Looking at getting a tikkia t3 lite 7mm08 and just wondering if any has one an what think about it.
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Looking at getting a tikkia t3 lite 7mm08 and just wondering if any has one an what think about it.
sweedish idol.
bloody near the perfect rifle for NZ.
They have very good marketing... not that there is anything particularly wrong with them, but there are plenty of other options (Remington, Savage etc) which are just as good or better (depending who you talk to ;) ) at a lower price.
My advice is go to a gun shop or two, hold/play with a variety of different options in your price range, and get the one that fits you best and you like the feel of.
I went through the same pondering last year, comparing the Sako A7 with Tikka T3. I've heard all the negatives before, such as "can't top load mag" etc and I've never understood why that was ever an issue, because my mag is either loaded or unloaded, so what does it matter?
The only things that stop me buying a Tikka T3 is the hollow (potentially noisy) sounding plastic stock and a rather noisy, sloppy bolt. Having said that, even the top dollar Sako 85 Finnlight has a sloppy bolt. As someone else already pointed out, you should go to the gun shop and have a good play with everything on offer and see what works for you. If the salesman is impatient, drive to a different gun shop.
I never did like mine. I would never buy either that caliber or a T3 again. But I am a dick head...
Dan M
People either love them or hate them. Have a friend with one in 6.5x55 and he loves it, I pick it up and go cold.
If you pick it up and it feels right then that is all you need to know, there are a few duds out there but you get that with all the brands.
I reckon there would be ten T3 6.5 around taihape bought in the lsst five years as they are getting to legendary status over here as alot of the top shots in the area are running them.
I still say buy a tikka for $1100 in taihape and spend $1500 on an hd5 zeiss 5x25 and you have got a rig from hell!
Pro's
-sako barrel (they known as a poor mans sako)
-guaranteed 3 MOA at 100m
-smooth bolt
-Light weight
-Most common rifle in NZ
Cons
-Noisy and plastic stock.
-Plastic Mag
-Plastic trigger guard
There are other options out there for a little less and a little more and its best to pick up and feel as many as you can
I've got one in .270 and i really like it, i wanted it from day 1 and i didn't really matter what else i held i would always compare it to the T3.
I'm happy to live with the plastic stuff, wouldn't mind a better stock but that can wait till next xmas lol.
Its the barrel that sold it for me, and thats what gives it its reputation in my opinion
hope this helps
RR
I just dont get that a plastic mag and trigger guard is a con?
I would cosider it an improvement as less maintaince and weight.
as far as top loading the mag goes they dont really matter as when ya need another round you throw a round in the top and in it chambers easy peasy.
A bloody sight easier than trying to load a mag through the top!
Thats the clever marketing bit... making a big deal of guaranteeing that they'll shoot about the same as everything else does, but because its a guarantee people seem to think they're more accurate. It is nice of them to back their product but you still have to find the ammo that it prefers and so on - I used a T3 270 that was grouping about 3" at 100m, rather than blaming the rifle I told the owner he should try out some different ammo first.
The amount of people I have met that have turned up at various shoots with their pride and joy ti then be out shot by the stinky old tikka that then come to the next shoot with you guessed it a stinky old tikka which then made them competitive so go figure!
The only con with a Tikka is the noisy bolt action, it cost me dearly when I was sneaking up on a mob of pigs one night and didn't have one up the spout, no matter how carefully I cycled the bolt the noise was bloody deafening.
There's a few aftermarket parts being produced for them so you are able play around with them.
HAHAHAHAHAA The Tikka T3 lite 7mm-08 is pretty much the quintessential Kiwi hunting rig. Don't think you can go too wrong with it
Just buy a nice timney trigger and you're laughing
I got the gunsmith to lighten mine on both the 223 and 243 (it was an easy do coz he had a pull gauge and I had it in the shop anyway)
I dont know if he "worked" the mechanism or just lightened the screw - but either way people have commented what a nice trigger it is ..
Speaking of triggers does anyone like a bit of creep then a kind of hard bit but not that hard that it makes you pull the gun just enough to know that its about to fire? Any one with a CG 6.5 should know what I'm talking about unless its just mine.
I really like the trigger like that. I also like the model 70 where I just touch it then it fires.
They are fantastic rifles.
The non ability to top load a magazine sounds like something an American would argue, it really does not matter.
Same with complaining about the trigger guard and plastic magazine. It is not flimsy and cheap, it's very good quality strong plastic, and I have no trouble trusting in mine.
The Tikka easily has the nicest action in the price range, I'm definitely not a fan boy or anything, but compared to the Remington or Savage the Tikka is miles ahead.
They have also one of the nicest triggers found in a factory rifle. I've never felt as though the plastic stock was noisy at all, I've never had any trouble with mine.
Americans also like to complain about the lack of after market parts, but that's really a non issue. In general I feel as though nothing on the Tikka needs to be changed, and if you want to you can get stocks, bottom metal and triggers piece of piss.
I own a Tikka lite 223 SS and it's stupidly accurate, shoots under .5 moa with cheap Hornady ammo, and under 1 moa with most other cheap ammo.
Every Remington I've looked at and played with didn't even compare quality wise, and considering Tikka's can now be had for pretty much the same price as a Stainless Rem 700, I see no reason to bother with them. When I buy my next centrefire it will definitely be another Tikka.
You can definitely get better rifles than the Tikka's, but for their price they are pretty bloody good.
Nah, it wasn't my rifle just put a couple of groups through as a second opinion for a mate who was having accuracy issues sighting in. Not sure if he has tried different ammo yet, think he decided 3" group was ok for bush hunting until he finishes off the box.
The trigger (as it was at least) was much worse than any of my rifles - my Ruger trigger has been tickled up so isn't a fair comparison, but my Savages are bog standard accutriggers adjusted to the lighter end. I figured the pull could be lightened, but the vagueness was just as annoying - I like to know when a trigger is going to break.
The T3 action was certainly nicer than the Ruger (which is a bit clunky) but no smoother in feel than my Savage, and didn't feed as well.
Having owned only top loadable rifles for many years not being able to top load really pisses me off.
Everytime you chamber a round just before lookin out at a clearing etc and don't end up fireing you have to drop the mag and load it instead of just pushing it back down.
Even pisses me off with the 22.
Also if your on a mob of goats(or anything for that matter) its great to be able to quickly top up the mag.
That said still think the Tikka is great value for money. Just a shame they don't have a 5 round flush fitting top loadable mag or even a floor plate.
I own two T3s. Both shoot better than I usually do and are great to carry around (which is what I do with them most).
If you are worried about the hollow sound the stock stock makes, take the recoil pad off and fill the space with expanding foam. Weighs nothing and dulls the sound it makes when you knock it.
The plastic bits are great. I have never heard of a trigger guard breaking or corroding and the only issue with the magazine is that you may lose it if you are prone to such things.
Attachment 18380
A couple of lack handers Shearer.
i opted to get a laminate stock straight away for my t3 308 no regrets
My 300wm has the trigger lightened, its awesome but did take about 20 rounds to get use too.