Sako or Tikka? Wood or Synthetic?

[sikamalc]

Sounds like another happy Tikka T3 owner.

Grantoliver, thank you for all your work on this subject. I am not suprised there are very few bad comments regarding Tikka's. All I can say about the comment made by Chuck Hawkes about experianced rifle buyers is that the most cheapest rifle and scope I have ever seen in my 25 years of professional guiding was two years back.

It was a Thompson contender rifle single shot break action 300 Win Mag stainless and plastic with a Trigicon scope. A new agent for my small business bought it over to hunt with. The rifle was a piece of JUNK as was the scope. In fact the only thing it was useful for was a club for dispatching

I really feel that most of these American writers are armchair hunters and gun owners But each to his own I guess.

 

[Tim1]

Hi All,

I think this thread is in danger of going off at a tangent. Catching up with the previous threads there are very few if any negative comments about the T3's performance and I can't dispute that the ones I had were shooters. However, they do feel very light and cheap in the hand compared with the competetion. If this doesn't bother you then crack on but I believe there are better options out there for similar (less) money: namely Howa and Remington. I'd also be tempted to look at Ruger as an option over the current Tikka models. These rifles feel more substantial and business like which is an important consideration to me.

I hope that's clarified things.

Best wishes,

Tim

 

[Grantoliver]

Edi.

I have spent two days looking for some epoxy resin in order that I can have a go at bedding in my howa. And its all your fault.

Was perfectly happy with it till you started on about bedding and stiffening. But then I remembered your post about that long neck shot and thought, 'mmm may give this a go', so if you receive a laminated howa 1500 varminter in .243 calibre through the post with uncured resin all over it, you only have yourself to blame.

Thanks for giving me something to do in the evenings. At this rate I will be handloading as well.

Grant

 

[ejg]

Grant,
have a look at this website.
the best investment you could do if interested in composites is buy
a catalog from R&G. Everything you need to know is in it. It's in German and English. The link brings you to the epoxy resins. Resin L and hardener L is very good. On the other hand you forend on the laminated stock is very sturdy and might not need reinforcement. In that case you could also bed with a steel epoxy from araldite. As long as it's a 24hr cure type and not a quick set type. You could get that stuff locally.
By the way I'm not connected to R&G in any way.
Edi
http://shop.ezentrum.de/4DCGI/ezshop?hid=27&sprachnr=2

 

[sikamalc]

Tim1. Thats why they are called T3 Lite Yanking it up and down a scottish mountain side does make you realise what a Lite rifle they are, and the less weight you carry on the hill the better it is.

There are many other rifles of similar design in 300 win mag, ultra liights etc that I have had clients bring over, it seems to be the way a great many rifle manufactuers are going these days.

 

[Gyr]

I think I might have stirred up a hornet's nest here....

 

[stone]

I think I might have stirred up a hornet's nest here....

no hornets nest , but helped trap a couple of trolls
caused edi a little bit of writing and got some very good info on the T3
hope you are satified as this has been a most enlightening post
choose well grasshopper
ATB
stone

 

[Gyr]

Thanks Stone.
What is it with these trolls?

 

[stone]

jealousy , i first thought but when i actualy gave it some consideration(about 2 seconds) i think i would be bitter and twisted if i lived under a bridge

 

[hairybiker]

You've probably had more than enough by now, but I have a T3 stainless/laminated in .243 and it will easily better 1" with factory ammo, the only 'cheap' touches being the glass-filled (I think that's what they call that type of plastic!) trigger guard and magazine! I guess the laminated is a bit of love it or hate it appearance but it's stable and weatherproof!

 

[Duncs]

Just to let anyone interested know.....had probs with remmington 100 grain corelock in my .243,T3hunter, now reload with 85 grain gameking, and some powder!! Not sure which as a mate does it (vargent...or something.
) Now it groups at 100 yards, with a good rest "touching" no word of a lie and I am over the moon. My t3 lite with 150grain factory is about an inch at 100. Very happy but getting some 125 nossler loaded for me and am very excited!!
Tikka ....very goood!

 

[Pete E]

Deleted by User

 

[stag1933]

In a few weeks I will be able to do a serious test on an immaculate S/H Tikka T3 Hunter, wood and black which currently is lurking in the local dealers shop waiting for me to get my FAC back from the Fuzz.
The trigger is a crisp 3 lb.
Cal. is .243 , my second as my other is a HB Varminter and is giving my shoulders hell at the moment.
It will be interesting to see if my one-hole fodder for the HB works as well in the standard sporter.

HWH.

 

[Tim1]

Pete,

At the risk of hijacking the thread I think you'll be very pleased with your Howa. My .270 puts 130 and 140 grn BTs comfortably into 0.6 MOA. I'd agree that the only downside of the Howa is the rather basic looking safety lever - but who cares for the money!!?

As for the Hogue stock it isn't the prettiest but in my opinion is far better than the factory synthetic having seen one last weekend. I feel that most of the time there is a lot of hot air spoken about synthetic stocks and bedding. All of my rifles are stainless synthetic from the factory and all easily shoot into 0.75 MOA. Having a decent aftermarket stock on a bench rest rifle probably makes a difference but on a sporter I feel the reason is principally for aesthetic reasons unless you get stuck with a real lemon. My Remmy 700 SPS is bedded into a Bell and Carlson and shoots the same as with the factory tupperware - now it just looks better.

Kind regards,

Tim

 

[old keeper]

Sako or Tikka Wood or Synthetic

I recently got myself a Sako 85 223 in walnut. Using Power Shok 55grain ammo I have been really impressed with the rifle. It groups at .50 which is more than good enough for me. Finish is good with a pretty good piece of walnut. Stock lines the eye up well with the scope (no need for chunks of foam on this one) Safety catch is efficient, but not too sure why they bothered with the diddy catch that allows you to open the bolt while the safety is engaged. All in all a nice rifle and as it will not get really hard use the wood still feels better than the synthetic, but being an old'un I would say that!

 

[stag1933]

Both of my Sako 75s have the little `diddly catch`.
It allows you to load or unload your rifle whilst it is on `safe`.
My Carl Gustaf has the same facility only it is a bigger and better catch.

HWH.

 

[Gyr]

Last night I picked my new (18 months old,less than 150 rounds through it and like new) Tikka T3 Hunter in wood in .270.
Zeroed it in tonight and so far I am very pleased with it.
All the best,
Gyr

 

[cjm1066]

As some one who likes Mauser 98, I also own a T3. It was purchased for the long stiff receiver and the rifles light weight, and now with a scope and moderator it is a nicely balanced stalking rifle. The trigger is excellent; the rifle is accurate and holds its zero.

Horses for courses, if you like the handling of the T3 it’s a good rifle at a good price. A Brno is cheaper but usually needs some smoothing and a trigger job, the Sako is a very different design, and I suspect the increased cost is due to the more complicated manufacturing, not better quality.

 

[irishgun]

75 v 85 i do not like the 85 i would go for a tikka and save a few pound ,iv shot the 75 from the time they came out in .270 and 25.06 sako have made a mule in the 85 ,

 

[jon2]

sako have made a mule in the 85 ,

Irishgun

Just wondered what your rationale for this statement is?

I have both and both are fine rifles in my opinion. The 85 is a different rifle in design but the quality of components is no different to that of the 75.

The 85 in my opinion is a better designed rifle for a walk and stalk rig as it is much lighter than the 75 and is very well balanced etc. You can see where Sako have saved on the weight and it is down to clever design work on the reciever etc. The 85 I have is super accurate as are my 75's but to say I prefer one over the other would be impossible for me.