Member msgtmike
MemberForum Replies Created
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Yomm,
Let us know how she shoots! I would be surprised if you weren't happy with it. What chambering?
Mike
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Yotehunter,
Very Nice! Good Shootin'.
Please keep us posted on the 6mmAI project. You have my itch started again.
I have the same scope mounted on two of my tikkas. Mine have the fine duplex… I think it is just the right balance for hunting/target. I have to try some of those VLDs… Looks like they make a mess!
Gotta love the accuracy that you can get out of a 6.5lb rifle!
Mike
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Yotehunter,
I am partial to the 6mm Rem, have really given a lot of thought to the AI. I've read a lot of good things about it. I have 3 6mm Rems and 2 243's.
I don't think the 243AI will get you where the 6mmAI can take you. Basically gets you up to a straight 6mm rem.
The biggest “downside” of the 6mm (I have read… But but not experienced) is that it is too long for a short action. With the Tikka, this would not be a problem… Change mag and change/modify the bolt stop.
6mm brass is very available. No issues there. I think on 6mmbr.com or one of those sites there are some real good articles an the 6mmAI.
By the way, I finally got that itch out of my system a couple of months ago… Now its back… Thanks…
Keep us posted on your decision.
Mike
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Russ,
Welcome!
Say it isn't so… I love my Tikkas too, but you ditched your Sako? Didn't you have a couple of Remingtons, Savages or something else you could have sacrificed instead?
The only factory rifles that out of box shoot as well or better (depends on the mindset of the shooter that day) are my Sakos. Even after a lot of work and $, a couple of my others start shooting like my Finns.
My T3 stainless Lite in 6.5×55 is my all time favorite… And THAT says A LOT.
Mike
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Yomm,
This may be a silly question, but have you fired the rifle and reason to feel that the fact that it is not fully floated might be a problem?
The reason I ask is that I have a couple of custom rifles and my smith beds the action and the first couple of inches of the barrel. Not saying that it is right or wrong, but I have had ZERO issues with POI change.
If I recall, all of my T3 Lites have contact with the stock within a couple of inches of the action. No issues what so ever.
Just wondering if you are troubleshooting… Or just checking the “float”
If you were just checking, I would shoot the rifle before I went any further…
Mike
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Hammbone,
The twist for both of the 223's are 1 in 8. Figured if I loaded some of the heavies, it should somewhat match the ballistics of my larger bore target rifles.
When I bought my 357 marlin, it had a 2.5x BSA short and stubby scope on it. I was going to yank it off and ditch it until I shot it. That darned thing will throw bullets into 2″ at 100 yards which is about the best I can do with the low mag scope and heavy cross hairs.
I find that “sledge hammer” loads in the 44 is plenty snotty enough for me. I don't think I want to shoot much bigger in a handgun. I picked my SRH up used, Stainless with 7.5″ barrel a 1.5x Leupold… more accurate than a pistol should be allowed. It's not a hip gun though, have to use the bandoleer type holster. I just ordered a SRH Alaskan in 44 mag that will be my back up hunting pistol and rammin' around hip gun.
For the 45-70, I initally picked up some 300 grain cast cowboy bullets. Man they were pleasant to shoot. I didn't have the right powders for that cartridge and casts, so accuracy was horrible… but very pleasant to shoot. I picked up some Accurate 5744 which should be right for that bullet.
I was wondering if the rifle could shoot decent groups, so I picked up some Speer 400 grain jacketed bullets. I loaded them over some top end “lever gun” charges of H4895. I fired 10 from the bench and that was enough! Shooting off-hand it is tolerable… but wow! I think to max out for Ruger #1 loads, I can put several more grains of powder… Don't think my shoulder could take it though.
Too bad Beretta stopped importing the Tikka T3 in 6.5×55. Picked one up 2 years ago… what a great rifle in a great cartridge.
Mike
Mike -
Hammbone,
The trouble with me is that I can't ever seem to part with anything. Once it comes home, it seems to stay. I must say, if I need to start “thinning the herd” my Tikkas will be the last to go.
The 223 was the first one I bought. So far it shoots 55 Nosler Ballistic Tips into ragged one hole groups very consistantly. I tried some 69 SMKs once last fall, but never really took the time to work a load for that bullet. They were shooting into just over an inch… but I know they can do better. I also picked up some 70 grain Bergers to try. Got a bunch of brass prepped, so hopefully I will get a chance to play with them here shortly. I am hoping that this new one will shoot as well as the old one.
On another note, I loaded some 53 grain Barnes TSX (just in case I decided to take it for a walk in deer season) and first time out were shooting 3/4 moa…
I have a Marlin 1894CP in .357… sort of wish it was a 44… but can't complain about it. Shoots very well for a pistol cartridge, in a very short handy rifle.
Got the itch for some big bore stuff last year, ended up with a Ruger Super Red Hawk in 44 mag and a Ruger #1 in 45-70. Something to be said for throwing huge chunks of lead down range.
Mike
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Gents,
Got 4 Tikkas and all of them have the EGW rails on them. Never a problem with any. I just replaced the “standard” rail on my 300WSM with the HD (not HD Steel) model. Not that the other one didn't work just fine, but the HD allows the scope to be mounted slightly lower. I have the EGW rails on various other rifles as well. They are a great product, regerdless of price… But that helps!
I use Leupold PRW rings on my lighter scopes and EGW Tactical rings on my 30mm scopes.
S/F
Mike
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cb_tikka,
Just another thought. You may want to give a call to Alex out at EuroOptics a call and see if there is anything he can do for you. I don't know when they started carrying the Tikka line, but they have been a Sako dealer for years. Maybe he has a 6.5×55 laying around in a corner somewhere that they forgot about. Their website is EuroOptics.com. Have dealt with Alex on a several occasions and he has been great to deal with. They also have the T3 sporters in stock out there if you are interested.
Mike
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cb_tikka,
Wish you the best of luck in finding one. I have a T3 Stainless Lite that is probably one of the most accurate rifles I own. After I became smitten with the rifle and cartridge, I was going to pick up one or possibly two more for my kids who are starting to hunt… but I waited about 6 months too long and then Beretta stopped importing that chambering to the US. I think they still import the 260. Not much of a difference between the two…
Maybe if enough of us show interest, they will start importing the 6.5×55 again. My recommendation is to google “Tikka T3 6.5×55” and one may show up on Gunbroker or one of the other sites.
Mike
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Gents,
New here to the forum, but I am a true Tikka Junkie.
Bought my first one when I was in a local gun shop, asked the guy if he had any bull barrelled tack driving 223's. He said here try this… pulled a used Tikka T3 Stainless Lite in 223 and handed it to me. I went to hand it right back and said I was looking for a tack driver, not a sporter. He said hold on, and went in the back room, came back with a handful of targets all of them with ragged one hole groups. He said it was his rifle and that the only reason he was selling it was because he wanted to move up to a 22-250. He said that if I bought the rifle, used his documented load, and it didn't shoot like that, he would buy the rifle back for what I bought it for. It was too good to be true…
I didn't even shoot it yet, but I almost traded it for a ruger 77V in 223… Man that would have been a mistake.
I loaded to the former owners spec's and if that dog-gone rifle didn't shoot 1/2 moa. It was a sub 7 lb rifle with scope and shot on par with some of my heavy barreled “Precision Rifles”.
A month or so went by and I have had an itch for something in the 6.5 cal. I called the same gun shop and asked Mark to order me a Tikka T3 Stainless Lite in 260 Remington. He asked if I had considered a 6.5×55 as all of the Tikka's are long actions anyhow, and the 6.5×55 could hold more powder than the 260. I hopped on the Internet and did some research on the 6.5×55. Within 3 hours, I called him back and told him to order the rifle in 6.5×55. Ordered on Tues, was in his shop on Thursday.
I worked two loads for the rifle. 142 SMK's and 120 Nosler Ballistic Tips. I have to say, that the 6.5×55 is the MOST ACCURATE rifle that I own. If the 223 shot well, the 6.5 shot FABULOUS! I selected the 120 Ballistic Tip for my whitetail load. Just before last deer season, I was shooting at my buddy's property and put 3 rounds into 3/4″ at 200 yards.
Then a couple of months went by and I had a hankering for a magnum rifle. I called the same shop and told Mark to order me the same rifle in 300WSM. I screwed around with some 168 Amax bullets and RL-17. I will say that this rifle is not a pleasure to shoot off the bench with snotty loads… maybe that is why I was only able to achieve 1moa results with that load. I was a little disappointed and the rifle sat for the better part of a year. A couple of months ago, I figured that I needed to give it another go. This time I loaded up some 150 Ballistic Tips over the RL-17. Found a load a grain or two under max charge that will clover leaf the rounds at 100 yds.
Finally, I had a 243 Remington Mod 7 Preditor that my buddy fell in love with. It shot well, but I figured if he wanted it, I could easily replace it with yet another Tikka. He took it and within weeks I had a 4th T3 Stainless Lite in the safe. This one was almost too easy. First outing, found two loads with 85 Sierra HPBTs that would shoot into one small ragged hole. I was happier than a kid on Christmas morning.
So there you go, 6.5 lb rifles that will shoot with $3k custom built rifles… What is not to love.
I have recommended these rifles to anyone who will listen to me. My buddies often look at me with Sceptisism… then they hold them… then they shoot them………….. sooner or later, they will buy one.
I install EGW rails on all of the rifles (I'm a bit of a nut and change scopes on a regular basis) and they have worked real well for me. I just started replacing the standard rails with the HD rails as they are a bit lower.
I did install a brake and De-Accellerator pad on the 300WSM… that thing is a cannon! Can't even imagine one of those rifles in 338 Win Mag. But just like my 300WSM, they are great to carry and anyone can tolerate the recoil for one shot… as we all know, the Tikka will throw that bullet exactly where you are aiming.
The triggers are (I'm going to go out on a limb here and may get flamed if there are any “Savage” fans out there) the best triggers on a factory rifle.
I always tell people, sure you can buy a Rem, Win, Sav…. but if you want a rifle that will shoot (and I mean SHOOT) right out of the box… Get a TIKKA! I have many rifles in my collection, all of them will shoot, just a matter of how much time and money you want to put into them to get them to shoot as well as my Tikkas.
The Finn's know a thing or two about building rifles. I also own two Sako rifles. A 75 in 25-06 (bought used) and is the best shooting 25-06 I have. Got 3 of them. Got a TRG 42 in 338 Lapua that is an absolute tack-driver. I have read on other forums guys yucking up the Savage 338LM…. Was thinking to myself, if my TRG shot group like that… I would be looking to see which screw came loose.
Well, Time to get off my soap-box, looking forward to chatting with some other folks who know a good thing when they see it. To the OP who asked what kind of accuracy to expect from a Tikka… My reply would be “About the same as if you went out and spent $3k on a custom rifle”. One thing that I should mention, I am a firm believer in putting as much into my optics as I put into the rifle. Don't put $59 dollar scope on a rifle and get upset when the accuracy isn't what you expected.
S/F
Mike
