I bought my Tikka T3 a few months ago, in September of 2015. I bought it in 30-06 and I bought it because I plan on going hog hunting next week. I did not think to buy this rifle at first and many readers who are familiar with firearms may agree. Why would anyone buy this rifle? I will explain...
It all started about a year ago. A bunch of my friends went hog hunting and came back with tons of meat and many many stories. I was not invited the first time around because they wanted to check it out first and see if the place was legitimate. They could have just not wanted me around for all I know, but that is what they told me...
Anyhow, they planned on going in a year, and they invited me, so I decided I needed a new gun. I did a ton of research on the best guns for hog hunting, and the best calibers and all that jazz... I had originally decided on the 458 SOCOM upper. It was going to be great! A massive round, with tons of knockdown power, almost specifically designed for pigs. Semi-auto rifle that still uses regular AR mags just seemed so easy. Just buy the upper receiver and plop it on your AR lower (of which I have two) and you got yourself one of the best hog guns around for about $500!
But then... of course... my buddies had words to say about it. They said things like "Joe, Ammo is so expensive... even if you reload, you are looking at tons of money" as well as "It is an uncommon ammunition type, and if you ever get in a jam, you are going to run out of ammo!" and the most logical "you are going to buy this upper and use it once a year... If that..."Damn their logic... they were right... As much as I like the flashy, sexy sound of saying "I used a 458 SOCOM to go hog hunting," buying a gun for only one purpose is just not who I am... I need a gun that I could see myself using more often... even if I dont use it more often, I still wanna think I can...
So I had to start from scratch... What I really liked about the 458, besides how cool it was, was the fact that it was Semi-Auto. Since the 458 is off the table, the only other larger caliber Semi-Autos I could think of were thousands of dollars... so I set up requirements in my head... What did I NEED to have in this rifle...?
I needed it to be a larger caliber... something easy to find, plentiful, and will work on a variety of game. I needed it to be accurate. as accurate as possible. I needed it to cost less than $600. I needed to have a really nice trigger.
After it was all said and done, I figured I would need a bolt action rifle. Again, not my first choice, but the smartest one. So I started compiling all of the bolt action rifles I could find below $600. There are a lot of options, by the way. I looked at really basic rifles, like the Rugar American, and the Savage Axis, as well as a bit higher end rifles like the Browning A-Bolt.
I needed to settle on a caliber as well. Of all the common calibers, I was stuck between two... 30-06 and .308... I am a fan of both calibers, but I am already making an AR in 308, so to change things up, I went with 30-06.
so after trying a ton of bolt action rifles, I had to narrow down the features that I felt were important. One of the biggest things was the quality of the bolt. I dont want to fight with a bolt to get it open and closed. I want it to be as smooth as butter. I also found the shorter bolt throw to be more comfortable than a standard Mauser style bolt throw. the 60 degree throw of the A-Bolt felt fantastic, because my fingers didnt get smashed between the scope and the bolt handle. There are a bunch of other options as well that was at a 70 degree bolt throw which worked just as well.
another thing that I NEEEEEDED was a great trigger... There were quite a few contenders there too... a lot of really good triggers have been made. you can adjust the Ruger American rifle's trigger and it becomes light, and crisp. the Weatherby Vanguard also had a great trigger and came highly recommended, but the issue with the Vanguard is it did not come with a detachable magazine. What self respecting rifle maker of the modern age decides not to put a detachable magazine in their rifles? I personally thought that was a deal breaker, but my buddies wanted me to keep an open mind.
Out of all of these rifles, a bunch of them claimed they were quite accurate, and a few even had guarantees that it was within 1 MOA. obviously accuracy was very important...
When I threw all of this information together, I had exactly no freakin clue what I was going to buy. I hadn't even heard of the Tikka yet. It was not even on my list. whenever I asked to look at one, the guy behind the counter always said "nah, what you want is this Sakko that costs twice as much!" thanks, but no thanks...
I was pondering my decision, and stopping by gun shops almost every day. I am pretty sure the salesman thought I was just window shopping, cause after a while, they seemed less interested in showing me guns. One day I stopped by Scheels and was looking around and the guy at Scheels had me take a look at it. The bolt on it was perfect. a short, 70 degree throw, that felt like it was riding on clouds as I cycled it... Guaranteed 1 MOA... perfect trigger, adjustable down to 2.5lbs... detachable box magazine... just barely under $600... but my mind was not made up...
Of course it fit the bill, but so did one or two other rifles... and I didn't know anything about Tikkas... How did I know if I could trust this gun or not? I needed to do more research!
Then... the universe forced my hand... my wife and I decided she no longer liked the pistol I gave her. There were too many ejecting issues, but that is a story for another post. so I was told to sell the pistol, and was given permission to use the money on my new rifle... I also had about $200 in Cabelas points from my Cabelas card, so there was a new variable in play now. I needed to be able to buy the gun from Cabelas, where I could sell the pistol, buy my rifle and use my points. so now I was down to two... the Ruger American and the Tikka both fit my needs... The ruger was much cheaper, but less accurate, and the bolt was not as good.
After another day or two of asking opinions and debating I came upon the realization that I was tired of having rifles that were "good enough." I have been getting second class guns for years now to save money. Before, it was all about how much bang I can get for my buck. The options I got were maybe not the best, but they were a good value. I was kind of tired of it. I didn't want my equipment to hold me back at all. This, of course, made my decision easy. I am going with the Tikka...
I said all of that, basically, to show you that I didnt buy this gun on a whim. I really really really put a lot of thought into this rifle before I bought it, and I have absolutely no regrets.
There are many gun owners in the world that would say things like "Why didnt you go with the Remington 700? Remington or bust!" or the also common "Bla bla bla, gross foreign gun.... bla bla bla... America is best... bla bla bla... shoulda bought an American gun!"
To those people I say... I feel sorry for you... If you would only open up your eyes and your mind, you would see that the entire world is filled with fantastic guns and equally fantastic gun companies. They are all out to make a great, safe product that people will want to buy. Some do it better than others, I admit, but just because you are not familiar with it, does not make it complete trash.
Now for the review:
Pros!
-Great trigger, adjustable.
-The best bolt I have ever felt. Smooth as butter
-70 degree bolt throw
-Guaranteed 1 MOA
-Detachable Magazine
-comes with 1" scope rings
Cons =[
-If a good stock is important to you, look elsewhere. This plastic stock is not bad, but it is not the greatest.
-plastic bolt shroud. I have heard they break often. Mine has never broken, but this is what I researched
-plastic magazine seems pretty fragile. Again, I have heard they break if you drop them.
-rail system is unique, which is not the best when it comes to finding accessories. not a standard Picatinny rail. comes with scope rings to fit, but it is not my favorite.
-Many people do not like how the magazine secures itself to the receiver. I have never had an issue with it coming off or breaking or anything, but any time there is plastic involved, people get nervous.
-Some people have complained that the safety isnt quite as snappy as they would like, and it is hard to actuate.
So with many of these Cons, there are ways to fix them. I have not done much to my rifle yet, but to have a better stock I plan on buying one from Boyds stocks. There are aftermarket aluminum bolt shrouds that at least one company makes. There is another company in Germany that makes a whole new magazine system for this guns as well. They take out the plastic trigger guard, the plastic mag well, and the plastic mags, and replace them all with metal parts, and a very simple (almost AK style) mag release. I ended up buying an extra mag and a full Picatinny rail directly from Beretta USA, but the rail was about $100 and the mag was about $50 for a five rounder. The last thing that tipped me toward the Tikka was they had a great deal when I bought it. Just for buying the Tikka, they gave me $150 in Beretta USA store credit, which is why I decided to get the rail and the extra mag. I didn't actually have to spend any more on it. I don't see they are running that deal anymore, so that is why I am listing it as a Con, despite it not being an issue for me.
I also bought a sling for the gun, cause I thought that would be smart. I have shot the gun a few times now and I think it is fantastic. If I really concentrate, I can get 1 MOA on a sitting bench. I havent shot prone yet, although, I expect that to be easier to get that accurate. I do not claim to be a great shooter. I can hold my own, but I am not a competition shooter or anything. This is just all for fun.
I would personally greatly recommend the Tikka of any variation. They are great rifles and have definitely treated me well.
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