Tikka caliber?

[Newtosavage]

I’ve got the older T3 lite in 30-06. I love it, it’s my first and only rifle had it 11 years now. It’s only shortcoming is that it does not like 180gr bullets—and it HATES core lokts. I think the twist rate is not ideal for longer bullets. But everything else in 150gr and 165gr is MOA or less. Recoil is nothing to worry about.

I had the same experience with my Tikka '06 - 180's were just so-so but 165's were really good.

Folks keep mentioning the long action, but I haven't seen anyone mention the value of having a long action in a short action caliber (like the .308 or my 7mm-08) which is to allow you to seat heavy bullets way out to touch the lands. My 162 ELD-X's touch the lands at 2.96" and I load them at 2.90" - longer than many short actions can hold in the magazine. With the Tikka, it's a simple modification to the magazine and bolt stop, or just swap out with a LA mag and bolt stop, and you can then seat long bullets in those SA calibers and gain some velocity and accuracy at the same time. So, I see the long action Tikka for short action calibers as a bonus, not a waste.

 

[prm]

The extra room in the T3X mag/action is what drove my latest build. I started with a T3X in 6.5 Creed so I could get the M+ mag. Swapped the barrel for a .243 so it could be rechambered and now it’s being rebored to 338 Fed. Gets me away from the 2.82” limit of my 84M. Like the OP, I don’t see myself shooting beyond 400, so this works just fine for me. A 180-200gn 338 bullet starting out at 2700-2800 fps will kill anything I hunt. There were a couple bullets (200 AB and 200 BT) I could not get to shoot consistently well with the 2.82” limit and I look forward to seeing if this improves that.

 

[jruff002]

i cut my tikka 7mm barrel down to 20" cuz i got tired of carrying around an extremely long gun w/my can on it, it was shooting 1/2"-3/4" groups w/162 sst's and imr4831. (i know i dont wanna hear shoulda just bot a 7-08, this is my meat machine no way i was ridding it and curious at same time), after cut down i kept same load, switched to retumbo and gained 100fps over what i was shooting w/24" barrel but now w/20" barrel. Then i just built me a moose load w/160 partitions and i'll be D'd i kept same powder charge, first load shot 1/2" and i left it. now i have a baaaaddddd lil 20" 7rm that i shoot out to 800 yds thats as far as i can go where i live

 

[slowelk]

I’ve got the older T3 lite in 30-06. I love it, it’s my first and only rifle had it 11 years now. It’s only shortcoming is that it does not like 180gr bullets—and it HATES core lokts. I think the twist rate is not ideal for longer bullets. But everything else in 150gr and 165gr is MOA or less. Recoil is nothing to worry about.

I have had a similar experience. I really want my 30-06 superlite to like 180 accubonds, but it just doesn't. Different than you though, the 165 don't make much difference. Both the Federal and Nosler loads 165/180 come in at 1"-1.5". It seems to come down to what they are loading, rather than weight because the factory 178 eld-x are the right recipe and shoot consistently under moa out to 500.

With the high BC of the eld-x you carry good energy down-range and have over 1500 ft# at 500 yards making it an excellent north-american all around choice.

 

[Wrongside]

With the high BC of the eld-x you carry good energy down-range and have over 1500 ft# at 500 yards making it an excellent north-american all around choice.

Or a guy can shoot something like the 6.5 147ELD- with its much higher BC- out of a 6.5 Creed/260 Rem class chambering and have roughly the same energy, while slipping the wind better, with way less recoil.

 

[carsonkeys]

i cut my tikka 7mm barrel down to 20" cuz i got tired of carrying around an extremely long gun w/my can on it, it was shooting 1/2"-3/4" groups w/162 sst's and imr4831. (i know i dont wanna hear shoulda just bot a 7-08, this is my meat machine no way i was ridding it and curious at same time), after cut down i kept same load, switched to retumbo and gained 100fps over what i was shooting w/24" barrel but now w/20" barrel. Then i just built me a moose load w/160 partitions and i'll be D'd i kept same powder charge, first load shot 1/2" and i left it. now i have a baaaaddddd lil 20" 7rm that i shoot out to 800 yds thats as far as i can go where i live

Did you notice an increase in muzzle blast and sound between the 24" and 20"? Did you happen to get any dope on factory loads before and after the chop?

 

[jruff002]

Did you notice an increase in muzzle blast and sound between the 24" and 20"? Did you happen to get any dope on factory loads before and after the chop?

no i really can't tell much difference in anything other than velocity which i lost around 100-125 fps. i think it reported a lil louder but i think that's cuz it's 4" closer to my ear than normal but uncertain on that part. i haven't shot factory loads in it since i bought new prolly like 8-10 year ago. with the retumbo and 162 or 160 loads cruising around 2800fps, i didn't fool much with the retumbo preety much both shot great and pleased w/velocity so i stopped there

 

[Outdoorsman12b]

CALIBERS I'M CONSIDERING
-308
-30-06
-300WSM

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
I'll start off by saying I've drank the Tikka T3X Kool-Aid pretty hard. I've never shot one (played with/drooled over plenty), but seeing as how guys rave about them on here I'm not too worried about it. The price point, cold hammer forged barrels, the bolt on the wrong side, and butter smooth action make it attractive to me. It will be used to hunt elk, muleys, bears, WT, pronghorn, and BC goat in 2020, and hopefully sheep after that. I was born and raised in Fairbanks, AK and still have family and friends there, so realistically I will most likely be chasing moose and caribou with it as well. In my military days I used the .308 extensively, and really love the cartridge. I've seen it kill WT, and black bear with relative ease. I've got zero experience with both the 30-06, and 300 wsm. Growing up in Alaska and after having run-ins with grizzlies I always used my pops 338 win mag, and handled the recoil fine. However, I'm not looking to carry that heavy of a rifle and/or have my ass kicked every time I use it, nor do I think I need a 338 due to the majority of my hunting being outside of AK and away from grizz country.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR OUT OF THE RIFLE
I'd like it to be a relatively lightweight, short barreled (i'm thinking 20" but open) work horse that, by switching bullets, I can rely on all over NA. I'd like to keep my hunting range 400 yards and in. With mountain goats in mind, I'm very keen on having the ability to put a critter down HARD. I don't want it to leap off a cliff if I can help it; that insurance is the reason for my consideration of the WSM.

I like the .308 because I can, and have, made shots out to +700 meters on man-sized silhouettes both due to training and very little recoil (we ran cans on our rifles). I'm considering the 30-06 because relative to a .308 I can push the same weight bullet significantly faster, but I'm curious about the increased recoil? Where does a 300WSM fit on the recoil spectrum on a relatively lightweight gun like the tikka?



I don't really feel like I need a 300WM, and I don't think i'll feel under gunned with any of the above cartridges, but i'm looking for guys that know.

From what you described the 308 is what I would go with. I'm guessing your familiar with the ballistics of the 165 gr already. Cutting down the barrel to 20 in won't net as much velocity loss and the muzzle blast will not be as ignorant. You could get the barrel threaded at the same time as well in case you wanted to consider a brake or can down the road.

The 06 in a tikka will let you know it's there. Very manageable with a limbsaver though.

 

[deerkiller]

IF you are going to take the "load down" advice then buy a Tikka superlight in 7mm Rem Mag, send it to J.E.S. in Cottage Grove OR and have it made into a 338 Win Mag then load THAT down - I have one and with the legendary "LIMBSAVER AIRCELL PAD" the recoil is not bad at all (remember that "recoil" is perceived differently by each of us) THAT is one big thing that makes choosing a rifle so unique for each of us -
NOW you'd have a truly versatile hunting firearm, premium bullets available from 180 - 250 in very usable increments, in a 22" barrel it's quite capable and don't let the B.C. crunchers tell you it won't be a 500 yard killer because they'd be wrong

 

[Trr15]

IF you are going to take the "load down" advice then buy a Tikka superlight in 7mm Rem Mag, send it to J.E.S. in Cottage Grove OR and have it made into a 338 Win Mag then load THAT down - I have one and with the legendary "LIMBSAVER AIRCELL PAD" the recoil is not bad at all (remember that "recoil" is perceived differently by each of us) THAT is one big thing that makes choosing a rifle so unique for each of us -
NOW you'd have a truly versatile hunting firearm, premium bullets available from 180 - 250 in very usable increments, in a 22" barrel it's quite capable and don't let the B.C. crunchers tell you it won't be a 500 yard killer because they'd be wrong

If you search long enough you can still find the factory T3s chambered in .338 win mag. I just picked one up on gunbroker a few months ago. Brand new.


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[deerkiller]

If you search long enough you can still find the factory T3s chambered in .338 win mag. I just picked one up on gunbroker a few months ago. Brand new.


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Yes, I understand that but 2 things: 1) they're not superlights 2) 1 of only 2 chamberings ever that didn't work out as well as hoped for Tikka

 

[Trr15]

Yes, I understand that but 2 things: 1) they're not superlights 2) 1 of only 2 chamberings ever that didn't work out as well as hoped for Tikka

What didn’t work out with them? I’ve yet to find a load mine doesn’t like. It’s an absolute tack driver. Recoil isn’t nearly as bad as one would assume (possibly due in part to the fact that I replaced the factory stock). I have T3 lites and superlites and see no benefit to one over the other. Is there something other than a 3oz weight difference that I’m not considering about the superlite?


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[TwoTikkas]

Had a T3 stainless in 338 Win mag. I think it makes more sense in that configuration than the 300 Win mag. If for no other reason than mag length.

 

[carsonkeys]

Here's an update for y'all. I went to Cabelas to just play with a LH tikka (I've never owned a LH gun in my life, and wanted to make sure I wouldn't prefer the RH models i'm used to). They ended up having the 30-06 in LH so I went with that. I'm absolutely pumped about it. I'll be mounting a Zeiss conquest V6 in a week or two. Thanks for all of your input gents, I appreciate it!

 

[carsonkeys]

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[Trr15]

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Sweet man! Can’t go wrong with that setup. You’re gonna love it.


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[All American Boy]

Got the Tikka T3 in 300 WSM and have taken untold number of mule deer, elk, and antelope in CO & WY. The lightweight rifle shoots sweet and carries like a pillow. But, it kicks like a mule. Muzzle brake toned it down significantly. Loud, but I wear earplugs. Frankly, overkill for deer and antelope, really shines with elk, big critters that need some extra punch.

 

[deerkiller]

What didn’t work out with them? I’ve yet to find a load mine doesn’t like. It’s an absolute tack driver. Recoil isn’t nearly as bad as one would assume (possibly due in part to the fact that I replaced the factory stock). I have T3 lites and superlites and see no benefit to one over the other. Is there something other than a 3oz weight difference that I’m not considering about the superlite?


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OF COURSE ! the "COOL" factory …..

 

[deerkiller]

OF COURSE ! the "COOL" factory …..

Beretta went "mute" on the issue, the only thing I could find was on another forum, something about the chamber integrity but that is too nondescript for my liking - I had one in a T3 lite stainless that I could not get to shoot ANYTHING decently but never had any case distortions or anything like that, I rebarreled it and moved on
338 Win Mag is one of, if not THE most unappreciated chambering in existence - Sure it kicks a bit but no more than a 300 Win mag (in the same rifles) and in a lot of instances it kicks less - for terminal performance the 338 bore is near optimal, very friendly ballistically too - why is the 338 Lapua so darned beloved ?

 

[deerkiller]

Got the Tikka T3 in 300 WSM and have taken untold number of mule deer, elk, and antelope in CO & WY. The lightweight rifle shoots sweet and carries like a pillow. But, it kicks like a mule. Muzzle brake toned it down significantly. Loud, but I wear earplugs. Frankly, overkill for deer and antelope, really shines with elk, big critters that need some extra punch.

I know, right ? I HATE it when something dies "too dead" !!