Tikka owners: the dirty secret you didn’t share

[FrankNess14]

Long time scourer of the forums and you dirty Tikka owners didn’t prepare me for my first scope mounting to a T3x…

Here I am, a 40yr old man, being a good son and installing a scope for my step-mom on her new T3x compact that she practically stole from PSA…thinking it through, getting all the tools, degreasing all the things, pumping my pretty pink paint pen…all is well. Then I go to remove the screws in the top of the action to install the rail, first attempt and the screw head just shears off…I pucker….second screw starts comes out easy peasy…WTH? Third screw starts to shear off too… I study, I google, I use 5 different tiny little screw drivers…finally, I decide I’ll tap the screwdriver in a little to create a new slot for it…tap tap tap….the screw is driven down into the action and I about crap my pants thinking I’ve stripped the threads and broken this action!!!

The dirty little secret y’all conveniently (or strategically just for kicks and giggles) left out of all these glowing Tikka reviews, is that Gaston Glock designed the dang tikka thread protectors like he designed the stock pistol sights! They’re plastic!!!

Once this made its way into my thick skull, life was worth living again…

Thanks for nothing, Tikka Lovers…

P.S. - I can’t wait to shoot this thing! It’s really nice!

 

[JGRaider]

Forget the rail, go straight to the dovetail with UM or Sportsmatch. Problem solved.

 

[BBob]

Forget the rail, go straight to the dovetail with UM or Sportsmatch. Problem solved.

If you want to use recoil pins with the dovetail rings you will still need to deal with the dumb plastic plugs.

 

[FrankNess14]

Forget the rail, go straight to the dovetail with UM or Sportsmatch. Problem solved.

Dad cheaped out and I had to use his on hand scope with rings for rail…

 

[plebe]

If you want to use recoil pins with the dovetail rings you will still need to deal with the dumb plastic plugs.

Dealing with certain brand’s recoil pins is far worse than dealing with the plastic plugs.

 

[BBob]

Dealing with certain brand’s recoil pins is far worse than dealing with the plastic plugs.

That and if you bought a Cerakote action you might also have to deal with cleaning the coating out of the top of the thread to get the threaded pins to fit. BTDT

 

[plebe]

That and if you bought a Cerakote action you might also have to deal with cleaning the coating out of the top of the thread to get the threaded pins to fit. BTDT

I’ve added the popular brand rings to both stainless and Cerakote. Equally bad. Tried all the recommendations on cleaning things up.

On the upside, those pins aren’t moving.

 

[Gadjet]

Forget the rail, go straight to the dovetail with UM or Sportsmatch. Problem solved.

I second this!

 

[roosiebull]

Long time scourer of the forums and you dirty Tikka owners didn’t prepare me for my first scope mounting to a T3x…

Here I am, a 40yr old man, being a good son and installing a scope for my step-mom on her new T3x compact that she practically stole from PSA…thinking it through, getting all the tools, degreasing all the things, pumping my pretty pink paint pen…all is well. Then I go to remove the screws in the top of the action to install the rail, first attempt and the screw head just shears off…I pucker….second screw starts comes out easy peasy…WTH? Third screw starts to shear off too… I study, I google, I use 5 different tiny little screw drivers…finally, I decide I’ll tap the screwdriver in a little to create a new slot for it…tap tap tap….the screw is driven down into the action and I about crap my pants thinking I’ve stripped the threads and broken this action!!!

The dirty little secret y’all conveniently (or strategically just for kicks and giggles) left out of all these glowing Tikka reviews, is that Gaston Glock designed the dang tikka thread protectors like he designed the stock pistol sights! They’re plastic!!!

Once this made its way into my thick skull, life was worth living again…

Thanks for nothing, Tikka Lovers…

P.S. - I can’t wait to shoot this thing! It’s really nice!

Haha

Even if they weren’t plastic, it would still be worth the hassle. Tikkas are awesome for the money. I was shooting my wife’s savage UL and my tikka yesterday switching back and forth, and the savage felt like a pile. It bums me out that I have so much into that rifle (it’s in an xlr)

It shoots shoots fine, but feels like trash next to the tikka. It’s eventually going to be a gun that collects dust

 

[Dave0317]

I think you don’t hear about it because most people don’t mess with removing them. Just throw a Sportsmatch set of rings on it and call it good. I bet the cost of the Sportsmatch rings would be similar to an aftermarket rail anyway.

 

[lil' bear]

Here's a secret. When people on this forum are referring to tikka's they are ONLY referring to the Sako mass production models in the "T" series. However before sako acquired the company the man Tikkakowski himself built custom actions that are far superior to the "T" series actions. However nobody makes parts for them or will work on them. I've got 2 of them that make my t3x feel like a savage.

 

[Pharmseller]

Tikkas are so accurate you don’t need a scope. Just sight down the barrel and let fly.



P