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Bighorn TL3 vs Impact 737R

A.Bennett

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 11, 2018
157
58
Alright guys. I've searched the forum for awhile and didn't come up with the comparison between these two.
Impact vs TL3. Which action is a better buy? It's for PRS type shooting with a 6.5creedmoor. Is there a benefit to control round feed over push feed? They both have excellent reviews and they're close enough in price to be a non issue.
 
I have both, prefer the Impact. Nothing at all wrong with the Bighorn TL3 to be honest. Just feel like the Impact (when shooting) runs a little smoother. Almost no effort required to run the action, hardly any movement off target while manipulating bolt.
I know there are those that prefer control feed/mechanical ejection but I really don't see a practical advantage.
 
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I have both, prefer the Impact. Nothing at all wrong with the Bighorn TL3 to be honest. Just feel like the Impact (when shooting) runs a little smoother. Almost no effort required to run the action, hardly any movement off target while manipulating bolt.
I know there are those that prefer control feed/mechanical ejection but I really don't see a practical advantage.

I've heard the impact is crazy smooth. After running my buddies defiance I'm sold on smooth actions. I have the GAP tempest now and I like it but wanna try something new. Do you find the ease of swapping bolt heads and firing pin assembly on the bighorn a plus?
 
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I've got a couple TL3's and have handled/shot Impacts on a couple occasions. Both are really nice and you're not going to go wrong with either one. I'd look more at whether the specific features matter to you.
 
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I've got a couple TL3's and have handled/shot Impacts on a couple occasions. Both are really nice and you're not going to go wrong with either one. I'd look more at whether the specific features matter to you.
The biggest thing is swapping barrels at home and both do that. Past that I'm fairly indifferent
 
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The only other features that might matter to me in your situation would be AW vs AICS mags, and whether you regularly strip the firing pin and ejector out of the bolt to get a "zero feel" bolt for checking brass headspace/fit or finding the lands with bullet seating depth.
Is the impact harder to break down for that?
 
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Is the impact harder to break down for that?

I don't have one to be sure, but I believe that you have to pull the firing pin spring in the traditional fashion (shoelace trick, or firing pin removal tool) and then you'd have to remove the ejector plunger with a roll pin punch. Definitely more difficult than the Bighorn which is quick disconnect firing pin and lacks an ejector plunger.

Whether this is something you actually need is a different question, but I find myself using my Bighorn this way very often.
 
I am in the same boat while looking for a new action. From what I can tell, i'f the only thing you are going to do is run one caliber in matches the Impact has the slight advantage. How ever if like me you want to switch from a 223 to train/ plink, 6 to compete, and like a 7 SAUM or SS for hunting and want the ability to do it yourself the TL3 is by far the winner. Since that's what I wanted I am going with the TL3.

In addition I cannot speak for Impacts customer service, but it only takes a few minutes of reading here to see how awesome Bighorns customer support is.
 
The only other features that might matter to me in your situation would be AW vs AICS mags, and whether you regularly strip the firing pin and ejector out of the bolt to get a "zero feel" bolt for checking brass headspace/fit or finding the lands with bullet seating depth.

Take no more time than a TL3.

Get the bolt tool and a punch. Take less than a minute..

The ONLY reason to want a TL3 is if you need to run a short case such as a BR or Dasher and similar.

My TL3 was binding even DLC form them do I sold it. That DLC didn't survived 1000 rounds.

Sold it and now I run 2 Impact and a DLC'd defiance elite.
 
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Just to be clear on caliber changes, the only thing the TL3 does is make it cheaper.

Takes the same amount of time to swap a bolt head as it does to swap the whole bolt (probably quicker to switch the whole bolt actually).

Full bolts from impact are 450 ish and bolt heads from bighorn are 125-175.

So, you save $300 one time.

For me, I would place more value on feel of the action and if you want controlled feeding.

I’ve owned TL3 and they are nice. I currently have impacts with different bolts.
 
Just to be clear on caliber changes, the only thing the TL3 does is make it cheaper.

Takes the same amount of time to swap a bolt head as it does to swap the whole bolt (probably quicker to switch the whole bolt actually).

Full bolts from impact are 450 ish and bolt heads from bighorn are 125-175.

So, you save $300 one time.

For me, I would place more value on feel of the action and if you want controlled feeding.

I’ve owned TL3 and they are nice. I currently have impacts with different bolts.

How smooth is the Impact really? Noticeable difference compare to the TL3? I’ve had a DLC’d TL3 and Nitrided Deviants. The Deviant was extremely slick and felt smoother then the TL3 but I’m curious as to how much smoother can you actually get.
 
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How smooth is the Impact really? Noticeable difference compare to the TL3? I’ve had a DLC’d TL3 and Nitrided Deviants. The Deviant was extremely slick and felt smoother then the TL3 but I’m curious as to how much smoother can you actually get.

I don’t know if it’s any “smoother” but it’s much harder to bind (not that the tl3 binds when run properly).

Also, the impact will run the same bone dry as it does lubricated. If it wasn’t to prevent galling, I wouldn’t touch it.
 
How smooth is the Impact really? Noticeable difference compare to the TL3? I’ve had a DLC’d TL3 and Nitrided Deviants. The Deviant was extremely slick and felt smoother then the TL3 but I’m curious as to how much smoother can you actually get.

I also found the tl3 to feel “loose” compared to the impact. I don’t know any other way to describe it, and hate doing so as that sounds negative. For some people, they prefer this feeling.
 
Imo no action should have to bee run "right" to be bind free.

The barrel swap discussions are rubbish. Any good smith like PVA can make a shouldered barrel for an Impact or a TL3.

The other big thing for me I forgot to mention is the following:
The Impact run in any condition. My old TL3 needed alot of attention in dust and other condition where debris can go in the action. Even In New Hamphire at the PRS match I had to clean the bolt after each day.

Same deal with my Defiance but at a lesser degree.

In comparison my Impacts were never cleaned or lube other than bolt lug. Shot it in moon dust shit, loose earth, snow, rock dust and never had to clean the bolt because I taught she was feeling like shit.
 
I have no experience with Impact, but big fan of my TL3 and one thing to consider (again I have no knowledge of Impact), but Big Horn's customer service is unmatched by anyone else that I've ever dealt with. If you ever have an issue they will make it right, and will be very very quick about it in the process.
 
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My old TL3 needed alot of attention in dust and other condition where debris can go in the action. Even In New Hamphire at the PRS match I had to clean the bolt after each day.

That's not been my experience with my TL3. Shot the Utah PRS match and it was the most brutal dust conditions I've even seen. 15-20mph winds and sandy moon dust that got in everything. No issues with the action at all.
 
Just to be clear on caliber changes, the only thing the TL3 does is make it cheaper.

Takes the same amount of time to swap a bolt head as it does to swap the whole bolt (probably quicker to switch the whole bolt actually).

Full bolts from impact are 450 ish and bolt heads from bighorn are 125-175.

So, you save $300 one time.

For me, I would place more value on feel of the action and if you want controlled feeding.

I’ve owned TL3 and they are nice. I currently have impacts with different bolts.

Sounds like you prefer the Impact over TL3?
 
Sounds like you prefer the Impact over TL3?

I personally do, yes. Nothing at all wrong with tl3 though.

To the above poster, I can make most any action bind if I try to. Running it “right” means without any excessive pressure from the sides/top bottom.

Impact is about the only action I can’t seem to bind. It sticks with a lot of pressure from the side, but will eventually just break free and run. AI will run the same way.
 
I personally do, yes. Nothing at all wrong with tl3 though.

To the above poster, I can make most any action bind if I try to. Running it “right” means without any excessive pressure from the sides/top bottom.

Impact is about the only action I can’t seem to bind. It sticks with a lot of pressure from the side, but will eventually just break free and run. AI will run the same way.
my mausingfield seemed a little looser in the way you desribe. easier to get a bind if applying too much pressure from the side/top/bottom. but it was never an issue when actually running it in a match

just got a Deadline. much different feel. very very hard to get to bind in any way
 
my mausingfield seemed a little looser in the way you desribe. easier to get a bind if applying too much pressure from the side/top/bottom. but it was never an issue when actually running it in a match

just got a Deadline. much different feel. very very hard to get to bind in any way

Interesting. My Mausingfield is the only action I have not been able to bind with any reasonable (and a little unreasonable) force applied side to side or up and down. That said, the bolt lift is pretty heavy, so I actually prefer the action of my TL3.
 
Interesting. My Mausingfield is the only action I have not been able to bind with any reasonable (and a little unreasonable) force applied side to side or up and down. That said, the bolt lift is pretty heavy, so I actually prefer the action of my TL3.
i mean it's probably unfair to call it a bind because of how easily it moves forward with a little more forward pressure. but it's something i dont notice with the Deadline. origin comes today so will be a good comparison with that (TL3)
 
When you get to that price point you're really splitting hairs between them, find the features that you want and go from there. They are all very good. I chose bighorn because of floating/swappable bolt head and the tight tolerances that allow a smith to shoulder a barrel to your action without them having to ever have your action in their hand. I like a mechanical ejector as well. Being that it can use a savage barrel with a nut is nice, don't know that I will ever use that "feature", but nice to know I can order a savage prefit and have a barrel in my hand and on the rifle in probably under a week if I ever do need one quick.
 
I'm thinking about switching myself though can't decide if i want to go ahead and get a 737r or wait till after hunting season. We have a TL3, SR3, and an Origin that will be done this week. I've not had hands on an impact but i've not heard a negative thing about them and am really itching to get one. The bighorns are smooth in their own right, but they are loose especially with the bolt at the rearward position. It doesn't feel like a Deviant or my Tempest. As such i think it's a little more prone to binding if you really go off axis running the bolt home But that's really just an application of physics enough force off axis on any action and you can technically bind them. Just the nature of pushing a handle lateral to the bore axis. My dad's SR3 i can't bind trying to induce bind without being perpendicular to bolt travel (reiterating what i just said) mine if i'm a little sloppy running it pushing laterally will bind a little. If run properly ti's very smooth and it's still a more cost friendly setup to a switch barrel rig. Mine is DLC'd and the bolt elite cerakoted. I personally like my friends TL3 the best of the bighorns i've handled, which was elite cerakoted through and through. Really tightened it up a bit to be more of what i like in the "feeling" of the action. Elite cerakote definitely helped for mine. I'm eager to see my brother's Origin as i've heard it's extremely smooth. Either will work and both are ran by lots of competitors that have success with both.

Take no more time than a TL3.

Get the bolt tool and a punch. Take less than a minute..

The ONLY reason to want a TL3 is if you need to run a short case such as a BR or Dasher and similar.

My TL3 was binding even DLC form them do I sold it. That DLC didn't survived 1000 rounds.

Sold it and now I run 2 Impact and a DLC'd defiance elite.

Curious who did your DLC? All of my DLC (my TL3 withstanding) has been done by CCG and has held up wonderfully. Over 1500rds on my tempest with little to no wear.
 
Yea I'm definitely leaning impact. I haven't heard one bad thing either and I've heard good about the tl3 but have heard a couple small gripes. I've ran 5 or 6 just playing around and all of them had a slightly different feel. I might just give impact a shot(haha. No pun intended) worst case is I turn it and get a tl3. Or maybe just get one in the future anyway.
 
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I'm thinking about switching myself though can't decide if i want to go ahead and get a 737r or wait till after hunting season. We have a TL3, SR3, and an Origin that will be done this week. I've not had hands on an impact but i've not heard a negative thing about them and am really itching to get one. The bighorns are smooth in their own right, but they are loose especially with the bolt at the rearward position. It doesn't feel like a Deviant or my Tempest. As such i think it's a little more prone to binding if you really go off axis running the bolt home But that's really just an application of physics enough force off axis on any action and you can technically bind them. Just the nature of pushing a handle lateral to the bore axis. My dad's SR3 i can't bind trying to induce bind without being perpendicular to bolt travel (reiterating what i just said) mine if i'm a little sloppy running it pushing laterally will bind a little. If run properly ti's very smooth and it's still a more cost friendly setup to a switch barrel rig. Mine is DLC'd and the bolt elite cerakoted. I personally like my friends TL3 the best of the bighorns i've handled, which was elite cerakoted through and through. Really tightened it up a bit to be more of what i like in the "feeling" of the action. Elite cerakote definitely helped for mine. I'm eager to see my brother's Origin as i've heard it's extremely smooth. Either will work and both are ran by lots of competitors that have success with both.



Curious who did your DLC? All of my DLC (my TL3 withstanding) has been done by CCG and has held up wonderfully. Over 1500rds on my tempest with little to no wear.

Really first batch that was DLC directly from bighorn
I'm thinking about switching myself though can't decide if i want to go ahead and get a 737r or wait till after hunting season. We have a TL3, SR3, and an Origin that will be done this week. I've not had hands on an impact but i've not heard a negative thing about them and am really itching to get one. The bighorns are smooth in their own right, but they are loose especially with the bolt at the rearward position. It doesn't feel like a Deviant or my Tempest. As such i think it's a little more prone to binding if you really go off axis running the bolt home But that's really just an application of physics enough force off axis on any action and you can technically bind them. Just the nature of pushing a handle lateral to the bore axis. My dad's SR3 i can't bind trying to induce bind without being perpendicular to bolt travel (reiterating what i just said) mine if i'm a little sloppy running it pushing laterally will bind a little. If run properly ti's very smooth and it's still a more cost friendly setup to a switch barrel rig. Mine is DLC'd and the bolt elite cerakoted. I personally like my friends TL3 the best of the bighorns i've handled, which was elite cerakoted through and through. Really tightened it up a bit to be more of what i like in the "feeling" of the action. Elite cerakote definitely helped for mine. I'm eager to see my brother's Origin as i've heard it's extremely smooth. Either will work and both are ran by lots of competitors that have success with both.



Curious who did your DLC? All of my DLC (my TL3 withstanding) has been done by CCG and has held up wonderfully. Over 1500rds on my tempest with little to no wear.

It was from the really first batch from Bighorn.

What you say about some feeling tighter and then that cerakote help is self-explanatory. It should not happen and all should come out the same.

To me the tempest is the the best 60° action and I miss the one I sold alot.

The Impact is my all time favorite 90° action now. My Defiance Elite is close behind but not as reliable.
 
Really first batch that was DLC directly from bighorn


It was from the really first batch from Bighorn.

What you say about some feeling tighter and then that cerakote help is self-explanatory. It should not happen and all should come out the same.

To me the tempest is the the best 60° action and I miss the one I sold alot.

The Impact is my all time favorite 90° action now. My Defiance Elite is close behind but not as reliable.

Gotcha on the DLC. What do you mean it should not happen and all should come out the same? The DLC? or the TL3 itself?

I love my tempest also despite it seeming to have a bad rep.
 
From what I can tell it doesn't much matter which one I go with lol. Six one way, half a dozen the other. I'll see if I can run an impact before I make my decision. Seems like these two both come with stellar reviews

Exactly. That is how essentially every This vs. That thread goes on the hide. You can't choose wrong here.
 
Yea I'm definitely leaning impact. I haven't heard one bad thing either and I've heard good about the tl3 but have heard a couple small gripes. I've ran 5 or 6 just playing around and all of them had a slightly different feel. I might just give impact a shot(haha. No pun intended) worst case is I turn it and get a tl3. Or maybe just get one in the future anyway.

Your intended usage is PRS? If so or even if not- just go to a local match. Nearly guaranteed to have both actions out there. You should run them for yourself before dropping the coin. None of us can tell you how you like your coffee.
 
Gotcha on the DLC. What do you mean it should not happen and all should come out the same? The DLC? or the TL3 itself?

I love my tempest also despite it seeming to have a bad rep.

The TL3 itself. They should all have the same feeling and specs.

Tempest is such a great action I miss mine so much. Worst decision ever.
 
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The TL3 itself. They should all have the same feeling and specs..

The TL3's are all held to the same dimensional tolerances. We do pride ourselves in having top level control on all machined parts.

We don't control what people do for coatings when it leaves our facility. If someone has a Cerakote'd receiver with a factory coated bolt assembly, it's going to feel different than a factory DLC coated receiver with a factory coated bolt assembly. There are so many different ways people have the parts coated after they leave our facility. We know how they all feel when they leave here as they all get assembled, cycled and dry fired a handful of times before they are packaged. If something feels wrong in our hands, we won't package it.

Will had said in this thread that all of his receivers have different combinations of coatings on them. DLC receiver/cerakote elite bolt, cerakote elite receiver and bolt as well as factory receiver and bolt. Each one of those combinations along with how many cycles each has is going to create a different feeling. Finding the optimal feeling for yourself can be a process, but when you find it, you'll know it.

If there's something we have lapsed in, please give us that feedback as we will be happy to help you out with any issues you run into with our products. Thank you! - Ray
 
Yes we have different coating on all ours and my friends is elite cerakoted through and through which i personally liked the best, and am usually not a proponent of cerakote. Dad's SR3's receiver is DLCd bolt is as it came with the NP3 coating, my receiver is DLCd and the bolt is elite cerakoted which i like, my brothers origin which i have in hand now as everyone knows is nitrided with a DLC bolt head.

All are smooth i was just making sure i understood what Raufoss was trying to say, I'm not eluding to an issue. Sort of obvious in that regard we have three bighorns... ;) Admittedly i can bind my TL3 as i said before it's simply a matter of physics. I could do the same with any action if that is indeed my intent.

As to coatings, as Ray noted it's all different, cerakote is thick and is going to make an action feel different regardless of which action it's put on, it's not a couple of microns like DLC or nitride so yes there is some change in feel. I felt personally for the better as it seemed to tighten up the feeling of the action, simply personal preference.
 
The TL3's are all held to the same dimensional tolerances. We do pride ourselves in having top level control on all machined parts.

We don't control what people do for coatings when it leaves our facility. If someone has a Cerakote'd receiver with a factory coated bolt assembly, it's going to feel different than a factory DLC coated receiver with a factory coated bolt assembly. There are so many different ways people have the parts coated after they leave our facility. We know how they all feel when they leave here as they all get assembled, cycled and dry fired a handful of times before they are packaged. If something feels wrong in our hands, we won't package it.

Will had said in this thread that all of his receivers have different combinations of coatings on them. DLC receiver/cerakote elite bolt, cerakote elite receiver and bolt as well as factory receiver and bolt. Each one of those combinations along with how many cycles each has is going to create a different feeling. Finding the optimal feeling for yourself can be a process, but when you find it, you'll know it.

If there's something we have lapsed in, please give us that feedback as we will be happy to help you out with any issues you run into with our products. Thank you! - Ray

The only issue I have is that we have 5 guys on the range and none has the same feeling. I don't speak of tolerance but feeling when you close the bolt and so on.

1 DLC from you
2 bare as shipped
2 cerakoted

On the 5 only 1 is feeling perfect. All the other one bind. Mine(DLC) and the other bare was the worst.

I am sure mine is because of the DLC as he was wearing off too much vs other action I have DLC'd.

In the end it's a great action for switching barrels and feeding short cases without headache.

Fix the binding and the DLC and I'd buy one in a heart beat.
 
I've come to the conclusion that getting wrapped up around "feel" is a convoluted affair. The feel is related to how your mags are tuned, what cartridge you're running, the relationship between your triggers sear and bolts cocking piece.

.............

Excellent post, and a nice reminder of how much of a difference careful tuning can make.
 
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I've come to the conclusion that getting wrapped up around "feel" is a convoluted affair. The feel is related to how your mags are tuned, what cartridge you're running, the relationship between your triggers sear and bolts cocking piece.

When I got my first TL-3 I was immediately dissapointed in how it felt. Right out of the box, without trigger. Because of the infamous binding and from reading/ listening to others gush about how buttery smooth their TL-3s are. But when it comes down to getting behind the rifle and running the bolt, I never bind it.

This is how it's been for every "buttery smooth" action I've heard about and then handled. Exact same reaction when I felt my buddies Impact. I immediately got it to bind by lifting up on the bolt handle at the full rear position and pushing forward. I keep trying people's super-duper actions, testing them if they bind....even though it's a non-issue when actually running them. In fact, I was seriously un-impressed with my buddies Impact. Granted it was filthy, but not the white unicorn everyone has been raving about IMO. Same with another friends AXMC. He was running it filthy and it was super rough. The only action I felt that I immediately thought, while finger fucking it, ..." ...this lives up to its reputation" has been a Lone Peak. It was being run by a gunsmith who had tuned the cocking piece. Its almost like it ran itself on inertia after you got it started. (Now you'll be let down if you run one based on how you're imagining it right now). Yes, I could get it to bind slightly as well.

The feeling on closing the bolt comes mostly from the cock on closing. I measured protrusion of the back of the firing pin from the shroud and filed the cocking piece until I had about. 005" cock on closing. That helped immensely. My 2 TL-3s and Origin feel MUCH smoother now.

Once I got the cocking pieces tuned, I couldn't get over how rough stripping a round out of the mag was. I never had a malfunction with them, but it provided enough resistance to ruin "the feel" so I opened up the feed lips in the front. Now it "feels" way smoother.

Nothing of substance has changed, but my guns "feel" much smoother.



Also, I agree: black...or you shoot bolt action Valkyries...?

Don't assume everyone is dumb and don't know how to try to tune their system.

BTW no need to file it you can get different cocking piece form them directly to correct timing issue. That what we all did with our TL3 + mag shit and other.

I can as picky as I wish when I pay premium and I don't want an action that can bind easily and need to be run "properly" to have it " butterbut slick"

My DLC'd defiance is not binding when out full stock by the side of the bolt handle, neither my two Impact, Neither my previous Tempest, neither my friend lone peak action or my ssg3000.

The TL3 has it's great thing about it but some not so much and it coulb de corrected.
 
Considering mine wouldn't run at all without putting your thumb on the tail of the bolt... I can only imagine.

The first time I went to fan the bolt open and back closed like I'd learned shooting NRA XTC Match Rifle, it was like the bolt hit a friggin' wall.

Stiller kind of gave me a "Meh, so?" response, one gunsmith told me it was because the bolt was too tight due to the coatings; another told me it was because the bolt was too loose.

And I had to send it off to get the firing pin hole bushed cuz it cratered primers with factory BH ammo.

Stupidly accurate, but a pain in my a$$ from day one (before that, even). Best thing about it was when I sold it.

There's a reason I went back to factory for a long, long time. Figured if I had to pay to un-fuck the action, it wasn't worth paying a premium for it in the first place.

Thankfully that seems to have changed (y)

I've got a deposit down on an Origin, but already planning on finding an Impact to fondle somewhere in the next year or so - just for objective comparison, of course ;)
 
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The only issue I have is that we have 5 guys on the range and none has the same feeling. I don't speak of tolerance but feeling when you close the bolt and so on.

1 DLC from you
2 bare as shipped
2 cerakoted

On the 5 only 1 is feeling perfect. All the other one bind. Mine(DLC) and the other bare was the worst.

I am sure mine is because of the DLC as he was wearing off too much vs other action I have DLC'd.

In the end it's a great action for switching barrels and feeding short cases without headache.

Fix the binding and the DLC and I'd buy one in a heart beat.

Bighorn has a new provision for the TL3 bolt body now. I was just in their today for a new bolt body. It doesn’t bind as bad now. They’re an action that takes getting used to, and you should run it with some downward pressure. Cycle it a lot and get used to it. You’ll come to appreciate it.
 
I


Bighorn has a new provision for the TL3 bolt body now. I was just in their today for a new bolt body. It doesn’t bind as bad now. They’re an action that takes getting used to, and you should run it with some downward pressure. Cycle it a lot and get used to it. You’ll come to appreciate it.

What's changed? Body diameter, fluting?