Tikka Aftermarket Bolt Handles - Teach Me

[gjw]

Hey all, as you may know I'm a new Tikka owner.

I was wondering what you can tell me about the aftermarket bolt handles being offered for Tikka rifles

Are they worth it, do they improve the throw any comments would be great

Thanks as always

Greg

 

[eightyeight mag]

Sterk is the way.
Greatly improves bolt throw and very well made.

 

[bpitcher]

I use the UM short standard with ball.

It does exactly what it was designed to do - improve function while maintaining a low enough profile not to get snagged on everything. They're a little pricey, but I think they're a good investment. The factory set up was always harder to get a good grip on for me.

 

[General RE LEE]

It’s a small “upgrade” but for typical hunting applications, not necessary. I never had any issue whatsoever working the bolt on a Tikka as it’s configured from the factory.

 

[robtattoo]

I use the UM short standard with ball.

It does exactly what it was designed to do - improve function while maintaining a low enough profile not to get snagged on everything. They're a little pricey, but I think they're a good investment. The factory set up was always harder to get a good grip on for me.

^^^^
This.

I was genuinely surprised by how much of an improvement a shorter handle made to the handling & manipulation of the rifle.

Previously, I'd used the $8 Tourbon slip on rubber balls (I still have one on my Swede & T1x, like @bpitcher said.....spendy) & they're much better than the stock handle, but the short handle is awesomer

 

[renagde]

Sterk and don't look back.

 

[TNKnoxville]

I have the Anarchy bolt handles and little Bertha knobs on 3 of my Tikka's. To me it makes the throw smoother.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I use the UM short standard with ball.

It does exactly what it was designed to do - improve function while maintaining a low enough profile not to get snagged on everything. They're a little pricey, but I think they're a good investment. The factory set up was always harder to get a good grip on for me.

Be warned if you have multiple tikkas you’ll probably end up changing all if you change 1. Going back to the factory knob feels weird after.

 

[Chris in TN]

So, I had always thought of scope throw levers and extended bolt handles as being the sort of things that limp-wristed effeminate men used. Then I started teaching my kids to shoot, and they *needed* the extra help rapidly moving the scope magnification - with a handy index stopping point for mid-range - and they needed help manipulating the bolt. Turns out, that stuff actually works and makes everything faster/easier, though it comes at the cost of having things stick out further when your gun is cased or slung.


I bought the kids one of those cheap 3d printed bolt knob extensions on Amazon. It slides over the factory ball and a screw inside pushes some tabs into the hollow of the knob and holds the extension in place. Cheap, simple, and a major improvement over the factory knob. YMMV.

 

[Schmitty]

It seems I've got a bunch of different styles. A couple of the UM short ball handles, a Sterk knockoff, a titanium handle with carbon fiber knob, and honestly my favorite is the MDT plastic knob that screws on over the factory handle. I just bought 2 more of them on their black Friday sale at a 40% discount because $30 is alot to spend on a couple of pieces of plastic! Functionally though, they are the most natural feeling and offer the most intuitive bolt manipulation of the group. The Sterk swept style feels the least natural/clunky and I honestly prefer the factory handle to it. (Obviously others love it, so YMMV!)

Just a heads up that some of these aftermarket handles are a TIGHT fit and make it a real pain to disassemble the bolt for maintenance down the road. I've had to polish a couple of them just to get them to squeeze into the bolt body.

https://mdttac.com/us/mdt-bolt-knob

Mind you I've got really big hands, so your experience may vary.

Schmitty

 

[flyfisher117]

I got the UM short handle and round ball knob.

Was it worth it? Yes on a rifle I shoot a lot. No if it was going on a rifle I shoot 2 times a year.

It didn’t make me John Wick of the elk woods but overall I do really like the minor changes it did make.

 

[nm.otter]

The factory Roughtech knob is a bit easier to grab than the standard version.

 

[43.6N]

Whatever you pick, make sure you have a reason.
Here’s a few discussed elsewhere on rokslide:
-Snag hazard? Go short.
-Need to index your finger along the stock for good safety discipline? Go Short.
-Having light primer strikes because the bolt is not fully engaged along the cam path? Go Short.
-Need better grip with gloves? Longer and textured is the answer.
-Trying to replicate the accuracy international bolt feel? Get a sterk handle.


1” ball is my preferred knob size across all my guns.
I actually like the factory handle length a lot.

I added a 3D printed textured 1” knob to my handle. Very positive grip. Good handling with gloves. Mimics the factory target knob.

My use case drove the gear choice: January elk hunt with temps expected down to -20f. AND nighttime winter coyote hunting.

Here’s the CTR knob and my 3D printed knob for comparison.

Amazon.com

 

[Billogna]

UM Short lever with ball for me too! It's impressive how intuitive it is after a little practice with it.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

It didn’t make me John Wick of the elk woods but overall I do really like the minor changes it did make.

This for sure. Its a "nice to have" ergonomics thing that I wrote off till I tried one and it just felt nicer to run the action.