T/C Icon (Picture Posted)

The "blade" style bolt handle is definitely not as comfortable to work as a traditional round knob ---which are apparently available as an option. I hope TC changes their marketing strategy designed to sell the "options".
At $1100.00 (incl GST) the TC is good value for the quality you get!
I have owned several Sako's but at $1500.00+ for a Sako.... the TC offers comparable quality for hundres less. And (I think), the Sako depreciates faster than any other rifle. I'm glad I wasn't trying to sell a Sako 75 when the 85's came into production!
 
I've personally never had a problem with butterknife style bolt handles, in fact i like them, owned quite a few European rifles with them.
They tend to be smoother is profile, and fit a saddle scabard very well.
Very classy and unless a person is stuck on round bolts, very operator friendly.
Cat
 
I played with the Icon (308) for a couple of months and found it shot reasonably well, with most bullet / powder combinations yielding groups between 0.5 - 0.75 @ 100M. Then, I decided it was time to get another rifle and wanted "custom" 260... After considering a number of options for the "donor" rifle, I came to the conclusion that the Icon would be the best.... so it has now gone to be rebarreled to a .260 Rem.

Why choose the Icon as a donor rifle... it has a good quality walnut stock with an aluminum bedding block...bolt is a single piece shaft with three lugs....single stack magazine feeds flawlessly...

It will come back with a 24"pacnor super grade match barrel chambered to Rem 260 with a target crown. Action / bolt-face will be trued. Action and barrel will have index marks so the "old" 308 barrel (which will also be re-headspaced and indexed) can be easily "swapped" back.
 
Hey JEC. I just bought an Icon in .308 as well. Haven't fired it yet. I e-mailed T/C to ask what they recommend for a barrel break in. What are your plans?
 
JEC said:
...100 yd. three shot factory "acoustical" (whats that) group measures 0.67" with 150 gr Federal bullets...
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Charley,

An "acoustical" group means that the factory fired the rifle at the screens of an acoustical target. The system measures the feedback from these screens and uses triangulation of sound waves to determine the position of the bullets as they pass through the field of the screens opening. From this the computer determines where each bullet went, and can calculate what size of group was fired.

Here is a quote from an article by Rick Jamison describing this system as employed by the Oehler 43:

Acoustic Target

Acoustic targets have been used by major ballistics labs, but until Oehler's System 43, the acoustics haven't been affordable or available to the average shooter.

Basically, the acoustic target is a triangular frame of plastic pipe. The size of the frame can be adjusted but the smaller the frame the greater the accuracy. A frame 62 inches on a side is what we used during the school. This size is capable of determining bullet position within .20 inch as it passes through the frame.

There is a special microphone at each corner of the triangle. Each microphone picks up the shock wave of the bullet when it passes. The microphone nearest the bullet picks up the shock first, the second nearest, second, and the farthest microphone picks it up last. All this takes place over a tiny fraction of a second but there is a longer time delay the farther the microphone is from the bullet when it passes.

By means of sophisticated electronics and triangulation, this system determines where the bullet is in space when it passes through the frame.

Here is a link to that article online:

http://www.oehler-research.com/wizard.html

Jeff.
 
My cost from SIR was about $1100.00 which included GST and shipping.
E-mail them and ask what they have in stock. I think I got my info from Lindsay Lamphear at SIR.
You might also try Le Barons as they have them in their catalogue.
 
I had only one Kimber, a Longmaster Classic in 308....it was a very nice rifle with decent accuracy (most everything shot under 0.75" @ 100M) .. It was pillar bedded and had a muzzle diameter of about 0.70" Mauser style action. It came pillar bedded with glass bedding at the recoil lug and tang. I would recommend the Longmaster Classic which weighs about 7 1/2 lbs... but have no experience to comment on the lighter weight Kimbers

My Icon was also a .308 and shot about the same as the Kimber Longmaster Classic. The Icon with the wood stock is about the same weight. I consider it to have a better platform with the aluminum bedding block... but the pillar/glass bed system of the Kimber is also good quality. The Icon has a "Sako" style bolt with three lugs.

The choice between the Kimber Longmaster Classic and the TC Icon would be a toss-up for me. I rank them equal. The Icon will be a bit cheaper.

If I had to choose between a Kimber "light weight" and the Icon...I would choose the Icon without second thought.
 
eltorro said:
Is this a repeater from the same company that advocated sooo hard and strong that hunters should use only single shot rifles?
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It's a bolt action yes. Not sure T/C ever advocated only using single shot rifles....they just happen to make some great ones.
 
If I had to choose between a Kimber "light weight" and the Icon...I would choose the Icon without second thought.
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Why so?

At nearly 8 pounds the Icon definitely isn't a rifle you'd want to lug around the sheep mountains.
 
Wasn't TC Bought by Smith and Wesson? I suspect market share pressure was a factor in the development of the ICON.
For hunts involving climbing mountains, one would concede the Icon would be heavier to haul...For a confident hunter, the extra weight could be reduced by loading just two bullets!
 
JEC said:
Wasn't TC Bought by Smith and Wesson? I suspect market share pressure was a factor in the development of the ICON.
For hunts involving climbing mountains, one would concede the Icon would be heavier to haul...For a confident hunter, the extra weight could be reduced by loading just two bullets!
Click to expand...

The Icon came out prior to Smith&Wesson purchasing T/C so not really sure if one had anything to do with the other. T/C is just one of those innovative companies that keeps bringing new products to the market.

I doubt losing that one cartridge is going to shave off 1.5 pounds....lol. In that case, why not go all the way and just use an Encore!
 
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