SWAMPMAN

Todd,
I agree you and old elk don't seem to have hit it off. However, if you give the man a chance, without putting him on the defensive, he's a really nice, helpful guy. The Tikka rifles are great for some, not so great for others. I seen the pictures of Tikkas that blew up. I have enough caution and respect, for and with my firearms, that for the sake of a couple of hundred bucks, i'll err on the side of safety. If I wanted a Mark V Weatherby, I'm not buying a Vanguard, If I want a Remington, I'm not buying a 710, and if I want a Sako, I won't buy a Tikka. I think you have seriously misjudged old elk. He's super knowledgeable, very helpful and he's opinionated, but I think he's opinion was bought with a great deal of experience.

Todd1700

I look forward to seeing this side of him. All he has done with me so far is the verbal equivalent of pooping in your hand and throwing it at someone like a drunk monkey at a traveling circus.

Well actually Sako had just as many or more barrels explode during that episode. Sako's and Tikka's barrels are made in the same factory. The blow ups were due to a bad batch of Stainless steel barrels that affected both stainless steel Tikka's and Sako's equally. The problem was only with stainless steel barrel's and has know supposedly been resolved. The extra couple of hundred bucks would not have made you any safer in this particular case.

SWAMPMAN

I don't own any new Sakos either. Listen, Todd, if you like your Tikka, that's all that matters.Certainly not my opinion. Remember the old saying about opinions. Hey, if that Tikka fits you, you're accurate shooting it, and you're comfortable with it, and have confidence in it, then that's all that matters, and in that circumstance, it's a great rifle. Peace brother.
P.S. Roll Tide!

Josh Sorensen

There sure seems to be a lot of tikka hatered going around. They are just a rifle, no better or worse than that. I've been really impressed with mine so far but that can be said of several of my rifles from remington, browning, marlin, and tikka. Heck I even had a savage that shot really good. I can see why people get offended when somebody badmouths their favorite rifle, anyone would about any brand. Six pages of banter over the usefullness of a rifle is pretty silly.

bigcountry

Not silly at all. We should be happy that people are replying and talking. I mean you go to some webpages and there's a whole 5 people in there with 10 posts total.

I am just mad that the continential and whitetails are gone. I am shocked that Tikka fans are not fuming all over the country. No matter what the accuracy.

Todd1700

They were nicer and if you can find a used one in good condition they are well worth the money. But I'll still take a T-3 over the standard stuff Remington, Ruger and Winchester are pumping out these days.

GRIZZLYMAN

Maybe the best bet is to find a used Sako (if you can find any) and buy it instead of a Tikka. The pre-Berretta manufactured Sakos are good guns (L591/L691). I'm sure the Berretta manufactured Sakos are better than anything you can get in the USA.

IMHO after looking at the Tikka ; too much plastic in critical areas like the magazine and bolt shroud in the Tikka. I don't think even Savage uses that much plastic. I've shot my Sako for ten years and the only regret I have is that I didn't buy two back then.

driftrider

FYI: All Sako and Tikka rifles are manufactured in the same factory in Finland. BerettaUSA is mearly the U.S. importer and distributor of both brand rifles. BerettaUSA does not, and has not ever had any part in the actual manufacturing of Sako and Tikka brand rifles.

I think it's funny how literally 100's of thousands of law enforcement officers and civilians alike rely of polymer framed semi-automatic handguns for the defense of their lives, yet the same polymer used on a bolt action rifle used almost exclusively for hunting non-dangerous game is a major turnoff and quality issue. What's more is that the frame of a polymer handgun is a high stress item, subjected to the repeated forces of recoil and slide cycling, while the magazine and bolt shroud of a Tikka rifle is placed under almost not stress at all. Oh, and just for s***s and giggles, I removed the bolt shroud of my T-3, simulating a complete breakage, and the rifle still functioned perfectly in its absense. Granted, extra care would have to be excercised to prevent water and dirt from entering the bolt and striker mechanism, but the bolt shroud in the T-3 is only a dust cover, not a load bearing item as on many other bolt-action guns (like its big sister, the Sako 75).

As far as the magazine goes, it seems to be made of the same ultra-tough polymer that handgun frames are made of. It is rigid, reliable, functions perfectly, and most importantly, it's virtually corrosion proof (except for the spring), and is ultra lightweight.

Mike

48thguns

How true. Steyr has been using that polymer in their rifles for 50 years or so and I have never heard of a failure of any kind on their fine rotory magazines. When deer hunting, I carry a spare with 5 extra rounds just in case one of those nasty quail eating Bobcats happens by.

Mike
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handwerk

well said driftrider, I have a couple of glocks and as far as I'm concerned they are very dependable. I have bought 3 t-3's in the last 2 years and are very happy with them. One of which I brought to alaska last year on hunt where I slept for a week with bear activity everywhere, so yes I'm confident the t-3's are tough enough. After handling these tikka's I have a hard time looking to anything else short of a sako.