Short, Accurate Ohio Deer Rifle: Bergara or Tikka?

hzj105

Private
Minuteman
Aug 31, 2025
2
0
Virginia
It's been a while since I've been in the market for a bolt action, so I wanted to get some thoughts before I made my purchase. I have been looking for an accurate, 16"-ish .350 Legend for Ohio deer hunting and getting back into marksmanship on something other than an AR. I don't have any suppressors now, but ultimately I'd like to hunt with one. I started off wanting a Ruger American Gen II, but I wasn't impressed with cycling the bolt.

Around the same time, I saw some great prices on the 16-inch Tikka T3x Lite and really liked the action. However, it's not threaded and the barrel contour is super thin. (I talked to LRI about threading it, and they told me it was possible with an adapter which seemed less than ideal.) This led to me the Tikka T3x Roughtech Ranch, but it is almost twice the price of the previous rifles.

I also looked at a Bergara B-14 Stoke and really liked it. In fact, I like almost everything--stock, ease of operating the safety, mag release, mags themselves--better than the stock Tikka, but I keep returning to how much I like the short throw on the Tikka. (For what it's worth, I haven't dry fired either rifle.) If I upgrade the stock on the Roughtech Ranch to something comparable or better, it will end up being a very expensive rifle for the purpose.

Right now, I'm leaning the Bergara. Anyone have any recommendations/thoughts?
 
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I’m on the Tikka bandwagon. For cheap factory rifles I love the trigger and action. If you really want to get frisky you can throw a $8 spring in the trigger and make it even ligther.

More and more threaded Tikkas are showing up but you can get the unthreaded ones for good prices right now. Sure a thread adapter isn’t ideal but it’s not the end of the world if you go that route.
 
It's been a while since I've been in the market for a bolt action, so I wanted to get some thoughts before I made my purchase. I have been looking for an accurate, 16"-ish .350 Legend for Ohio deer hunting and getting back into marksmanship on something other than an AR. I don't have any suppressors now, but ultimately I'd like to hunt with one. I started off wanting a Ruger American Gen II, but I wasn't impressed with cycling the bolt.

Around the same time, I saw some great prices on the 16-inch Tikka T3x Lite and really liked the action. However, it's not threaded and the barrel contour is super thin. (I talked to LRI about threading it, and they told me it was possible with an adapter which seemed less than ideal.) This led to me the Tikka T3x Roughtech Ranch, but it is almost twice the price of the previous rifles.

I also looked at a Bergara B-14 Stoke and really liked it. In fact, I like almost everything--stock, ease of operating the safety, mag release, mags themselves--better than the stock Tikka, but I keep returning to how much I like the short throw on the Tikka. (For what it's worth, I haven't dry fired either rifle.) If I upgrade the stock on the Roughtech Ranch to something comparable or better, it will end up being a very expensive rifle for the purpose.

Right now, I'm leaning the Bergara. Anyone have any recommendations/thoughts?


 
It's been a while since I've been in the market for a bolt action, so I wanted to get some thoughts before I made my purchase. I have been looking for an accurate, 16"-ish .350 Legend for Ohio deer hunting and getting back into marksmanship on something other than an AR. I don't have any suppressors now, but ultimately I'd like to hunt with one. I started off wanting a Ruger American Gen II, but I wasn't impressed with cycling the bolt.

Around the same time, I saw some great prices on the 16-inch Tikka T3x Lite and really liked the action. However, it's not threaded and the barrel contour is super thin. (I talked to LRI about threading it, and they told me it was possible with an adapter which seemed less than ideal.) This led to me the Tikka T3x Roughtech Ranch, but it is almost twice the price of the previous rifles.

I also looked at a Bergara B-14 Stoke and really liked it. In fact, I like almost everything--stock, ease of operating the safety, mag release, mags themselves--better than the stock Tikka, but I keep returning to how much I like the short throw on the Tikka. (For what it's worth, I haven't dry fired either rifle.) If I upgrade the stock on the Roughtech Ranch to something comparable or better, it will end up being a very expensive rifle for the purpose.

Right now, I'm leaning the Bergara. Anyone have any recommendations/thoughts?
Depends on what you're threading it for, but I had my T3x Lite threaded for a face mount thunderbeast cb brake (uses face of muzzle as shoulder) to mount my ultra 7. Threaded 9/16 by thunderbeast.
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Unless it’s a Bergara Premier line rifle, go Tikka. I’ve owned both the Premier and Tikka, and they’re about equal. The B-14 line cycles rough (but heck, maybe they shoot?).

Seems like Bergara might be closing down most of the Premier line. Each year they offer fewer models.
 
Tikka

Thread as noted.
Plenty of people can do it to a tikka sporter barrel.
Good friend had his done by Black Canyon Customs. Just as accurate as before.

The CB adapter is slick the way it works.

Salmon River makes a HUB mount so you can use any HUB compatible can.