Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

What are the differences between these two tikkas, along with price. And are they really better than a browning a bolt. I am looking for a smooth long lasting bolt to last me 30 years or more of constant use. I will use it for deer hunting and target shooting to hone my skills.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

i never owned a tikka. but i do own a browning A-bolt medallion chambered in the 30-06sprg. without the BOSS. i find the action to be nice and smooth as snot and i get constant groups with it using federal ammo. 1.080" at 100yds.
i was gonna buy a tikka as my next rifle but i am contempt with what the browning has done for me.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

The Tika White-tail hunter is a very nice rifle for the price,I looked @ one before I bought my 25-06 in a Ruger #1.I have freinds that have them and they all praise them.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

In my opinion the T3 was Tikka' s attempt to keep manufacturing costs down and still offer an affordable rifle. The Whitetail has the advantage of a short and long action whereas the T3 is all one long action. The Brownings are fine rifles, but for my own use I prefer the Tikka Whitetail Hunters.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

I' ve not seen the T-3. But, I' ve had several Browning A-bolts and fondled a few Whitetail Hunters. The smoothness of the WH action is unbelievable!!! I loved my Brownings, but my next rifle is going to be a Tikka.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

Danny45...

the tika actions are that smooth? i have seen some but never actually cycled the bolt.
do they have that weird reciever still? so it is hard to put a round in the reciver instead of the mag? i know the one i saw the opening was tight.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

Yes, the opening did seem a little small. I never tried to load a cartridge (management at the sporting goods store where I worked frowned on that :D).


And YES!!! They are that smooth! If I had to rate it, I' d say it was 3 times smoother than any of my A-Bolts were.

And don' t forget, the WH has a 1" guarentee from the factory.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

danny45..

thanks for the heads up

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

I used to have an A-Bolt. Great gun but didn' t shoot better than 1 1/2" to 2" at 100 yards, even with handloads and glass-bedding. Action was ok but not great. Trigger was supurb and over-all I was satisfied with the rifle.

I sold it and bought a WH Tikka. Best thing I' ve ever done. The WH comes in either short or long action. The T3 is long action only but they have spacers in the magazine to accomodate short actions so they have essentially the same T3 coming off the line but just change barrel and mag to have either long or short action.

The bolt is the smoothest running I' ve ever felt in any rifle ever! To demonstrate I can take the (unloaded of course) rifle and rotate the bolt to an unlatched position. Tip the barrel up about 2 inches and the bolt slides back to the stop! No binding, no grinding, just silky smooth. You really should try it next chance you get. Plus the trigger is adjustable between 2-4 lbs. (as was my A-bolt) and is just as good as the A-bolt. And a guarentee of 1" or better at 100 yards. All for the price of between $500-$600 (maybe less depending on model and features).

I really don' t see how any other rifle even compares. Oh, one more thing, the external removable magazine. The Browning was close but you had to attach the mag to the hinged floor plate which is not nearly as quick or easy as slapping in a mag.

I can' t see buying any other rifle for quite some time other than Tikka' s as long as they keep the WH model. Although I do like the Kimber' s too and the Howa I think would be a good choice as well.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

I recently bought a Tikka WH in stainless/synthetic in 308 win. Previously I had the same caliber in the Remington bdl walnut blued action. The two rifles do not compare!! The tikka outshoots the remington hands down, plus the action is smoother than greased goose poop on a hand rail (that' s pretty smooth!!). I also got the tikka optilock scope bases and rings with the rifle......talk about a slick design!! Very solid and positive hook up, plus the rings use a polymer insert to cushion the scope inside the rings. Overall, I rate the tikka very high, accuracy is excellent, and I love that palm swell!!!!!

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

I heard so much about these Tikka' s I ended up buying one the other night. They had the WTH' s for 399.99. They had them in 300 Win Mag and a 7mm Rem Mag. I went with the 7mm.I haven' t fired it yet but I' m really impressed with it.I bought the clamp lock rings made by Sako.The bolt is unbelievable how smooth it works. The Triggers are adjustable. I believe it' s 2-4 pounds and factory set at 3 pounds.I took a Leupold Vari XII 3x9 40mm scope off one of my other rifles and mounted it on the Tikka.The scope rings seem to be the ticket.A friend who is a machinst bought one a few weeks ago in 300 Win Mag. He studies everything he buys. The Tikka' s Barrel is screwed in one inch to the receiver.he was so impressed with his he told me I need to get one.I love my Ruger M-77' s but this Tikka has given me second thoughts.If Ruger' s had a trigger like these Tikka they would be something to write home about.
Ruger Redhawk

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

Funny, seems everywhere I turn there is a new Tikka owner around the corner. I can' t see this as being a fad as you can' t even buy this kind of good reviews. Finally, a gun maker doing it right. I think the rest of the gun world is about to get cold water tossed in their faces as they realize the consumer is finally getting what they want and not buying anything of lesser quality. For these prices, you get a great rifle at a great price. Why choose anything else? I used to be a die-hard Remington and Browning guy but now I' m seeing the light.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

I have owned a Remington Model 7 in .308, Ruger 77 in 7mm Mag, Ruger 77 International in .308, Ruger 77 .243 ultra-light, Browning A-bolt II composite stalkers in 25-06, 300wsm, and .280. As I have just purchased the Tikka T3 synthetic in .308 a couple of months, I can honestly say that it is the best shooting rifle I have ever owned. The Brownings trigger only adjust down to 2 1/2 lbs while the Tikka is at 2 lbs. I' ve tried them side by side in trigger pull and action smoothess and have had several friends compare as well. Every one has admitted that the Tikka felt betterwithout a doupt. And most were die hard Browning men like me. The Tikka has delivered some impressive groups so far. Shooting Hornady light magnum 150gr interlocs I have several 3 shot 1/2" groups and one 1/4" group at 100 yds. Of course on a bench rest. My A-bolt will shoot like that as well but that is with a BOSS. All I' ll ever buy in the future are Tikka' s, or maybe a Sako featherlight, but you can' t beat the Tikka' s for value.

RE: Tikka T3 vs. tikka thitail hunter vs. a-bolt
 

I would consider myself to be a Browning guy but after reading this thread maybe I should spend some time and look into the Tikka a little more.