Tikka T3X Lite

[grumthompson]

I am looking to get a tikka t3x lite in 30-06 for hunting out west and deer hunting in northern minnesota. Wanted to see what every thinks of the gun if they have one and if they find it acceptable for long range hunting out west.

 

[Wapiti151]

Tikka, yes...Better calibers than '06 these days for all around hunting, IMO. I'd look at the 6.5s...shot my first bull with a 6.5CM at 534 yds and he went about 4 feet before he dropped. Maybe look into the 6.5PRC. TONS of info on this forum for you to dive into

 

[sierracharlie338]

Mines a 243 and they would be a great option if you want to entertain the recoil of a 3006. Definitely accurate enough from my experiences.

 

[4cMuley]

I’m no fan of the cartridge but it will absolutely work if that’s what you like. Tikka’s are (imo) the best choice without spending exponentially more money these days.

 

[Marbles]

Rokslide is the Tikka fan club. Other than cartridge selection, you will not find many people around here saying anything against them.

That said, I recently switched to Tikkas and think they are great rifles.

30-06 will certainly get the job done, I would choose something smaller. I replaced my 30-06 with a 308, and now I want to pull the 308 barrel and put a 6 CM on it, though I would take a 6.5 CM or a 7mm-08 over the 308 or 30-06 as well.

 

[MTRaine]

Tikka has steadily become the new R700. Good after market support with ever expanding options. The best part is the trigger is exceptional for a factory rig and they are incredibly accurate. I wish they would update their twists in some cartridges, but other than that its hard to find much to nitpick at for a $800 rifle.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

My tikka 30-06 is my favorite rifle. You should get one.

I also have one in 6.5 creedmoore ( and a 22 and a 223 and another 6.5 in the way) but if I had to keep just one I’d keep that 30-06. I have mine cut back to 18”, a few small upgrades and I shoot it with a silencer, it’s an awesome gun.

 

[Chris_in_Idaho]

Out of curiosity are you looking at the stainless or blued T3X Lite?

 

[dlars97]

I'm very impressed with my tikka t3x in 7mag. Nice trigger from the factory, smooth action, and good accuracy. Hard to beat for the price.

 

[sbaker0029]

You definitely can't go wrong with a tikka stainless lite or the .30-'06.
That being said.
I've got tikkas in .243 and 6.5 cm that are both great to shoot. My .30-'06 is a xbolt and since I've started shooting the tikkas I hardly get the .30-'06 out anymore. I've got a mark v in 243 as well and I'd rather shoot the tikka 243.

I'd go for a tikka in 6.5cm, 6.5prc, 7mm-08, or .260 remington. Something without as much recoil if you're not going put a suppressor on it.

 

[keystone112]

I have a T3x lite in 30-06 that I am happy with. 180 grain for elk and 150/165 for deer.

If you intend to do truly long range shooting, you might want to consider other cartridge options.

 

[Pharmseller]

Tikka…pffft




P

 

[grumthompson]

Out of curiosity are you looking at the stainless or blued T3X Lite?

Honestly either but i have toyed with both ideas. I don’t necessarily see the benefit of the stainless for the money in my instances

 

[Chris_in_Idaho]

Fair enough.

My uses will include a lot of wet winter exposure, so if the stainless is a little slower to rust I see it as a benefit. Also I personally prefer a homogeneous material vs a metal with a surface treatment. Next time I slip and fall in an avalanche chute I don't want the dings to expose raw carbon steel where the bluing or cerakote got broken.

Only asking because I just bought my first Tikka and the decision process is still fresh on my mind.

 

[FB Trout]

I have a Tikka T3 30-06 that I bought 15 years ago, first Tikka I owned, but now a plethora abound. I rarely shoot it now, but mostly I don’t like recoil at all and shoot the other calibers (6.5 and 22 Creedmoor) much better. Great gun, just wouldn’t be my first caliber choice for western hunting.

 

[grumthompson]

Fair enough.

My uses will include a lot of wet winter exposure, so if the stainless is a little slower to rust I see it as a benefit. Also I personally prefer a homogeneous material vs a metal with a surface treatment. Next time I slip and fall in an avalanche chute I don't want the dings to expose raw carbon steel where the bluing or cerakote got broken.

Only asking because I just bought my first Tikka and the decision process is still fresh on my mind.

Make sense and that was kinda my thought process and just thought i’d be able to take care of my rifle well enough to stop rust. hunted my entire life with blued rifles! Hell the rifle i’m putting down for the tikka is 70 years old and still not rusted!

 

[BrBa]

I too might look hard at a 6.5 Creedmoor, preferably with 24" barrel to give a bit more speed. Had a .30-06 T3 Hunter about 15 years ago. It was a very accurate rifle but not much fun to shoot in a light package.

You didn't mention distances you expect to hunt, or if you hand load.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I too might look hard at a 6.5 Creedmoor, preferably with 24" barrel to give a bit more speed. Had a .30-06 T3 Hunter about 15 years ago. It was a very accurate rifle but not much fun to shoot in a light package.

You didn't mention distances you expect to hunt, or if you hand load.

The 24” tikka super light 6.5 creedmoor is a really nice gun, I’ve had one for about 7 years now. Easy to load for and very accurate.

 

[bluetick]

I own one and it’s the only rifle I use for all my hunts here in the west for all an animals. Large variety of bullets and readily available in factory rounds and easy handload. I wouldn’t choose another rifle/cartridge combo

 

[Sled]

Make sense and that was kinda my thought process and just thought i’d be able to take care of my rifle well enough to stop rust. hunted my entire life with blued rifles! Hell the rifle i’m putting down for the tikka is 70 years old and still not rusted!

Not all blueing is created equal. I have mostly cerakoted Tikka rifles that were blued. Prior to cerakoting they'd show rust on an oiled rag after a humid hunt. I had older firearms that I've hunted with in Louisiana that never showed corrosion with minimal care.