HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - Savage vs Tikka in .243. Which and why?
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Old 11-19-2009, 01:58 PM
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driftrider
Nontypical Buck
 
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Coralville, IA. USA
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I've owned both, and I still have the Savage (a Model 111 in .30-06), but not because there was anything wrong with the Tikka (which was a T3 Lite in 300 WSM), other than it just kicked like a mule on steroids. Both are of roughly equal quality, but in the trigger department the nod goes to the Accu-Trigger. The Tikka's trigger adjusted to be a pretty good trigger, but I like the Accutrigger even better. I also like the fact that the Savage can be easily loaded without removing the magazine. The small ejection port on the Tikka makes single loading directly into the chamber difficult at the range. Also, if you buy the Tikka, make darn sure you don't lose the magazine. It's the most expensive piece of plastic you'll ever find, with replacement mags running in the $65-75 range. The Savage centerfeed magazines are very well made (out of metal, btw), and the rounds feed very smoothly. Of the two, my Savage also get the nod in the accuracy department, though not by that much. The best I got the Tikka to shoot was just a hair under 1" average with handloads. The Savage will shoot Winchester 150 grain Power Points (factory ammo) right at 3/4 MOA, and 150 grain Rem Core Locks (again factory loads) into 1.25 MOA. I have yet to try handloads for the Savage, and I never shot factory loads from the Tikka, but if the results are typical, the groups will shrink if I ever get around to getting 30-06 dies for the Savage.

So, in reality, it's really a bit of a wash between the two. I'd happily buy another Tikka, and I don't plan on getting rid of my Savage anytime soon (though I have had the urge to rebarrel it for no other reason than I feel like it! ). Look at both, and buy what you like the best. Both are very good rifles.

Mike
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