I actually learned a great deal from Chuck Hawks when I was getting started, and for that, I am grateful. I must say that I have since outgrown his mentorship in many ways.
He is a decent resource for beggining hunters with limited resources. He encourages hunters to keep it simple and practice more than just buying 1 box of shells every 3 - 4 deer seasons and only check the point of impact with a couple of rounds before opening day. He advises beginning shooters to be cautious about excessive recoil that will discourage them from getting the practice that they so sorely need. These are good things. In this world, long range = 300 - 400 yrds, and with limited preparation, those are reasonable guidelines.
The part of the shooting world that Mr. Hawks addresses is very simple compared to that of the long range hunter. Therefore, he really isn't very helpful to anyone with serious interest in long range shooting willing to invest lots of time and money into their hobby. It's just apples and oranges.
People need to shoot more and stress less IMHO.
A quick search on various internet forums and boards will clearly prove that almost all T3 owners are happy with their rifle's accuracy.
I owned a T3 Hunter with wood stock in 6.5x55. Accuracy was good - not great by my standards ( 1 moa ), but it was a nice, lightweight rifle for the money.
The most accurate rifle I have ever owned was a Savage (Ugly 270WSM 12 Hvy 26" Barrel: 3/4" at 300 yds 140 gr AB at 3340 fps handloads) - way sub-moa but heavy!
I would recommend a new/modern Savage over the Tikka T3. Simple fact is that either rifle will give you an opportunity to learn, gain experience and improve your skills.
Good Luck and Best Wishes
Peace.
ps. I know we are talking about relatively inexpensive rifles, but add to that the cost of reloading equipment, range finders, wind meter, ballistics software, optics, and on and on it goes. There is no such thing as cheap long range hunting. So...ENJOY YOUR INVESTMENT!
