Tikka T3

Shootinshyster · Sunday at 3:16 PM

The Tikka T3 has an excellent barrel, receiver and bolt. The rest of the parts are utterly geschtunkent

But all is not lost. If you have a T3, you can rebuilt it.

There is a guy in Whitecourt, Alberta who manufactures high quality stainless steel trigger guard assemblies for the T3.

I am very intrigued because with proper parts, the T3 could be a good rifle. I am going to contact the man and try to meet up with him. I want to investigate this new trigger guard assembly and I will report on it.

wytonpjs · Sunday at 3:24 PM

Shootinshyster said:
The Tikka T3 has an excellent barrel, receiver and bolt. The rest of the parts are utterly geschtunkent

But all is not lost. If you have a T3, you can rebuilt it.

There is a guy in Whitecourt, Alberta who manufactures high quality stainless steel trigger guard assemblies for the T3.

I am very intrigued because with proper parts, the T3 could be a good rifle. I am going to contact the man and try to meet up with him. I want to investigate this new trigger guard assembly and I will report on it.

View attachment 479363

No need - I already run a Walters Rifleman bottom metal on my T3X Lite .270, primarily to shoot with gloves in Scottish winters. Plenty of aftermarket bits out there and more coming.

Shootinshyster · Sunday at 3:26 PM

wytonpjs said:
No need - I already run a Walters Rifleman bottom metal on my .270, primarily to shoot with gloves in Scottish winters. Plenty of aftermarket bits out there and more coming.

Please post pictures and tell us about it

Cranborne · Sunday at 4:50 PM

Shootinshyster said:
The Tikka T3 has an excellent barrel, receiver and bolt. The rest of the parts are utterly geschtunkent

But all is not lost. If you have a T3, you can rebuilt it.

There is a guy in Whitecourt, Alberta who manufactures high quality stainless steel trigger guard assemblies for the T3.

I am very intrigued because with proper parts, the T3 could be a good rifle. I am going to contact the man and try to meet up with him. I want to investigate this new trigger guard assembly and I will report on it.

View attachment 479363

I imported one of these for my Tikka T3X 270win; not cheap, but a very good upgrade.

takbok · Sunday at 5:00 PM

Machined ones look nice but the standard glass filled nylon trigger guards are perfectly strong and functional.

I started designing a metal one a few years back but didn't finish it...

ejg · Sunday at 6:04 PM

How much lighter is the metal one than the 33 grams of the plastic T3 original? If a part on a dynamic instrument is lighter and does the same job... it is better.
edi

Tralle · Sunday at 6:11 PM

ejg said:
How much lighter is the metal one than the 33 grams of the plastic T3 original? If a part on a dynamic instrument is lighter and does the same job... it is better.
edi

I am still waiting for someone to start making aics bottom metals in "forged" carbon or PEEK for the Tikka.

Until then the weight penalty on aftermarket bottom metals isn't worth it to me.

Shootinshyster · Sunday at 6:20 PM

ejg said:
How much lighter is the metal one than the 33 grams of the plastic T3 original? If a part on a dynamic instrument is lighter and does the same job... it is better.
edi

I saw a T3 yesterday in Edmonton. The price was $1300.

Now why should I get plastic when I'm paying for steel? If this was a $399 rifle, I wouldn't mind. But this is an expensive cheaply made gun

Ronin · Sunday at 6:44 PM

These bottom metal are very well made - had a couple for builds I’ve done in the UK

They ship direct to you

They also do a bottom metal for T3 with larger trigger guard bow for gloved hands

Excellent idea and very well made product

KimE · Sunday at 8:16 PM

Shootinshyster said:
I saw a T3 yesterday in Edmonton. The price was $1300.

Now why should I get plastic when I'm paying for steel? If this was a $399 rifle, I wouldn't mind. But this is an expensive cheaply made gun

How is the steel trigger guard going to make it cheaper?

ColinBr · Sunday at 8:49 PM

Ronin said:
These bottom metal are very well made - had a couple for builds I’ve done in the UK

They ship direct to you

They also do a bottom metal for T3 with larger trigger guard bow for gloved hands

Excellent idea and very well made product

Yup stunning nice it is on the rifle now it's not sat in a drawer

Dickie · Monday at 12:00 AM

KimE said:
How is the steel trigger guard going to make it cheaper?

I think you’ve misunderstood, I’m guessing he’s saying steel prices with plastic parts.

ejg · Monday at 7:56 AM

Yes, the stainless steel mag system might be stronger than plastic or aluminium but what for? It is not as if there are many plastic ones that break. At a guess the stainless version is around 180 grams vs around 60 for aluminium clones, 33 for the plastic version. Saying that it is only 120 grams extra and some don't mind heavier rifles. Some other CTR mag systems are of similar weight but have the benefit of a solid magazine system.
edi
ps. Making a 33gr plastic floorplate that works is innovation, making the same thing in stainless at 180grams is not innovation.

Malxwal · Monday at 1:19 PM

I've tried aftermarket bottom metals for Tikka mags, all now gone and back to factory plastic.
Only worth it if it's AICS conversion ?

Cranborne · Monday at 10:04 PM

Tikka T3X's are good working rifles in the standard format; accurate, reliable and rugged. I've got two. There are numerous aftermarket parts available if you feel the need. This is my .270win. Kalix cheek riser, stainless steel bottom metal, stainless steel bolt shroud.....probably could have saved money by buying a Sako, but I'm very happy with it.

Malxwal · Monday at 10:07 PM

Cranborne said:
Tikka T3X's are good working rifles in the standard format; accurate, reliable and rugged. I've got two. This is my .270win. Kalix cheek riser, stainless steel bottom metal, stainless steel bolt shroud.....probably could have saved money by buying a Sako, but I'm very happy with it.
View attachment 479561

Dunno, seen new Sako prices now

Mungo · 2026-06-16T07:02:40+0100

Shootinshyster said:
I am very intrigued because with proper parts, the T3 could be a good rifle.

Have you shot much with one?

Plenty people here who have shot hundreds, if not thousands, of deer with factory T3s.

They’re not terribly exciting and not very pretty, but what they are is very, very functional.

The polymer parts are certainly deeply unlovely. But I’ve subjected mine to all sorts of abuse and neglect, and they seem entirely unaffected.

So although I’d love to have a beautiful walnut stocked fine rifle with all metal parts, while I’m still doing high volume culling on wet Scottish hills, I’ll stick with my T3s.

Suilven · 2026-06-16T07:47:57+0100

Cranborne said:
Tikka T3X's are good working rifles in the standard format; accurate, reliable and rugged. I've got two. There are numerous aftermarket parts available if you feel the need. This is my .270win. Kalix cheek riser, stainless steel bottom metal, stainless steel bolt shroud.....probably could have saved money by buying a Sako, but I'm very happy with it.
View attachment 479561

What mod is that please? Matches the rifle well

Cranborne · 2026-06-16T07:50:27+0100

Suilven said:
What mod is that please? Matches the rifle well

It's an MAE....not sure which model.

Donkey Basher · 2026-06-16T08:04:21+0100

Shootinshyster said:
I saw a T3 yesterday in Edmonton. The price was $1300.

Now why should I get plastic when I'm paying for steel? If this was a $399 rifle, I wouldn't mind. But this is an expensive cheaply made gun

If that was a new rifle then it’s about 2/3 the cost of one in the UK & would be snapped up at that price!

It’s pretty widely accepted that post Beretta ownership & focus on North American market, the T3 was a rifle specified by accountants & built to a budget. The barreled actions are the best bits of them. They’re still good rifles & maybe the intention was to put bits on them that could easily be upgraded to make them appeal to wider markets, if it was then it’s worked.

Personally I prefer the older M558/590/595 & M658/690/695 models.

If I were to have a T3 then I’d go for a CTR bottom metal & magazine & drop it all into a GRS laminate or synthetic stock.

Tikka T3

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