Tikka T3 or Browning X-Bolt

[xtrema-2]

I'm looking at getting a new rifle and narrowed it down to these two. Has anyone had any experience with either one? Any info would be great. Thanks in advance.

[freefall319]

I own a Tikka T3 Stainless and let me tell you, that rifle is amazing. GREAT TRIGGER! Butter smooth bolt with minimal slop at full extension. Feed's great from the box magazine. I can get sub MOA groups out of it with the right ammo and me holding up my end behind the gun. I've never had it throw a group wider than 1.5" @100 & that may have been due to the cheap ammo and it was blazing hot that day.

I smoked a deer & antelope with it last year in Wyoming. It held up great through all the snow/rain and cold temp's. I could'nt be happier.

The only thing I would ding is the recoil pad. That thing is hard as hell. Other than that for the money I don't think you can beat it.

[randy fox]

i have a tika t3 also and i love it. i have a sako and love it too. the tika is smooth and also light. i have one in 308 and it will shoot one hole groups at 100 yards with factory ammo, after a few shots to foul the barrel..for the money its a nice rifle..............................R

[xtrema-2]

thanks for the input guys, im torn between the two cause they both shoulder nice for me. have either of you guys had a problem with how narrow the tikkas magazines are? i dont think it would be a big issue just curious. thanks again

[BadCaller]

What are you going to use it for, and what cal do you like. Personally I wouldn't own anything but a rem 700. Lets face it there are tons of after market parts made, one of the few factory actions any real gunsmith wants to work on. When I mean work I am talking about blue printing, and such. Savage is a sleeper also but I can not make myself own one. In the factory class shoots, hickery egg shoot. varmint hunter jamboree..... all you see is Rem and Savage. Some of the ringer F class matches are won with Remington actions.

If you want to step it up check out Cooper there just a notch under a custom rig.

[xtrema-2]

I had a savage 116 fcss on order in a 25-06 but i guess the father in law (owns the local gun shop) is having a hard time getting his hands on one. so i chose to go another way. its mainly going to be a whitetail gun and i want it to be fast and flat, but it could see some moose action if i dont bring the 30-06 along. i would LOVE to get the cooper jackson hunter in stainless but it might be a little difficult to get one where i am. thanks

[Ryan Skinner]

I've owned both, the tikka and the browning. I must say, the tikka will out the browning any day. I've got the custom deluxe in the tikka in 25-06 and its a tack driver.

[BadCaller]

One round I have been fooling with for woodchucks is the 7 WSM I am shooting light bullets but that round is a tack driver.
There is a nice variety of bullets out there where you could shoot just about any North American game. And don't fall for that dollar bill trick that is an old wives tale.
That is why I would work a little harder on getting that Cooper in. 3 lug bolt for less throw, good barrel and bedded. Of course those tagets are shot @ 50 yards indoor under a 36X Leupold with a reduced load. I own a few and they are shooters.

[honkernut]

Tikka any day of the week! Best rifle for the money!

[mlgorecki]

...And don't fall for that dollar bill trick that is an old wives tale....
Are you referring to the free-floated barrel concept here?

[BadCaller]

If you want a free floated barrel you need to bed the action, pillar bedding is the way to go, pillars are cut and installed then the barrel action is bedded in marine tex. Just skim coating an action will improve it's accuracy. As I mentioned the Remington 700 action is cloned b everyone today. It's just so dam proven that no one likes to work on any other actions. I might be stepping out of line here but I want a screaming dead balls ringer. I am into long range varmint shooting I want alot out of my rifles. There are many smiths that will take a factory Rem rifle and tweak it. Pull the barrel and turn it a half turn then recut the chamber to remove the slack. Blue print the action, recown. mount and lap the rings and massage the trigger. Then bed the barreled action, you would be surprised what you can get.

Years ago when I big game hunted I used a necked down 416 rigby case to 7mm now it's a 7 ultra mag. From there I went to a 280 Ackley and still use that gun when I am forced to go. The 7WSM has been a favorite of mine for sometime, great case since it took so long for the major labels to get the idea a fireplug case blown out gives better accuracy. 3717
Here's a pic of a pillar job.

The guy I use now is www.hbrifles.com (http://www.hbrifles.com) he is building some unreal F class rifles.That rifle is a 7STW he did up. 3716

[mlgorecki]

You certainly have some fancy language here, but you really didn't answer my question. Does this statement:

"And don't fall for that dollar bill trick that is an old wives tale"

refer to a free-floated barrel? Explain please.

[freefall319]

Most of us would agree full heartedly but not all of us can afford it. So for the money ($5-600 range) the Tikka, bone stock will out shoot the Remington 700 SPS and is far more finished than the Remington in that price range is. That is why I did'nt buy the SPS. It just could not match what the Tikka had out of the box. So for out of the box performance and finish in that price range the Tikka get's the nod.

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/signaldoc319/PICT1072.jpg

[BadCaller]

With the slop a factory stock has when fired the whole barreled action moves. So when you bed the action you free float the barrel to remove the stress pionts and make it even and rock solid. So by taking a dollar bill shows it's free floated but when fired it will slap that barrel channel. If you have a stock with a alum block that needs to be lapped to marry the action. Factory guns will kill don't get me wrong but when you up the anti to long ranges that is where you want all things in your corner. Just trying to explain what it takes to sqeak bug holes. Handloading and bullet selection is another chapter.

There's only 1 friend that I can sit down and talk about this crap with. All my friends think I am nuts over shotguns and rifles.

[mlgorecki]

Yo extrema-2. Sorry I jacked your thread Brother. You asked a pretty strait forward question; help choosing one from two you have narrowed down. For boltguns, I'm a Remington guy, but I've been at the range with the Randy, and when the nut between his ears is screwed on right (razz), I've seen him shoot a sub 1/2 MOA three shot group at 100 yards with his "out of the box" Tikka. Staggering!! Furthermore, Doc knows his way around a gun, and I remember him talking his up-and-down (over the phone) after he got it.

I assume you're going with optics for this bad boy. Don't cheat yourself here. Save some pennies and get something good, to include the rings and a base.

[xtrema-2]

no problem Matt, thanks for the help too... yes, Freefall has helped me out more so via PM and he's been great, same with BadCaller, i'm still undecided but still have some time before October. hopefully i hurry up and get out on the range! thanks everyone

[BadCaller]

Matt you like your Remingtons me too.257 Weatherby on a Remington 700 action, McMillan A5 stock topped with a Night Force Scope. This baby hits the scale at 17 pounds, dam thing is a laser beam.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/boxbirder/257A-5.jpg

[xtrema-2]

That's a piss-cutter Mark, nice gun!

[randy fox]

like Matt said, dont cheat yourself when it comes to a scope. i put a zeiss on mine and it is very crisp and clear. i like it better than all the leopolds that i own.and it wont cost ya an arm and a leg........good luck with your choice......R

[mlgorecki]

...McMillan A5 stock...
Actually that's an A-2, but I'm with ya as far as McMillan goes. Stiffest on the market and pretty tough to beat.

[BadCaller]

Yep your right, I stand corrected. I have started using Manners stocks now. Heed to what Mr. Reynard mentioned get the best piece of glass you can afford. Another item I have started using is the Burris Signature Rings with the inserts.

That rig is a tack driver 5 shots .317 I could spend all talking about guns. Of course that's from a guy who owns 1 pistol.

[randy fox]

gotta love the french version of Fox. i love making carnard le orange on the grill with fresh picked mallards..oooo man that brings back memories, like running barefoot in the vinyards.......................................... ..R

[Benelli V2]

Tikka T3 is amazing. A buddy of mine has it and it is awesome.

[Josh11]

Free floating the barrel is the barrel not touching anything but the action. I like Remington actions but their factory barrels suck. To shoot F class at 600 I went with Savage F class. The bolt is a little more sloppy than the Remington but the Savages have way better barrels. Go to 6mmbr.com there is ton of info to be learned at that sight.