What to do with used Tikka CTR 6.5CM 20"

[Scooter1942]

I recently purchased a used Tikka T3X CTR 6.5 CM 20" that should be to me in a few days. Didn't really need it, but the price was really pretty good.

So here' the problem...I don't really hunt nor do I play the PRS game. I used to pull triggers competitively in the Guard, but that was over ten years ago and now I just like to shoot, load ammo, and fly fish.

So I have dedicated hunting rifles (that I don't hunt with), I have dedicated LR/Precision guns (that I have no time to shoot at real distances), I have Scout rifles (I'm not a scout), I have lever guns (I'm not a cowboy), etc. etc.

So where does this CTR fit in? Do I treat it like a precision rig given that it is 6.5 CM and would be my only 6.5 bolt gun aside from the Scout rifle? My only other two 6.5CM are a Steyr Scout rifle and an LMT gasser.

Or, do I set it up more like a somewhat heavy hunting rig? The 20" will lighten it some and lend itself to a can. Might be a little more handy, but with a bit of velocity loss compared to the 24". Or, like my Scout rifles and Tikka Arctic…do I just build another general purpose rifle?

Of course, I gotta get it and shoot it...for all I know, the thing could be shot out. But IF its a sub MOA gun...I'll probably trick it out...just not sure how.

Thoughts?

 

[stello1001]

You say you don't really hunt nor do you play the PRS game. You just like to shoot. How about you first tell us how you like to shoot or what type of shooting you involve yourself in.

Let's start there.

 

[Scooter1942]

Oh boy...that's a broad topic! For about 8 years, competitive shooting dominated every weekend...in fact, it started to feel like a job towards the end. I walked away from it for awhile...took up fly fishing, but living in a major metropolitan area at least a day's drive from any decent fishing limits how often I can do that. So, during my work nights, I like tinkering with guns...rifles, revolvers, pistols, of all types. I also like loading up ammo and building loads that shoot well in those guns. Indoor ranges around me are plenty, so shooting pistols and doing load development is the kind of thing I can do to unwind after work on just about any evening. But, rifle ranges that allow me to shoot past 200 are all at least a half hour to an hour drive away, so it takes a free weekend and some commitment to get there and when I do, I feel like I always have a truckload of guns I want to shoot. And most of the ranges around here have day rates of $65 or annual fees pushing over $700. There's no public land anywhere near me and I don't own a ranch, so kind of hosed there.

I guess to answer your question directly, I like to shoot to prove to myself that I can still shoot cloverleafs, cold bore first round hits, be smooth and fast with a pistol, and the same with an AR. I love it when I can put 5 in under a half inch, or a Mozambique that sounds like a metronome on high with 3 CNS hits. I miss the competition and the camaraderie, but I don't miss hitting the range at least twice a week and spending $1k a month on ammo. I should probably explore the PRS game, or 3 gun, or IDPA...or something, but I just don't want to have to work as hard as I know it takes to be competitive.

 

[hafejd30]

Maybe just ditch the tikka and take up some precision .22 shooting?

Lots of places that have centerfire comps I’m sure have rimfire comps as well. Won’t cost you $1k a month in ammo. You can shoot a ton when you go to the range and those 200 yard ranges can be enough of a challenge for rimfire for just shooting for your enjoyment

 

[david walter]

Hard to beat a 20” CTR in 6.5 creed for a general purpose rifle.

Do you need me to hold onto it for you for a while while you decide?

 

[Scarface26]

Shoot it like you stole it. Guns are fun and Tikkas high up on the list.

Never had a Tikka I didn’t like. CTR is pretty g2g as is.

God bless America

 

[Mike Casselton]

I used to take a truck bed full of guns to go shooting.
Now, I rarely take more than two.

If you're 1/2 hour away from a range, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Most people have to drive a lot more than an hour to even get to any range.

Take two guns with you. Shoot until noon and go home. Do something else that's fun for the rest of the day You'll appreciate your life even more.

 

[TheJeanyus]

I wonder if we're related. I thought I was the only one who would buy a gun first then trying to figure out an intended use for it lol.

It sounds like a pretty solid "field rifle" - light enough to carry around, but not so light that it's unpleasant/unforgiving to shoot. Give it a spray paint camo job and keep it around as a "beater" rifle. Or, if you don't have one already, they make great "loaner rifles" for friends that are interested in precision/long range shooting but haven't taken the plunge into buying their own rifle yet.

Regardless of what you do with it (assuming you're keeping it)...all of my Tikkas get a Yo Dave trigger spring, Sterk bolt handle, and Sterk bolt shroud.

 

[TheJeanyus]

If you're 1/2 hour away from a range, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Most people have to drive a lot more than an hour to even get to any range.

This. I drive almost 2 hours each way.

 

[Scooter1942]

Rifle arrived today. Overall, the rifle is very clean. Bore is shiny and only needed a few patches to clean it out. Stock has no major scratches or dings, rail looks like its never had ring mounted to it and bluing looks great. There's only two areas that suggest to me this rifle has been shot (or cycled) a whole lot. First, there's a fair amount of finish wear on the bolt unlike any I've seen on other Tikka's. And, there's a fair amount of finish wear on the mag, suggesting it has been in and out of the gun quite a lot. Functionally, its fine, but it will be interesting to see how this shoots for accuracy and if my velocities are consistent or all over the place. I hope it has some life in it and I don't end up having to re-barrel it! The gun is a little oily in pics but no scratches or wear at all in the finish. Got it for pretty damned cheap from a Cabela's/Bass Pro in Boise...so if this belonged to any of you guys out that way and it is a dog...please let me know!