Tikka T3 vs Remington 700 actions

[kiwiaug]

hi guys , did a search, but found nothing on the two. had a savage LRP 260 on order for 18 months and still not here, New Zealand.

witch of the above is the stronger, better action to build up a l/range rifle from, will use a krieger barrel and acis mags etc and type stock.

thanks.

 

[CE1371]

The T3 action is better out of the box but obviously the 700 can be sent to the smith for work. The 700 is the golden standard so finding stocks and aftermarket parts will be easier, however all the big names in stocks are supporting the T3 as well for the most part.

Personally, I'd go for the T3 but there probably isn't a right or wrong answer to your question. I simply like the smooth Tikka/Sako actions.

 

[Sportin Wood]

I've heard rumors about the metal of the Tikka's being soft and not the best for working up loads, especially if you run them hot. Like I said these are rumors, and might have no actual factual basis. I like the Remmy action. I have built a ton of custom rifles using the Remington 700 as the base action. You can't go wrong either way you choose. Like CE stated, most of your chassis and aftermarket stock manufacturers are producing stocks/chassis's for the Tikka T3 as well. You can find barrel manufatcrues for both, as well as rail options, so it all comes down to personal preferences.

 

[Temp9]

I've heard rumors about the metal of the Tikka's being soft and not the best for working up loads, especially if you run them hot. Like I said these are rumors, and might have no actual factual basis. I like the Remmy action. I have built a ton of custom rifles using the Remington 700 as the base action. You can't go wrong either way you choose. Like CE stated, most of your chassis and aftermarket stock manufacturers are producing stocks/chassis's for the Tikka T3 as well. You can find barrel manufatcrues for both, as well as rail options, so it all comes down to personal preferences.

I believe the "soft metal" rumor stems from the aluminum recoil lug/block in the Tikka T3. It's known to get dinged up pretty badly with the heavier recoiling guns. KRG produces a steel one, and most chassis come with a built in lug, I believe, so that's moot point. My biggest gripe about Tikkas is that they use all metric threads. Makes it a bit harder to find screws and what-not. Aftermarket support is growing in the US. McM and Manners both produce stocks for Tikkas now.

Fondle a Tikka action and you'll see why they're so highly regarded.

 

[Massoud]

The T3 is not made of "soft metal". The lug thing becomes a non issue if you use an after market stock like ours or another. They use metric action screw threads but the barrel tenon is inch.

On our website under the "2 Shop" section is a write-up on both the T3 and Rem 700 that you can look at to compare the two.

Our stocks you can get from Cleaver or Delta Tactical in AUS.

Good luck,
Justin

 

[JGorski]

The T3 action is better out of the box but obviously the 700 can be sent to the smith for work. The 700 is the golden standard so finding stocks and aftermarket parts will be easier, however all the big names in stocks are supporting the T3 as well for the most part.

Personally, I'd go for the T3 but there probably isn't a right or wrong answer to your question. I simply like the smooth Tikka/Sako actions.

I beg to differ! Even the Sako action isnt as strong a 700 action, Sako does put a really nice trigger on the rifles, Rem does not. Personally, Id not even think about using a Tikka action over a 700.

 

[lonely_wolf]

All Tikka's are long actions despite caliber, correct? I prefer having short action's for small calibers. No wasted space.

 

[MarineMD]

hi guys , did a search, but found nothing on the two. had a savage LRP 260 on order for 18 months and still not here, New Zealand.

witch of the above is the stronger, better action to build up a l/range rifle from, will use a krieger barrel and acis mags etc and type stock.

thanks.

There is no denying that the Remington 700 is the AR-15 of the bolt action world. Accessories abound! You can get parts anywhere...even in the Philippines, Africa and I bet New Zealand. In the US Marines, the armorers cut their teeth on the Remington 700 platform. I recently went to a gunsmith school show while I was in North Carolina and I think half the project guns were AR15s and the other half were 700s. (An exaggeration, I also saw a few Winchester 70s).
Even many of the elite action makers base their designs and compatibility on the 700 (Surgeon, Stiller, et al) and a few on the Winchester pre-64 design.

BTW, have you considered a pre-64 Winchester or Winchester "Classic?" These are great actions and, IMHO, they are the best looking action of the commonly available ones. You can get a cheap used one for the action.

 

[HOGTOOTH5R]

Factory Setup/Performance I'd go with Tikka, but for upgrade and future custom works then Definitely Remington 700 Wins. It's more about preference than anything else really. Try to find one of each and try it for yourself.

For me it was a tough choice made simple. I got BOTH. lol

 

[Hazarmaveth]

I beg to differ! Even the Sako action isnt as strong a 700 action...

Define "strong". If you're talking about actual *strength* (as in yield strength or tensile strength, how much it can take before it breaks or deforms) then, well, I think you'll have a hard time finding a broken Sako/Tikka. It's certainly strong enough, and that's all you need. I seriously doubt any Sako is any weaker than a 700, but it's really irrelevant unless you're trying to do something very, very wrong (eg. chamber one in 408 Cheytac).

Are you talking about stiffness instead? That's a lot more relevant. From their design, I could believe that something like a Sako 75 would be a little less stiff than a 700. The Tikka T3, however, has only a small port instead of the large cutout on the tops of the Sakos and Remingtons. It is a VERY stiff action. Substantially stiffer than the 700, or a Winchester or Howa for that matter. The TRG should be stiffer yet.

Aside from being stiffer, the Tikkas tend to be machined a little better than old Remingtons, and a whole lot better than new ones. They also come with much better extractors, somewhat better stocks (though neither are really decent), and a very good 2-4 lb adjustable trigger. The bolt throw is a little shorter (75 degrees vs 90) and the action is much smoother on the T3. Tikkas tend to be more accurate out of the box, and in my opinion, they offer more potential for a semi-custom. Aftermarket support is somewhat less though, and some smiths won't work on a Tikka (frankly though, if you're incapable of working on a Tikka, then I don't think you have any business touching my 700 anyway).

 

[Temp9]

I beg to differ! Even the Sako action isnt as strong a 700 action, Sako does put a really nice trigger on the rifles, Rem does not. Personally, Id not even think about using a Tikka action over a 700.

How so? The 700 action has a huge cut-out for the ejection port. The Tikka action only has a small cut-out of the necessary size. I would imagine the cut-out compromises the 700 action fairly significantly in terms of stiffness and overall strength.

 

[JGorski]

Of the Tikkas Ive handled they just didnt seem very strong to me, so Im going by the feel of them compared to the 700 action. Even the Sakos seemed not as strong. Is it me or does the Tikka have thinner walls on their action?

 

[Hazarmaveth]

Of the Tikkas Ive handled they just didnt seem very strong to me, so Im going by the feel of them compared to the 700 action. Even the Sakos seemed not as strong. Is it me or does the Tikka have thinner walls on their action?

In what way did they "seem" not as strong? The Remington action is about 1.35" in diameter, circular, with a giant gap in the middle for the ejection port on top and the magazine on the bottom. The T3 action is pretty close to the same outside diameter, about 1.38", but hexagonal (well, kinda hexagonal, it's round on the bottom and has a scope rail thing on the top). It measures about 1.2" across the sides, so in that particular dimension, yes, it is does have thinner walls than the 700. However, going from a circle to a quasi-hexagon like that would not cost much in stiffness, certainly not anywhere near what the giant ejection port costs the Remington. The Tikka also has a slightly smaller hole in the bottom for the magazine. Whether it seems that way or not, from an engineering standpoint, the Tikka T3 action is much more rigid than the 700 or any Sako except the TRG.

 

[kiwiaug]

thanks guys, great stuff.

 

[JGorski]

It's been a while since Ive handled the Tikka action, Ill have to take another look at them sometime in the future. It might be the thinner profile from the top thats throwing me off, who knows.

 

[monteboy84]

The tikka action is plenty strong, and their bolt handle attachment method is much stronger than Remington's. Overall, the T3 action is a very robust design and runs circles around the 700 in terms of engineering and build quality. They also use excellent barrels, every Tikka I've owned has been extremely accurate. As of late, they've been getting more and more aftermarket support, so I'd strongly consider one over a Remington at this point.

-matt

 

[GentleBen]

I took my first Tikka T3 in .223 out for the first time last week. I was chrono-ing some loads at only 25 yards and concentrating on the FPS readings, etc. And then I focused on the hits and noticed that I had 11 shots through one hole of well less than half inch. Of course, 25 yards is not far away, but it sold me on the fact the Tikka T3 was doing its part by itself. Wow.

Not stiff enough, non-conforming looks, hard to get after-market parts, and all, screw that. This rifle can shoot out of the box.

After I get it all trained in on 100, I'm going to have to make a decision on whether to change the stock ... not sure if it will be needed.

 

[ddavis]

I like them enough to use it as my avatar picture.

These might be fighting words, but I don't know why anyone would go back to a Remington after owning a Tikka. Seems like everything about the T3 tops the Remington except for aftermarket support. I have one that is all custom, only the action is still Tikka, and another that is a stock T3 Lite hunting rifle and like them both equally. They are also cheaper than a Remington once you figure in the fact that the T3 trigger is nearly perfect once adjusted down to 2.5 lbs. right out of the box and does not need to be replaced.

 

[pinsandpitons]

Both great. I've owned both. For a field rifle I'd go with the 700, for a bench gun (as OP stated) the T3 is more evenly matched. I've had trouble with the smallness of the ejection port on TRGs and T3s. Sometimes you've got to stick yer fingers in there to deal with the errant failure. Food for thought. Many great points posted above.

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

I own both, and a few 700 clones. At present, Roberts Precision is building my 243AI on a Tikaa T3 action, very strong, butter-smooh bolt, great stock trigger, very well made.

I own a few T3s and have yet to be disappointed by one.

Their synthetic stocks suck, and their bottom "metal" ain't, but those are easily addressed, and Remington's current synthetics are the worst I have ever seen, so...