Had the chance to handle the new T3x at my local Cabela's today. Lucked out as the guy running the show was just as much of a Tikka nerd as me.
Here is a brief summary of my observations:
Feel: The gun feels/points/balances identically to the T3 Lites that we have all come to adore. The weight is the same, down to the ounce. (300 win mag about 6.4 lbs). If you handed me both back to back, the only way to tell they were different is the updated and VERY grippy stock and pistol grip texture on the T3x. The new pattern is not grippy like a rubberized material, but rather full of very aggressive pock marks, which should prevent the stock from slipping around when wet or cold like the old T3s like to do. Remember that the pistol grip is removable on the T3x, so for you fellas who do a lot of prone shooting, that should be a pretty slick upgrade as well.
Finish (or should I say Finnish
): The barrel and machining is top quality, as we have come to expect from Sako and their little brother Tikka. The action is smooth as butter, both in feel, and operation. Safety is identical. The updated recoil pad is probably the best thing Tikka could have done to their T3 line IMHO. They now come with about as good a pad as you will find on a factory rifle, which is a HUGE upgrade to the hard rubber brick excuse of a recoil pad on the old model. The stock DOES NOT echo like the old one, apparently it is filled with some sort of noise dampening foam/gel/unicorn blood. Another nice update. Last bit, apparently the action port is longer, I didn't notice, as I was not dropping rounds into the gun, but I'm sure that will be another welcome addition for guys who do a lot of shooting from the bench. I typically slap a full mag in and call 'er good, so this is a moot point for me.
In conclusion I think that it is awesome that Tikka listened to basically every single complaint out there and evolved an already stellar gun based on that feedback. To me, more companies should operate that way. No doubt they were making a killing selling the old T3s and they didn't NEED to make any changes to continue to sell tons more, BUT they did, and that fact alone is just another reason they will always be on the top of my list of best bang for your buck factory rifles.
Hope this helps some of you Tikka nuts who haven't had a chance to check one out in person yet. Oh, and the price point is 749.99, not too shabby in my opinion.
Here is a brief summary of my observations:
Feel: The gun feels/points/balances identically to the T3 Lites that we have all come to adore. The weight is the same, down to the ounce. (300 win mag about 6.4 lbs). If you handed me both back to back, the only way to tell they were different is the updated and VERY grippy stock and pistol grip texture on the T3x. The new pattern is not grippy like a rubberized material, but rather full of very aggressive pock marks, which should prevent the stock from slipping around when wet or cold like the old T3s like to do. Remember that the pistol grip is removable on the T3x, so for you fellas who do a lot of prone shooting, that should be a pretty slick upgrade as well.
Finish (or should I say Finnish
): The barrel and machining is top quality, as we have come to expect from Sako and their little brother Tikka. The action is smooth as butter, both in feel, and operation. Safety is identical. The updated recoil pad is probably the best thing Tikka could have done to their T3 line IMHO. They now come with about as good a pad as you will find on a factory rifle, which is a HUGE upgrade to the hard rubber brick excuse of a recoil pad on the old model. The stock DOES NOT echo like the old one, apparently it is filled with some sort of noise dampening foam/gel/unicorn blood. Another nice update. Last bit, apparently the action port is longer, I didn't notice, as I was not dropping rounds into the gun, but I'm sure that will be another welcome addition for guys who do a lot of shooting from the bench. I typically slap a full mag in and call 'er good, so this is a moot point for me.In conclusion I think that it is awesome that Tikka listened to basically every single complaint out there and evolved an already stellar gun based on that feedback. To me, more companies should operate that way. No doubt they were making a killing selling the old T3s and they didn't NEED to make any changes to continue to sell tons more, BUT they did, and that fact alone is just another reason they will always be on the top of my list of best bang for your buck factory rifles.
Hope this helps some of you Tikka nuts who haven't had a chance to check one out in person yet. Oh, and the price point is 749.99, not too shabby in my opinion.
