I think a lot of guys misunderstand the hype. A tikka isn’t some amazingly accurate 1/2 MOA factory rifle. What it is: high quality action and trigger, a good quality barrel, sufficiently accurate, lots of options for aftermarket, for around $700 for a stainless steel version if you look around. The whole package is what makes a Tikka attractive. I don’t think anyone is making the claim that they are the most accurate rifle out there. It’s bang for the buck. You can certainly buy or make a more accurate rifle (like the other one you have and mentioned), but I’m willing to bet it cost you a hell of a lot more than what you paid for the Tikka, and if you’re honest, probably not any more effective in the field.
This, 1000% this. This is why we love Tikkas here. They’re not magic, they’re not record setting, they’re not engineering marvels. They just. Flat. Work. In an era where there’s no material accuracy difference between a Savage Axis II and a full custom, accuracy is no longer the differentiator across different brands and price points. As has been stated ad nauseum on this thread and across Rokslide for a long time, a TRUE 1-1.5 MOA rifle and optic system will kill anything on god’s green earth from point blank range to well beyond any distance most shooters have any business shooting.
As Form has stated many times, we miss due to our greatest source of error. Rarely is that the baseline accuracy of our rifle. So if all rifles are accurate enough to kill, the differentiator becomes reliability in adverse conditions and durability over the long term. I had a Ruger American Predator in 6.5 CM for several years that was a straight up HAMMER in the accuracy department. But the trigger got progressively grittier and “creepier” the longer I had it, so it went down the road. I had an X Bolt Western Hunter in 6.5 Creed that was, to this day, the single most accurate rifle I’ve ever shot. But the bolt would bind from time to time if I didn’t run it right. The action was smooth and no grit, trigger was awesome, it was phenomenal. But I had doubts about its dependability if I ever needed to “rack and shoot” because I had to stop to think about how to run the action rather than just letting muscle memory take over and run the darn thing.
My Tikka T3X Veil Alpine in 6.5 Creed is a 1.25 MOA system. I can cherry pick lots of 1/4 MOA 3-round “groups,” but the accuracy of the system with large sample sizes is 1.25 MOA. The bolt runs smooth no matter what and I can’t ever get it to bind, the trigger is crisp, and the magazines are dead reliable. Even though my x bolt was objectively a more accurate rifle, the Tikka as a whole is a superior package.
@NMRN as far as testing accuracy, buy a couple hundred rounds of Hornady Precision Hunter. Shoot large sample group sizes (10+) and get a baseline for accuracy. I bet if you shoot that stuff, plus your reloads, I’ll bet you’ll see that everything shoots about the same level of accuracy. Then do the same with your other rifles and I bet you’ll be surprised to see what your rifle systems are actually shooting with statistically relevant round counts. I know I have been surprised.
