Tikka CTR/TAC A1 stock and chassis options

[Rodney65]

I am purchasing a Tikka as a spare/loaner rifle for hunting and PRS matches. It will either be a CTR or a TAC A1. Has anyone here used both a TAC A1 and a CTR? How much lighter and handier is the CTR? I have not had the chance to handle the CTR and TAC A1 side by side. As I understand it they only have a few differences between them other than the chassis such as the trigger and muzzle brake.

I came into a spare stock for a CTR so if I spend the extra money for the TAC A1 I can always drop it right into a CTR stock, correct? If I get the CTR I will probably put it in either a KRG Bravo or McMillan stock to keep it relatively light for hunting but competitive for matches. I am looking for people's opinion on these stocks as well.

Also I want to say thank you to distributor Stoeger Canada who had several of their products available to shoot for FREE at a local charity match this month. I always liked your products but after having the chance to try one of these rifles I decided I had to pick one up.

 

[HaysKSFirefighter]

I've owned both. CTR is quite a bit lighter and easier to maneuver, but the Tac A1 is handy with the side folding, lockup is nice and tight on it. You can certainly drop the barreled action from the Tac A1 into the CTR stock and run it. I ended up selling my Tac A1 as we ended up liking the KRG chassis we have better when it came to the ergos of the chassis, something which is completely subjective. Right now we have one of each of the KRG chassis, they all have their strengths, the Bravo is fantastic when it comes to a budget friendly, entry level option. I ended up adding a few options to it so it was to my liking but it still was cheaper than many other options. My preference is still for the folding Whiskey 3, but that's a huge price jump from the Bravo which some can't justify. If you are looking for a good blend of performance and budget, I'd go with the CTR and a Bravo chassis, if you get a good deal on the CTR you'll still be several hundred dollars under the cost of a Tac A1.

 

[j741]

Whittaker Guns has typically had great prices on Tikkas. I got my CTR there and it was what got me interested in shooting rifles. I bought a TAC A1 a few months back and have been focusing on shooting it. I liked the CTR but not the stock. Tried it in a KRG X-Ray and couldn't get comfortable on it. Tried with a TAC A1 and it was just easy and comfortable, so I bought it vs spending more time finding a chassis for the CTR. The CTR is still good and perfectly usable so I'll be keeping it, but it will mostly be for hunting as the TAC is noticeably heavier and not worth lugging around.

 

[Rodney65]

Thanks for the responses guys. That was exactly the type of information I was looking for.

Also compared to my 18.4 pound match rifle everything else feels really handy.

 

[SLG]

If you're going to drop the action into a chassis, you might consider the Varmint instead of the CTR or A1. I have found them much less expensive, and since I'm tossing everything except the barreled action...