Tikka T3 Lite vs. Winchester 70 Featherlite?

Okay AlbertaBoy , I think you made your point you like Winchester, your making this thread a chit show, move on.

I love Sako, too! The Sako 85 Bavarian is one of my favorite firearms. Although Tikka is a subsidiary of Sako, I don't think of them as the same company. Their products are not comparable.
 
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Just kinda funny I think. It has to be very valuable guarantee and warranty on their products if its hidden so well you can't even find it.

Ruger also offers "no warranty" yet are known to have the best warranty and service in the business.

One thing I do not understand is why it is called a featherlite. Pretty heavy guns compared to a tikka t3 lite.

It's much lighter than the rest of their line. It's lighter than many other rifles in its class although sometimes not by much.

The savage axis and ruger American are very light rifles, by virtue of plastics. Weight isn't everything.

I think the featherweight is really more of a 'standard' weight rifle as the whole line is a bit on the heavy side - much like Weatherby Rifles.
 
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I like blued rifles in walnut stocks, and have several, but it pains me when I know they are going to be subjected to the sort of treatment they can get when used in rough environments and inclement weather. I wanted a composite stock stainless rifle with a smooth action that was accurate, reliable, light, and had enought punch for most of my hunting. I purchased a T3 lite in 6.5x55, and am pleased with it. I once sold a sweet little BLR with a steel receiver and shiny stock which I had purchased new, because I found myself being too anal about its care whenever I took it out. To the OP ... make whatever choice you think will make you happy, but remember, its not necessarily a life long decision. Guns are not like wives. It's easy to trade one gun for another, or simply acquire others when you see ones you'd like to have.
 
If you're in the Hamilton area, look me up. I can bring 1 guest to my gun club. You can handle and shoot my T3 Sporter in 308. You will then realize what quality and accuracy is all about. I also have a duplicate NIB safe queen that is currently for sale ;)
Granted the T3 Sporter has a premium laminate target stock and a heavy contour barrel and really is in a different class, but the receiver and all the glass reinforced composite parts are the same. The fit and finish are excellent, the T3 barrel and receiver are made at the same Sako factory to very high QC standards, and while "plastic" isn't glamorous, it really is durable, no-nonsense and maintenance free. Prior to this T3, I used to scoff at plastic, but now I'd buy another T3 without hesitation, and probably in 30-06 (or 7x57, I wish!), with a plastic stock and stainless barrel/action for the heavy bush where beauty medals aren't handed out. IMHO, there's no better factory trigger in my 25+ years of shooting experience than the current Sako single set trigger. Even the standard Sako triggers are excellent. I can live with that plastic trigger guard and bolt shroud. :)

I will say that the only US-made rifles left in my locker are a sweet shooting Savage MKII BTVSS in
22 (oh wait, that's Ontario-made) and a Remington 870 Marine Magnum. But I wouldn't turn down a Winny Super Grade!
 
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If you see on the table is a target that was about .75 inches. factory ammo and a nice 5 shot group. Its a new M70 in .30-06. Winchesters are accurate too.
 
Well said... the part about it not being a life long decision. For the most part, these guns hold their value quite well.

I pondered whether I would mind getting a rifle dinged up in the woods. Decided I wanted wood and blued steel more than the concern it would be dinged up. The scars will have memories. Maybe some day I will change my mind and get a composite stocked rifle with a stainless barrel; who knows. Right now, they just look ugly to me and I like a gun to be beautiful to me.

All of this said, that T3 light in 6.5x55 sounds like a darn nice rifle. I wish more manufactures made that in nice wood and blued guns.
 
That's not what I said at all. I said it was impossible to load the rifle through the ejection port. Meaning, it's impossible to load the rifle as you normally would. Many firearms can have the magazine loaded through the ejection port. The Tikka can not. You have to remove the magazine which is exactly what I said. Can you single load? Sure. Can you actually load the firearm as you normally would? Absolutely not. For example, you can load nearly any Savage rifle with a DBM directly through the ejection port - except the Axis. The Axis is designed to be as cheap as possible to manufacture, just like the T3. That's why you can not load the mag through the ejection port on either.

In fact, if you look at the feature on the Axis and T3 side by side you'll see that they're identical. Well, the Axis has a superior recoil lug, I suppose. Other than that, by design and features, the T3 is basically an Axis with more quality control and a hand tuned trigger.

The M70 does have an MOA guarantee. You can read all about it in two links I posted. Winchester says they will repair the rifle if it doesn't meet the advertised MOA shooting ability.

Everything else I said is absolutely true. There are huge differences in these rifles. One is at a level 8, the other a level 3 by design, features, and materials. The only saving grace of the Tikka is its quality control.

Even if you insist on picking on those two points which are correct - even if they weren't, the scales are still tipped heavily in favor of the M70. There are a slew of differences.

Cool story bro!!!
 
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Bought a new t3 lite in 6 5x55 last week. Put on Talley lightweights and 3-9 leupold. Did nothing else to it. Shot 1 and 2 got me sighted. 3, 4 and 5 shot like this at 100m.




This is ammo I made for a ruger #1 so no load development in the tikka.

155gr lapua mega
Lapua brass straight out of the box, no prep
H4831sc
Fed 210

Doesn't get much better than this.
 
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