[rjk2475]

tikka adds are making some great claims. i'd appreciate comments from anyone with first hand knowledge with one in .223. i'm having difficulty finding facts(like twist rate) and more difficulty actually finding a gun to examine. are they changing their line? are they that good compared to others in the same price range? please help. thanks ron

[BHP9]

NO the Tikka is not that good. Altough it has good workmanship it is made largely of castings not forgings. Also you will have problems getting aftermarket parts if you are not safisfied with the trigger or stock. You may also be limited as to the various scope mounts that will fit the rifle. And if it is like most foreign made guns you will have problems getting original replacement parts.

On the other hand If you stick with guns like the Remington, Winchester or Savage you will find excellent custom after market triggers like the Jewel that can be set as light as 1.5 ounces. You will find many custom stocks both sythetic and real walnut availble. You find a pethoria of scope mounts available for these rifles. You will not find the same for most foreing made weapons.

Also when buying any foreing made gun you run the risk of little or no replacement parts being available for it, many times even when the gun is still being imported which sometimes isn't for very long.

Case in point I am human just as you are and subject to loosing my head over a new rifle just like everyone else is but unlike everyone else I often research the parts availablity before I jump head first into the boiling pot of lead. I recently got all fired up about a glitzy story in one of the gun rags which praised a new German made varmint rifle that had interchangble barrels and knock out workmanship and wood. It had a modular drop out trigger system too boot. Well if you have not guessed it was a gun made by Sauer. I called the Sauer people and just as I had already guessed nothing was available for the gun such as spare parts and spare barrels of the same caliber or different calibers. They promised to let me know by mail or phone when they would be getting any spare barrels in and that my friend was over a year ago. I still have heard nothing from them and probably never will. Needless to say I lost interest in the foreign made weapon real fast.

[rjk2475]

BHP9: true, i'm looking at foreign due to downtalk of winchester and remington. i'm not very familiar with savage. around here, it's always been considered a lower end gun. i'd like to find the best bang for the buck in .223 bolt with scope for range, varmit, and general plinking. further comments appreciated.

[LevelHead]

I had a Tikka .308 and it was a tackdriver. The downside of no custom parts being available was easily offset by the fact that it didn't need any custom parts. :)

Downsides include plastic parts which I wasn't crazy about.

I have a Rem 700P that's been fun because I've replaced almost all the parts on it.

I have a Sako that's been fun because It's pretty much the same as it was out of the box.

The scope rings can be a pain, but most Tikkas are drilled and tapped, unlike their Sako big brothers.

I'm a big Tikka fan and a HUGE Sako fan. I'd buy a Sako over just about any other factory gun out there.

That being said for low cost I'd probably go Savage. For what you describe, Savage is the answer. If looks are important to you, Tikka may be a better answer.

[cratz2]

Of course, the other point of view would dictate that there is a lack of an aftermarket for Tikka because Sako and Tikka rifles are generally excellent out of the box and don't neet replacement parts. The synthetic stocks don't flex, the wood stocks are properly floated and the triggers are typically in the 3-3.5 lb range.

Depending on exactly what you're looking for, Savages may offer better initial value but then you're either going to pay a premium for the new trigger or you're going to buy a replacement trigger. The synthetic stock will more than likely be replaced at some point. With the Tikkas, you take it out of the box, put a scope on it and enjoy it entirely from day one.

Other than BHP9, not many people will say bad things about Tikkas. They are among the very best values on the market today and most that speak poorly of them, have never used them. They're not quite in the Sako category but they have very few faults.

[444]

Mine is all that, and a bag of chips.
I don't see any reason to replace any of the parts on the rifle. The stock has an adjustable cheek piece and is adjustable for length of pull. The barrel has a huge gap between itself and the barrel. Some people try to pass a dollar bill between the barrel and the stock. This one could pass a large pamplet or small paperback book. The trigger is adjustable. I like the detachable mag. The one thing I did have a problem with is getting the real scope mounts. I bought the rifle used and it had an aftermarket Weaver rail installed on it. I had to look around a little to find real scope rings. This however is a once in a rifles lifetime problem. I am not sure how extensive their line of rifles in .223 are but mine is the M595 Master Sporter that looks just like this one; http://www.snipercentral.com/sporter.htm

[PJR]

I owned a Tikka Whitetail Hunter in .223 that was my walking around varmint rifle at the farm. My brother-in-law owns a Deluxe model in the same caliber and they are both very good rifles.

Mine shot .75" groups with the right handloads and would keep most factory under an inch. The trigger was very good and the workmanship was satisfying. I never felt the need for aftermarket parts other than an extra magazine that while expensive was readily available. The scope mounts were easy to get and excellent pieces of equipment. I preferred the Tikka to Remington, Winchester, Ruger and Browning and have owned all of them at one time or another. The last Remington I owned was a stainless Model 7 that was very poorly made.

The only reason I don't still have the Tikka is that I found a Sako Model 75 in .223 with a beautiful walnut stock that I fell in love with. The Sako 75 is even better than the Tikka. For a thin-barreled sporter it's very accurate with .5" groups a regular event providing I do my part. I agree with LevelHead. Sako is my first choice for a rifle. Tikka is a close second.

If you want technical details. Try the Tikka website.

http://www.tikka.fi/frontpage.html

Paul

[Airwolf]

I have a Tikka Whitetail hunter. I was shopping for a bolt action .308 to compliment my M1A when I found the Tikka in .30-06 on sale for $349.00 NIB back in November. A search on TFL produced nothing but praise for the rifle.

It's been to the range once for test firing only since it was sightless. I *finally* got around to getting a scope for it (a Nikon Monarch 6.5-20x44) last week.

Fit and finish are excellent. The plastic parts are well made and smooth. The bolt operates like glass and the trigger is great. I've left it at the factory setting until I can get the scope zeroed and get some range time to see if it needs to be adjusted.

I ordered a set of Tikka rings based on the overwhelming recommendation of those on TFL. The dealer I got them from won't have them available for 4+ weeks so in the interim I installed the scope with Warne rings. After the Tikka rings are installed I can't think of anything I'd want or need to add to the rifle, making aftermarket parts irrelevant in my case.

Based on everything I've read, I'm expecting it to shoot as good as it looks. :D

http://flymeaway.net/images/tikka.jpg

[Dannyboy]

Does anyone know what the Tikka Master Stainless Laminated is called in the US?

[Marshall]

You might check into the Kimber. :D

[cratz2]

Does anyone know what the Tikka Master Stainless Laminated is called in the US?

Tikka Whitetail Stainless Laminate, I believe.

http://gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=7361431