Tikka t3 better than t3x

[TxLite]

3 blued steel ones seemed better than any stainless steel one

This has been my experience as well with 4 blued vs 1 SS

 

[SouthPaw]

My T3 is from 2008ish and is smoother than all of my/others' T3x I've shot. T3 seems to have slightly lighter bolt lift and bolt close. Can't speak to accuracy as it's on barrel #3 and I wasn't a good enough shooter back when it had barrel #1 (LW 300wm...). However the T3 bolt and firing pin spring seem to gum up a lot faster/worse than my T3x in moist environments. That's probably a me/maintenance thing though

 

[Mtndawger]

Bolt lift is lighter on my lone stainless T3. Not sure on trigger spring, haven’t noticed anything different. It was a 270wsm but wears a blued 6.5 prc barrel now. Shoots like you would expect either way.

 

[Sled]

The T3 had a light trigger spring that would reach 2lbs. I haven't had a T3x get past 3lbs yet. Not saying they don't exist but the couple dozen I've had hands on all needed a spring swap. The actions are all plenty smooth. I'd be splitting hairs to say the harder/ softer metal or finish was noticable to me when running the action while shooting.

 

[General RE LEE]

The big difference I’ve noticed is how much smoother the blued T3x action is compared to a stainless one. I’ve never messed with a T3.

I was going to say the same thing. I had a blued T3 that was smoother than a stainless T3x but, I have a blued CTR that’s as smooth as the blued T3.

 

[Castle Rock]

That would be the coated bolt

 

[Dunky]

My 2 T3’s I have seem to have a little lighter bolt lift than the 2 T3Xs and smoother. All stainless. I had thought that the T3’s were probably smoother since I had them for years and they were “ broke in” before I ever tried aT3X and compared. Maybe not the case. I sold one T3 action a while back and kind of regretting it.

 

[cal30_sniper]

My blued T3X actions have both smoothed up noticeably during the first hundred rounds or so. I’m hoping that will also be the case with the stainless actions.

That would be the coated bolt

Can you elaborate on that? I don’t see any difference between the bolts in my stainless and blued actions, but I could be missing something.

 

[HighUintas]

My blued T3X actions have both smoothed up noticeably during the first hundred rounds or so. I’m hoping that will also be the case with the stainless actions.


Can you elaborate on that? I don’t see any difference between the bolts in my stainless and blued actions, but I could be missing something.

I've got a t3 223 bolt I got from a guy on rokslide and it is coated. I don't know what with though. It was super smooth in my SS t3x action before 500+ rounds without cleaning a single thing on it

 

[vonb]

T3 .223 left hand and T3x .22-250 left hand here. The T3 feels a touch smoother. It also has the better trigger. The difference is small but it’s there.

 

[cal30_sniper]

I've got a t3 223 bolt I got from a guy on rokslide and it is coated. I don't know what with though. It was super smooth in my SS t3x action before 500+ rounds without cleaning a single thing on it

Ah, I see. I had misread the post to imply that the blued actions had some coating that the stainless actions do not.