Who else is a Tikka convert?

Joined
Mar 27, 2021
Messages
379
Location
SW Wisconsin
I am being converted as we speak. Ordered a .223 t3x lite and a 7mm rem mag in a t3x lite veil from Cabelas last night. I needed a .223 for coyote hunting so I wasn’t always borrowing dad’s gun. The 7mm is an upgrade from my 7mm Ruger M77 Hawkeye. It is a good gun but not as nice as a tikka. After shooting a buddies tikka last spring I knew it was only a matter of time.

Plan is to set them both up identical with a NF SHV f1 on both and eventually the rokstock.
 

thinhorn_AK

"DADDY"
Joined
Jul 2, 2016
Messages
11,301
Location
Alaska
I have a 30-06, 6.5cm, 223 and a t1x 22. I like them but I still like other rifles too so I don’t think I’m a convert.

For what they are, I don’t think there’s really anything else in the price range and it’s hard to argue with their accuracy. The silenced 30-06 is my favorite but the rokslide special is fun too.
 

mapticon

FNG
Joined
Oct 21, 2020
Messages
40
I've loved my Tikka's over the years. I can shoot .5 moa with Precision Hunter in 6.5 if I do everything just right. Thinned the herd down to just one these days. My new obsession is my Sig Cross. If Tikka made a Cross competitor I'd be set for the rest of my life.
 

PlumberED

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
Jun 25, 2021
Messages
504
Location
Maryland
I have two Tikkas in 6.5 CM, an A1 TAC chassis rifle and a SS CTR. Nice rifles and they shoot well. Now I’m looking for a 223 preferably in a CTR.
 
OP
S
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
59
I am being converted as we speak. Ordered a .223 t3x lite and a 7mm rem mag in a t3x lite veil from Cabelas last night. I needed a .223 for coyote hunting so I wasn’t always borrowing dad’s gun. The 7mm is an upgrade from my 7mm Ruger M77 Hawkeye. It is a good gun but not as nice as a tikka. After shooting a buddies tikka last spring I knew it was only a matter of time.

Plan is to set them both up identical with a NF SHV f1 on both and eventually the rokstock.
Does cabelas have a sale going on? I’ve been buying my tikkas from KYGUNCo, reeds firearms, and Family firearms. They don’t charge sales tax, minimal shipping costs, and with FFL fees, I’ve usually been able to beat my local big box stores by $50-$100
 

bnsafe

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
663
bought my first this year. I did not want one due to the long action thing. But they checked all my boxes with a price point I wanted. Im glad I did. One of my favorite guns for sure. I plan on buying a couple more in time.
I dont like it the way I did the seekins element I handled, but for the price difference by far the best.
 
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,581
Location
Harrisburg, Oregon
Do I win anything if I can guess what cartridge?

You’d be surprised, .223. Sold the Superlite to buy a blued Varmint, then sold the blued Varmint for a used stainless Varmint. Holding steady now.

Only ever had 2 in 7mm-08, still have them both.

Had 2 in 7mm Rem Mag, a buddy kept bugging me to sell him one so I did. Funny, he called me today on the way back from an elk hunt to say thanks. Filled his tag with the rifle I sold him using the recipe I worked up.

Couple 30-06, couple T1x. Maybe more, I haven’t looked in awhile. Had a couple 308 Superlites just for fun, moved them both.

Dang, I should go check.




P
 
Joined
Mar 27, 2021
Messages
379
Location
SW Wisconsin
Does cabelas have a sale going on? I’ve been buying my tikkas from KYGUNCo, reeds firearms, and Family firearms. They don’t charge sales tax, minimal shipping costs, and with FFL fees, I’ve usually been able to beat my local big box stores by $50-$100
Cabelas club members aka credit card holders get 10% off fire arms and 15% off other items ie scopes. Every Monday through Christmas. So the .223 was 675 before tax and the 7mm was 1035 before tax as it is originally 1350 but the large calibers are 200 off +10% add in 2+% back on the credit card and 1% on firearms through active junky.

I order a scope at the same time at 15% off then active junky added in 12% and I get 3% as a silver card holder so it works out pretty decent.

Edited: this works on all firearms from what I could tell, but there may be some exclusions.
 

Marbles

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
May 16, 2020
Messages
4,567
Location
AK
I played with other rifles, thought Tikkas were ugly and did not like the single action length. Now I own 2 Tikkas and have sold the other rifles.
 
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,581
Location
Harrisburg, Oregon
Keep in mind you can swap out the short action (sa) bolt stop for a long action (la) bolt stop and load as long as you want, just use the longer magazines. It’s great loading for my 7mm-08s. I’m up to 5 I load for.

I load for the family so I suggest that all the sa rifles I load for get converted to la stops. So far so good.



P
 
OP
S
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
59
Cabelas club members aka credit card holders get 10% off fire arms and 15% off other items ie scopes. Every Monday through Christmas. So the .223 was 675 before tax and the 7mm was 1035 before tax as it is originally 1350 but the large calibers are 200 off +10% add in 2+% back on the credit card and 1% on firearms through active junky.

I order a scope at the same time at 15% off then active junky added in 12% and I get 3% as a silver card holder so it works out pretty decent.

Edited: this works on all firearms from what I could tell, but there may be some exclusions.
That’s a hell of a deal then! I might have to look into getting one of their cards.
 

Gila

WKR
Joined
Apr 25, 2020
Messages
1,208
Location
West
I bought Tikka rifles but now all I have left are T3 actions with triggers. Even the bolts have been modified. I never did understand what a semi-custom Tikka is supposed to be. I didn’t have to pull them all apart because they were good, accurate rifles. However, I want to shoot modern cartridges which Tikka doesn’t offer. Most of their chamber offerings are too old to shoot long, low drag heavies and have slow barrel twist rates. The 6.5 Creedmore is good to go, maybe the 6.5 PRC, definitely 7mm-08. However I think the 6.5 x 284 Norma is a better cartridge.

The paradigm shift is away FROM long action cartridges TO short action cartridges. The newer short action cartridges have short cases with wide bases and are designed to shoot the long, heavy, Low Drag bullets. The real estate has to come from somewhere! The Tikka action is designed to feed cartridges up to 3.5”. The Tikka magazine will feed cartridges up to 3.37”. Most of the popular modern, short action cartridges in 6mm up to and including 7 mm, need to run a COAL of 2.8 to 3.3” to shoot the heavy for caliber bullets. The Tikka T3x is an excellent choice in a light weight hunting rifle chambered in a short action cartridge but Tikka needs to get into the 21st Century!
 
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gabenzeke

WKR
Joined
Oct 28, 2015
Messages
1,206
I bought an American rifle company CDG on preorder. And now that news of the rokstock is out, I'm honestly considering selling that action and just building off a tikka. Seems like my build would end up cheaper, and the alleged reliability of the trigger adds to it for me. I figure I could almost build two for the cost of my original plan of one custom rifle. Build them exactly the same and then have one for cheaper practice and the other for hunts.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,581
Location
Harrisburg, Oregon
I bought Tikka rifles but now all I have left are T3 actions with triggers. Even the bolts have been modified. I never did understand what a semi-custom Tikka is supposed to be. I didn’t have to pull them all apart because they were good, accurate rifles. However, I want to shoot modern cartridges which Tikka doesn’t offer. Most of their chamber offerings are too old to shoot long, low drag heavies and have slow barrel twist rates. The 6.5 Creedmore is good to go, maybe the 6.5 PRC. However I think the 6.5 x 284 Norma is a better cartridge.

The paradigm shift is away FROM long action cartridges TO short action cartridges. The newer short action cartridges have short cases with wide bases and are designed to shoot the long, heavy, Low Drag bullets. The real estate has to come from somewhere! The Tikka action is designed to feed cartridges up to 3.5”. The Tikka magazine will feed cartridges up to 3.37”. Most of the popular modern, short action cartridges in 6mm up to and including 7 mm, need to run a COAL of 2.8 to 3.3” to shoot the heavy for caliber bullets. The Tikka T3x is an excellent choice in a light weight hunting rifle chambered in a short action cartridge but Tikka needs to get into the 21st Century!

I’m not sure I understand. I can load a lot longer than 2.8” with my Tikka 7mm-08s.

150 Eldx is a long bullet. 162 eldx even more so. No length issues with either.




P
 
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
1,581
Location
Harrisburg, Oregon
I bought an American rifle company CDG on preorder. And now that news of the rokstock is out, I'm honestly considering selling that action and just building off a tikka. Seems like my build would end up cheaper, and the alleged reliability of the trigger adds to it for me. I figure I could almost build two for the cost of my original plan of one custom rifle. Build them exactly the same and then have one for cheaper practice and the other for hunts.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

Best factory trigger I’ve ever squeezed. Better than the Timney I put on a model 70.




P
 

BrBa

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 20, 2023
Messages
133
Currently have 3:

- T3 Stainless 6.5x55, 24" Bartlein #3B 5R
- T3X Stainless 22 Creedmoor, 21" K&P #5
- T1X .22LR, 20" factory threaded barrel

Still regret selling my first one, a blued T3 Hunter .30-06 @ 15 years ago.
 
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Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
648
Over the past few months I have thinned the heard of my R700 clone based customs and accessories for Tikkas. I've seen some of the threads here on RS, but never really gave them much attention. Earlier this year a good friend of mine, who like me, has had a plethora of R700 clone customs picked up a Tikka 17hmr as a plinking gun for his kids to use around the house. He sighted it in then shot some small groups and was blown away. Told me about it, so naturally I had to try one too.

Picked up a t3x in 6.5cm, and it hammers with factory hornady ammo. I figured out I could add a $10 trigger spring and have a trigger that is just as good or better than a $200 triggertech or timney, free float the stock and add a vertical grip, an arca/pic rail, and bam, a lightweight stock that functions extremely well.

Earlier this year I owned carbon or steel prefits for bighorn origins in 300 sherman mag, 6.5 PRC, 6cm, and 223 with AG comp, mcmillan, XLR, KRG stocks/chassis (I've also owned 28 nosler, 300 wm, and 6.5cm barrels but those have been gone for a while). The only one that I still own is the 6.5 prc carbon barrel and 1 origin action.

I'm now the proud owner of three tikkas, and for the money, out of the box accuracy, alleged reliability of the trigger system, and my intended use of primarily hunting and LR plinking, they're hard to beat.

How many others have a similar story? I know I can't be the only one out there.


6.5 cm T3X lite with ATACR 4-16 MilR, cut and threaded to 18" with DIY Krylon camo:
View attachment 630427View attachment 630429

T3X Roughtech Ember, 6.5 PRC with ATACR 4-16 MilC, will leave at factory length for now so I can potentially compete in a NRL match, factory division:
View attachment 630436View attachment 630437

T3X lite stainless 223 w/ SWFA fixed 10x, old pics but its been sent off to get chopped/threaded to 18":
View attachment 630457View attachment 630458
For your ember how did you attach the rail to keep it NRL factory ?
 
OP
S
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
59
There are two factory tapped holes with screws in the ember stock and the regular t3x stocks. One on the end of the stock and another closer to the action screw. The rules state that items can be added as long as you’re using factory mounting points and not permanently altering the rifle. Based on my interpretation with no experience going through an NRL match, it’s good to go.
IMG_2277.jpeg
 

Gila

WKR
Joined
Apr 25, 2020
Messages
1,208
Location
West
I’m not sure I understand. I can load a lot longer than 2.8” with my Tikka 7mm-08s.

150 Eldx is a long bullet. 162 eldx even more so. No length issues with either.




P
I meant to include the 7mm-08. I have amended my example list. There are other cartridges as well. The 2.8” to 3.3” was intended to be a window of cartridge lengths that the short action cartridges are typically hand-loaded to. I load the 284 with 162 ELD to 3.07” and I may eventually load the 6.8 West to around 3.1” with the 175 gr Gamechanger.
 
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