In praise of Tikkas

[pharmseller]

I know, nothing new about my Tikka love, but I got to shoot a bit today and I liked the results.

I'm a Tikka homer, especially in 7mm-08. I had some time this morning so I rolled a few 150 ELDX loads using Big Game and headed down the hill to shoot at 300 and 400 yards. I got a new bipod I wanted to try and it's been awhile since I burned powder away from a bench.

I set up the 12" gong at 300 yards to start. My range cards are calibrated for 4200' elevation so I came down a couple of clicks. As you can see, my first shot was a bit low, so I came up 2 more clicks and shot three more. Not bad. Quite a bit of wind from left to right, so I had to hold about halfway from the left edge to the red dot.




That was fun, let's try 400 before the wind gets really bad. I painted the target and moved back 100 yards. That 12" gong looked pretty small but I made it pay.




The group is 2.9" center to center, or 0.7 MOA. Prone off a bipod, in 90 degree heat, I can live with that. And yes, that is a bullseye in the red dot.




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[Member 53328]

Gotta love tikka and their dependability

 

[Stomper]

Love my T3xCTR!

 

[OldBroad44]

I know, nothing new about my Tikka love, but I got to shoot a bit today and I liked the results.

I'm a Tikka homer, especially in 7mm-08. I had some time this morning so I rolled a few 150 ELDX loads using Big Game and headed down the hill to shoot at 300 and 400 yards. I got a new bipod I wanted to try and it's been awhile since I burned powder away from a bench.

I set up the 12" gong at 300 yards to start. My range cards are calibrated for 4200' elevation so I came down a couple of clicks. As you can see, my first shot was a bit low, so I came up 2 more clicks and shot three more. Not bad. Quite a bit of wind from left to right, so I had to hold about halfway from the left edge to the red dot.


View attachment 985413

That was fun, let's try 400 before the wind gets really bad. I painted the target and moved back 100 yards. That 12" gong looked pretty small but I made it pay.


View attachment 985414

The group is 2.9" center to center, or 0.7 MOA. Prone off a bipod, in 90 degree heat, I can live with that. And yes, that is a bullseye in the red dot.




P

Wow!!!
Which model is this?

 

[pharmseller]

Wow!!!
Which model is this?

T3 Lite stainless. Tikka doesn't make them anymore. Tikka "upgraded" to the T3x, which was a step backward in my opinion.

At 100 yards off the bench she's purt'near a one-holer.

Custom loads help, of course.




P

 

[Kruel J]

Tikka makes good rifles.

 

[Ben B.]

5 shots at 200 yards. T3 Lite .308, 10x scope. Working up a 165 gr load. I have some prettier groups, but not on the phone.

 

[OldBroad44]

T3 Lite stainless. Tikka doesn't make them anymore. Tikka "upgraded" to the T3x, which was a step backward in my opinion.

At 100 yards off the bench she's purt'near a one-holer.

Custom loads help, of course.




P

@pharmseller , why do you consider the T3x a step backward from the T3 Lite Stainless? What scope and bipod do you have on the rifle and why? Any other modifications from factory stock?

 

[titsonritz]

@pharmseller , why do you consider the T3x a step backward from the T3 Lite Stainless? What scope and bipod do you have on the rifle and why? Any other modifications from factory stock?

I'd be interested in knowing as well.

 

[Lennie]

 

[Stomper]

T3 Lite stainless. Tikka doesn't make them anymore. Tikka "upgraded" to the T3x, which was a step backward in my opinion.

At 100 yards off the bench she's purt'near a one-holer.

Custom loads help, of course.




P

Backwards, how so?

 

[Used To Hunt]

I know, nothing new about my Tikka love, but I got to shoot a bit today and I liked the results.

I'm a Tikka homer, especially in 7mm-08. I had some time this morning so I rolled a few 150 ELDX loads using Big Game and headed down the hill to shoot at 300 and 400 yards. I got a new bipod I wanted to try and it's been awhile since I burned powder away from a bench.




P

Pretty sure this man is a sales rep

 

[Kruel J]

Backwards, how so?

View attachment 986038

Honest question here:

You've posted that target quite a few times. Have you been able to reproduce those results again? And if so at what distance?

Just wondering if it was a "one off" shoot. I've done it myself a couple times. I saw @No_Regerts shoot an inch group at 300 yards with a cheap Weatherby setup. We both knew it wasn't the "usual" for that rifle.

 

[Stomper]

Honest question here:

You've posted that target quite a few times. Have you been able to reproduce those results again? And if so at what distance?

Just wondering if it was a "one off" shoot. I've done it myself a couple times. I saw @No_Regerts shoot an inch group at 300 yards with a cheap Weatherby setup. We both knew it wasn't the "usual" for that rifle.

LMAO…. I knew that photo would draw you out!!


So, that photo was the final 100-yds shot-group (taken in a rush as we were getting ready to leave) after a day of breaking in the barrel with Remington Cor-Lokt, and then finally getting my Tikka & Leopold scope zeroed in using "Michael's recipe" up at Clark Rifle. I was getting "OK" 5-shot groups in the 1 - 1.5" range at first, but then it really started to tighten up and I only had time for those last three rounds in the photo. Stephan, Joe, Rusty, and DB were all there watching.

The next time I shot it was out with Stephan and Joe and we were hitting this rock and about 12"-18" all around it from 1k yds, after we worked out our DOPE. (You can see some of the impact marks in the dirt)


Between work, life, and COVID closures I haven't had the opportunity to go punch paper for groups at a range again since that photo was taken, but I would LOVE to go see if those >.5-MOA groups are consistently repeatable.

It honestly wouldn't surprise me if it did.

 

[pharmseller]

The backward step is widening the ejection port. Evidently Tikka got some criticism that the rifles were difficult to top load because the ejection port was so small. So the T3x has a larger ejection port to facilitate top loading.

One of the factors of accuracy is the rigidity of the action. A smaller ejection port means a more rigid action. Widening the ejection port decreases rigidity, potentially harming accuracy potential.





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[pharmseller]

Pretty sure this man is a sales rep

View attachment 986056

Coming up on 25 years selling drugs.

I wish I got a cut of all the Big Game powder I've sold over the years. Maybe a buck or two for all the Tikkas, too.



P

 

[Kruel J]

LMAO…. I knew that photo would draw you out!!


So, that photo was the final 100-us. shot-group (taken in a rush as we were getting ready to leave) after a day of breaking in the barrel with Remington Cor-Lokt, and then finally getting my Tikka & Leopold scope zeroed in using "Michael's recipe" up at Clark Rifle. I was getting "OK" 5-shot groups in the 1 - 1.5" range at first, but then it really started to tighten up and I only had time for those last three rounds in the photo. Stephan, Joe, Rusty, and DB were all there watching.

The next time I shot it was out with Stephan and Joe and we were hitting this rock and about 12"-18" all around it from 1k yds, after we worked out our DOPE. (You can see some of the impact marks in the dirt)View attachment 986158View attachment 986161View attachment 986165


Between work, life, and COVID closures I haven't had the opportunity to go punch paper for groups at a range again since that photo was taken, but I would LOVE to go see if those >.5-MOA groups are consistently repeatable.

It honestly wouldn't surprise me if it did.

View attachment 986197

Nice! I honestly wasn't asking to rile you up. I don't own a centerfire bolt rifle right now. I have been considering a Tikka again along with a few others

You know my story, and you know why I sold my last Tikkas. But they shoot well and frankly are good for the price.

If you want to stretch that thing out to 300, I RSO up at Clark and would be happy to share a bench and punch some holes.

 

[Stomper]

Nice! I honestly wasn't asking to rile you up. I don't own a centerfire bolt rifle right now. I have been considering a Tikka again along with a few others

You know my story, and you know why I sold my last Tikkas. But they shoot well and frankly are good for the price.

If you want to stretch that thing out to 300, I RSO up at Clark and would be happy to share a bench and punch some holes.

S'all good man!

I'll hit you up on that when I can get a clear weekend!

 

[pharmseller]

@pharmseller , why do you consider the T3x a step backward from the T3 Lite Stainless? What scope and bipod do you have on the rifle and why? Any other modifications from factory stock?

Scope is a 2017 Leupold VX-2 4-12x40 CDS. Nothing fancy. Straight duplex, no hash marks.

Mounts are Talley one-piece lites with a channel milled in the bases so they fit over the dovetail. Nothing fancy but they look cool.

The bipod is a Harris S-25C in camo, because camo was on sale. Again, nothing fancy.

The stock is a Bell&Carlson because my brother bought it for me. It doesn't shoot any better and the wrist is a little thick. That, and the recoil pad isn't as nice as the Limbsavers I have on my other Tikkas, but it's got red spiderweb and it looks cool. I wouldn't have bought it but my brother has one and he thought I wanted one, too. It's the only non-factory stock I have on any of my Tikkas.

Nothing fancy about her (her name is Red Death) at all. I'd put her up against custom rifles costing 10 times as much as I paid, but I can say that about all my Tikkas. I have another 7mm-08 that shoots just as well, and a 7mm Rem Mag that shoots a little better.

I won't even mention my .223s, you wouldn't believe me.



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[pharmseller]

Pretty standard for the 7mm Rem Mag. Three shots at 100 yards.



Or if you prefer Accubonds. Not quite as tight but not bad.