Tikka T3 Owners/Users?

[rem338win]

I don't own a T3 but I have its predecessor, the M695 Stainless in 30-06. Personally, I think that Tikka is the best value among bolt action rifles. Tikka is basically a Sako with a two lug bolt (Sako has three lugs) and a couple of plastic non-stressed parts (trigger guard, bolt shroud and magazine). Other than that, there's not much difference between the two. Sako and Tikka are made at the same factory, come with identical hammer forged barrels, and have the same level of accuracy and fit and finish. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how Sako manages to stay in business offering essentially the same gun at twice the price.

But in any case, I'm quite happy with my Tikka. Out of the box, it's a much better gun that similarly priced rifles from American gunmakers.

Did Tikka quality deteriorate in recent years? The old 595/695 is head and shoulders above Remington 700 and Ruger M77 in terms of fit and finish and workmanship.

Unfortunately, they really did. I was handling a T3 at WSS and there was a serous burr on the polymer stock that layed my finger open. That encouraged a closer look, and the whole rifle was kinda ugly. They do shoot very well though. I'd never compare a T3 to a Sako, especially a 75.

i own one in 300wm. i think the short has better potential for accuracy than the wm at least in my experiance.

In factory barrels, please.........maybe in precision equipment, but not factory rifles.

 

[duke1]

I would not hesitate a second to recommend a Tikka T3 Lite in synth/ss to anyone looking for a very accurate, highly functional, user friendly, and very durable hunting rifle, without breaking the bank.

I own or have own a wide range of firearms including Tikkas (M55/M65/M595/T3), Sakos - just about every models including the 75 in stainless/synthetic and I must say that my favorite moose rifle is a Tikka T3 Lite s/s synth in 300 WM. I just didn't like the 75 - don't know why but it did not feel good and did not shoot as well as the T3. As far as the Sako 85, I haven't handled one yet but have read about a couple of very interesting new features they have.

I have a wide range of very fancy rifles but would not dare take those out hunting in the environment that I hunt in. With the T3, it doesn't matter if it rains, snows, laid against a rock, truck tires, on the rack of an ATV, etc. When I'm done, I just have to wipe it down and the gun is ready to go again. This gun is not for show or to be admired but a highly functional tool to do a job.

I love firearms and because of that, I have some beautiful ones and will probably end up by being family heirloom and this mean they could be around for a long long time, but as far as the T3, I will just replace it when something better show up down the road.

I'm sure that some of you feel the same way about your hunting rifles may they be Remingtons, Winchesters, etc, which is very normal (different tastes for different people). And, this is good because it leads to competition between the manufacturers resulting in a wide range of choices of firearms.

Duke1

 

[Eagleye]

I appreciate the quality of the older models of Tikka, but the T3 leaves me absolutely cold. While most are fairly accurate, I have not noticed any exceptional accuracy from the 40 or so I have been involved with. A close friend had one in 338 Win Mag that was a pig, and did not shoot anything well, despite a lot of fiddling around. Since the supplier was disinclined to address the problem, he sold it and bought a Ruger 77 Mk II, which immediately shot MOA. The stocks are not nice at all, and the magazines, while they may be tough, are expensive and feel like toys.
AS has been mentioned, there is more bang for the buck in some of the offerings from Savage. Buy what you like, but I personally cannot recommend the T3. Regards, Eagleye.

 

[Ltbull01]

I have a T3 300 WSM ss. Love it. Accurate, not fussy to load. A bit harsh from the bench because it is a lighter rifle but with a good recoil pad and a good shooting jacket, not an issue. Nice trigger and pretty good erg on the stock. If you are stuck on factory ammo you might find it expensive to buy for to get good bullets. Handloading is the way to go.

 

[Hercammer]

a little note...my T3 lite stainless...comes up a bit short accuracy wise...i have loaded 165 Partitions for moose season..now have some 150 partitions for deer...tried a few powder/ bullet/crimp etc combinations....i'm going to have to switch the 4,5x14 leup VXIII B&C back to my rem sendero 300 win mag...sadly....i dont mind the weight ...i just got caught up in a new tikka and the wsm craze.....i have owned several ppc guns and i half expected these wsm rounds to be inherently accurate for the get go as my .22 and 6mm PPC's...not the case even thought the look of the round would make one think of it as being an offshoot ...at least in the case of my rifle..perhaps it's just stubborn ...however it's expensive shooting Partitions at targets trying to be satisfied w the groups....working with 3 shot groups because of the light barrel....and still can't get under MOA 100 yds...a few more changes
and if it doesnt buck up...down the road she goes.

 

[Doug]

In general, a hunting rifle does not need to turn in MOA, it just needs to give minute of deer or minute of moose, which in MOST cases is a lot bigger than MOA. I would not expect bench gun accuracy from a hunting rifle, but do get quite excited when a hunting gun shoots MOA or close.

Doug

 

[freddyfour]

T3 Lite stainless .270wsm, slicks bolt I've ever used. 2" to 3" at 300 yards, do you really need much more then that from a hunting rifle? It does perfer the win ballistic silver tips over the failsafes. But what do I know, its just my opinion.

 

[mahony1977]

The CZ's out for me. Got plenty of Rem's so want to venture into something different. That leaves the Ruger... have had a MkII in 6.5x55mm before [should've never sold it] and have a tang safety in 7x57mm... not sure if I want the wood/blued MkII in .260 Rem... kind intrigued by the synthetic/blued Tikka T3....

Why no CZ ? Iv never owned a tika really thought id like one till i got to handle it . Didnt care for all the plastic goodies think id go straight to a sako as mentioned 3 lug bolt less all the plastic , the clip especially turned me off.

 

[Ltbull01]

In general, a hunting rifle does not need to turn in MOA, it just needs to give minute of deer or minute of moose, which in MOST cases is a lot bigger than MOA. I would not expect bench gun accuracy from a hunting rifle, but do get quite excited when a hunting gun shoots MOA or close.
Doug

Very wise indeed... MOA is nice on paper but alone it don't fill the freezer.

 

[mylesrom]

I had about 3/4" to 1" groupings with my T3 300 WSM with all three handloads, that I tried. Very accurate out of the box and one of the best factory triggers. Lightweight, smooth action and feeds like a dream, including the WSM's. I like them....

 

[scott_r]

Ive owned 3 T3's and none shot MOA close but not MOA. They are nice to carry in the field but not overly nice to shoot due to the weight and stock design. I wasn't overly excited with the one action fits all or the plastic mags so each was shot, bored me to death and sold for something different. They did kill alot of coyotes and deer for me so I guess thats all that really matters.
Im neutral on T3's I don't like em but don't hate em

Cheers!!