Why I won’t buy a Tikka

[Macintosh]

Strasser, Blaser, Heym, Merkel, Sauer, Lynx, Chapuis Rols, Anshutz, Roessler, Steel, Beretta, Haenel. There’s some interesting and amazing actions to explore. Easier overseas, lol.

Have two Tikkas, don’t find them super smooth. They are fine, but not so amazing as sometimes made

Which is exactly what I suspected…ie this is comparing a honda to a bentley. Personally I am a tikka fan, but that doesnt at all mean I dont appreciate a nicer gun or that I’m not aware of some of the little things that allow a tikka to hit a price point. But theres a rack full of stainless tikkas at my local shop all priced under $800, and very, very few people find fault with them functionally. You do realize I can buy several tikkas for the price of any one of those rifles, right? At some point lots of people, me included, say “it doesnt make sense to pay more because this does everything I need it to do and more, at 1/3 or 1/5 or 1/8 the price (even after I add an aftermarket stock, etc)”. I appreciate nice guns, and I appreciate the difference…but we’re talking about entirely different classes of guns here.

Edit: the root of this is value, rather than absolute quality or absolute price. Most car buyers find the honda a better value than the bentley…it does everything they need, it is arguably just as reliable and “performs” well-beyond just “adequately”, even though if most of those same people did a side by side comparison they could easily find things they preferred about the bentley. If those things are important to you and you can afford them, by all means you should buy the bentley. Honda owners should not be surprised when some folks choose the refined fit and finish of the bentley. And, bentley fans should not be surprised when lots of people think they are crazy for spending triple or more the $ for something that is 1% (or whatever) better. No one that I consider knowledgeable about guns is saying tikkas are the best gun out there in all aspects, they simply represent a great value that accomplishes nearly all the important functional aspects of a rifle, at a fraction of the price of what it takes to make any significant improvements.

 

[turbo406]

Since we are airing it all out there...
I really hate how my tikkas all just shoot so well. I really hate how the triggers are so good with a 10 dollar spring instead of a 200 plus dollar trigger. I really hate how modular they are. I really hate that it cost me 16 bucks to put a vertical grip on one. I really hate how reliable they are when I'm in a coyote derby in zero degree weather and they continue to work. But the absolute worst thing about them is they seem to multiply in the safe.

 

[Big_wals]

I didn’t expect the bolt stop to be the deal breaker. Lol

Oh, bolt slop! Lol that’s different. I should read more closely.

Lol, I got thru the whole post and was thinking the exact same thing. Didn’t realize I’d misread till I saw your comment.

 

[PC356]

The bolt slop. I can’t stand that wiggly rattle bolt slip that feels horribly cheap. I know they’re great rifles, I know the trigger is great, I know the accuracy is unmatched in consistency for factory rifles, etc etc.

But I just can’t stand the bolt slop. If you’ve handled a prewar W70 or W54 you know the feeling of having a cartridge firmly but smoothly guided into place. With no slop.

Let’s see a video of this alleged Tikka “bolt slop” in action pls….

 

[coyotekilla]

Well, here's my 2 cents on the dead horse...

So, why did winchester quit making their action after what 40 years of being the premier American bolt action? Why did they re-tool their entire product line? Cause what they were making was not selling. I'll wager that a rifle of the pre64 win design and quality would out cost and under shoot 90% of the factory & semi customs out today. You know who is still making the same rifle they did in 1964... savage.
Americans be quite thrifty on the whole. We like cheap crap, then we like to complain about it. Admit it, most of us hate the coarse action of the savage & ruger american's... but 8 outa 10 of us have 1 in the collection.

Btw, i just went to the range yesterday with my tikka, the 140 eldm's shot well. Grouped .500 again, but some new federal premium shoot .300... I keep my tikka.

 

[Kimber7man]

Where does one locate one of these $10 springs? Got a new 6.5 creed I could use it in. Thx.

 

[StupidLightweight]

Yo Dave made the spring I bought, but there may be better ones

 

[Hnthrdr]

Where does one locate one of these $10 springs? Got a new 6.5 creed I could use it in. Thx.

Yodave, mt tactical, just search tikka trigger spring on google, that swap is completely worth it

 

[ElkArcher918]

Jeremy, your opinion is heard but you make it sound like Tikka rifles are POS. I'll take the Tikka "perceived" bolt slop along with the smooth action, reliability, out of the box accuracy, and functional value over alot of high priced custom rifles. I do not the need an overpriced "perfect" custom rifle just a reliable one that puts elk, deer, and antelope on the ground and in my freezer. My humble 2 cents, carry on.

 

[jjjjeremy]

Jeremy, your opinion is heard but you make it sound like Tikka rifles are POS.

Really? Because that is the exact opposite of what I actually said.

 

[ElkArcher918]

Really? Because that is the exact opposite of what I actually said.

Exactly the point is that is Your opinion.

 

[jjjjeremy]

Exactly the point is that is Your opinion.

You’re jumping past the important bits. Here is my “opinion” on Tikka rifles

I know they’re great rifles, I know the trigger is great, I know the accuracy is unmatched in consistency for factory rifles, etc etc.

For whatever reason this is what you concluded:

Jeremy, your opinion is heard but you make it sound like Tikka rifles are POS.

Where did I say that Tikka rifles were POS? I stated a personal preference, not an opinion, and why they’re not my choice, but spent more words praising them than pointing out one minor issue that turns me off.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Don’t forget a one-size-fits-all action length. How great would a short-action and micro-length action Tikka T3x be? The .223-length action would be called the “T-wee-x.”

That and the heavy bolt lift are my only gripes. For double the money, they’re impossible to beat.

The OP must be joking or trolling about bolt slop. Come on.

I’ve never been shooting my tikkas and thought “this would be so much better if the action was a different size).

 

[PC356]

Really just kind of $hit stirring post
Goal accomplished lol

 

[jjjjeremy]

I’ve never been shooting my tikkas and thought “this would be so much better if the action was a different size).

One of the biggest selling points for me before I moved on from my theoretical Tikka build (and I did have two deals set up that fell apart) was the one size fits all actually length and prefit shouldered barrels. But when I did the math and really thought it through, the cost savings after considering buying the tools, barrels, ammo and time to verify, getting a stock/chassis I like, etc, it didn’t outweigh the benefit and convenience of just having multiple barreled actions in the R700 footprint.

 

[jjjjeremy]

Really just kind of $hit stirring post
Goa accomplished lol

What else do you expect on a Friday night?

 

[thinhorn_AK]

One of the biggest selling points for me before I moved on from my theoretical Tikka build (and I did have to deals set up that fell apart) was the one size fits all actually length and prefit shouldered barrels. But when I did the math and really thought it through, the cost savings after considering buying the tools, barrels, ammo and time to verify, getting a stock/chassis I like, etc, it didn’t outweigh the benefit and convenience of just having multiple barreled actions in the R700 footprint.

The beauty of it all is that we can pretty much have whatever we want. I’ve got some semi customs and some high dollar rifles and lately I’ve just been reaching for my tikka 30-06 that got the barrel cut for my silencer. It just shoots well and does what I need it to. I have. Lot of other guns that have been in the save since I got a few tikkas back a few years ago.

 

[jjjjeremy]

The beauty of it all is that we can pretty much have whatever we want. I’ve got some semi customs and some high dollar rifles and lately I’ve just been reaching for my tikka 30-06 that got the barrel cut for my silencer. It just shoots well and does what I need it to. I have. Lot of other guns that have been in the save since I got a few tikkas back a few years ago.

This isn't the time for reasonableness.....

I'd probably be team Finland if it wasn't for the loose feeling bolt, shape of the trigger, short safety throw, bolt lock on safe, and stock. Once I fix those the things I can, and come to terms with the things I can't, I've spent a lot more than I would buying something that I like better.

 

[Antares]

shape of the trigger, short safety throw

 

[jjjjeremy]

I like a wide flat trigger, and I don’t like that the safety only moves a little to go on/off. Just another little issue that adds to the others, like the unavailability of a hinged floorplate, only getting three rounds unless I want a magazine that protrudes from the stock, the fact that I can’t top load it, or having to choose between proprietary magazines or a $200 bottom metal.