Are you saying that the rifle only achieved sub-moa accuracy with the Sako ammo that he was using? And did not, with other ammo he was testing at the time?
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Tikkas are better than....
- Thread starter Rapidaffliction
- Start date
Yeah. .
My local gun store have a couple s20 for sale so I was considering them. But after watching the video I don’t think I’ll get it.
I don't know why, but I can't get that video to play...
One thing you remember is, like I said, I don't know what the other ammos were because I can't get the video to play... But he may have been firing a particular cartridge, with a particular weighted projectile that his rifle did not like...
He may have had a poor batch of ammo...
Or, there could have been something very simple wrong with his mass-produced rifle.. mistakes are made... It could be sitting crooked in this stock, the crown could be off just a little tiny bit...action screws could be loose, OR, like one contributor in this thread said; he could be missing 4 in of rifling...
Or, it could be some type of marketing ploy, that he maybe gets kick backs from Sako, somehow...for ammo marketing... I know that's reaching a little bit... But....
Regardless, I can't speak about my claim being applied to Sako... It was something that I read on the Tikka website a couple years ago... But have noticed that whenever I have read the same guarantee with other manufacturers, there was little tweaks to it, such as 1moa, as opposed to under 1moa, and other manufacturers mentioning Match Grade ammo...
I too have looked at the s20... But I don't know if I can get over the stock.. I like traditional type stocks for hunting rifles.. not always pure convention.. , but I am particular about it.. as far as adopting it to a utility rifle, I maybe could see that..
I have a hard time seeing ANY Sako shooting over 1moa.. in ideal circumstances...
He used 5 different ammo type and shoot 5 shot group if I remember correctly. Also the only one I know that shoot multiple shot group for accuracy testing on the S20.
I own a Tikka and 3 of my buddies have bought them for hunting rifles over the last couple years. I also handle them pretty frequently in gun shops as well as bergaras and christensens. Tikkas’ bolt feel is significantly better than both Bergaras and Christensens in general. Some bergaras are better than others, but most tikkas are smoother. Christensens are all very rough and most bergaras are better. Although, I have encountered several tikkas (including my own), that have a pretty heavy bolt lift after firing. I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with Bergara or Tikka (Bergara seems to be the main comparable rifle in this thread). I recommend both to people all the time. Tikkas seem to make more sense as a hunting rifle mainly due to weight. Everyone I have shot, shoots 1” or better with multiple factory ammos. I haven’t had any complaints with the factory magazines, but all the ones I have used are 30-06 or 270 or my 300 win mag that now uses AICS mags. The recoil lug system is strange, but if it shoots well, who cares. I know the barrels can also be slow, but my 300 win mag (stainless) shoots 200 ELDX at 2930 with H4831sc. The half long action is a pain, but it works well with short mags like 7 saum or 6.5 PRC.
Holy fanboyism.
Tikkas aren’t turds, but they’re a bit over rated. Best under $2K? Uh no.
For a $600 beater hunting rifles they’re pretty much the entry level to get decent, the CTR is a good entry level LR rifle too but they aren’t perfect, the mags and trigger guards are trash, LOA only is a little gay, and I’ve seen more than a few broken bolt stops.
Enjoying what you have an feeling like you got a good value is one thing, but when you post stuff like this it makes you look like an idiot that has no clue what you’re talking about and makes your lack of experience apparent.
Tikkas aren’t turds, but they’re a bit over rated. Best under $2K? Uh no.
For a $600 beater hunting rifles they’re pretty much the entry level to get decent, the CTR is a good entry level LR rifle too but they aren’t perfect, the mags and trigger guards are trash, LOA only is a little gay, and I’ve seen more than a few broken bolt stops.
Enjoying what you have an feeling like you got a good value is one thing, but when you post stuff like this it makes you look like an idiot that has no clue what you’re talking about and makes your lack of experience apparent.
Sako is Beretta holding co's premium offering...Tikka is their mid range...
Tikka has their own receiver group...uses Sako barrels... Tikka has not as nice stocks..
If you look on this website, there are hundreds up on hundreds of threads, containing thousands if not tens of thousands of normal folks, semi-professional, as well as professional folks all singing the praises of Tikkas ..
Then you have bubba, that's never even heard of Tikka, and snears at it; because "tiker? Wut da hell is tiker? , , Diddy ditnit use no tiker... I'mma savage man" .... Then you have the snobs, that think they're big and bad because they have a rifle built from scratch, and they are usually people that aren't really conscious to what things really are and what they really do, they are the kind of people that get hung up on labels... The kind of people that refuse to use body wash and shampoo or shampoo as body wash...
They don't realize that you can actually spend just as much building a 100% completely customized "custom rifle" from factory parts... They are the kind of people that don't realize that you can find a bartlin barrel that is just as much of a piece of junk as a Remington barrel...
You can buy factory rifle, and spend just as much money working on it still ending up with exactly what you want...as if you built it from scratch... What these non poors don't realize is, is that those custom actions ARE FACTORY ACTIONS, TOO..! They were building a factory just the same as any other rifle... Most of these people that are talking trash, have never even stepped foot in a machine shop... Anyways....
You can buy a factory rifle and have it, "accurized", and generally have it shooting just as well as a completely custom built rifle... Not to mention, a lot of these people talking down about the Tikka rifles...and how much better their custom built rifle is, I'll probably the kind of people that go spend $5,000 on a custom rifle and top it with a $300 scope... So.... I have no confidence in anyone...
The only thing(s) I dislike about _____'s
Recoil lug setup
Slow barrels
Dovetail bolt handle connection.
Recoil lug setup
Slow barrels
Dovetail bolt handle connection.
Ohh yeah, and what’s that?
Please enlighten me since you’ve came here to grace us with your knowledge.
Most rednecks like cheap junk and Tikkas would align with that so it could be argued that you’ve got some redneck in you too. Rednecks also tend to be brand loyal to whatever they buy/own and that’s the best, so again….
Go be poor somewhere else.
I must be the only one that's had no trouble at all with the factory CTR mags. In fact they feed better and more reliably than AICS mags with no "tweaking" or "tuning" needed. And yes I tried an AICS setup in the same action and I promptly switched back to CTR mags.
Never heard of issues with the trigger guard lol
I'm not brand loyal... I have a well diversified armory, and highly believe in the pursuit thereof... I, along with thousands of others would rather several rifles, as opposed to one platinum coated one...
Have you thought for a second, that maybe after 25yrs of collecting, building, acquiring, customizing, shooting, and living; that some people have come to realization that despite the wealth of choices on the market –no manufacturers offer a rifle with quite the particular niche-boxes checked l
quite like Tikka does?
Because they don't...
When you start getting into the $2,000 range, you start getting into Sakos, Steyrs, Mausers, Heym, Sauer, etc... Then at that point...yes, the differences start becoming quite apparent... But even still...Tikka still has all the "better" boxes checked, in ways that most don't even come close to checking...
As far as the more niche manufactures... Again, there's that marketing term..."starting at".. 1600..1800, etc..
Even with full custom rifles... Alot of those are of the 700 platform... And the 700 platform can only be improved so much.... And for the money that you spend on a custom action alone.. you could still buy a Tikka rifle, strip it down to its action... Have it blueprinted, even though it more than likely won't have anything taken off...send it to nitriding, have it's interior coated with NP3, have the trigger pack disassembled honed and polished, and coated in np3... Have the exterior with a finish of your choice, AND STILL not spend as much as you would on just the acquisition of the custom action... And you would have a better system...with the Tikka.. there's not much arguing to that... Theres just not... Im sorry, but you just don't have a leg to stand on.
But you stating that "for $600, a Tikka is an okay beater gun"... I think that it is you that is showing your lack of experience, and ignorance... Because there are hundreds, if not thousands of people, on this very site, that very well know better... Regardless of the price point, a Tikka is not what one would refer to as a beater gun... When someone uses that term, and applies it to a situation, they are usually referring to something of this likes of a Remington or Savage...
And let's talk about that price point for a minute... They are that price, to begin with; because of people just like you... Because the demand is not there .., in the US... Which, I should actually be thanking you... But in other places where the brand is better well known, such as in England... The price point is actually closer to $1600 ... depending on trim...
Sound the Charge.
If you have so much experience, why are you wasting time on this thread, replying to someone with an even lower level of experience?
Why'd you even comment?
Some of us don't just toy with rifles here and there, but have made our living with a "gun" in our hand... Don't talk to me about experience.
I suppose I could say your the more you reply, the more your ignorance is showing ..
Your not just spewing that garbage to me, you inflicting it on everyone else that supports my position. I guess we're ALL wrong...
People who are set in their ways really don’t like it when someone disagrees with them. But I’m the ignorant one? 
I've broken about 4 bolt stops on Tikkas and have at least 3 friends who broke theirs as well in competition use. You start using them in awkward positions like rooftops, you are going to break bolt stops and there's really no solution to it. I was a huge fanboy but that was reason enough to move on to something else. I still think they are one of the smoothest actions and they are great for hunting, but that's a fatal flaw that I just can't deal with.
-Dan
Damn.....yall need to lighten up about yer shitty rifles. Jusayin.....
Were those the original t3's, or is that on the t3x?
I think you're the second person that has said that on this threat, but before then I had never heard that... Maybe once before a long time ago..
Original T3 but the T3x does not seem to have upgraded it. I ran a Tikka hard for years and didn't have problems. Then got a second one in 223 and was at a weekend match and another guy had his bolt stop break. We fixed it by taping a sharpie to his stock to act as a bolt stop and on the next stage mine broke. I could pretty much break them on command with that gun. My original Tikka in 6.5 really never came out of the chassis but one day I took it out and realized the bolt stop pin had in fact broken in half at some point in years past and was jammed in there so hard it was never coming out again. I bought a pack of (50) 2mm pins from McMaster and gave some to friends who were also having problems and used a few myself but they won't do you much good if the bolt stop itself flies off in deep grass. There is not enough metal around where the bolt stop pin goes to machine it out for a larger designed pin. I can't even really call it a design flaw because for their original purpose of hunting or prone shooting they are ok. They just can't hold up to competition or rough use.
-Dan
I see... Yeah, they do make some aftermarket stainless ones.. I don't know whether it's 416, 410, or 304, or what...
That is an honest gripe. I concede to that.
I’m a Tikka homer, so keep that in mind, but how are we defining performance?
Precision? Reliability? Something else?
I’ve been shooting Tikkas for a dozen years or so. I shoot more than some but way less than others and I’ve never had a rifle fail. So they’re very reliable in my experience.
I’m a handloader so I get to squeeze precision out of my rifles. That said, I’ve never had a rifle that was easier to find precision than the Tikka. Kind of boring, really, if a guy likes a challenge.
I view my firearms as tools so I don’t care much about looks. Plastic? Doesn’t affect performance. Magazines? Haven’t been a problem. Stock composition, recoil lug? Non-issues.
Does it go bang every time, and does the bullet go where I want it to go? Yeah, so far.
I could spend a lot more money but I don’t think I’d get better, or even as good, performance.
P
Precision? Reliability? Something else?
I’ve been shooting Tikkas for a dozen years or so. I shoot more than some but way less than others and I’ve never had a rifle fail. So they’re very reliable in my experience.
I’m a handloader so I get to squeeze precision out of my rifles. That said, I’ve never had a rifle that was easier to find precision than the Tikka. Kind of boring, really, if a guy likes a challenge.
I view my firearms as tools so I don’t care much about looks. Plastic? Doesn’t affect performance. Magazines? Haven’t been a problem. Stock composition, recoil lug? Non-issues.
Does it go bang every time, and does the bullet go where I want it to go? Yeah, so far.
I could spend a lot more money but I don’t think I’d get better, or even as good, performance.
P
Buying a Tikka just to do all you said sounds like a lot of money when you can get a Bighorn Origin with a Green Mountain barrel from Keystone, then throw in a KRG bravo and TT trigger….you’re sub $2K without adding all the money it would take to modify the original Tikka (blueprinting, adding barrel, all the coatings, etc you describe)….
Welllll.....I suppose you 'could'....
But I thought big horn origin was SA only?
Also, I admittedly have a prejudice towards tubular actions I guess...
Regardless, it still 900 bucks or more... and I just mentioned those different coatings... It would be about 550 for the nitriding and coatings... Really n truly.. that wouldn't even have to be part of the equation..
I'm not real keen on green mountain... I've always viewed them as being a lower tier... Not that that means they are..
They first got my attention when they were doing work and experimenting with super fast rate twists...back when I was into that... and I liked what they were doing.... Before I started aspiring to the slow as possible, or only fast as necessary school of thought...
And this first thread was, directed rowards "factory built" rifles...really... though it has devolved...
But yes, you correct.. for many many people, that would be a good route.. just to get their foot in the door of nothing else..
I find this to be an interesting discussion. Tikkas are fine rifles, as are Bergara, CZ, and Howa. When one talks about " Performance ", wouldn`t most equate that to putting bullets on target? As someone who is relatively new to rifle shooting, it`s been amusing to discover the whole precision ( group size ) vs accuracy ( POA vs POI ) dimension. It appears from observation that by and large what`s most important is shooting the tightest group possible, and it`s really OK if that group`s in the next county. Of course, that`s an exaggeration, but sometimes I think that it`s not much of one. For the average working Joe, spending anywhere from $500 to $1500 on a rifle and scope, is any one brand head and shoulders superior when it comes to " performance"?
Please consider that the T3 has been on the market for 20 years... and people are still now trying to find others that are better made or cheaper.... and still struggling! The T3 when launched would rival the best custom actions at the time selling for 3-4 more.. and still rival some of the best.
The Tikka T3 is a Sako TRG-22/42 action slimmed down.
They can use the same triggers.
They both use the same barrels, made on the same machines.
They have the same recoil lug set up... heard any problems with Sako TRG recoil lugs?
They have the same extractor.
Can disassemble and clean bolt and firing pin, in mid winter in 10 seconds with your hands and mittens.
The T3 trigger is much more resilient to dust, sand, ice then Rem 700 trigger variants.
Now,
The magazines are reliable, their are tough and work... have read sporadically over the years that some have broken when dropped on rocks... but 10x more reports of they have even survived that.
The stocks are a factory product... Please compare them to other factory stocks...
They do work though, but there are better after market ones out there, if you want to spend a few hundred $ more..
The main problem with the Tikka T3 series... is that in the US, you can still buy them for less then 1/2 the price in Finland, where its made.
In the US, its still a frigging bargain... and some are still complaining they are to expensive.
I own three, in 223, 308 and 6,5x55.. works beautifully, cycles effortlessly, great trigger, ejects brass into a neat pile, rings fits directly into dovetail groove. I have both McMillan and wood stocks for each of them.
The Tikka T3 is a Sako TRG-22/42 action slimmed down.
They can use the same triggers.
They both use the same barrels, made on the same machines.
They have the same recoil lug set up... heard any problems with Sako TRG recoil lugs?
They have the same extractor.
Can disassemble and clean bolt and firing pin, in mid winter in 10 seconds with your hands and mittens.
The T3 trigger is much more resilient to dust, sand, ice then Rem 700 trigger variants.
Now,
The magazines are reliable, their are tough and work... have read sporadically over the years that some have broken when dropped on rocks... but 10x more reports of they have even survived that.
The stocks are a factory product... Please compare them to other factory stocks...
They do work though, but there are better after market ones out there, if you want to spend a few hundred $ more..
The main problem with the Tikka T3 series... is that in the US, you can still buy them for less then 1/2 the price in Finland, where its made.
In the US, its still a frigging bargain... and some are still complaining they are to expensive.
I own three, in 223, 308 and 6,5x55.. works beautifully, cycles effortlessly, great trigger, ejects brass into a neat pile, rings fits directly into dovetail groove. I have both McMillan and wood stocks for each of them.
VERY good point, and very well said... But I suppose it would depend as to what metric, what grouping of performance we were comparing.... Which will often boil down to situational differences... And of the actual endpoint of the overall "user experience"...
I LOVE, CZ rifles as well... I have a 527 America, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT... It might be one of my favorite rifles... And I could confidently say I would not trade it for any Tikka... Just as I was saying earlier, I am not brand loyal, I love diversity in my inventory... I don't like to put the same brand scope on too many rifles for example... Anyways... Yes... My 527 in 223rem (the Europeans/nords don't differentiate between 223/556), topped with a Meopta Meopro bdc2 3.5-10x44rd... love it... It's great... It shoots about 0.7 straight out the box with cheap bulk ammo... And I have gotten groups as small as 0.4.. again, with "cheap bulk Geco dtx' 55gr fmj ...
Talk about "poors", and non-poors... A lot of these people that consider themselves nonpours, generally only operate with one rifle at a time... Between rifle and scope they might have eight to $9,000 in their rifle.. and when they move on to something different, they sell that rifle, and use the money to build another one... Whereas, some of the "poors"; might use factory rifles as a starting point to rebuild... Completely outfit it... And still end up spending four or five grand .. then when they move on to something else, they keep the rifle, add it to their inventory and have to start from scratch without being able to sell a rifle to finance the next one... And the same people also live in half million dollar houses, have two 60 to 70,000+ vehicles... Recreational Vic's, a large shop, full of tools, a home armory full of stuff, a family to support, and still have 150k+ in guns/rifles .... Meanwhile, you have the "non-poors", probably single men..., Living in an apartment, driving some shitty lil car, no home maintenance to perform, no shop, no tractor, no other big toys, no dependants, no REAL responsibilities, no tools, and their one expensive ass "custom built" rifle... And their ONE half-shitty spotter..
But yet, have the audacity to about the next man, the poors' rifle(s)... Even know that guy might have 40 rifles....targetry out the ass, 8 spotting Scopes, 5 tripods, a lease, and 5 billion other things to pay for.....but that non-poor has that one awesome rifle.... Big deal...
This last part of this rant wasn't directed at you...
Well, LOL. for sure count me as one of the " poors ", one of the " unwashed masses " , I`m 74 and didn`t own a rifle of any sort ( not counting a series of Daisy pumps.!) until about a year and a half ago. Up until then, the only real rifle experience I had was when I was working for Uncle Sam. I bought a Savage 110 Storm in .223 with a 3-9X40 Vortex scope for range and varmint use. The thing shoots sub-MOA at 100 yards easily with match and hunting rounds ( Barnes, Nosler, V-Max) . Easily MOA of Coyote ! I`m happy with it, so I guess that`s all that really matters, particularly since I don`t anticipate trying to shoot a target in the next zip code like most of you fellows seem to! I`m truly not disparaging anyone ( if you saw me shoot, you`d know I have no grounds !) but I get a chuckle when some of these guns barely look like guns! About all they appear to lack is a radar sight!
It’s funny because I have a Tikka, too. They’re nice and I think at the sub $1K mark great value if you can find what you want, but the lug thing and no integral rail will keep it behind the custom action that do have those, for me. That bolt is smoooov though, wish extras were cheaper.
No doubt! They are nice actions for what they are! Once you step up into the Lone Peak, Impact, Surgeon, etc action price point though there’s no comparing. I’ll get a build going off one eventually most likely.
Remember the T3 came out 20 years ago..
Trigger better then 95% of all Rem triggers and handles dust, dirt, icing better then all..
Slicker then even most custom actions... while actually working in dust, dirt and icing..
Integral dovetail, that you can clamp scope rings like Spuhr or Sportsmatch on..
Swap out bolt handle, dismantle and clean and inspect firing pin in 10 sec without tools, while wearing gloves... allright allright maybe 20 sec.
Integral recoil lug works.. it just does. Sako TRG-22 / 42 has used the same system for 30+ years..
And in the US, they are still less then 1/2 the price of what they cost in Finland, Scandinavia.. and basically everywhere else.
A new T3x Lite SS costs $1650 here... while found a quick price of $870 on Europtic... and barely used ones are even cheaper.
The perfect action has integral everything... recoil lug, rail, bolt handle... but should also function in conditions equal to Tikka ( Sako TRG "lite action").. but few does.
It’s a nice trigger, but I resent that I had to buy a Midas to get a two stage trigger because you hardly ever see takeoffs/they’re only sold with Super Varmint and TAC A1 rifles.
Yeah I don’t want to use a Spuhr or Sako Optilock, the dovetail isn’t a feature I like. Both my Sako and Tikka wear a pic base.
some people don't like that they're made of plastic... but who actually leaves them in the factory stock?
never heard of blueprinting a Tikka action before; interesting idea though, not sure what the point would be
I prefer picatinny too but prefer the built in to a screw on.
I cannot wait until the shooting industry moves past the outdated mindset that plastic = bad/weak/cheap. Maybe by then there will also be more than just Remington 700 clones in the aftermarket action market (or at least more options than there are currently).
Yeah. You guys are right. Tikkakoski has always made crap. Here is a NOS version of their crap from 1944. Bet it shoots like shit too with that hammer forged barrel. Hope the bolt stop doesn't break.
I usually don't do this.... But this is for you @MK20 ... These two make a pair ... Tikka Suomi m31 9mm ... Finland's answer to the Russian invasion, and the very inspiration of the Russians own, ppsh41... ....or so I'm told.. . . It says patent 1932, but the winter war was in 1939 I think...so... Maybe this wasn't finland's answer to Russia's invasion...
This thing weighs as much as a SAW... Or close to it... It has a hard trigger... You don't even really feel this thing shoot... It doesn't like brass case ammo...that's an 81rd drum....I think.., If I remember correctly... I have a 32rd stick mag, as well....
Sound the Charge.
