Tikka T3 Superlite

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YukonBrett

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Anyone have experience with these? Anyone shoot one in a magnum? With only changing the recoil pad, how does it handle it? Thanks.
 
Brett,

try to find someone that is shooting a t3 in 338 win mag in town if there is the limbsaver on it that will give you a good idea .....

i mounted a few, some years ago and seems the owners didnt kept them ....
 
The only difference between a T3 Lite and a Superlite is a fluted barrel...and thus maybe a couple ounces.

A Limbsaver is a good idea on just about any T3, as the standard recoil pad is almost completely ineffective...a bit odd because the rest of the rifle is so well designed. Same for the Sako A7.
 
I have one in 300 WSM. I have the factory pad on mine and find it comfortable to shoot. Shooting 180 grain sierra game kings at 2930FPs. Shot it at 200 yards today, 3 shot groups were right around 1 inch
 
i have a t3 in 7mag and 300wsm also had one i 338wm. the 7 mag is a pussycat to shoot. the 300 with 180gns at 3000fps is a little sharp and the 338wm with 225grn loaded to the max got my attention but was still quite managable. in some way the 300 was a little sharper recoil than the 338's bigger push. keep in mind with my opinion i do shoot a lot of mags and tend not to think the recoil is bad with any of them.
 
Thanks all. Two things, realistically, within 300 yards, is a 300 wm going to be much different on game than a 30 06? Also, what would you choose, T3 Superlite, X Bolt SS, or A7?
 
300 vs 30-06 on game... Yes I grew up hunting with a 30-06, switched up to a 300 win for about 10 years. Then went back to the old 06 for about 5 years now. Huge difference on game within 300 yards. The 300 put way more animals DRT compared to the 06. Don't get me wrong the 06 is very effective and has put most of the animals I have mounted on my wall. The 300 just hits harder with good bullets.
 
Kevan said:
Interesting, can you tell us what it weighs field ready scope and all ?
Click to expand...

Here's one in 300 WM I mounted a 2-7 vortex viper and talley rings on it to keep the weight down, it weighs in at exactly 7 lbs. I spider webbed the stock to try and dress it up oh yeah I put a limbsaver pad on it, cuz it kicks.
DSC04412.jpg
 
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I picked up a Superlite in .300WM almost as soon as they became available, and I'm very impressed with it. I wanted a stainless everything-rifle (backup/spare/loaner/whatever) and this is perfect for my purposes. It's an outstanding shooter, great factory trigger. Since buying it have changed out the trigger guard for an aftermarket aluminum one, and have swapped for a B&C stock. These changes cost me a couple of ounces, but the recoil pad on the B&C is a huge improvement over the stock Tikka one.

BTW, I read on one of the American forums that the Superlite stock is somehow lightened internally compared to the standard T3 synthetic stock. I never had both together at the same time to compare, so I don't know if or how this is done.

Have these guns been discontinued? I don't see them listed anywhere, and I don't think they were ever on the Tikka website.
 
When I bought mine (at Cabela's) they were on sale for, I believe, $900. I had never seen or heard of the Superlite or the A7 lightweight version, and had only read about the Weatherby Vanguard Backcountry. The Superlite caught my eye, and I compared it to the other two. Of the three I actually liked the Backcountry the best, but I wasn't looking for The Hunting Rifle for the rest of my life...I actually went in to buy some socks and underwear! A lightweight stainless .300WM was something I had been considering for awhile, and the Superlite price was so much more attractive than the others that the choice was easy. It was also about 2 pounds lighter than the .300 I had used for years and had just sold.

Maybe I'll put some pictures up soon, but I have been battling Photophucket for several hours today and I'm just about phed up phor now.

One observation I will make here: the A7 has that stupid-looking recoil pad that is not contoured at the bottom to follow the lines of the stock, but rather just cut off straight. I didn't even notice that in the store, or is that a recent change? I wonder if that saves them 3 cents per gun in manufacturing costs, or it they simply think it looks cool and trendy. In any case, doing it that way reduces the footprint of the pad on your shoulder, and the less the surface area, the greater the felt recoil will be. This is a consideration when shooting magnum cartridges in lightweight rifles. That stock looks like a B&C, the same one I have now on my Superlite, and my recoil pad is a good one...but cutting it off like they have done on the A7 is a very poor design choice on this gun from a functional standpoint.

edited to add: Okay, I just noticed that the A7 comes with removable stock spacers to adjust length-of-pull, so that explains the cut-off bottom...otherwise it would look even goofier if spacers were removed or added. I also notice that the A7 has pic-style or Weaver-style bases (didn't remember that either!), which are so much more versatile than the Tikka grooves (or standard Sako grooves). So the A7 vs Superlite debate is probably mostly an issue of price. Based on what I paid, I still think I made the correct choice. YMMV.
 
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I own a ``lite`` in .338 win mag. An interesting marketing decision to say the least, I picked it up because it was on sale.

It is quite the gun. I have a `slip on limbsaver on it. 250 grain hornadys are not for the weak of heart. I am looking forward to putting a boyds stock on it someday.

I`d take a 30-06 over a .300 mag of any variety any day of the week, but the .338 win mag is a whole `nother can of whoop-ass.
 
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My son has a T3 in 6.5x55 and never needed more.If you need to stop a grizzly in the alders get a heavier rifle or get the T3 .338 and put up with the pounding.A buddies Dad split the laminate stock in his T3 just shooting it!
 
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