Looking for a new rifle - Recommendations

SwiftShot

WKR
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Messages
461
Why do so many people like Tikkas? The barrels have too slow of twist for heavy bullets. The stock sucks. The barrels shoot slow. The mag is too short. I've seen that about 30% of them don't shoot very good. They do have a good factory trigger.
They shoot well. If a Tikka shoots bad it is usually a disconnect between the trigger and the scope.
 

MCS

FNG
Joined
Jan 26, 2023
Messages
96
They shoot well. If a Tikka shoots bad it is usually a disconnect between the trigger and the scope.
Some don't shoot well out of the 4 I've delt with 2 wouldn't shoot good. The other 2 shot good.

One that wouldn't shoot good was sold and the other was rebarreled with a bartlein #3 contour barrel. One was a 7mm the other was a 338.

The 2 that shot good were both 300 wsm.
 

SwiftShot

WKR
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Messages
461
Some don't shoot well out of the 4 I've delt with 2 wouldn't shoot good. The other 2 shot good.

One that wouldn't shoot good was sold and the other was rebarreled with a bartlein #3 contour barrel. One was a 7mm the other was a 338.

The 2 that shot good were both 300 wsm.
What does not shoot good mean to you? Is it Sub MOA, is it 6 inches at 100 Yards.
 

MCS

FNG
Joined
Jan 26, 2023
Messages
96
What does not shoot good mean to you? Is it Sub MOA, is it 6 inches at 100 Yards.
The best groups out of the 338 were 2.5". The 7mm would shot 1.5" groups some times. It was very inconsistente. You would shoot a group at 1.5" then the next group would have a flyer and your group would open up. Both rifles had the scopes changed out to known good scopes and had multiple types of different factory ammo and hand loads tested in them. The tikka 7mm would also shoot 150fps slower then my other 7mm.

Both rifles were purchased brand new.
 

mskads

FNG
Joined
Feb 26, 2023
Messages
11
My Tikka T3x in .308 is definitely my favorite go-to hunting rifle. Sub moa out of the box with factory loads (at least the ones I've tried). The wood stock is good as far as function and comfort, but fairly basic as far as "looks" go. The only gripe I have about the rifle, is that the bluing doesn't seem to be very corrosion resistant if you hunt in any kind of moisture. I've experienced a couple of times where hunting in a light sprinkle for no more than 15-20 minutes, and i started to get those orange water marks on the barrel (nothing that a good coat of oil, and a little scrubbing with the rag hasn't removed). That being said, I recently had the barreled action Cerakoted to help prevent this, and I'm confident that it'll solve this issue.
 

Ryan K

FNG
Joined
Apr 14, 2023
Messages
6
So, speaking of blueing, who still does a good job? Most now is matte finish and quick to rust.
 

mtnwrunner

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Messages
3,908
Location
Lowman, Idaho
So, here is what happens. This question is asked all the time here on rokslide, which of course, people should as its the best hunting website there is. Members do their research and get all kinds of opinions from other members which of course, they should. Then they go buy a rifle based on their research and if they didn't buy a tikka, well, as I've said before, the dreaded tikka circle begins. As in all roads circle back to the T3. And this statement is heard...."shoulda bought a tikka."😁

In all seriousness, save yourself some grief and get a tikka. As others have said, 308 or 6.5 creed......can shoot anything.
And no, I'm not sponsored by tilka........but damn, I wish I was.

Randy
 

Turkeytider

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 9, 2023
Messages
227
So, here is what happens. This question is asked all the time here on rokslide, which of course, people should as its the best hunting website there is. Members do their research and get all kinds of opinions from other members which of course, they should. Then they go buy a rifle based on their research and if they didn't buy a tikka, well, as I've said before, the dreaded tikka circle begins. As in all roads circle back to the T3. And this statement is heard...."shoulda bought a tikka."😁

In all seriousness, save yourself some grief and get a tikka. As others have said, 308 or 6.5 creed......can shoot anything.
And no, I'm not sponsored by tilka........but damn, I wish I was.

Randy
Tikka is the holiest of holies when it comes to rifles. There are shooting web sites where you absolutely risk getting fried ( complete with being called everything but a child of God ) if one has the temerity to mention a fondness for another brand of rifle. That`s particularly true if that other brand happens to be Savage. I personally think some of that stems from an intense sense of being irked that a $400 rifle can print groups as good as, if not sometimes better , than rifles costing several times more.

This is NOT a criticism of Tikka, by the way. They`re obviously fine rifles.
 

mtnwrunner

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Messages
3,908
Location
Lowman, Idaho
Tikka is the holiest of holies when it comes to rifles. There are shooting web sites where you absolutely risk getting fried ( complete with being called everything but a child of God ) if one has the temerity to mention a fondness for another brand of rifle. That`s particularly true if that other brand happens to be Savage. I personally think some of that stems from an intense sense of being irked that a $400 rifle can print groups as good as, if not sometimes better , than rifles costing several times more.

This is NOT a criticism of Tikka, by the way. They`re obviously fine rifles.
I had to look up temerity.🙂

Randy
 

SwiftShot

WKR
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Messages
461
Tikka is the holiest of holies when it comes to rifles. There are shooting web sites where you absolutely risk getting fried ( complete with being called everything but a child of God ) if one has the temerity to mention a fondness for another brand of rifle. That`s particularly true if that other brand happens to be Savage. I personally think some of that stems from an intense sense of being irked that a $400 rifle can print groups as good as, if not sometimes better , than rifles costing several times more.

This is NOT a criticism of Tikka, by the way. They`re obviously fine rifles.
I find it amazing, how tribal people get about a brand. I love Tikka but currently do not have one in my safe. I have Christensen Arms Ridgelines x 3, Savage that is 40 years old I think 342 in 22 Hornet. Savage 110 Scout in 308, a Savage Axis in 25-06 and a bunch of ARs, Lever Actions and Shotguns. I love Tikka but everything in my safe is threaded now for a Silencer.

I have unloaded my Tikkas as they where not threaded. Looking at new builds that Tikka action is a hard one to beat. Feeds so smooth.

Funny thing is I have never had a problem with Savages shooting well. All of them are Sub MOA.
 

Turkeytider

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 9, 2023
Messages
227
I find it amazing, how tribal people get about a brand. I love Tikka but currently do not have one in my safe. I have Christensen Arms Ridgelines x 3, Savage that is 40 years old I think 342 in 22 Hornet. Savage 110 Scout in 308, a Savage Axis in 25-06 and a bunch of ARs, Lever Actions and Shotguns. I love Tikka but everything in my safe is threaded now for a Silencer.

I have unloaded my Tikkas as they where not threaded. Looking at new builds that Tikka action is a hard one to beat. Feeds so smooth.

Funny thing is I have never had a problem with Savages shooting well. All of them are Sub MOA.
I think it`s rather childish and immature. It`s almost like someone`s sense of self-worth is somehow tied up in an inanimate object. We all have favorite products and that`s fine, but to belittle and call others names that might have another favorite is stupid IMHO.
 

atmat

WKR
Joined
Jun 10, 2022
Messages
2,627
I think it`s rather childish and immature. It`s almost like someone`s sense of self-worth is somehow tied up in an inanimate object. We all have favorite products and that`s fine, but to belittle and call others names that might have another favorite is stupid IMHO.
I don’t think folks here are tribal about Tikka for the sake of being tribal. It’s just the best bang for the buck right now.
 

Hnthrdr

WKR
Joined
Jan 29, 2022
Messages
2,647
Location
Co
I don’t have a ton of brand loyalty I just shoot what works/ what works for me. Didn’t have any tikkas, I recommended several to guys getting into hunting because it was the best bang for the buck. I shot those rifles and now I own 2 tikkas, CA, savage, ruger but I have owned brownings, Remingtons, springfields, rugers, ect.

I will say it’s super lame that you have to cut and thread tikkas, they need to fix that asap, although some of the more expensive models have that which is worth the extra 100-200 bucks IMO one of mine is a t3x ( currently getting cut/thread and cerakoted) and one is a roughtech
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2017
Messages
2,707
Location
PA
I don’t think folks here are tribal about Tikka for the sake of being tribal. It’s just the best bang for the buck right now.

At this exact moment, best bang for the buck is the sako s20 closeouts at eurooptic. Already in a chassis, cut and threaded, ceracoated, and have an integral picatinny rail. It costs more to do those upgrades to a t3x than theyre charging for the s20 right now.

The functionality and performance of my tikkas is significantly better than the rems and savages I used to own.
 

Formidilosus

Super Moderator
Joined
Oct 22, 2014
Messages
8,226
I find it amazing, how tribal people get about a brand.
I think it`s rather childish and immature. It`s almost like someone`s sense of self-worth is somehow tied up in an inanimate object. We all have favorite products and that`s fine, but to belittle and call others names that might have another favorite is stupid IMHO.


So who has gotten “tribal”, or who has tied they’re sense of self worth to a Tikka in this thread?
 

Turkeytider

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 9, 2023
Messages
227
So who has gotten “tribal”, or who has tied they’re sense of self worth to a Tikka in this thread?
As far as I`m concerned, no one on this forum. I had other posters on other sites in mind when I posted what I did. All in all, I think the folks who post here are quite civil. It`s not always so elsewhere.
 
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