gun will come with some more risks but no HST, etc for the purchaser.
I have heard that in the PRS series, some of the larger events are actually starting a new division for the ACE’s as they are tearing up the Production class but maybe not quite there for the Open division. It is still early days so I’m looking for opinions as this thread continues.
In your opinions, will the Tikka’s hang with full custom rifles….accuracy wise? I hear lots of claims that the Tikka’s getting 0.5-0.75 MOA. Is that what you are seeing from the limited caliber choices of the Tikka’s?
My experience is that full custom rifles are generally running somewhat better than that. Granted at a higher price point for new custom. However I feel you could get into a good used gun for similar or maybe a bit higher cost. The used gun will come with some more risks but no HST, etc for the purchaser.
I have heard that in the PRS series, some of the larger events are actually starting a new division for the ACE’s as they are tearing up the Production class but maybe not quite there for the Open division. It is still early days so I’m looking for opinions as this thread continues.
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I keep trying to buy the bag rider, and it's always out of stock at Stoeger.
Also that 10rd NDr mag is on sale for $148 currently.
For long-range precision shooting, a lot of shooters load "over the top" feeding each round directly in front of the bolt and not charging magazines at all. Mag3d makes filler blocks to fill the magwell and support each round for both types of Tikka magwell.
This helps with not subjecting rounds to the recoil shock of previous rounds, lets you crimp more lightly and load bullets further forward if needed, and helps in competitions where you have to keep careful track of your round count.
This helps with not subjecting rounds to the recoil shock of previous rounds, lets you crimp more lightly and load bullets further forward if needed, and helps in competitions where you have to keep careful track of your round count.
If you have a 3D printer you can print your own: https://www.printables.com/model/1590430-tikka-t3x-single-feeder-short-action-308-65-creedm
I've used this very one to great effect.
One thing to note that Berger Hybrid 140s, when seated very close to the lands on a Tikka 6.5CM (and need to be single fed as they're too long for the mag), are barely seated in the case and when testing I had a number of low pressure events (soot-covered cartridges) at 0.002" of neck tension.
I've had much better luck with Lapua Scenar 136 and 139s, along with SMK 142s, which can be safely seated all the way to a jam fit and still fit in the tikka mag while also being seated deep enough in the case to avoid low pressure (or incomplete powder burn) events. Of course YMMV.
With all this magazine chatter, and the cost of OFM magazines has anyone come out with an adapter or bottom metal for AICS magazines?
I seem to recall when this gun was first marketed that Tikka had stated an accessory kit for this was going to be available; did it ever materialize or what?
Also, lots of people saying eventually the trigger will need to be changed; why?
Is the factory 2-stage not good or doesn’t last or is it just preference for a lighter single stage?
I seem to recall when this gun was first marketed that Tikka had stated an accessory kit for this was going to be available; did it ever materialize or what?
Also, lots of people saying eventually the trigger will need to be changed; why?
Is the factory 2-stage not good or doesn’t last or is it just preference for a lighter single stage?
Re trigger: I think just preference, doubly so now that Triggertech makes their infamous Diamond model for it. I have the stock tikka trigger set as light as it will go and I can see myself eventually upgrading. It's not bad at all.
Were I to go full on crazy into comps, I'd probably be trying a barrel or two besides the Tikka one, likely put in the Diamond trigger too. Lots of ways to use AICS mags with a Tikka, just what is avail for the ACE yet is something that I'd have to research a bit, although it is the very same action as a T3x, CTR, TAC A1, so, if you don't like that chassis, you can change it out. Seems to me some folk found a way to use AICS with a small mod of some form , just how well it feeds is another question
All that said, for 90% of folk who'd try comps with it, it's good the way it is, they'll shoot good enough out of the box to hit most of what needs hitting if the shooter is up to it.
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How many magazines are needed for a normal competition?
And what capacity/mag is preferable?
Just wondering the total cost implication of having to buy more proprietary magazines when I already have AICS’s for other platforms.
If a person doesn’t like the trigger, and has to change the chassis to run a preferred magazine, and swaps the barrel to something else I think undermines the value of starting with this gun…the inherent value of it would wind up in the EE, likely at a loss.
Given that scenario wouldn’t it be better to sell the rifle whole and now build a custom knowing you are going to burn more money to get a rifle with every part exactly to your specifications?
That said, to build that rifle wouldn’t a person need the experience and skill set to effectively know what that is…and it seems the Tikka Ace Target is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get there.
Why do I think I’m slowly convincing myself I need one…I wish they made it in other cartridges, if they did I’d likely already have it…
And what capacity/mag is preferable?
Just wondering the total cost implication of having to buy more proprietary magazines when I already have AICS’s for other platforms.
If a person doesn’t like the trigger, and has to change the chassis to run a preferred magazine, and swaps the barrel to something else I think undermines the value of starting with this gun…the inherent value of it would wind up in the EE, likely at a loss.
Given that scenario wouldn’t it be better to sell the rifle whole and now build a custom knowing you are going to burn more money to get a rifle with every part exactly to your specifications?
That said, to build that rifle wouldn’t a person need the experience and skill set to effectively know what that is…and it seems the Tikka Ace Target is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get there.
Why do I think I’m slowly convincing myself I need one…I wish they made it in other cartridges, if they did I’d likely already have it…
Are we talking PRS? I would say bare minimum:
- 1x 10round, 1x 5round
Good loadout:
- 2x 12round
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
I think you’re on the right track. Lol. It is a good budget rifle to get out shooting, but if you decide to build a custom than it’ll probably be remington 700 compatible. Yes, you can use the tikka action and whatever chassis you want, but tikka chassis are harder to come by than remington. Plenty of guys bought a tac a1 and swapped out all of the parts and still shoot the tikka action and do well. I have one tikka and a bunch of remington compatible stuff so the tikka is a pain in the ass for me. I’ve seen 5 or 6 good used acc go by on the buy sell for remington footprints, but no tikkas. I’ve been trying to sell my complete tac a1 for $2000 and couldn’t move it so I ended up selling the chassis to a guy who had a ctr and now I’m stuck with a barrelled action I can’t sell. I’ll probably end up putting a new barrel and trigger on this tikka and buying a new gen2 acc which is not what I want, but it’s what I have.
On the otherside of the conversation… I put a gun together for my son on the cheap. One of his friends dad gave him an ltr that was sitting in the closet for ten years with a 20” 308 barrel on it. I dropped that action into a mdt acc I had sitting here and he was shooting and probably shooting just as well as a stock tikka. First gen acc go for around $1000 on the buy sell with a few addons. I had a random 20moa rail I picked up at a yard sale and I bought a set of rings. Since then I put a proper profile creedmoor barrel on it and replaced the trigger. I’m into that gun for far less than the price of a ace, but I had an action.
FWIW
F-Class is manual load, single shot.
3D print a single shot carrier is easiest.
