Have you hated your bolt action?

coyoteking said:
I've never picked up a Tikka that I liked. They just don't fit me and they feel cheap. They are accurate though.
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Let me guess, a Savage owner?
You need to do more than pick one up. That was my first impression as well. They need to be used in the real world to be appreciated. They are really great working rifles. The actions are superb, the bolt moves like glass, and while I also like old-school top loading hunting rifles with rust blued metal and nice wood furniture, I also really appreciate these single stack mag-fed hunting rifles with corrosion resistant finishes. In the end, aside from opinions on glass-reinforced polymer feeling cheap (I too had that opinion), you won't see a whole lot of complaints over the function and accuracy of Tikka T3 rifles.

Their standard and single-set Sako triggers are leagues ahead of any Savage trigger! :)
 
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coyoteking said:
I've never picked up a Tikka that I liked. They just don't fit me and they feel cheap. They are accurate though.
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I thought I was the only one. A nice compromise is the A7, but I have a hard time accepting the recoil lug (if you can call it that) on both the T3 and A7
 
The Kurgan said:
Let me guess, a Savage owner?
You need to do more than pick one up. That was my first impression as well. They need to be used in the real world to be appreciated. They are really great working rifles. The actions are superb, the bolt moves like glass, and while I also like old-school top loading hunting rifles with rust blued metal and nice wood furniture, I also really appreciate these single stack mag-fed hunting rifles with corrosion resistant finishes. In the end, aside from opinions on glass-reinforced polymer feeling cheap (I too had that opinion), you won't see a whole lot of complaints over the function and accuracy of Tikka T3 rifles.
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All that may be true, but if it don't fit, it ain't worth a dime. That goes for any rifle (or shoe) ;)
 
A featherweight m70 in 7-08, CRF. It was minute of barn door. Had it pillar and glass bedded and cut and recrowned, I could then keep my hand loads all on the target. Very unhappy with it so it's gone.
 
Calum said:
I'd rather an axis over a remmy anyday.
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For sure, an axis is ment to be a budget gun and anyone that expects more for $400ish dollars needs to spend a bit more. I love my Axis .308 stainless. The money should be spent on a nice scope and a Boyds stock, and you could have an awesome rifle. Remington's just suck.
 
GMC403 said:
All that may be true, but if it don't fit, it ain't worth a dime. That goes for any rifle (or shoe) ;)
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Very true. T3's fit me well.

If it doesn't fit, you must acquit!
oj-glove1-300x321.jpg
 
The Kurgan said:
Let me guess, a Savage owner?
You need to do more than pick one up. That was my first impression as well. They need to be used in the real world to be appreciated. They are really great working rifles. The actions are superb, the bolt moves like glass, and while I also like old-school top loading hunting rifles with rust blued metal and nice wood furniture, I also really appreciate these single stack mag-fed hunting rifles with corrosion resistant finishes. In the end, aside from opinions on glass-reinforced polymer feeling cheap (I too had that opinion), you won't see a whole lot of complaints over the function and accuracy of Tikka T3 rifles.

Their standard and single-set Sako triggers are leagues ahead of any Savage trigger! :)
Click to expand...

I like my MK V's and Coopers the most.

I've got a short little savage youth rifle in .243 with a Timney trigger for a truck gun. It's accurate and it fits me well, so I guess I am a savage fan.
 
I don't really like bolt actions at all really, use primarily No.1s, an M1A, and doubles, these days. Does that count? :) Soon as I realized they'll do anything a bolt will without an awkward action (like to think I use a bolt well, and still don't really like them), well it was all downhill from there.

Three good quality bolt actions versus a good working double, and a bonus No.1 at the end.

 
Nice video! I'm far too recoil sensitive to shoot anything bigger than a 375HH myself. I'm still trying to overcome a flinch induced by a 416 Rigby many years ago.
 
Thanks, it takes a bit of conditioning, but soon enough any rifle that doesn't physically try to knock you over is just a rifle. My standard go to from wolves to Africa is a .375 H&H, and just under ten years ago when first introduced to it I thought that was strong gun. These days it's become what .308 was in my mind ten years ago. I'd like to think it's built in, but as with anything it's just time spent at it, .375 mag is a wonderful practice level for working up to bigger cartridges. Really, it was just this year I found the big stuff doesn't bother me, came as a bit of an epiphany.
 
Only bolt action rifle I turfed PDQ was a Ruger 77 tang safety 7mmRem Mag. It shot fine, but I discovered via the hard way on a moose hunt, that it would not pickup rounds after loading the mag and closing the bolt, over an empty chamber. Had to reach up and push the bullet down to get the bolt to engage it. Checked a bunch more guns at the range after that, about 40-50 of them, most did the same thing. I swore off the 77's after that.
 
I've had some issues with certain bolt guns over the years, but can't say I hate any of 'em. If I find one not fitting my criteria for the mission, I simply sell it and buy/build-up one that suits me.
 
With a limited budget, I bought a m96 from tradeEx a couple of years ago. I really wanted a wooden stock.

At first, I liked it. Then, I started noticing the creep in the trigger, the high trigger pull weight, the fat fore-end and a thin recoil pad.

Nothing a little elbow grease can't fix though. I modified the stock (thinned it out and added a fore-end tip in exotic african blackwood), added a pachmeyr recoil pad, added a timney trigger, redid the finish with tru-oil and finally did a bedding job as well.

Now, I'm truly in love!

Fish
 
I bought a Stevens 200 in 308 when I was first out of College and money was tight. Kept it about a year. It shot well, I just wasn't happy with the reeeeaallly bad plastic stock and the blind mag. Bumped up to a Weatherby Vanguard in 308 and couldn't be happier.
 
cooey 82. A real pretty thing, I had taken off what remained of the laquer and lightly sanded it, then applied many coats of tru oil, the thing looked amazing, but i just couldn't live with a single feed .22, if it had a drop mag I would have kept it, but couldn't live with modifying the thing for that so I sold it.

Not so much a hate thing, just realized we weren't meant to be :p
 
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