Tikka T3x Varmint for target 223 vs 308

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RielM

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I am looking at a T3x Varmint left hand for my next rifle. I already have a T3 lite LH in 308 that I hunt with and I love it. I would like to put together a rifle to use more for precision shooting. I think I'd like to stick with a left hand bolt in case I end up using it off the bench or decide to hunt with it.

Will a T3x Varmint be a good option for that price range?
I have not shot much .223, is there any shooting cost benefit to go with .223 over .308? Obviously the .223 has much less recoil. I don't reload at this point but I would like to eventually be able to for this rifle. Are the calibers comparable for achievable accuracy at moderate ranges?
Of course, I already shoot .308 and I could use a 308 for deer hunting, but will the milder recoil of the .223 make for a more enjoyable range rifle?
 
The 223 will be less expensive to shoot - if you plan to reload you may be limited unless you decide to feed them one at a time.
Understand that the Tikka isn't a precision rifle others on this sight could recommend a good one -
 
Yes, I have read about the length issue of the magazine for .223 reloading. Is this not an issue for .308? I would be open for other options out there for sure, but at the same time cost is a consideration.
 
RielM said:
I am looking at a T3x Varmint left hand for my next rifle. I already have a T3 lite LH in 308 that I hunt with and I love it. I would like to put together a rifle to use more for precision shooting. I think I'd like to stick with a left hand bolt in case I end up using it off the bench or decide to hunt with it.

Will a T3x Varmint be a good option for that price range?
I have not shot much .223, is there any shooting cost benefit to go with .223 over .308? Obviously the .223 has much less recoil. I don't reload at this point but I would like to eventually be able to for this rifle. Are the calibers comparable for achievable accuracy at moderate ranges?
Of course, I already shoot .308 and I could use a 308 for deer hunting, but will the milder recoil of the .223 make for a more enjoyable range rifle?
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Depends what you plan to do with it.
Neither caliber is going to be competitive for competitions.
I'd be tempted to go with the 223, as it will make a good training rifle for when you move on to a 6 or 6.5mm.
I had a tikka tac in 223 that I ran 80 grain bergers out of, with a criminal load of n135 behind. It was very accurate and no problem to get out to 1000 with. But to achieve that performance, one needs to reload.

If you're looking to avoid reloading and want one caliber to do it all, it's tough to beat a 6.5 creedmoor. Pick up a ruger precision and a case of ammo and many smiles will follow.
 
IvoB said:
Understand that the Tikka isn't a precision rifle others on this sight could recommend a good one -
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Not really as configured from the factory, but they do have better triggers, and tend to be more accurate than the typical savage, Remington, etc.
Excellent bases to build off of, anyways.
 
IvoB said:
T
Understand that the Tikka isn't a precision rifle others on this sight could recommend a good one -
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A Tikka Varmint is absolutely in the precision rifle class and many believe it to be among the best factory offering for recreational target shooting and varmint hunting.

OP here is a vid on snipers hide with regards to the T3X being a precision rifle. It does end up gettinging some mods but it initially shot sun 1/2 moa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCZbUuHJb6U

I'm shooting a T3 Varmint in .223 and am shooting 82 gr Bergers and 80 SMK's to 1000 with accuracy. I can shoot hundreds of rounds in week and its not so hard on the wallet. Mystic on the board here has shot his .223 past 1600 yards with accuracy, its a super fun little round.
 
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Your future long-range precision options are better with a .308 bolt face than .223, but as said above, .223 is cheaper to shoot right now, which means you will be out there getting better right now. Factory .223 is geared towards the AR crowd in large part, so the heavier bullets that perform better at range are not available as they tend to exceed the cartridge overall length limitations of the .223 class magazines. Be aware of the twist rate on the Tikka .223s though - I do believe they phased out the 1:8 towards the end of life for the T3, but it may be back with the T3x. You are going to want 1:8 and not 1:12.

You can run into some overall length issues with .308 as well, especially with plastic mags. With the 6 and 6.5 mm short action calibres you will have plenty of room in a .308 mag to load long.

The only difference between Tikka actions of different cartridge length is the bolt stop. Regrettably Tikka bolts are not widely available, so you pretty much have to buy a Tikka of a given bolt face to get one. That said, if you get bitten by the long range bug, you could easily re-barrel your .308 down the road, so go for the .223 now if you are keen and know that you haven't shot yourself in the foot at all (ha!) This also means that if you opt for a chassis down the road either the .223 or .308 will fit it just fine (this does not work as well for the long action Tikkas though!)

Final bit of advice is that if you are going to want more than 6 rounds in the magazine you are into a new bottom metal (and likely stock) or chassis.

Note also that there are now two companies (PM me for links - I'm not going to post here as they don't pay the bills for this website) in the US that are making high quality switch barrel (barrel nut) setups for the Tikka action - meaning you can swap barrels without sending the action to a smith. This is a big cost-saver and will no doubt drive more folks to Tikka for a value-driven precision build (especially if you want a trainer round and/or use barrel burning 6mm rounds).
 
As mentioned before, make sure you get the 1:8 twist barrel version. This allows you to shoot the heavy (up to 80gr) long range target bullets. For serious long range target shooting I would not pick the 308Win, I would go with 260 Rem in the Tikka T3x Varmint.
 
So if you changed out the bottom metal to accept a different magazine style, would that remove the OAL limitation?

Or is intrinsic to the action?

I am interested in this very rifle myself being LH & getting into more precise shooting.

Ryan
 
Don't rule out the t3 sporters there were a few on sale since the new t3X came out. If you want a heaver target rifle they are great. Are available in .260 .223 and .308. . The .308 is a heavy rifle and you can throw a muzzle break on it so recoil is minimal. As for the OAL if you go .308 you can put in a long action bolt stop and use a long action magazine 30-06 or 6.5x55 and you will get the OAL for the heaver long range bullets with lots of room to spare. There is no long action or short action receivers it just the bolt stop and the mags are interchangeable it is just the internal dimensions of the mags that are different. EPPS has a few for sale I'm sure other sponsor sites have left handed ones as well.
 
RyPal said:
So if you changed out the bottom metal to accept a different magazine style, would that remove the OAL limitation?

Or is intrinsic to the action?

I am interested in this very rifle myself being LH & getting into more precise shooting.

Ryan
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Atlas works bottom metal and MDT mags will give you more then enough room to shoot the longest bullets in .223..not sure about the .308.

As mentioned above Id go with a .243, 6.5 Creedmore or 260 if you wanna go past 1000 yards,,,anything under a .223 will be fine.
 
RyPal said:
So if you changed out the bottom metal to accept a different magazine style, would that remove the OAL limitation?

Or is intrinsic to the action?

I am interested in this very rifle myself being LH & getting into more precise shooting.

Ryan
Click to expand...

For max length in .308 use metal mags. Plastic ones have a shorter internal dimension.
 
Or as per Jerry at Mystic Precision, you could buy a Rem 783 and a match grade prefit barrel in whetever caliber and twist you prefer. You can install the new barrel yourself with practice in a few minutes.

Fit it into a Boyds Varmint stock and with a bit of technique bed it and go shoot. He was getting great results from both of his.
 
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