Info needed on Sako Tikka T3 bolt guns
- Thread starter Sky Dog
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arizona_cards_11
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I can't say enough good things about the Tikka T3 Lite (308) I own. Ridiculously accurate right out of the box with my handloads. I've since chopped and recrowned the barrel to 16.75" and replaced the factory stock with a Boyd's laminate. Still accurate and about 6lbs minus optics. The only downside I see are the expensive accessories.
I've never owned a Vanguard, so my opinion might not be worth much. I think you'd be hard pressed to get a more accurate rifle for $550.
I've never owned a Vanguard, so my opinion might not be worth much. I think you'd be hard pressed to get a more accurate rifle for $550.
coloradokevin
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The Tikka rifles are unbelievably accurate for the price you pay, and I've never really found a Tikka owner who felt otherwise.
I was a bit skeptical when I first picked up my Tikka, but it basically shoots 100 yard groups as tight as my Accuracy International (and those are two totally different classes of rifle). I've got the heavy barreled T3 light version, and it's a solid half-inch gun at 100 yards, if I do what I'm supposed to. The Tikka rifles are pretty much the budget conscious line of Sako rifles, built on the same equipment as the Sako rifles. If you get one, I really doubt you'll be disappointed.
I will be fair and echo what the previous poster said in mentioning that accessories aren't nearly as easy to come by as they are for more common rifles like the Remington 700. But, they shoot lights-out as they come from the factory.
Here are a few 5-shot groups I've shot from my Tikka (I rarely shoot 100-yard groups, but this is three representative examples of what happens when I do what I'm supposed to do. Two of these were shot consecutively, and all were shot off of a bipod from the prone position while the rifle was wearing a $300 Weaver scope). My rifle is chambered in .308 Win, and these groups were shot with 175 grain Sierra Matchking bullets over 44.4 grains of Varget powder:
Here's the rifle:
I was a bit skeptical when I first picked up my Tikka, but it basically shoots 100 yard groups as tight as my Accuracy International (and those are two totally different classes of rifle). I've got the heavy barreled T3 light version, and it's a solid half-inch gun at 100 yards, if I do what I'm supposed to. The Tikka rifles are pretty much the budget conscious line of Sako rifles, built on the same equipment as the Sako rifles. If you get one, I really doubt you'll be disappointed.
I will be fair and echo what the previous poster said in mentioning that accessories aren't nearly as easy to come by as they are for more common rifles like the Remington 700. But, they shoot lights-out as they come from the factory.
Here are a few 5-shot groups I've shot from my Tikka (I rarely shoot 100-yard groups, but this is three representative examples of what happens when I do what I'm supposed to do. Two of these were shot consecutively, and all were shot off of a bipod from the prone position while the rifle was wearing a $300 Weaver scope). My rifle is chambered in .308 Win, and these groups were shot with 175 grain Sierra Matchking bullets over 44.4 grains of Varget powder:
Here's the rifle:
Johnny Lightning
Member
I have a T3 in .243 and feel its a great rifle at a reasonable cost. I put a used vxii 3-9 on mine and can shoot under an inch at 100 w/ reloads if I'm doing my part. I did a lot of research on which brand of rifle to purchase and am glad I chose the Tikka.
CarJunkieLS1
Member
I love my Tikka T3 in .270 Winchester. My handloads are consistently 1/2 moa at 100yds. It is the most accurate rifle I have ever shot and owned.
I have two Tikka T3 Hunter rifles in 6.5x55 SE. I bought both four years ago and one is still unfired.
I've had several good rifles over the years but none as good as these. Very accurate, super smooth action, a great trigger adjustable 2-4 lbs. and weighs under seven pounds. The barrel is made by Sako.
IMO, there isn't another rifle in its price range that compares.
I've had several good rifles over the years but none as good as these. Very accurate, super smooth action, a great trigger adjustable 2-4 lbs. and weighs under seven pounds. The barrel is made by Sako.
IMO, there isn't another rifle in its price range that compares.
I have a bad attitude towards the T3. I really liked the Tikka 595/695 series of rifles from which the T3 was "developed" after Beretta bought Sako/Tikka, and I really dislike the changes Beretta made, basically a matter of cutting every production cost and corner they could until all that remained of the 595 was a cheapened version of its action. Yes, it's a very smooth action, and sure, the T3 is as accurate as a hunting rifle needs to be, but basically it's a $300 gun selling for twice its value or more. It beats a modern Remington, I guess -- what doesn't? -- but I think any basic Savage or Howa is a better rifle and a far better bargain.
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RainDodger
Member
Initially I didn't like the idea of a "plastic" floorplate, trigger guard and magazine.... and I got over that real quick. Those parts require pretty much no care and you certainly don't need to wipe them off like blued steel. 
My .30-'06 T3 is supremely accurate for a hunting rifle. Leaps and bounds ahead of the Ruger 77 that it replaced. The Tikka is light, so it will definitely say "hello" to your shoulder if you're shooting a larger caliber, but you gotta expect that anyway. I think The Tikka is a great deal for a working rifle. Pretty is in the eyes of the beholder and in my mind, tight groups make it a pretty rifle.
Edit: forgot to mention the trigger pull. Very, very light and crisp. Better than most any factory trigger I've bought.
My .30-'06 T3 is supremely accurate for a hunting rifle. Leaps and bounds ahead of the Ruger 77 that it replaced. The Tikka is light, so it will definitely say "hello" to your shoulder if you're shooting a larger caliber, but you gotta expect that anyway. I think The Tikka is a great deal for a working rifle. Pretty is in the eyes of the beholder and in my mind, tight groups make it a pretty rifle.
Edit: forgot to mention the trigger pull. Very, very light and crisp. Better than most any factory trigger I've bought.
So, you are saying it is on par with the American, Axis, X7 and others in this category? I bet you will even say that it has a terrible factory stock.........probably the worst on the market........
Everyone has things they like and dislike about certain makes and models. The price of a tikka magazine is one for me. But the way the Tikka fits, handles and shoots makes me forget about that. Whenever I am looking for a new rifle, Tikka is always at the top of the list.
RainDodger
Member
I can add this to my post above: I have many other rifles, include a very, very nice Sako Forester L579, heavy barreled .243.
My Tikka has a better trigger than the one on the Sako, and it shoots just as well. Both are about 1 MOA or less, depending on whether I had any wine the night before.
My Tikka has a better trigger than the one on the Sako, and it shoots just as well. Both are about 1 MOA or less, depending on whether I had any wine the night before.
I've owned both, like the Tikka better. But it is a lot about personal choices.
My Tikka was under 7 lbs scoped. The Vanguard is closer to 8 lbs unscoped, so there is almost 2 lbs weight difference. That alone is a huge selling point for me. I felt the Tikka was more accurate, and with a better trigger, but not by much and some individual Vanguards may be more accurate than some Tikka's The Tikka will probably be a little more expensive. Both are foreign made. Some don't like to buy foreign, especially Japanese.
Not crazy about detachable mags and feel any gun should come with at least one spare. Anything you can take off the gun can be lost or left behind. They are costly and hard to find making a slightly more expensive gun more expensive.
Mag capacity is also an issue, standard calibers are 3+1 in the Tikka, 5+1 in the Vanguard.
The Vanguard is a much more traditional looking and functioning gun. The Tikka very modern looking. This is a huge sticking point for others.
In a nutshell, both are very good. Both are very different. It comes down to the features more important to you. The Tikka suits my style better.
But in all fairness, neither is my preferred brand. I'd happily use either, but just prefer Winchester or Kimber. But they are more expensive.
My Tikka was under 7 lbs scoped. The Vanguard is closer to 8 lbs unscoped, so there is almost 2 lbs weight difference. That alone is a huge selling point for me. I felt the Tikka was more accurate, and with a better trigger, but not by much and some individual Vanguards may be more accurate than some Tikka's The Tikka will probably be a little more expensive. Both are foreign made. Some don't like to buy foreign, especially Japanese.
Not crazy about detachable mags and feel any gun should come with at least one spare. Anything you can take off the gun can be lost or left behind. They are costly and hard to find making a slightly more expensive gun more expensive.
Mag capacity is also an issue, standard calibers are 3+1 in the Tikka, 5+1 in the Vanguard.
The Vanguard is a much more traditional looking and functioning gun. The Tikka very modern looking. This is a huge sticking point for others.
In a nutshell, both are very good. Both are very different. It comes down to the features more important to you. The Tikka suits my style better.
But in all fairness, neither is my preferred brand. I'd happily use either, but just prefer Winchester or Kimber. But they are more expensive.
CarJunkieLS1
Member
I own a Tikka T3 and a Vanguard S2 and I prefer the Tikka hands down. Its lighter, more accurate, has a better trigger, and the Tikka has the best synthetic stock I've ever held.
The Vanguard is good, but Tikka is better in every way. And at ~$600 or less Tikka is the best value available.
The Vanguard is good, but Tikka is better in every way. And at ~$600 or less Tikka is the best value available.
RainDodger
Member
Another addition... jmr40 is correct about magazines, although I found them at Brownell's with no problem. They're expensive, yes. I was able to buy a 5-round mag for my .30-'06, which they had in stock. Plastic or not, they seem to work just fine.
There's one other piece of plastic on the Tikka - the bolt shroud. There are companies out there that make perfect steel replacements though, finished to match the Tikka - a quick web search will show them to you. I put a steel shroud on mine because I just prefer all steel on the receiver. Between you and me though, no one would notice either way. I think it cost me ~$50 or something.
There's one other piece of plastic on the Tikka - the bolt shroud. There are companies out there that make perfect steel replacements though, finished to match the Tikka - a quick web search will show them to you. I put a steel shroud on mine because I just prefer all steel on the receiver. Between you and me though, no one would notice either way. I think it cost me ~$50 or something.
arizona_cards_11
Member
No way!!!!!
My pet load is 175gr SMK over 44.4gr Varget as well for my T3......it must be common.
coloradokevin
Member
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That's awesome! We must be on to something here! Lol.
Big20
Member
I have a blue/wood combo in 270 Win. And it's very first group using the 130 gr Partition and Reloader 22 went into 5/8 inch. Everything I've loaded for it at 130 gr goes into 1 inch or less.
Bbear
Member
Never owned one but used to rep them a few years back. Beretta sent a group of us over to Finland to visit the factory. Things I learned there:
ALL Tikka's are shot to guarantee the 3-shot/ 1 MOA advertising. The guns are hand-held and shot over a bag rest by 4-5 guys. Any rifle that doesn't make the mark is dismantled and cut into pieces.
The barrels are hammer forged in a huge machine exerting something like 50 tons per square inch. They can gin out a barrel in about3-4 minutes. Each barrel is individually checked, by hand, to verify straightness of the bore. Chamber reaming is done by a machine that resembles a laser-cutter combined with a drill press. All computerized to keep the bore inline with the chamber.
Stocks are all hand-oiled (watching the two ladies that were doing this was kind of a hoot. Seemed they were two of the biggest gossips in the plant.) Stocks are started on a duplicating machine then hand-fit to the action and barrel. I didn't see anything resembling bedding though but, that doesn't mean they aren't/weren't.
The one's we used for our hunt over there were all taken right off the floor of the factory. Swarovski or S&B scopes were mounted, guns bore-sighted with factory ammo (Sako ammo, of course) then we took them to the range to sight in and 'practice' before we took our shooting tests for the Finnish hunting license.
I chose a 300 WSM and the rifle I had, from a bench with nothing but hands put 5 inside of an inch (the guarantee is only for a 3-shot group). From the prone position using a bag front and rear, the group was just a tad over .5" at 100 meters.
Though many manufacturer's are making guns with the 1" guarantee now, I still think the Tikka is one of the better choices out there. It's one brand that I think you couldn't go wrong choosing.
ALL Tikka's are shot to guarantee the 3-shot/ 1 MOA advertising. The guns are hand-held and shot over a bag rest by 4-5 guys. Any rifle that doesn't make the mark is dismantled and cut into pieces.
The barrels are hammer forged in a huge machine exerting something like 50 tons per square inch. They can gin out a barrel in about3-4 minutes. Each barrel is individually checked, by hand, to verify straightness of the bore. Chamber reaming is done by a machine that resembles a laser-cutter combined with a drill press. All computerized to keep the bore inline with the chamber.
Stocks are all hand-oiled (watching the two ladies that were doing this was kind of a hoot. Seemed they were two of the biggest gossips in the plant.) Stocks are started on a duplicating machine then hand-fit to the action and barrel. I didn't see anything resembling bedding though but, that doesn't mean they aren't/weren't.
The one's we used for our hunt over there were all taken right off the floor of the factory. Swarovski or S&B scopes were mounted, guns bore-sighted with factory ammo (Sako ammo, of course) then we took them to the range to sight in and 'practice' before we took our shooting tests for the Finnish hunting license.
I chose a 300 WSM and the rifle I had, from a bench with nothing but hands put 5 inside of an inch (the guarantee is only for a 3-shot group). From the prone position using a bag front and rear, the group was just a tad over .5" at 100 meters.
Though many manufacturer's are making guns with the 1" guarantee now, I still think the Tikka is one of the better choices out there. It's one brand that I think you couldn't go wrong choosing.
Tikka barrels is one of the best factory barrels you can get. Put one in any action you want, and it will shoot great.
All other thing is boring with Tikka. The plastic mag, only long action even if you take the .223. The plastic bolt shroud, The plastic stock. But the worst of it all: The finns must been drunk on vodka when they decided to make the recoil lug in aluminiumI've seen severel Tikkas starting to shoot bad after 400-500 shots, becouse the recoil lug have failed. I whish remington had Tikka's steel and the tikka factory's CNC machines. Becouse remington 700 is hands down a much better rifle, all in steel, but it could be better made.
All other thing is boring with Tikka. The plastic mag, only long action even if you take the .223. The plastic bolt shroud, The plastic stock. But the worst of it all: The finns must been drunk on vodka when they decided to make the recoil lug in aluminium
I've seen severel Tikkas starting to shoot bad after 400-500 shots, becouse the recoil lug have failed. I whish remington had Tikka's steel and the tikka factory's CNC machines. Becouse remington 700 is hands down a much better rifle, all in steel, but it could be better made.I'm a huge Tikka fan. I currently own a .223 T3 Lite and a .308 T3 Sporter. Both have a great action, trigger and seem extremely accurate. Despite a comment or two on this thread to the contrary I think they are not only excellent, but a great value for the dollar.
Couple of things:
They are lightweight (the T3 Lite) and so depending on the cartridge and usage pattern that low weight can be detrimental. If you buy a .300-class gun and plan to use it principally on the range, you'll be taking a bit of a pounding solely due to the physics of recoil.
Also for me, I was disappointed that the .223's now only come with a 1:10 barrel. Not really a problem but it limits the weight of the bullets that can be used in the gun.
Oh, and I changed out the bottom metal on the Lite to use AI mags of either 5- or 10-rounds. I just like the option of more capacity.
Other than that, go for it. They are close to perfect.
B
Couple of things:
They are lightweight (the T3 Lite) and so depending on the cartridge and usage pattern that low weight can be detrimental. If you buy a .300-class gun and plan to use it principally on the range, you'll be taking a bit of a pounding solely due to the physics of recoil.
Also for me, I was disappointed that the .223's now only come with a 1:10 barrel. Not really a problem but it limits the weight of the bullets that can be used in the gun.
Oh, and I changed out the bottom metal on the Lite to use AI mags of either 5- or 10-rounds. I just like the option of more capacity.
Other than that, go for it. They are close to perfect.
B
garyhan
Member
In my opinion, the Vanguard and the T3 are the best moderately priced rifles out there. I would make a choice based on what weight of rifle you want. My Tikka is a .243, my Vanguard is a .338. I wouldn't want it the other way around.
gary
gary
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