Tikka CTR vs Superlite (Practice/Volume Gun & Hunting Rifle)

[treillw]

I am mainly a hunter. I don't do competitions or prs like a lot of you guys, but I do enjoy picking your brains. I'd like to get a smaller caliber gun (6.5, 308, etc) to practice shooting wind with, so it's less expensive to practice and I don't throw my main hunting rifle out of tune shooting all the good ammo into the wind. For a strictly practice gun, the CTR looks awesome and I'm sure is the correct choice. Now I think, it would be great if I could get this new rifle to serve double duty - a volume practice gun and a hunting rifle for my wife. That is where the Superlite comes in. We hike 15+ miles a day through the mountains hunting and I wouldn't want to carry the CTR around. Would the Superlite work well as a practice/volume gun? How accurate are they?

Thanks!

 

[Stooxie]

The CTR has the same accuracy guarantee as every other Tikka. Tikka barrels, in general, are much thicker than the usual. Your average 22" T3 barrel is .632" at the muzzle, which many would call a medium sporter contour. Seems like most American production rifle barrels are much thinner. I had a Ruger American that was like 0.55!

I have a CTR, a Scout and a few T3 Lites. I have the same accuracy expectation, and get the same excellent results from all of them.

-Stooxie

 

[physguy88]

I'm also interested in this question. If I get a tikka superlite, how many shots can I string together before I have to back off and let the barrel cool? Do I get to do a lot more with the ctr?

 

[CaptNemo]

In general, hunter profile barrels heat up and start opening group size after 3 to 5 rounds. They also tend to cool of sooner, since you didn’t put a long shot string thru the rifle since it wasn’t shooting tight groups anymore.
Heavy barrels take longer to heat up due to greater mass and tend to take longer to cool down since you are shooting long strings of shots because the barrel is much larger and doesn’t start opening groups since it’s a big chunk of steel and it takes a lot more heat to make it act funny. 10 to 20 rounds depending on chambering and the actual ammo being fired.

 

[treillw]

Thank you all! Any other thoughts out there?

Thanks.

 

[BravoFoxtrot]

The CTR is easier to shoot and more accurate, IME (~7K rounds if memory serves). The 20” barrel makes the most sense for me.

 

[roggom]

Get a CTR and drop it in a regular B&C stock or any other tikka stock. A little of inletting with a socket and emory cloth and you will be good to go. My rifle is a true do-all and only weighs a bit over 7 lbs without the supressor and with a Leupold 2-7 on it. I ditched the rail and use Talley removables, so I can use any of 4 scopes depending on what I am doing that day. You will need a magazine retaining spring though and those are not easy to come by.

 

[treillw]

The rifle looks awesome Roggom. Thanks for the idea. Where is the weight savings coming from? Is the factory stock pretty heavy? Approximate cost to complete everything?

Do you know what the rifle weighs naked - no scope or suppressor?

Thanks!

 

[davsco]

The CTR has the same accuracy guarantee as every other Tikka.

almost the same - instruction manual says tac and varmint models have 5 shot 1 moa, vs 3 shots for the rest of their rifles.

 

[lawofsavage]

I love the CTR for hunting but I don't hunt anywhere where I have to pack the meat out a long distance. The CTR is a no-brainer for you to have something to practice with at the range.

I think the deciding factor comes down to how much you value not having to hear your wife comment about its weight on your hunts if she ever decides its too heavy for her hahaha

 

[Maestro]

I have a T3x Lite in 6.5 Creed and it's a great rifle. It's currently stock with a few hundred dollar scope on it and it shoots ragged holes at 100. I noticed groups open up after 5-8 rounds but still hold fine. Maybe 1/2" increase I'd say.

The CTR is a better rifle for the range but not for the field. I personally don't have a problem with weight when hunting but many do.

 

[alaskalanche]

While I can’t find the pic of my CTR stock but I recall it being roughly 32 oz before bottom metal.

The 6.5 superlite I have with the 24” barrel is 6 pounds 5 oz with a pic rail.

Putting the CTR in a lighter weight stock will drop it roughly 1/2 pound plus swapping to standard T3 lite plastic bottom “metal” and mags instead of CTR will save ya another 4-6 oz. Taking the 0 moa rail off the CTR and putting sportmatch rings on will save ya another few oz. Bascially the CTR can be taken down closer to 6.5-6.75 pounds (in 20” model). Compare that to the 6.3 pound 24” with a pic rail superlite in OEM stock. If weight is truly that critical.

I do a fair bit of hiking and hunts backpack based when hiking 10-20 miles in just to get to hunt areas and I get trying to go light as possible. But lately we have gone to sharing one slightly heavier rifles than both having one. Basically one needs to decide if an extra 1.25 pounds will make or break your hunt.

Pretty hard to make one rifle do everything. Just like anything else something that does most things well does nothing great as something designed for a designated purpose. I have a couple CTR and T3 lites. The weight difference isn’t too great. Of course if it comes time for true lightweights I have other rifles much lighter than either when that time arrives for that niche.

 

[physguy88]

How did you pry off the rail? I've heard people working on it with a heating iron to loosen the thread lock?

 

[Stooxie]

And if it's stainless and in excellent condition send me a picture, I want it. (Or anyone else that has a stainless Tikka rail in great shape. Preferably a T3x one with the 5 screws.)

-Stooxie

 

[roggom]

I used a butane torch, just remove the action from the stock and gently heat the rail up and down until the screws loosen. If you try without heat the heads will strip for sure.


mine weighs in at 7lbs 3 oz without scope or can.


I hunt some pretty thick and steep mountains. I use a Vorn pack and have the rifle centered in my back as I traverse. I dont carry a bunch of gear, a day pack at best.


https://www.amazon.com/Vorn-Lynx-Hu...3MJF2R1RJDAQA5WBF&refRID=JYD3MJF2R1RJDAQA5WBF

 

[Heliway]

I had a T3x superlite in 6.5CM for a while and it was an awesome hunting rifle, but in line with all the other posts I experienced opening of groups around the 3-5 quick rounds mark. I think you'd be happy with either, just weigh whether you feel the hunting aspect or the range aspect is more important to you.

 

[DMS1]

T3 superlight in McMillan edge stock, vx6 scope. My lightweight coyote rig.

 

[BallisticPrimate]

I used a butane torch, just remove the action from the stock and gently heat the rail up and down until the screws loosen. If you try without heat the heads will strip for sure.


mine weighs in at 7lbs 3 oz without scope or can.


I hunt some pretty thick and steep mountains. I use a Vorn pack and have the rifle centered in my back as I traverse. I dont carry a bunch of gear, a day pack at best.


https://www.amazon.com/Vorn-Lynx-Hu...3MJF2R1RJDAQA5WBF&refRID=JYD3MJF2R1RJDAQA5WBF



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Very handy setup, Roggom. I'm building something very similar (dropping a CTR in the B&C Medalist). Going to run the long bolt stop option and the long tikka mags to seat 178gr ELDX's far out. Is yours a .308? Mine will wear a 3-12 LRHS.

 

[260284]

I used a butane torch, just remove the action from the stock and gently heat the rail up and down until the screws loosen. If you try without heat the heads will strip for sure.


mine weighs in at 7lbs 3 oz without scope or can.


I hunt some pretty thick and steep mountains. I use a Vorn pack and have the rifle centered in my back as I traverse. I dont carry a bunch of gear, a day pack at best.


https://www.amazon.com/Vorn-Lynx-Hu...3MJF2R1RJDAQA5WBF&refRID=JYD3MJF2R1RJDAQA5WBF



View attachment 7005079View attachment 7005080

How do you like the Vorn and how is it holding up?

 

[roggom]

I have gone through many packs, slings etc. For the terrain that I hunt I need two hands to travers the inclines. The Vorn it just the right size for me and my minimalistic load out. I like that I can just grab the barrel and retrieve the rifle from the side; rather than try to pull it up and over. Also no more rifle swinging around when Im climbing. The Tikka fits perfectly.

 

[Tallan87]

I have gone through many packs, slings etc. For the terrain that I hunt I need two hands to travers the inclines. The Vorn it just the right size for me and my minimalistic load out. I like that I can just grab the barrel and retrieve the rifle from the side; rather than try to pull it up and over. Also no more rifle swinging around when Im climbing. The Tikka fits perfectly.




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can I get specs of your build. pretty much exactly what I am looking to do.