Tikka vs Christensen

[Jmyers12]

I am currently shooting a Bergara wilderness terrain in 7mm rem mag. It is way too heavy. I need something that is more light weight and am stuck between a Christensen arms fft or a tikka roughtech superlite. I want a .280 ackley but the tikka price point is way more appealing. I don’t have experience with either shooting wise and was curious on opinions. I will be hunting elk/deer with it mainly and I have a night force nx8 for the rifle.

 

[jaredg]

 

[Ajsomp]

Christensen is never the answer

 

[Long84]

You're going to hear a lot of Tikka love and Christensen hate around here. Personally, I have had issues with 3 out of the 4 Christensens that I have owned. While Tikkas have had a clear track record in my book.

 

[Jmyers12]

You're going to hear a lot of Tikka love and Christensen hate around here. Personally, I have had issues with 3 out of the 4 Christensens that I have owned. While Tikkas have had a clear track record in my book.

Is it an accuracy issue ? I was more or less looking at them weight wise. I don’t have the coin for a custom rifle either.

 

[Ajsomp]

I owned two Christensens personally. Another buddy owned two. Of those only one shot, and it was one of the first MPRs out. The rest would not group. With anything. The Christensen rep told me over the phone I was obviously a piss poor shooter and should choose quality ammo.

I wouldn’t give one to anyone, even people I don’t like. Because it would likely wound an animal and not kill it.

 

[Jmyers12]

I owned two Christensens personally. Another buddy owned two. Of those only one shot, and it was one of the first MPRs out. The rest would not group. With anything. The Christensen rep told me over the phone I was obviously a piss poor shooter and should choose quality ammo.

I wouldn’t give one to anyone, even people I don’t like. Because it would likely wound an animal and not kill it.

sounds good. I’ll take a look at the tikkas and save money doing it as well!

 

[Don406]

I have read lots of hate for Christensen despite that I just bought a FFT in 7mm PRC I followed the barel break in on the Christensen website my gun shots sub inch groups I am currently shooting Fereral Terminal ascent ammo could not be more happy. Also have 2 other friends with same gun different calibers with same accuracy

Buy what you feel works best for you and meets your needs

 

[EastTX Jess]

I bought a Tikka left handed action with a .280 AI Ace barrel recently. Then picked up a Stocky’s blem for $299. Counting the $35 for sponges and paint, I’m in the rifle for less than $1,900. It is just over 6lbs as it sits and will be about 7.5 scoped. I’d recommend this route over any Christensen.

 

[aachey]

I just bought a tikka roughtech superlite from eurooptics in 7 rem mag. Talley lightweights, trijicon huron 3-12, little bastard brake, weighs 7 pounds 13 ounces. Might change the brake just to lighten it up the extra couple ounces. Hardly any felt recoil, shooting 160’s(over 3000) and 175’s(over 2900) and easily shooting 3/4 inch or better. And i’ve only fired it 12 rounds. Going to work my loads a little higher, as i’m not at max, and just wanna see where accuracy and velocity end up. Otherwise if i do my part, i pity any little tasty raghorn that gets in my way in October.

 

[NealS02]

I strongly considered a Christensen at one point, and I am sure they make fine rifles most of the time. The question really is how much value you place on reliability while in the field. I was skeptical of Tikkas or at least thought there was some exaggeration on here regarding their accuracy and no fuss reliability. I picked up a T3X lite in 6.5 CM last summer and have been proven wrong. I couldn’t be happier with the choice to buy one and am now planning on adding at least one or two more over the next year. You’ll save money, time, and frustration with the Tikka.

 

[Jmyers12]

I just bought a tikka roughtech superlite from eurooptics in 7 rem mag. Talley lightweights, trijicon huron 3-12, little bastard brake, weighs 7 pounds 13 ounces. Might change the brake just to lighten it up the extra couple ounces. Hardly any felt recoil, shooting 160’s(over 3000) and 175’s(over 2900) and easily shooting 3/4 inch or better. And i’ve only fired it 12 rounds. Going to work my loads a little higher, as i’m not at max, and just wanna see where accuracy and velocity end up. Otherwise if i do my part, i pity any little tasty raghorn that gets in my way in October.

I was looking at the exact rifle looks like a good deal on there!

 

[shooter7]

I owned two Christensens personally. Another buddy owned two. Of those only one shot, and it was one of the first MPRs out. The rest would not group. With anything. The Christensen rep told me over the phone I was obviously a piss poor shooter and should choose quality ammo.

I wouldn’t give one to anyone, even people I don’t like. Because it would likely wound an animal and not kill it.

Sounds kinda similar to my experience with Christensen. I had a Mesa produced in 2018. I followed the break-in procedure, then went on to try to work up a decent handload for elk hunting. 400 rounds later I get in touch with customer service, I tell them all the bullet/powder combos I've tried and what they recommend for factory ammo. Everything ive tried is 3-5 MOA groups. I have zero luck with the factory ammo, then ask about getting the barrel replaced because its not even trying to meet the sub MOA guarantee. They emailed me back and said I was on the hook for barrel replacement costs because handloads void the accuracy guarantee. Turned me away from ever trying another rifle of theirs or recommending them to anyone.

I could understand if I blew up the rifle with handloads as it would void any warranty work, but handloads voiding an accuracy guarantee is just stupid.

 

[fuzzymarindave]

Might take a look at Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 in 280AI. The Peak 44 stock helps make the package very light. You can also buy a Peak 44 for the Tikka but you’d be in about the same amount as the Weatherby.

 

[deerhunter628]

Sounds kinda similar to my experience with Christensen. I had a Mesa produced in 2018. I followed the break-in procedure, then went on to try to work up a decent handload for elk hunting. 400 rounds later I get in touch with customer service, I tell them all the bullet/powder combos I've tried and what they recommend for factory ammo. Everything ive tried is 3-5 MOA groups. I have zero luck with the factory ammo, then ask about getting the barrel replaced because its not even trying to meet the sub MOA guarantee. They emailed me back and said I was on the hook for barrel replacement costs because handloads void the accuracy guarantee. Turned me away from ever trying another rifle of theirs or recommending them to anyone.

I could understand if I blew up the rifle with handloads as it would void any warranty work, but handloads voiding an accuracy guarantee is just stupid.

Most rifle companies, including Tikka, specify to only use factory ammo.

 

[nobody]

I’ll echo another pro-tikka anti-Christensen view. We’ve owned 2 christensen’s: a Mesa and an MPR. The Mesa in 308 wouldn’t chamber factory ammo without some muscular persuasion, so it was never even fired. Their customer service never responded to me reaching out via multiple avenues so it went down the road. The MPR in 6.5 PRC shot itty bitty groups, but either the barrel was crooked or the scope base holes were crooked, because we had the scope zeroed alllllllll the way to one extreme side of the windage adjustment just to get it sighted in (within 3 MOA of one side of the extreme adjustment range).

Contrast this with 4 problem free tikkas in 6.5 crews and 270 that all shoot boringly accurate. I know where I would put my money.