Help - tikka decision

[FuddRucker]

I'm in the market for a new tikka in 300 win mag and I'm struggling to make a decision between a few variants. I know the differences are relatively minor in the scheme of things and they will all be good shooting rifles, but I'd like to hear some firsthand thoughts, experiences, or opinions.

Primary use will be backpack and truck hunting for elk and deer. I don't own a suppressor but would like to get one down the line, so I'm trying to keep barrel length in mind. I'm not very keen on the idea of cutting and rethreading a barrel and I'm mindful that longer barrel lengths help get the most out of the 300wm performance wise.

All are options I'm considering are 1:10 twist, threaded muzzles, and similarly priced. Pros and cons listed below. Any thoughts y'all have are appreciated.

New tikka t3x lite 22" barrel, stainless steel

Pros: stainless, barrel length can better accommodate suppressor in the future, metal bolt shroud, 5/8 thread without an adapter

Cons: velocity loss with shorter barrel, no cerakote, stainless steel still prone to rust, basic stock

Tikka t3x superlite roughtech (ember or coyote tan) 24" barrel

Pros: roughtech stock, cerakote over stainless steel seems ideal for corrosion resistance, a bit more velocity with 24" barrel, lightest option, better carrying

Cons: potentially more felt recoil with lighter barrel, adding a suppressor would make it very long, uses adapter for 5/8 threads

Tikka t3x roughtech cerca, 24" cerakoted barrel

Pros: heavier barrel than lite and super lite, potentially less felt recoil, cerakote (unsure if it's SS), better velocity than 22", roughtech stock, no adapter for 5/8 thread

Cons: heavier, would be really long with suppressor, aesthetically I don't love the camo option, but I could hit it with a rattle can.

 

[Samson7x]

For suppressor use in mind, I'd opt for the threaded 22". I had the non threaded version and ended up selling it due to recoil. I'm sure it would have been better with a suppressor on the end but that gun was very unpleasant to shoot for range sessions.

 

[Castle Rock]

Have you shot a tikka in 300, if you haven’t try and get a go of one before you invest, they are a handful.

 

[JMundy84]

Id go with the threaded 22" as far as I know the only difference in the plain stock and the rough tech is paint. The ceracoated barrels will give you better corrosion resistance but Ive abused the hell out of my stainless tikkas and never gotten a spot of rust on them.

 

[270-300]

When i bought my 300 win mag, I bought a 24" barrel with a very thin profile. This is a mountain rifle. I do not care to shoot 10 shot groups at the range with it.

I really like 22" for non magnum calibers. But the extra weight up front on a magnum is nice, and getting the extra fps is the whole point of buying a magnum.

If you want a more compact rifle lots of people tell me 300 Winchester SHORT Magnum works well.

 

[FuddRucker]

Have you shot a tikka in 300, if you haven’t try and get a go of one before you invest, they are a handful.

No I have not, but this is not really intended to be a bench gun. I think I handle recoil okay too. Do you have any other recs for a 300 wm that isn't as much of a handful?

 

[FuddRucker]

When i bought my 300 win mag, I bought a 24" barrel with a very thin profile. This is a mountain rifle. I do not care to shoot 10 shot groups at the range with it.

I really like 22" for non magnum calibers. But the extra weight up front on a magnum is nice, and getting the extra fps is the whole point of buying a magnum.

If you want a more compact rifle lots of people tell me 300 Winchester SHORT Magnum works well.

This is sort of my thought right now. I've briefly considered the wsm, but would prefer the standard b/c of ammo availability.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Easy enough to measure performance and know how well you handle recoil. Try this drill with your smallest and largest cartridges, then pick your new rifle.

Thread 'Equipment versus practice posts and Rifle practice/shooting'

Mar 31, 2020

This isn’t in response to anyone I particular, but there is an up tick in the amount of “I want a XXXX distance hunting rifle” traffic the last few months. I am getting a lot of questions relating to this, which I do not mind helping, but thought a public post might help answer some questions. It’s an attempt to get to actually using your rifles.


People online tend to act like 600/800/whatever yards is a rifle, cartridge and BDC scope purchase away. When someone asks for advice, or says I’m building an -insert whatever rifle/cartridge you want-, people are discussing hardware not...

• Formidilosus
• Replies: 863
• Forum: Firearms

• 

 

[270-300]

This is sort of my thought right now. I've briefly considered the wsm, but would prefer the standard b/c of ammo availability.

Its a great cartridge. I enjoy it in a vintage ruger m77 that has killed a lot of animals in wyoming.
This is said rifle. It has had a 6.5-20x scope the last 6 years. It was great for the one long shot i made on an antelope. The one pictured was a 200 yard shot when light was fading. Ive considered going to a smaller scope to have a lower low end. Last year i passed up an elk at 85 yards with this rifle because it was hard to track it at 6.5x in heavy timber as it walked. The fact i have other rifles with smaller scopes keeps this big one on this rifle.

 

[Aussie Dan]

Any of them will do exactly what you want. Best bet would be to go to your LGS and get a feel for them.

As for barrel length, buy what you'll use to suit you now rather than preparing for a future purchase that might not happen (suppressor)
I know you said you dont want to chop and thread in future but that may be your best option because you get the longer barrel now which will reduce some muzzle blast and give some extra weight to tame the recoil and then you can chop and thread later to suit your suppressor if and when that happens.
If chopping and threading is on the cards even remotely you'll need to consider whether the barrel is fluted and its profile and figure out if that compromises your ideal barrel length.

**Depending on intended maximum distances you might be buying more cartridge/recoil than necessary for your use case and may be better served with something a little bit smaller**

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Just get the light stainless or superlite from sportsman's warehouse. Don't waste your money on those dumb rough tech , ember whatever models are called.

 

[Macintosh]

Cartridge aside….Re: barrel length. 24” vs 22” you’re quibbling over 50fps difference. Unless you are shooting animals past 800 yards (# pulled out of thin air, but LONG range) that difference is functionally irrelevant to 99% of us. I’d venture to say there’s more difference in fps between lot#’s of factory ammo, than there is from 2” different barrel length.

Personally Id get the cheapest stainless version and chop it to 18”, maybe 20”, if a suppressor is in the cards. Unless you like hunting with a very front-heavy 28”+ barrel. The rest is window dressing.

 

[UPThunderbolt]

No I have not, but this is not really intended to be a bench gun. I think I handle recoil okay too. Do you have any other recs for a 300 wm that isn't as much of a handful?

I’ve got the base model .300 win mag T3X lite (blued barrel and black composite stock). I put a limbsaver recoil pad on it. It will give you a boot, but I don’t notice it when shooting at live game.

 

[270-300]

Cartridge aside….Re: barrel length. 24” vs 22” you’re quibbling over 50fps difference. Unless you are shooting animals past 800 yards (# pulled out of thin air, but LONG range) that difference is functionally irrelevant to 99% of us. I’d venture to say there’s more difference in fps between lot#’s of factory ammo, than there is from 2” different barrel length.

Personally Id get the cheapest stainless version and chop it to 18”, maybe 20”, if a suppressor is in the cards. Unless you like hunting with a very front-heavy 28”+ barrel. The rest is window dressing.

The difference in fps between 22 and 24" is solely dependant on how fast of a powder is used, and bullet weight.


No point what so ever in getting a 300 win mag just to chop the barrel to 18". Other calibers with less powder and faster powders are optimized for short barrels.

 

[Oldffemt]

No I have not, but this is not really intended to be a bench gun. I think I handle recoil okay too. Do you have any other recs for a 300 wm that isn't as much of a handful?

Any lightweight 300 is gonna boot you. I’m 220# and handle recoil as well as anyone I’ve shot with. My tikka t3 lite in 300WSM recently became a 6.5 PRC. Way more fun to shoot now and if I pay attention to getting in good position I can usually spot my own shots, which is really nice.

 

[270-300]

Any lightweight 300 is gonna boot you. I’m 220# and handle recoil as well as anyone I’ve shot with. My tikka t3 lite in 300WSM recently became a 6.5 PRC. Way more fun to shoot now and if I pay attention to getting in good position I can usually spot my own shots, which is really nice.

One of the great advantages of a long nose heavy barrel on 300 win is the way it handles recoil.

 

[FuddRucker]

Any of them will do exactly what you want. Best bet would be to go to your LGS and get a feel for them.

As for barrel length, buy what you'll use to suit you now rather than preparing for a future purchase that might not happen (suppressor)
I know you said you dont want to chop and thread in future but that may be your best option because you get the longer barrel now which will reduce some muzzle blast and give some extra weight to tame the recoil and then you can chop and thread later to suit your suppressor if and when that happens.
If chopping and threading is on the cards even remotely you'll need to consider whether the barrel is fluted and its profile and figure out if that compromises your ideal barrel length.

**Depending on intended maximum distances you might be buying more cartridge/recoil than necessary for your use case and may be better served with something a little bit smaller**

Good call about current vs future use case. I probably won't be getting a suppressor for a while and was planning to put a brake on it in the meantime. If anything I can buy another gun for suppressed hunting down the line.

I appreciate your disclaimer and all the well-meaning advice about cartridge selection from others. I own a .270 already, but I want to diversify. I think cartridges like 6.5 prc overlap a lot the 270. I'll probably get something like it down the line, but for now I'm thinking 300 wm.

 

[Oldffemt]

One of the great advantages of a long nose heavy barrel on 300 win is the way it handles recoil.

Gross, give me a sawed off, suppressed rifle any day. I went from a 24” 300wsm to a 20” wsm with a can to a 18” 6.5prc also suppressed and no longer or heavier than the original 24” wsm barrel.
No way I was spotting shots with the wsm in any barrel length, but I can with the prc, and the rifle is sub 9lbs all in, ready to hunt.