Tikka for hunting? Thoughts in general

[Sika98k]

I’ve owned a T3 in 22/250 for about 9-10 months. Bought it second hand. What can I say ? Shoots like a dream. I’ve shot some 100+ foxes with it this year, best at 380 yds.
Beautiful ? No. Practical ? Absolutely. No tweaking required. I might treat myself to a PSE composite stock for Christmas.

 

[CBH Australia]

@blacks what do you think of the B&C stock? Any discernible difference in recoil or weight? Does it fit well do the aluminium bedding block recoil lugs ever show sign of imprint from repeated firing?
Oh and where did you get that big hairy pig? NZ?
I started a thread on 7mm, I’d like a .300wm but open to suggestion amd learning everyday.

@Dr Ray I think there was a thread here to show man with his best friend, although you have the Tiger in your avatar.

@Wade J VanGinkel ask Tikka to take that rifle back. I thought most of them shot well. I’m sure their warranty has it tied up but most shoot well but others here will know more. It’s bad publicity for them if that ones only doing 2moa.

@Smitty they sound tight, I’ve had one pulled I don’t think he had trouble and he’s done a few Tikka, food for conversation when I see him next.

 

[Philip Glass]

What do people think of the current generation Tikka? T3/T3x.
Setting aside the CRF/Push feed debates etc, what do people think of Tikka for general hunting across the world?
I own a Rem 700 .223 Varmint, a CZ550 a Howa and I had a Parker Hale and Zastava in .308 as hunting rifles although I don’t hunt as often as I’d like.
My first Tikka was/is a brand new T3 stainless laminate in about 2012 i was doing a bit of shooting and bought something I had wanted for a bit.
I bought it online sent to my club armourer. I hadn’t really seen them close or handled them. I was disappointed when I found it was half plastic. Now I tinker with my firearms and have done some bedding etc trying to learn and enjoy my rifles, I found the recoil lug was back to front. I didn’t like that one bit! So it’s reverse to what I’ve seen on many other rifles as the lug sits in the stock and the action has a recess that locks on over the lug.
Well I stewed on it and wasn then happy about the plastic either, I looked at upgrades and thought some more. Then I realised that I a man smart enough to realise the Tikka designers and engineers are smarter than me. OK so the backwards recoiled lug works. I purchased a titanium lug and bedded the action in the stock. (Apparently the Aluminium can be impacted by repeated recoil.) T3x factory upgrades include a stell recoil lug.
The plastic, I later decided it must be a suitable quality and reduces weight.
I later bought a CTR version and it suits me, I like it. I bough this a .243 with a shot out Barrel my gunsmith set me up with a .22-250HB and varmint stock and it shoots well. I am thinking I might want one in .300wm or maybe 7mmRM after Africa?
I started a thread on 7mm rounds and people have me thinking about the 7x64, offered by Tikka but I’m not sure if it’s readily available in Australia.
What are your thoughts?

I have the Tikka T3 in 7mm Mag and have done a bit of hunting with it. It has a slick action and is very accurate. It’s a $600 gun and I have rang steel at 1000 yards with it. I think for the money the T3 May be the best out there. I like the plastic stock. I bought this specifically to be a light weight mountain hunting gun. With a Leupold VXR 4-12 with wind-plex reticle it’s hard to beat.

 

[cpr0312]

I've taken a few deer and a pronghorn with my Tikka T3 Lite .270WSM. I bought the lite model for wester/mountain hunting and it did the trick.

 

[Dwight Beagle]

I think Tikka’s are great rifles and have recommended them to people many times. However I’ll probably never own because of the small loading/ejection port and DBM. The T3x has a larger port than the T3 but it’s still smaller than Remington 700, M70 ports etc. I also know a smaller port can enhance accuracy by making the receiver stiffer but I just don’t like small loading/ejection ports. I also like a blind magazine or hinged floorplate and don’t like DBM’s at all. As stated these are personal preferences(of which I’m sure put me in a small minority) and have no bearing on Tikka quality.

I’ve also had three operations over the past 45 years on my shooting shoulder. The easiest way to mitigate recoil for me is heavier rifles. Tikka’s are a little light for me starting with .270 and heavier recoiling cartridges.

 

[mark-hunter]

@Dwight Beagle
What is DBM?

 

[Dwight Beagle]

Detachable Box Magazine.

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

The tikka is the only rifle I have with the dbm. But thought it interesting when I was hunting in Newfoundland that they were the recommended type there , at least by my guide. One in the hunting area it was allowed to have the rifle open but unloaded with you in the truck. The fastest way to get loaded up if a moose was spotted while traveling was with a loaded magazine in your hand ready to go.
Just trivia, I was using a ruger Hawkeye 35 whelen at the tine.

 

[Philip Glass]

My humble opinion, for what it is worth. Tikka is by far my favorite rifle. I went to SA this year for my first trip to Africa and shot 8 animals with a 7mm Rem Mag. and barnes 160 grain bullets. Kudu, Wildebeests (black and blue), Zebra, all with no problem. 1 shot kills although I did shoot the Wildebeests twice just because they hadn't fallen over yet.
I have 5 Tikkas and all shoot well. I am left handed and Tikka has a nice selection of left hand models. If you are thrown off by the plastic stock as I am, you can put a Bell and Carlson or a Stocky's laminated one. I have no idea what is available where you are. Also, the hunter line has wood stocks instead of plastic, but it is still a T3x model.
I hope this helps.

My son and I both have used the Barnes 160gr 7Mag with great success.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I put a Bell & Carlson stock on my Tikka Lite in 300 WM. It has probably had 500 or so rounds through it. The aluminum bedding block seems to be holding up better than the original stock and aluminum recoil lug did. The stock is much quieter than the original. It feels better in my hands. The recoil pad is better, or maybe it’s wider? Anyway it doesn’t seem to kick as hard.

 

[CBH Australia]

I like a detachable magazine myself. Shooting pests from a car it’s a quick way to clear and unload when you approach camp etc. using a rifle regularly as opposed to carrying it on foot occasionally to hunt.
Keen to hear all I can on Bell And Carlson stocks. I still would like another rifle for hunting, a carry rifle in a large centrefire and a B & C stock may be in order.

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

The only b&c stock I've owned is a premier thumb hole model that I still have stuffed in a closet somewhere. Cost around 250 but for me was totally unusable. The forend was so flexible it could not be used with a bipod. Fully floated barrel would hit the stock under recoil and throw shots all over. My dad has one also that acts the same but he never shoots that way and loves his.
I don't think other models had that problem and I see the one I have is now discontinued.

 

[Smitty]

I put a Bell & Carlson stock on my Tikka Lite in 300 WM. It has probably had 500 or so rounds through it. The aluminum bedding block seems to be holding up better than the original stock and aluminum recoil lug did. The stock is much quieter than the original. It feels better in my hands. The recoil pad is better, or maybe it’s wider? Anyway it doesn’t seem to kick as hard.

Bell and Carlson are my favorite stocks for the money. Only problem is they don't offer a left hand option for the Tikka. So, I order the right hand and file a recess for the bolt handle on the left side. I then file a small notch on the left side to give clearance for the left-hand safety lever. It actually works rather well, although the right side has an abandoned bolt notch.

 

[Ridgewalker]

although the right side has an abandoned bolt notch.

I would have said it was removed to lighten the weight!

 

[Smitty]

I would have said it was removed to lighten the weight!

Lol, and it makes it balanced!

 

[CBH Australia]

The lefties won’t notice they use the wrong side anyway.
Glad it works. I’m thinking on it. Maybe a Bell and Carlson on my CZ550 Safari or one o;a Tikka in a .338wm for a bear rifle, you know all weather and stuff, not sure I will get to hunt bear but its better to be prepared.

 

[Smitty]

The lefties won’t notice they use the wrong side anyway.
Glad it works. I’m thinking on it. Maybe a Bell and Carlson on my CZ550 Safari or one o;a Tikka in a .338wm for a bear rifle, you know all weather and stuff, not sure I will get to hunt bear but its better to be prepared.

AND, I just looked and Bell and Carlson now make a left hand Tikka stock!
They make 2 styles of CZ550 stocks, one for a detachable magazine and one for a hinged floorplate.

 

[John Camp]

I have a Tikka t3x in 270 win. It is not pretty and I hate the plastic. But, it is lightweight and it really takes the punishment. We had nothing like it when I was looking to buy my first rifle (the first I bought with my own money) 30 years ago. With a price point of less than $600 it is essentially an entry level rifle. I bought mine for $400.00. 30 years ago I had to work all kinds of voodoo to get 2 inch groups at a hundred yards. The Tikka is 1 inch at 200 yards out of the box. I can deal with plastic parts and a black stock. With that kind of durability and performance for $400 I could care less that it is a push feed.

 

[sgt_zim]

I think Tikka’s are great rifles and have recommended them to people many times. However I’ll probably never own because of the small loading/ejection port and DBM. The T3x has a larger port than the T3 but it’s still smaller than Remington 700, M70 ports etc. I also know a smaller port can enhance accuracy by making the receiver stiffer but I just don’t like small loading/ejection ports. I also like a blind magazine or hinged floorplate and don’t like DBM’s at all. As stated these are personal preferences(of which I’m sure put me in a small minority) and have no bearing on Tikka quality.

I’ve also had three operations over the past 45 years on my shooting shoulder. The easiest way to mitigate recoil for me is heavier rifles. Tikka’s are a little light for me starting with .270 and heavier recoiling cartridges.

My daughter, with very little shooting experience, was wearing out the steel at 300 yards with my T3X in 6.5x55 SE. VERY light on recoil in a fantastic cartridge. I had a bunch of left over 143 gr ELD-X, and just started working loads in Woodleigh 160 gr. Almost no difference in recoil. Norma Oryx 156 and Lapua Mega 155 would probably be about the same.

Just a thought.

 

[Dwight Beagle]

My daughter, with very little shooting experience, was wearing out the steel at 300 yards with my T3X in 6.5x55 SE. VERY light on recoil in a fantastic cartridge. I had a bunch of left over 143 gr ELD-X, and just started working loads in Woodleigh 160 gr. Almost no difference in recoil. Norma Oryx 156 and Lapua Mega 155 would probably be about the same.

Just a thought.

Like I said Tikka is too light for me starting with .270 Winchester. Since a 6.5x55 has less recoil than a .270 what is the point you are trying to make?