Rifle is very inconsistant. Will punch one hole at 50 and an inch at 100 one day and the next day you can't cover the group with a coffee cup at 50. Never owned a gun that threw patterns at 50. Fired some Federal moly through it and it grouped those pretty well for six shots. Three rounds each time on two different days. I never shoot more than 3 rounds per session with this one because it gets HOT. Strangely, after the moly other groups improved but are never the same day to day. Have mounted different scopes with different mounts, tweaked the trigger ( best trigger in the business ), changed shooters and rests, took it apart a time or two to look for pressure points but everything seems okay. The inconsistancy is what makes me want to chuck it in a grinder.
Tikka t3 lite good bad and the ulgy
- Thread starter horsemen61
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Called'em but they want $70 bucks to look at it and then the sob might do an inch and they'd send it back. I've already got the price of the gun in ammo scopes and mounts so it would just add insult to injury. DubbleA apparently got one he couldn't get to perform either. I tend to agree with him that it may be a bedding problem.
Fella's;
I've got multiple Tikka's, I like the one's I've got, but may never buy another. The problem is that Beretta now owns Sako/Tikka and Beretta's warranty & customer service is not, repeat not, customer friendly in my experience.
I sent an older Tikka Whitetail Hunter into Missouri Gun Works, the warranty station I was told to send it to, for examination to determine if my problem was a warranty issue. I did not claim warranty, I asked to have the gun inspected to determine if a warrantable condition existed. Nearly two full years later I was called & asked to send them about $120.00 to get my gun returned. I got mad & told them why I was mad. The ransom for return was reduced by half, I paid, & the gun was returned immediately.
I have enough other guns that not having that one was not a problem, obviously I could wait on it. But, the time and attitude exhibited by the Beretta warranty station was, in my book, about third-rate.
I do have two Tikka T3's. Well one T3 and a custom built on a T3 action. The stock gun is excellent, no issues over the several years I've owned it. Accuracy is very good, and it's been utterly reliable. It's a blue/synthetic gun. The custom has a Tikka action & that's it. You should know that Sako owns the Tikka brand & I've been told that both brands are made in the same factory on the same machinery. In other words, a Tikka is simply a price-point Sako. That's where the plastic bolt shroud, plastic bottom "metal", and weird-Alice recoil lug come in. They all reduce manufacturing costs.
I might add that all my Tikka's wear Talley lightweight rings and no problems with them, including the set that's on a .338 Winchester magnum. You can do worse than the Talley's.
900F
I've got multiple Tikka's, I like the one's I've got, but may never buy another. The problem is that Beretta now owns Sako/Tikka and Beretta's warranty & customer service is not, repeat not, customer friendly in my experience.
I sent an older Tikka Whitetail Hunter into Missouri Gun Works, the warranty station I was told to send it to, for examination to determine if my problem was a warranty issue. I did not claim warranty, I asked to have the gun inspected to determine if a warrantable condition existed. Nearly two full years later I was called & asked to send them about $120.00 to get my gun returned. I got mad & told them why I was mad. The ransom for return was reduced by half, I paid, & the gun was returned immediately.
I have enough other guns that not having that one was not a problem, obviously I could wait on it. But, the time and attitude exhibited by the Beretta warranty station was, in my book, about third-rate.
I do have two Tikka T3's. Well one T3 and a custom built on a T3 action. The stock gun is excellent, no issues over the several years I've owned it. Accuracy is very good, and it's been utterly reliable. It's a blue/synthetic gun. The custom has a Tikka action & that's it. You should know that Sako owns the Tikka brand & I've been told that both brands are made in the same factory on the same machinery. In other words, a Tikka is simply a price-point Sako. That's where the plastic bolt shroud, plastic bottom "metal", and weird-Alice recoil lug come in. They all reduce manufacturing costs.
I might add that all my Tikka's wear Talley lightweight rings and no problems with them, including the set that's on a .338 Winchester magnum. You can do worse than the Talley's.
900F
Was it under warranty at the time? I'd really like to know because I've been thinking about getting one. But I buy new guns because I like warranties. I also buy them from my LGS which sends them back for me in case something goes wrong. The LGS pays the freight or they get the gun maker to pay it. I did buy a SA pistol that I knew had issues but I knew enough about SA service to know they would pay the shipping and fix the gun even though I bought it used. Some companies have really good customer service. Some don't. I quit buying Marlins because their CS went to heck. But I've got everything from them that I could want anyway. The one Marlin I ever had a problem with I bought at Gander Mtn. which has a repair shop in the store and they give you an extra year on the warranty you get from the gun maker. Warranties make life much better IMO.
Yes it was under warranty. They told me they don't make bad rifles so in all likelyhood it was my fault and they need $70 bucks to look at it. Customer rep did not know what weight bullet they used to test except he was pretty sure it was Federal. But like I said, the inconsistancy is what makes me crazy.
Kachok
Member
Yeah, I have heard that Tikka customer service sucks, but it cannot be any worse then Remington, I have never needed to contact them about anything so I cannot say for sure. Dinosaur1 are you using factory rings? What scope are you using? I have had both cause changes in POI, but I would be inclined to agree with the Tikka CSR it is likely not the rifle itself if it is grouping good. How often are you cleaning the rifle? What kind of ammo are you using?
Currently it wears the factory rings with a Nikon Prostaff. It has had Weaver bases with a variety of rings. Several proven but low end scopes, Bushnell, Simmons, (great customer service at Simmons) all what you would expect a guy to have in the gun box who doesn't shoot much rifle. Most of these get ups came from Savages that will shoot the dot all day. Everything is farmer tight. It doesn't seem to care for Hornady ammo, 95's & 100's, all Federal will group now and then, 80's - 95 moly - 100, Rem. not at all, Win. 80 & 100 sometimes. As you can see I'm not a loader and want something over 80 grains. Can't find any 87's around. I clean after every 3 shots and maybe I shouldn't. All the Rugers I've owned have to be absolutely filthy to group. I've always regarded that as a charactor flaw in a hunting gun but I still own them.
Gtscotty
Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2007
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- 3,635
Is your rifle a .243? If so, honestly that sounds like it might be a bullet weight issue to me. Like the Tikka, my Winchester has a 10 twist, and it is pretty picky about what 100gr loads it will shoot well. I really had to work hard to find a load that it shot really well using the 95gr BTs I like. On the other hand, it would reliably stack 70, 80 and 85 grain bullets into itty bitty groups the whole time.
Sulaco
Member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2003
- Messages
- 784
I've owned three Tikkas and wish I had the first two back. My first was a 595 in .308. It was a great rifle and much nicer than the current T3 models that replaced it. My second was a T3 Lite in 7mm-08. It ran great and put factory ammo in a 1/2" group every time I shot it. That was with factory rings and a Zeiss scope mounted.
My current model is chambered for 270 Win and shoots an inch or less with factory ammo. It does shave the lead off of soft points in the magazine but I'm hoping some different ammo fixes this. If not I'll sell it and buy another one in 7mm-08. I really liked that one.
Keep in mind the short-action calibers like .308 and 7mm-08 use the same receiver but they have a block to make them shorter. In case that matters. They do the same thing in the magazines.
My current model is chambered for 270 Win and shoots an inch or less with factory ammo. It does shave the lead off of soft points in the magazine but I'm hoping some different ammo fixes this. If not I'll sell it and buy another one in 7mm-08. I really liked that one.
Keep in mind the short-action calibers like .308 and 7mm-08 use the same receiver but they have a block to make them shorter. In case that matters. They do the same thing in the magazines.
MIL-DOT
member
I got a T3 Lite stainless .308 nearly 10 years ago, put a Leupold MKIV PR Mil-dot scope with Warne rings on it. Admitedly, I've only shot it a few times, but it's been flawless, and me and my freinds are very impressed with it. Nice trigger, smooth action, accurate as hell.
Like most folks here, I researched heavily before purchasing, and the vast majority of owners were, and still are,extremely pleased with them.
If you look, you can find unhappy customers and negative reviews for literally EVERYTHING ever made, but the vast majority are apparantly quite happy with their Tikkas.
Like most folks here, I researched heavily before purchasing, and the vast majority of owners were, and still are,extremely pleased with them.
If you look, you can find unhappy customers and negative reviews for literally EVERYTHING ever made, but the vast majority are apparantly quite happy with their Tikkas.
280shooter
Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2008
- Messages
- 707
I have one in 223 stainless left hand.I have only shot reloads out of it.I would shoot 3 shot groups,I was all over the paper.no mater what bullets weight, powder types, no good groups,I would change the COL.still nothing exciting.I thought what did I do, all this time and money, and still bad groups,I had about 200 rounds through this thing,I changed my scope,I put a Nikon on it ,then the more I shot it, the groups got smaller,I just worked up a new load last week,65 gr.pill, At 100 yards,i had 1/4 group, this thing is dead on now,I'm going to use it on Deer, its the most accurate center fire rifle I own,
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