I tested this T3 when my friend was buying new rifle. We shot about 50 ammo on this .308 T3 mostly on moving targets. Those few times we tested accurasy it made one hole / 5 shots in 100 meters. So it is ok. Ammos were reloated to semi automatic rifle. Anyway friend wanted bigger caliber so he bougth the other one we tested Sako 9,3X66. Reason he said, other than the caliber, was " because it is made of traditionally wood and blued steel"

.5MOA at 200 yards all day? I think you're rangemaster is filling you full of bull. He most likely was trying to pass off his shot out bullbarrel on you. Nobody sells a ".5MOA at 200 yards all day" rifle. I'm not doubting you Bigcountry, but I do doubt your rangemaster.

I've only fired one of the T3's. It averaged just under 1" at 100 yards with the only load we had for it. I have three Whitetail Hunters and a Tikka Continental, all four will group well under 1" with premium factory loads. They're all pretty much 1/2" rifles with good handloads.

My mistake, I have not found anywhere that states poly is 10 times stronger then steel I believe this was with regards to wood. I did find this on glock website"

High-Impact Resistant Polymer
The frame on a GLOCK handgun is made out of a synthetic that is actually stronger than steel, yet 86% lighter. It's virtually indestructible. A GLOCK pistol can withstand temperatures ranging from -40°C (-40 F) to +70°C (+158 F) and still come out firing.

The tikka trigger guards are basically the same stuff. Most of you guys are making this trigger guard to sound like an eggshell. I do think both guns are great but do'nt agree with the cheap plastic argument. I also found a great article in Field and Stream in the November 03 edition. The gun reviewed a near perfect for the price you spend. The only negative was that it did not come left handed.

Cheers!!!!

I've personally never owned a Tikka. I own 2 Sakos, however, so I'm somewhat aware of what this company is capable of producing. The only Tikka I've ever seen at the local range was a .300 Win Mag Whitetail Hunter model. I struck up a conversation with the guy shooting it and got to see his 100 yard targets. Every group I saw (4 in all) were 3 shot cloverleafs. Now I realize the T3 is a different rifle, but based on my experience with the Sakos and the one Tikka I've seen in action, I think I would give Tikka the nod. I should add also that I've owned one Ruger M77, the all weather variety, and I just never liked it and eventually sold it.

No joke diyj98, It would shoot 1" groups at 200 yards easy, cause I shot it. Now this rifle was rebedded, restocked, headspace reset, lugs lapped, and new crown cut. I did question how many rounds he put thru it cause I know he shoots it alot. And it was up there. It was a 22-250, and had probably 2000 rounds thru. He did load it down and moly'd every bullet that went thru the gun. His velocity was only 3K thru my chrony. He claims thats the reason barrel wasn't shot out with that many rounds. But I couldn't argue with the groups. Can someone back me on this from MD. Its Jim, the guy with the santa claus beard at HapBaker range in Westminster MD. I never had a gun that is a .5MOA rifle, so I was excited by it.

Anyway, thanks for the info you have on your tikkas. The groups kinda really let me down.

If your getting 1/2" rifles then your rifles are .5MOA rifles also so saying nobody makes them? You have had 4.

For you guys getting one hole 5 shot groups, you ought to use that gun for benchrest shooting at 1000 yards. John Bear, I understand its a matter of national pride but one hole groups are like .3MOA. I think you really need to reevaluate your post a tad.

bigcountry, shooting .5 MOA at 100 yards is a lot easier than shooting .5 MOA at 200 yards. I don't doubt his rifle has fired .5 MOA at 200 yards, it's the "all day long" that I don't believe. I've shot benchrest rifles for years and conditions have to be almost perfect to shoot those outstanding groups at longer ranges.

I've owned benchrest rifles that were 1/4 MOA and under rifles at 100 yards, but it's not that easy to get those 1/4 MOA at 200, 300, etc.

I wouldn't touch a used heavy barrel with a ten foot pole. Knowing he's had a lot of work done to a rifle just tells me he's probably a serious shooter who's put thousands of rounds through it. 2000 rounds won't kill you as far as the average hunter, but the top accuracy of the rifle is probably long gone.

Synthetics-

There's a good reason why fishing poles, stealth bombers, bullet proof vests, and Glocks aren't made of steel- pound for pound, synthetics are much stronger and resilient tocertain types of stress than steel. Comparing the two however is like comparing apples to oranges- synthetics don't make good barrels- if they can hold up to heat- they will probably be too brittle, and you don't use steel in making body armor (anymore) as a bullet proof vest would probably weigh 300 lbs.

In an interesting coincidence, my 30-06 likes .308 bullets also, and they'll have to do for now until I locate some 30-06 bullets to load up for my rifles.[&:]

Good thing I only make mistakes like that online!!!![X(][X(] I reloaded a bunch of .308win's today, so I guess I had it on the brain-I load .311" bullets designed for the 7.62x39/7.62x54R to fill my over-bored bbl, I called Ruger about it, they said all I had to do was send it in and they'd fix it, but I just haven't been that concerned about it...not like it's my only deer rifle.

diyj98, I can't argue that the fact .5MOA at 100 is not the same as 500. Cause I really have never had a .5MOA rifle. Love too have one, but just isn't in the cards. My 300RUM custom is close but usually always gets a flyer in a 5 shot group. It gets 0.7MOA average at 100 yards. Moving out to 500 yards. Best I can do is hold a 8" group.

bigcountry, You'll find a lot more .5 MOA rifles written and talked about than you'll ever see in real life. It's amazing how many folks shoot one 1/4" group with a dozen or more 1" to 2" groups, then tell everybody "my Remchester .409 shoots 1/4" at 100yards!" I mentioned my Tikkas shooting 1/2" groups, but I need good days with zero wind to get those groups. Plus that's after finding the handload each prefers.