New member here so excuse me if I am asking this in the wrong place. I am thinking about either purchasing a Tikka T3 or building a light hunting rifle for deer. My question is which route would you recommend? I will be shooting from 500 yards and in mostly but have the opportunity to shoot out to a mile if i want. I have a couple rifles that i hunt with in these places now but they weigh around 15lbs each. Also trying to keep the cost reasonable (not wanting to drop $3000 on a rifle at the moment). What would you recommend?
Tikka T3 or custom
- Thread starter Baker 7rum
- Start date
Really just depends how much $$$ you want to spend. The Tikka T3 is a great hunting rifle. It would cost you somewhere around $6-700 if you keep it stock. You'll likely be around at least $1700 for the rifle, if not more, if you go the custom route. Either choice will work great. I went custom for my 6.5 CM and bought a hunting contour barrel I swap onto it for hunting season.
What barrel did you go with? I had rifles built with Schilen and Bartlein but thought about a little less expensive barrel for this one if I go that route
I picked up a tikka t3 lite in 300 wm a few years back. I think it weighed right around 6.5 lb. give or take. First thing I did was put a limb saver on it and then a decent leupold scope. It’s light and very accurate. < 1” @ 100 yards with sako factory 180 gr ammo. Action is very smooth and the trigger is a winner. For what $ I have in it, it was a great choice and I’m glad i chose the tikka.
You definitely don’t need to drop a lot of $ on a custom rifle for hunting. Custom rifles are nice to look at, can be stupid accurate, and come with pride of ownership. I’ve owned custom rifles, and this last year I’ve been running a Tikka T3X with a Rock Creek barrel in 6.5CM. Used it for hunting and it did the job- put meat in my freezer. For a factory action, it’s probably my favorite one... smooth action, no need for truing, lots of aftermarket support, etc.
I've also got several customs and several Tikka rifles. All the Tikka's have been rebarreled at this point, but were very accurate in stock form as well. IMO you can't go wrong with a Tikka T3, they're just that good. Get a stock one that'll serve you for practice, then burnt he barrel getting better and get a good barrel once the first is gone. The actions hold their value very well because they're so smooth. My main comp rifle is a T3 in 25 creedmoor. It'll hold a 6" plate at 1115yds pretty easy on a calm day.
Also, the market is definitely picking up for them, so you can get any number of chassis or stocks made by pretty much any well know maker. The only thing that I really wish is they'd have more trigger options, as in good light comp triggers, but you can get the stock trigger down to 1-1.5lbs, so that really isn't an issue either.
Also, the market is definitely picking up for them, so you can get any number of chassis or stocks made by pretty much any well know maker. The only thing that I really wish is they'd have more trigger options, as in good light comp triggers, but you can get the stock trigger down to 1-1.5lbs, so that really isn't an issue either.
Another vote for the Tikka, not sure where you live but if you have Sportsmans Warehouse in your area they have the Tikka Superlite, basically a Tikka with a fluted barrel for that cool factor. I have one I dropped in a McMillan Hunters Edge and its become one of my favorite rifles, and I have several customs
Weight with scope is just a little over 7 lbs and shoots factory ammo great, whats not to like!
Weight with scope is just a little over 7 lbs and shoots factory ammo great, whats not to like!If you're comfortable with the prefit route, stick with a tikka. No reason to compromise with the subpar savage bolt and trigger operation when you can get the same accurate prefit for a tikka and have the much smoother action and trigger. You always know who's competed with a savage, because they have the habit of pushing the rear bolt shroud with their thumb. It's because the savage bolt binds hard when you try to run the handle too fast. I can't bind my tikka bolt even if I try.
I have bought and sold almost every custom action out there, but I still have a tikka. But imho the tikka is where it is at, I think I am up to 3 or 4 now. Buy a used for 450ish, sell barrel stock and mag for 150-200ish add a prefit barrel for 300 to 500 drop in your stock of choice(xray here 450) and have a match ready rifle for right around 1k. And they shoot! Factory barrels are nothing to laugh at. I just like non factory calibers so I build my own. Working on a 18" 6.5 creed for handy hunter
Tikka Super light T3x Stainless in 6.5 Creedmoor
SWFA 6x Milquad in Sportsmatch rings
McMillan Hunter in EDGE fill cut for M5 DBM
PTG Stealth DBM from Stocky's Stocks
Accurate Mags 5 rd AICS mags
Shoot it in the factory stock while you wait for the McMillan.
SWFA 6x Milquad in Sportsmatch rings
McMillan Hunter in EDGE fill cut for M5 DBM
PTG Stealth DBM from Stocky's Stocks
Accurate Mags 5 rd AICS mags
Shoot it in the factory stock while you wait for the McMillan.
Something like this?? Actually, many times McMillan will have the Hunters Edge in stock with a regular bottom metal fit.
Of all factory actions Tikka is about as good as it gets, I'd go for the Tikka less money on the rifle means more money for glass, ammo & practice. Once you shoot the barrel out you can customize the Tikka action which leaves very little to desire from a full custom action.
Very nice!Something like this?? Actually, many times McMillan will have the Hunters Edge in stock with a regular bottom metal fit.
I'd lean McM Hunter w/ AICS mags though and can't figure why McM makes a Hunters Edge and a Hunter in Edge.
This was originally a Tikka T3 lite originally and bought Carbon Six 25” barrel and Mcmillian game hunter Carbon fill stock with nightforce NX8 scope. So if you go the custom route you will likely be spending a lot of money like I did. But I’m very happy the way my rifle turned out. The Tikka actions are smooth as butter. I think either custom Tikka or T3X you can’t go wrong with a Tikka. I have a few custom Remington 700 rifles I’ve built but I’ always come back to my Tikka.
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Buy a T3X 6.5 CM for $467 and invest the savings in a kickass scope.
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Tikka T3 JRTXE382 T3x Lite 6.5 Creedmoor 3+1 24.30' Black Right Hand
<p>Tikka's T3x Lite combines high performance with lightweight ease. The T3x receiver introduces a widened angular ejection port making it easier to feed one cartridge at a time, and extra screw placements on top of the receiver to robustly attach a Picatinny rail. The Lite models are equipped...
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