I recently picked up a CTR after debating long and hard as to what I wanted for this fall's hunting season. I settled on the CTR because of my fondness for Tikkas as well as the added bonus of giving me a spare magazine for my Sako TRG-22. I stumbled across a CTR in stock at a local shop, fondled it, and bought it. Here are my thoughts:
Firstly, for those who are not familiar with Tikkas, the T3 line-up share the same action and trigger (although you can get a set trigger) and the synthetic stocks are all essentially the same with some added goodies depending on the model. That said, the T3 CTR in it's gust is just another T3, however, it comes will quite a bit of added value in my opinion.
The main divergence from the T3 line-up is the CTR's magazine and bottom metal. The bottom metal is aluminum and the magazine is stolen from the Sako TRG-22. The magazine is metal and is quite robust with a plastic follower. In both my TRG-22 and my CTR, these mags function very well and feed very smoothly. They also hold 10 rounds as compared to the typical 3 or 4 rounds of the T3 line-up.
While on the subject of the stock, which has a different inlet to accommodate the bottom metal and magazine, the stock also has some length of pull spacers. Next, there is a plastic cheek riser that is fixed in place to give you an added 1/4" raise of the comb for a better cheek weld. While shooting, I found this comb a good height to match the Burris Signature Zee "high" rings that I was running. My only real gripe with the stock is the recoil pad ... which isn't much of a pad. It's been described somewhere on the internet as a hockey puck, which is a little harsh, but not far off. Something softer will be a must, especially with the .308 and it's sharp recoil with the CTR's light weight (7lbs).
Next is the barrel. It's my understanding that Tikka's get their barrels from Sako. The CTR's "medium heavy" contour is exactly that. It's the middle ground between the heavy barrels on the T3 Tactical line-up and the sporter barrels on the T3 Lites. The CTR's barrel doesn't appear to have the usual blueing as on past T3s that I've owned but it also doesn't have the phosphate finish of the Tactical line-up. The blueing seems almost paint-like and is hopefully robust. At the muzzle end, the barrel is threaded, which is a nice touch. Yes we can't own suppressors but at least you have the option of putting on a muzzle break. I will say that after 20 rounds of .308 my shoulder hurt. This rifle is light and factory ammo can be quite potent. If you are considering the CTR for plinking at the range or anything more than the usual 5 shots fired through all of the hunting season, then I suggest you also consider added a muzzle break.
As for the performance of the rifle ... well she ran like a champ. No issues whatsoever. Zeroing in at 100m was done with 2 rounds and I followed a barrel break-in procedure. It was very hot and very windy at the range (wind at my 6 o'clock) which contributed to some vertical stringing in my first group. I watch the wind on my second 5 shot group and was well on my way to getting a 1/2MOA group when I pulled a flier on my last shot. The last group that I fired also had some vertical stringing, which left me puzzled until I realize that the "medium-heavy" barrel warms up quite quick and probably contributed to the stringing. The of course there's the ammo which no doubt contributed to the inconsistency. I was shooting some Federal Vital-shock 165gr Sierra Gameking BTSP that I happened to have on hand. Next chance I get I'll be making some proper hand-loads with some 168gr SMKs and see how the CTR performs beyond 100 meters. My CTR does not have the set trigger, but as with all the other Tikkas I've owned, the trigger is fantastic.
Hopefully I've contributed a little, while decided which rifle to buy I found very little information on the CTR other than the odd review here and there. It doesn't seem like too many of us gun nutz have gotten our hands on these handy rifles yet, so if you're in the market for one, perhaps my personal observations and opinions of the rifle help you make your choice.
Firstly, for those who are not familiar with Tikkas, the T3 line-up share the same action and trigger (although you can get a set trigger) and the synthetic stocks are all essentially the same with some added goodies depending on the model. That said, the T3 CTR in it's gust is just another T3, however, it comes will quite a bit of added value in my opinion.
The main divergence from the T3 line-up is the CTR's magazine and bottom metal. The bottom metal is aluminum and the magazine is stolen from the Sako TRG-22. The magazine is metal and is quite robust with a plastic follower. In both my TRG-22 and my CTR, these mags function very well and feed very smoothly. They also hold 10 rounds as compared to the typical 3 or 4 rounds of the T3 line-up.
While on the subject of the stock, which has a different inlet to accommodate the bottom metal and magazine, the stock also has some length of pull spacers. Next, there is a plastic cheek riser that is fixed in place to give you an added 1/4" raise of the comb for a better cheek weld. While shooting, I found this comb a good height to match the Burris Signature Zee "high" rings that I was running. My only real gripe with the stock is the recoil pad ... which isn't much of a pad. It's been described somewhere on the internet as a hockey puck, which is a little harsh, but not far off. Something softer will be a must, especially with the .308 and it's sharp recoil with the CTR's light weight (7lbs).
Next is the barrel. It's my understanding that Tikka's get their barrels from Sako. The CTR's "medium heavy" contour is exactly that. It's the middle ground between the heavy barrels on the T3 Tactical line-up and the sporter barrels on the T3 Lites. The CTR's barrel doesn't appear to have the usual blueing as on past T3s that I've owned but it also doesn't have the phosphate finish of the Tactical line-up. The blueing seems almost paint-like and is hopefully robust. At the muzzle end, the barrel is threaded, which is a nice touch. Yes we can't own suppressors but at least you have the option of putting on a muzzle break. I will say that after 20 rounds of .308 my shoulder hurt. This rifle is light and factory ammo can be quite potent. If you are considering the CTR for plinking at the range or anything more than the usual 5 shots fired through all of the hunting season, then I suggest you also consider added a muzzle break.
As for the performance of the rifle ... well she ran like a champ. No issues whatsoever. Zeroing in at 100m was done with 2 rounds and I followed a barrel break-in procedure. It was very hot and very windy at the range (wind at my 6 o'clock) which contributed to some vertical stringing in my first group. I watch the wind on my second 5 shot group and was well on my way to getting a 1/2MOA group when I pulled a flier on my last shot. The last group that I fired also had some vertical stringing, which left me puzzled until I realize that the "medium-heavy" barrel warms up quite quick and probably contributed to the stringing. The of course there's the ammo which no doubt contributed to the inconsistency. I was shooting some Federal Vital-shock 165gr Sierra Gameking BTSP that I happened to have on hand. Next chance I get I'll be making some proper hand-loads with some 168gr SMKs and see how the CTR performs beyond 100 meters. My CTR does not have the set trigger, but as with all the other Tikkas I've owned, the trigger is fantastic.
Hopefully I've contributed a little, while decided which rifle to buy I found very little information on the CTR other than the odd review here and there. It doesn't seem like too many of us gun nutz have gotten our hands on these handy rifles yet, so if you're in the market for one, perhaps my personal observations and opinions of the rifle help you make your choice.
I am comparing it with Remington 700p LTR, or cry once buy FN SPR A5M.
