Tikka T-3 or Rem. 700

There are pages upon pages of custom built rifles on tikka actions on the hide.. They are actually becoming somewhat popular for people looking to do budget minded builds because the actions are manufactured very well and don't always need trueing. They don't however opt for the plastic bottom metal in most applications. Short action customs usually have tikka actions on hand for customer builds.. By the time you have a Remington action trued up, its usually about 200-300 bucks, almost the cost of new cut rifled barrel.. I am in no way a Remington hater, they are also a nice action, I just prefer a tikka.
 
I disagree, unless it is a custom action it needs to be trued always. I've never seen a action face Remington, tikka, winchester, savage or others that a perfectly squared on the face. Just my experience.
 
Love tikkas. I also like the mag. I drive between stands and prefer to drop the mag and remove one round than open the floor plate and load them back up at the next stand.
 
I would also true one of my own, this is not always the practice of others though.. I would want the absolute best for my own projects, just for peace of mind.. I bought a custom action myself bobtails, a Mausingfield.. But I wouldn't hesitate for a second to build on a tikka action..
 
I have customs on trued and not trued Rem 700's, they both shoot less than .250 for three shot groups consistently with many loads and bullet weights.

Trueing up a Remington action is a real can of worms on how it is done, and it is OCD at it's best...simply chasing perfection for perfection's sake. I have been down the OCD road a long way on everything custom.

After chasing accuracy for 48 years, I NOW want to know if I spend X, I am getting XYZ results, and so on and so forth, being practical.

Now after saying this, I hate plastic anything on a bolt action rifle.

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I have seen one tikka out of a BUNCH, have an issue and it was my buddies 25-06.. Chamber wouldn't accept a 100 grain bullet for some odd reason.. I guess a bad chamber, he took it back and exchanged it for another and it flat out shoots.. Everyone makes a did every now and then..
 
Originally Posted By: ackleymanNot many Tikka's out there, few have any age on them yet. I am not trashing them, just say'en.........


I have a Tikka M695 Master Stainless Laminated, in 25-06 Rem. that I bought new maybe 14 or 15 years ago. Awesome rifle, and it has been hunted hard. It has seen a fair amount of rounds, and it still shoots itty bitty groups.

It is seen hanging out with this WI whitetail:



I also have a Tikka T3, in 223 Rem., with the slower twist(1:12 IIRC), that has seen plenty of hard duty varmint and predator hunting. It went to WY this year, and acquitted itself well on the P-Dog fields.

I still have the two Tikkas I purchased new, and would buy another. I can't say that about today's Remington 700, given Remington's recent quality issues. I use to be a big Remington fan, but sadly that company doesn't exist today.

Squeeze

 
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So glad to see many of you are seeing the light! I have been a Tikka convert for years and have relied on one for my match rifle for a while as well.

Stock for stock its not even a comparison. Trigger is much better on the Tikka, firing pin hole is tight enough for 6.5x47 based cartridges without being bushed, bolt is smooth as snot, sako extractor, has a real safety that blocks the firing pin. In my experience my most "out of spec" tikka action still had 90% lug contact. Non of my tikka customs have been trued.

All mine have been converted to use AICS magazines so not a lot of experience with the stock plastic mags.
 
From my own experiences with both rifles....

there are some things I do not like about tikka's the biggest one is that I do not care for the size of the port on the action. I sure would like it to be bigger and easier to feed one at a time.

I am also not overly fond of the scope mounting system, generally they have held up and there are picatinny rails

that said I must say that the two I have are real shooters and have been more accurate and been a lot less problematic that the recent 700's I have owned. still have two late model 700's but they are going to go down the road soon.
 
bobtails put it well with his first post, if you plan on changing anything in the future Rem 700 is the way to go.

if you are looking to take it from the store to the field than go with the tikka. i may be wrong but i have heard less "i've got a bad one" stories about them...they also sell prob 10% of the volume.

never had a tikka but i have a trg 22 308 and a trg 42 in 338 LM. both shot like lasers out of the box.

i were going for a tikka i would see if i can find one with one of their hammer forged barrels. they are just as accurate and last longer than stainless ones (if they are made correct, not a crappy after market one for half price).

and to answer a few posts up, all actions need to be trued. i have had BAT Panda benchrest actions that when indicated needed to be touched if you want to get crazy. also throw in a few surgeon's, my trg-42 when re barreled and my latest build on a tac-300 from stiller.
 
Captramrod01 needs to pull the walker triggers in my 700s,maybeTikka tribbers are better.... but I kinda have my doubts.
 
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I would put a tikka trigger, adjusted down to where I want it, against ANY factory trigger on the market... When adjusted down, the tikka trigger is sweet and damb hard to beat..
 
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