So I dont really wanna turn this into a huge thread but I've been leaning on either a tikka or hells canyon or possibly Vergara. Looking at a 7mm or 300. I am a lefty. Want a complete rifle package but it seems like if one brand has this they dont have that. Kinda want to stay under 2k for rifle and scope. Any thoughts?
Brand of choice
- Thread starter Pool_shark_dc
- Start date
Forgot to mention I would want a brake or atleast threading for one already and would like stainless but that's not as important
What's your intended use? And in general never buy a package deal from a manufacturer. Something in the package is gonna suck, usually the scope. You shouldn't have any problem putting something really decent together for 2k.
You can cross the Hells Canyon off your list. Very few left hand rifles were made and they were all special order.
I'm not a fan of Tikka for reasons that are my own. Others will disagree. Bergara makes a decent rifle.
I'm not a fan of Tikka for reasons that are my own. Others will disagree. Bergara makes a decent rifle.
Having a hard time on which bergara to go with. And not sure if I should go short mag or not.
It would put you a little over your budget, but one of the Premiere series would be my recommendation. The action/bolt is much smoother, and you get the TriggerTech trigger too. I want to say that my Bergara Premiere HMR was $1400. You can get a decent quality scope for $800 or so, especially if you look for one used (I had a Vortex PST Gen II on mine).
Given what you've said, I might suggest a Tikka t3x light stainless in 7rm and a Vortex razor HD lht. That would end up right around 2k.
Other calibers available as well, 7rm is overkill for most everything except elk.
Other calibers available as well, 7rm is overkill for most everything except elk.
The absolute dog shit customer service and lack of critical parts availability such as bolts. Any issue with their product is automatically blamed on the user. People bash Remington but at least they support their product. UPS lost a rifle that my brother sent back for a recall and Remington sent him another rifle.
ETA... Sako style extractors suck and can be dangerous when they fail. I also believe they cause a weak area in the bolt.
Check out my review on the Bergara HMR Pro. I just happen to have a bit more money on hand when I bought it last week but I played with the standard B-14 HMR and its a helluva rifle. I would likely have been just as happy with that gun. I’ve seen them on Gunbroker for as little as $850. That leaves a healthy budget for scope and rings and you’ll have a Rem 700 pattern gun if you want to upgrade anything later like the trigger. Not that there’s anything wrong with the stock trigger.
Sub MOA guarantee. Stock with a mini chassis molded in. Adjustable and left handed availability. What’s not to like.
Sub MOA guarantee. Stock with a mini chassis molded in. Adjustable and left handed availability. What’s not to like.
I was leaning on the t3x lite but if it's too light and cant get a brake on it then wont really work
I get the parts availability, but in reality it’s a non issue. A whole complete rifle can be bought for less than what custom action makers charge for a bolt.
I have read bad things about Beretta’s customer service. I have several Tikkas , Sako TRGs, and a shotgun from Beretta and haven’t had to use it. Probably a good thing considering what I read even though I know that bad press gets amplified on the forums. Remington suffers from this phenomenon. According to the internet, Remington couldn’t build a functional rifle if they were paid to do it. Everybody around my parts has Remington’s. Everyone. Not a complaint.
I had a similar experience with Tikka CS.
I have personal experience with Tikka customer service as well as Beretta in general. All of their CS is garbage.
Defiance charges $300 for a complete bolt. I really doubt you can get a complete Tikka rifle for that.
Defiance charges $300 for a complete bolt. I really doubt you can get a complete Tikka rifle for that.
I don’t doubt your bad experience. I wasn’t questioning you or defending Beretta either.
You couldn’t get a Tikka for $300. You can buy a new one for $485 and $400 second hand. That gives you a spare bolt assembly, barrel, stock, trigger, and action. That goes for all production rifles. Not just Tikka. Some even less.
I had a T3x that wasn't quite as accurate as I had hoped. 1.5-2 MOA (3 shot groups) with match ammo and handloads. Tried all sorts of loads and bullets and couldn't get it to consistently group. When I called them about it, they told me their "guarantee" was to shoot basically dozens of 3 shot groups until just one of them shot MOA. Statistically that will happen even on a 2 MOA gun. They then said if just one of those groups was MOA, I would be charged a handling fee.
I decided to just move on to a different rifle.
You can get the left hand T3X Hunter and Lites in 7mag or 300wm. I don't have a factory pencil barrel to check muzzle diameter but it might be enough for 5/8-24 threads, you will want to confirm if so. Neither in 300wm isn't going to be fun to shoot without a loud brake or can. Being a lefty isn't going to give many choices in the Tikka rifles.
I don't have any experience with a Bergara but their B-14 HMR looks like a good match for you. They come in 300wm, 308 and 6.5cm. MAP is $969 so shop around.
I don't have any experience with a Bergara but their B-14 HMR looks like a good match for you. They come in 300wm, 308 and 6.5cm. MAP is $969 so shop around.
both of the tikka 300 and 7mag dont have a brake on them and kind of want it already on the gun when i purchase. what about short mag?
Is the reason for wanting an installed brake cost or installing? APA has sales on their Gen II brakes regularly (their Gen III is out now), and they are easy to install (self-timing, and you only need a 1" wrench)
yeh i have heard good things about them. if the one i buy doesnt have a brake then that's my choice. its finding the rifle that's the hard part.
As a fellow left hand shooter, options are lacking to get exactly the features you want. In the end you may be better off building a rifle to suit your needs.
My main hunting rifle is a Rem700 CDL LH in 30-06. It easily shoots under 1" at 100 yards and often times shoots much better. Mine is threaded 9/16x24 and I have a SiCo Harvester can on it.
My main hunting rifle is a Rem700 CDL LH in 30-06. It easily shoots under 1" at 100 yards and often times shoots much better. Mine is threaded 9/16x24 and I have a SiCo Harvester can on it.
I love Tikkas action. That being said I won’t buy another. My father bought a T3 some months back with a factory rebate on it. Long story short after 4 phone conversations with beretta customer service over 3 months they were still screwing him around on his rebate. He called the original seller(Scheels) and they gave him the rebate because they didn’t want a dissatisfied customer. My take away was Beretta/Tikka doesn’t need any of my money, and Scheels is a pretty good Retailer.
Yea
Having to deal with beretta is kinda famous for being a painful experience.
Having to deal with beretta is kinda famous for being a painful experience.
I don’t think it would totally stop me from getting a Tikka, especially a used one for a build.
I can’t speak for Tikka’s (Beretta) customer service as I have never had to use it but I have heard from many people that it is definitely lacking.
With that being said I believe that tikka is probably the best bang for your buck factory rifle out there. I have a couple in my safe and every one of them has been a shooter. They are incredibly smooth and consistent enough that you can now buy shouldered prefit barrels for them if you want to change things up later. Factory trigger is great and you can adjusted lower with a $10 spring.
If you look around you can find brand new blued tikkas for about $500 and stainless for about $600. If you want a factory threaded barrel you will probably be looking for a veil model which is around $1000
Parts availability was mentioned earlier in the thread and it is definitely a little more difficult to find tikka parts than say a Remington. Midwest Gunworks usually has most factory parts in stock other than the bolts. The bolts usually come in and out of stock every few months so If you are patient they are not to hard to get.
With that being said I believe that tikka is probably the best bang for your buck factory rifle out there. I have a couple in my safe and every one of them has been a shooter. They are incredibly smooth and consistent enough that you can now buy shouldered prefit barrels for them if you want to change things up later. Factory trigger is great and you can adjusted lower with a $10 spring.
If you look around you can find brand new blued tikkas for about $500 and stainless for about $600. If you want a factory threaded barrel you will probably be looking for a veil model which is around $1000
Parts availability was mentioned earlier in the thread and it is definitely a little more difficult to find tikka parts than say a Remington. Midwest Gunworks usually has most factory parts in stock other than the bolts. The bolts usually come in and out of stock every few months so If you are patient they are not to hard to get.
True but I’m so familiar with savage and 700 based I’m kinda sticking to them right now.
I can't speak to parts availability, but a great gunsmith fixed the light primer strike issue with my T3X Varmint .223 in 15 minutes.
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Yeah, Beretta CS is, um, lacking. I was experiencing light primer strikes and up 10-20% misfire rate with CCI450s in my T3X Varmint .223 (full disclosure: never had a problem with factory ammo, but primer strikes were still light). My LGS from which I purchased it shipped it back for me. Five weeks later, it was back, and the 8th round in was a misfire.
Took it, along with several fired rounds showing the light strikes, to a well-respected gunsmith & friend. I already had the firing pin/spring assembly removed from the bolt. He immediately noticed the shallow primer indentations were relatively wide with almost straight "walls" and the firing pin tip almost cylindrical instead of rounded. So he radiused the tip very slightly to provide a rounded profile without modifying the pin length.
Problem solved. I haven't had a misfire since, in several hundred rounds fired.
Both my T3X Tikkas are/were consistent half-MOA performers (TAC A1 6.5CM sold some time ago to take advantage of a great opportunity on a custom). If I had to choose one factory brand for accuracy and overall performance, it would be Tikka, but I would go to my gunsmith or Mountain Tactical before I'd bother with Beretta service. All my major-brand rifles (Ruger, Tikka, CZ) except the T3X Varmint have been replaced by custom or semi-custom (e.g. Vudoo) platforms, and the MDT-chassis'ed Varmint will be sold when its Defiance-based replacement is finished soon. I have no experience with Bergara or other brands around that price point.
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Yeah, Beretta CS is, um, lacking. I was experiencing light primer strikes and up 10-20% misfire rate with CCI450s in my T3X Varmint .223 (full disclosure: never had a problem with factory ammo, but primer strikes were still light). My LGS from which I purchased it shipped it back for me. Five weeks later, it was back, and the 8th round in was a misfire.
Took it, along with several fired rounds showing the light strikes, to a well-respected gunsmith & friend. I already had the firing pin/spring assembly removed from the bolt. He immediately noticed the shallow primer indentations were relatively wide with almost straight "walls" and the firing pin tip almost cylindrical instead of rounded. So he radiused the tip very slightly to provide a rounded profile without modifying the pin length.
Problem solved. I haven't had a misfire since, in several hundred rounds fired.
Both my T3X Tikkas are/were consistent half-MOA performers (TAC A1 6.5CM sold some time ago to take advantage of a great opportunity on a custom). If I had to choose one factory brand for accuracy and overall performance, it would be Tikka, but I would go to my gunsmith or Mountain Tactical before I'd bother with Beretta service. All my major-brand rifles (Ruger, Tikka, CZ) except the T3X Varmint have been replaced by custom or semi-custom (e.g. Vudoo) platforms, and the MDT-chassis'ed Varmint will be sold when its Defiance-based replacement is finished soon. I have no experience with Bergara or other brands around that price point.
The veil is threaded and in 7mm rem mag, don’t see any lefty’s yet but they should be here soon.
Alternatively you could buy any stainless left hand tikka with a magnum bolt face then buy a prefit with muzzle threads for $400. Would give you everything you are looking for with whatever barrel contour you like for $1000 or less if you sell the brand new factory barrel.
Yeah right.
Can't even get a lefty ctr here in the US much less a stainless one. Beretta won't import them.
https://choose.tikka.fi/usa/tikka/t...EM MAG&handedness=LH&material=Stainless Steel
do a search for that jrtxb470 number. Buy it. Send it off to @LongRifles Inc. to get threaded. From what I've seen 9/16-18 should work on the muzzle. Or re-barrel. Going lefty and stainless in a Tikka we pretty much have to start from the lite.
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