Your thoughts on the Tikka T3......

[Dee]

About to start HP matches using all 300 yard scaled targets. Sooooooooooooooooooo................ of course I am already interested and am thinking about a shooting stick.

Tureau is suggesting a Tikka T3 in 7mm-08 to get me going. HP is going to be mostly a limited thing as I shoot SB and all 3 air classes already. Oh course I'd love to match my Pharr stocked 1712 but that is just not in the finance cards at the moment. Thus the re-barrelled Mod 700 build is out also.

Anyone have thoughts about this rifle? I handled one and it is a nice rifle, trigger crisp etc. Seems like a good rifle for the $$. I need a HP rifle for the collection too so that is my excuse I hunt but here in the south BP and 12 gauges kill our big game so that is all I have figure the 7mm-08 could serve me on a hunt anyplace in the US for any future hunts. Call it dual purpose


Dee

[BCloninger]

Fit & finish on the T3 are excellent, particularly for the price. Mine is the stainless synthetic in 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser and is so far unfired, so no range report. There is a five round magazine available that seems expensive at $80, but it still looks like a really good idea. I'd suggest the blue steel in wood because it looks better (to me, but then "pretty is as pretty does") and the wood adds mass that should help manage recoil even if it is less stable.

Remember that, unlike the 700, there are no after-market parts for the T3, so make sure you're comfortable with it.

[AZRifle]

I have one in a 7mm08 that has worked well. It is stainless/synthetic. So far it is shooting better than I am in High Power haha!

Jerry

[topgun526]

I have the 595 Tikka which I think was the one before the T3. It is in 25-06 and is a tack driving machine. All Completely factory and will out shoot any Rem out of the box with factory ammo.

[Finprof]

If you are shooting ONLY 300 yard scaled targets then you can get by with something smaller than a 7-08. A .243 will do fine and won't beat you up as much.

Maybe I am old and recoil sensitive. YMMV.

[Dee]

Thanks for the input folks. After a little more searching last night I think the T3 Hunter with Walnut stock might be a better way to go. The Lite model would be fine if I planned on hunting with it a lot but that will be rare so the wood with the ability to weight up the stock to the limit is appealing even if wood is unstable compared to syn.

Fin- I thought about the .243 as well for both recoil and reloading costs/ammo availability but I want something I can load up for more power to hunt and for times I can make it to the full size HP matches. So it looks like I can load down for the 300 yard scaled matches to cut back on recoil and use the same rifle for all my purposes.


Dee

[malinois]

Good supply of cheap bullets in the 7mm...something I enjoy shooting my 7mm tcu pistol. You probably can get away with a light 120-130 grain load for low recoil and cost......wish more short ranges would shoot a reduced match where the longer ones are not available.

[drover]

I agree with using the 243, especially on a reduced course. You should have no knockdown problems at all. But I am somewhat prejudiced because I have used a 243 for years on the 500 meter course and rarely have a problem losing rams. I do shoot numerous different ranges and the only time I have a problem with losing rams with it is if the rails are somewhat loose but under situations like that I notice that a lot of the 7/08 and 260 shooters lose them also.

drover

[BCloninger]

An advantage to the 6.5x55 - at least over the Remington .260 and 6.5x47 - is brass availability and price, and it still uses the 6.5mm bullet which supposedly has better ballistics. Nope, not trying to start a fight.

[kevinbear]

My vote is for a Remington 700 Buckmasters 7-08 {600.00}, mine is a 1/2 gun with 100 grain hornady hp's and 120 v-max's both have negligble recoil. It's also one of the greatest big game rifles I've ever had, I put a matte 6x18 Leupold target and use 140 nosler ballistic tips for deer and antelope.

[timbertoes]

FWIW... I have a Tikka T3 Lite, in 6.5x55.

It is absolutley, the most accurate centerfire I have owned, even better than a CZ .223 I had, which was dam accurate.

the Tikka with the very first handloads, right out of the book, was one ragged hole, about 1/2" ragged diamater..ie two 2 bullets diamaters!... and I am not kidding.
at 100 yards, 14x scope. good enough, that I also want to shoot HP with it.
I was impressed enough to get a Tikka in 22-250 a while later. was not let down.

[Gator]

FWIW... I have a Tikka T3 Lite, in 6.5x55.

It is absolutley, the most accurate centerfire I have owned, even better than a CZ .223 I had, which was dam accurate.

the Tikka with the very first handloads, right out of the book, was one ragged hole, about 1/2" ragged diamater..ie two 2 bullets diamaters!... and I am not kidding.
at 100 yards, 14x scope. good enough, that I also want to shoot HP with it.
I was impressed enough to get a Tikka in 22-250 a while later. was not let down.

I agree with all this. My Tikka 6.5x55 has probably close to 4K rounds through it and it still will hit the head of the turkey and a clay bird at the ram line in Ridgway. Shot 3/8" & 5/8" out of the box with 107 & 140 MK. You will not be satisfied with the .243 if you get to shoot the full 500 M course. Not enough horsepower for the Rams. Love my .243 but why take a BB gun to a gunfight? 100 to 105 is all the bullet you can load in the .243. Load the 107 in athe 6.5 for about the same $ as the .243 for the front end and have the ability to use the 140 on the rams. It is about as much gun for the money as is out there IMHO. Just wish I could hit more with it. Not the gun's fault.
C ya
Gator

[kevinbear]

Yep no good reason to keep any manufacturing here in the U.S. by buying their/our products anymore, no one shoots Remingtons anyway, couldn't been more than a couple of them on the line last year at nationals, I'm sure the winner in both classes was using a Tikka, their the only ones that are accurate enough. Of course your job doesn't rely on how American gun mfg's in the U.S. are doing financially so WTF, why should you care? Just keep on buying products from oversea's {while you still have a job}.

[Another Dang 9]

good point Kevin! I bought a remington 700 SPS from walmart for $450 with a mail in coupon from remington for $40. total cost $410. like to see anyone touch that price for a rifle. it comes in .243 or 7mm-08 so no need to look outside the USA for a good priced gun. I got the .243 since it was the one on the shelf but a 7-08 could be ordered for no extra cost.

[BCloninger]

I'd love to buy US made, for all of those reasons Kevin, but I already know enough about trying to make a Remington shoot. If I bought a 700 for $600, making it shoot would cost another $200-$400 if the barrel were good. I almost bought a Savage, but backed away because their durability seemed dicey. Even then, knowing my reasons, I felt guilty for buying the Tikka. And did it anyway.