Tikka vs christensen arms & Etc.

[Jarek49]

Hello guys, needing some help deciding on a 6.5prc lightweight rifle for backcountry/long range hunting out here in AZ for everything from Javelina to Elk. Here's my options.

●Tikka T3X Tan stock (Black Blued Barrel 24")
●Christensen arms Mesa (Burnt Bronze 24")
●Christensen arms Mesa 7mm PRC (FFT 20")
●Christensen arms evoke (22" barrel)
●Browning X-bolt Speed LR (26" barrel)

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Tikka, or Browning, since all of these guns need cut to 16 or 18" for suppressed hunting.

Prc is overrated too.

Thread '6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....'

Dec 17, 2021

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit not nearly as many as I should have, from a couple deer. I'll try to briefly describe the ones I don't have pics of.

If you have experiences, good or bad, post them up. Of course, pics are great, and add a lot of valuable information. Maybe it will take off, maybe it won't, but if it does it...

• woods89
• Replies: 1,497
• Forum: Firearms

• 

 

[wpeach1912]

Buy the stainless Tikka 6.5 prc on euro optic. You can replace the stock and be around the same as the Christensen and have a much better rifle.

 

[Shortschaf]

Agree with above. Christiansens are way overpriced. Cheesy actions.

 

[rookieforever33]

Personal preference on details are really what sets most rifles apart. Do you prefer a tang safety or one on the side of the action? Does a bolt that locks when the safety is on important to you? Three position safety or two? Adjustable comb and length of pull? Most manufactures produce rifles capable of out shooting the shooters abilities. Find one that has a stock that fits you well and checks boxes that are important to you. Or buy a couple different rifles because you like how different manufactures solve the same issues differently. Good luck.

 

[rookieforever33]

BTW. I have been very happy with my x bolts. And my savages. And my ruger. And my cva. Etc, etc, you get the picture

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I have several christensens and have been pleased. There customer service has beem phenomenal lately. My ridgeline FFT in 280 AI has taken 3 Ak moose and is going to go caribou hunting with me this fall. I’ll likely take it to Africa with me next year. The BA Tactical I have is a 6.5 PRC and is one of the most accurate rifles I have ever owned.

I have owned a few tikkas. Back when they were $500 they were a great value. Now I think they are extemely over priced and over rated.

I have owned 10 different xbolts and all of them have been awesome. I think they are a much better rifle than tikka. It is evident when you handle the tikka and xbolt side by side that the quality of the xbolt is significantly better.

 

[MuleyFever]

I think it just comes down to what you like in your hands. Any of the rifles on your list will work. The Tikka PRC will be slow for that caliber. If you really want the PRC performance bump don't get the Tikka unless you want to put a new barrel on it right away. Of get it and shoot it out practicing a lot. I don't know why people post anecdotes about killing animals as some kind of proof a rifle is good. There is a higher chance, based on past performance, that a Christensen could have an issue out of the box but it seems that they have always fixed any issues.

Like rookie alluded to above, people are happy with lots of various rifles. Find the one you like and buy it and go shoot.

 

[JohnJohnson]

Buy the stainless Tikka 6.5 prc on euro optic. You can replace the stock and be around the same as the Christensen and have a much better rifle.

This is great advice. Don't play the Christiansen lottery.

 

[Jarek49]

Tikka, or Browning, since all of these guns need cut to 16 or 18" for suppressed hunting.

Prc is overrated too.

Thread '6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....'

Dec 17, 2021

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit not nearly as many as I should have, from a couple deer. I'll try to briefly describe the ones I don't have pics of.

If you have experiences, good or bad, post them up. Of course, pics are great, and add a lot of valuable information. Maybe it will take off, maybe it won't, but if it does it...

• woods89
• Replies: 1,497
• Forum: Firearms

• 

Tikka, or Browning, since all of these guns need cut to 16 or 18" for suppressed hunting.

Prc is overrated too.

Thread '6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....'

Dec 17, 2021

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit not nearly as many as I should have, from a couple deer. I'll try to briefly describe the ones I don't have pics of.

If you have experiences, good or bad, post them up. Of course, pics are great, and add a lot of valuable information. Maybe it will take off, maybe it won't, but if it does it...

• woods89
• Replies: 1,497
• Forum: Firearms

• 

If not PRC, what caliber are you recommending?

 

[Jarek49]

Buy the stainless Tikka 6.5 prc on euro optic. You can replace the stock and be around the same as the Christensen and have a much better rifle.

Which stainless version are you referring too on eurooptic? The barrel would have to be threaded for me. I've searched everywhere for the tikka t3x roughtech ember stock with the SS barrel. Seems like they all vanished the one on eurooptic said tungsten not sure if it's just a tungsten finish then SS barrel underneath. But my ideal pick would definitely be SS.

 

[nobody]

Tikka or Browning, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6 Creedmoor, or Tight twist 243. Shoot lead core, fragmenting bullets like ELDM/X/SST or Sierra TMK’s to maximize your wound channels, and as long as you hit above the minimum impact velocity for those projectiles (1800 FPS) in front of the diaphragm, any game animal you point it at will die.

Avoid Christensen, proven track record of spotty QC and inconsistent accuracy, plus all the shortcomings consistent with the Remington 700 based platform of trigger issues.

Tikkas aren’t overrated or magical or overhyped, they just work, and the statistical probability that you’ll have some kind of issue is basically zero when compared with so many other options on the market.

 

[Jarek49]

Personal preference on details are really what sets most rifles apart. Do you prefer a tang safety or one on the side of the action? Does a bolt that locks when the safety is on important to you? Three position safety or two? Adjustable comb and length of pull? Most manufactures produce rifles capable of out shooting the shooters abilities. Find one that has a stock that fits you well and checks boxes that are important to you. Or buy a couple different rifles because you like how different manufactures solve the same issues differently. Good luck.

Great advice!! Thank you

 

[cuerro viejo]

You can buy and rebarrel a tikka atleast twice and some times 3x before you hit cost of a Christensen

 

[ResearchinStuff]

If not PRC, what caliber are you recommending?

6.5 creed or the 8 twist 243 are better factory choices for the vast majority of people.

 

[MuleyFever]

If not PRC, what caliber are you recommending?

Don't get hung up on cartridge. If you like the 6.5PRC and it makes you comfortable get it. Lots of great factory ammo available.

 

[Felix40]

I have a mesa fft that I absolutely love. It was great to just order the gun and have it show up ready to shoot in the configuration I wanted. It’s super accurate, feeds great, and is so nice and light to carry. I paid $1250 for it and I would happily do it again.

I just bought my son a tikka t3x based on the hype here. We haven’t even shot it yet but out of the box it didn’t blow me away. It feels like a $700 rifle should. I’m going to have to get the barrel threaded, buy a brake, and eventually upgrade the stock which will put the cost above the Christensen. The tikka has a plain blue finish which I’m hoping holds up well. The Christensen came with a much better finish.

I think it’s going to end up being a wash (assuming the tikka shoots good). The reason I got the tikka for my son is so that he can use the compact stock until he’s big enough to invest in something high quality and full size. And Christensen doesn’t make the mesa fft in any small calibers. If mesa fft came in 6 creedmoor or fast twist 243, that’s what I would have bought.

In the end, it comes down to preference, current sales, and availability.

 

[TaperPin]

Hello guys, needing some help deciding on a 6.5prc lightweight rifle for backcountry/long range hunting out here in AZ for everything from Javelina to Elk. Here's my options.

●Tikka T3X Tan stock (Black Blued Barrel 24")
●Christensen arms Mesa (Burnt Bronze 24")
●Christensen arms Mesa 7mm PRC (FFT 20")
●Christensen arms evoke (22" barrel)
●Browning X-bolt Speed LR (26" barrel)

All good choices.
I don’t know anything about Brownings.

Tikka has a large following so they must be doing something right - on average they shoot better than most, which is probably the main reason for their popularity. I don’t care for the plastic parts and the relatively fragile cocking knob that seems to get bent when disassembling the bolt if not done correctly.

I shoot a Christensen Mesa 6.5 PRC barrel on my Remington action and the profile is ideal for an accurate light mountain rifle. These barrels shoot well. Since it’s a clone of the Remington 700, the design has been proven and tweaked for over 70 years - the reason it’s the worlds most popular bolt action design is it works. Being the most copied basic design also means there are more options for stocks and aftermarket triggers than any other. You’ll hear a lot of arguments for the factory trigger and against the Remington, but any factory trigger should be replaced with a smoother and lighter aftermarket unit. Don’t be fooled by guys simply replacing springs - the entire factory trigger needs to be replaced on any rifle of any make.

If you had a 243 or 6 creed next to a 6.5 PRC in the truck and a javelina, coyote, rock chuck, prairie dog, or just a nice looking rock to shoot, I would always bet lunch you’d grab the 6mm first. 6.5 or 7 PRC are better hunting cartridges, but they aren’t as much fun to shoot as something smaller. Same thing applies to shooting steel plates at the range - bigger cartridges may be fun to shoot a few times, but 90% of the time you’ll reach for the 6mm. It’s a universal reaction that goes back well into the 1950s when a guy with a 270 and 243 wants to clobber a big varmint of some kind or just plink. If you already have a 6mm and want something bigger go with the 6.5 PRC, if not, the 6 creed or 243 is a much better base to start from.

 

[Seak_angler]

Tikka all day. Eurooptic has some killer prices right now too

 

[Jarek49]

Tikka all day. Eurooptic has some killer prices right now too

I did see the tikka t3x roughtech in ember stock with a tungsten cerakoted barrel on Europtic. Question is, is the barrel stainless steel underneath the tungsten cerakote.