CA Ridgeline vs Tikka T3x

[Glenn Tullius]

My only experience with Tikka's is looking at my cousins new rifle, very smooth action, nice looking piece. I have previously described my Ridgeline and how much I love it. However, I have one experience with CA's customer service that is nothing but positive. My brass after shooting was not ejecting reliably so I called them being somewhat irritated with a new rifle. They said "we don't think its the ejector, but we'll send you a new if you want. Have you looked at the bottom of your scope?" Well, how insulting, I been shooting for blah blah blah years and I'm not that dumb, blah blah blah. Well you know what happened next... turned it over, brass marks on the scope windage turret. Move 1/4", fixed. How foolish I felt then, and now for saying it on the Internet! Thank you Christiansen Arms for a half hour of Customer Service with a perceived know it all old guy. I love everything about mine, and so will one of my nephews/nieces some day.

 

[Glenn Tullius]

?

 

[rbTanzan]

I would like to reconsider my thought that a Tikka in 300PRC would attract me. It would, but the magazine is too short to use the PRC, 8"-twist, with long heavy monolithic bullets without single-loading the top round only, and different loads in the magazine itself. That is not a good all-around solution. For the PRC, one would need a longer action and one should look at CA, preferably in one of the lower price ranges.

However, if Tikka is now doing a 10" twist in all 30 calibers, then the 300WSM would become close to ideal. Tikka uses there standard action for the WSM series, which means that a longer length COL and magazine are possible. Voila--a very lightweight, adaptable 30-cal hunting tool, with longer bullets seated long. Of course, the 300PRC with medium weight bullets would still work very well in a Tikka with 10" twist.

PS: I am uneasy that Tikka still lists only 11" twists on its website.

 

[wasskeet]

IMHO, which do you like the feel of best, comes in the caliber you want and doesn't stretch your budget? Both make some very accurate rifles and a few lemons based upon experiences here. I've only had 2 Tikka and no Christensens'. Both the Tikkas' shot very well, but I could not warm up to the feel of either. At least in factory trim.

 

[Teri Anne]

Focus, Tikka vs CA, not ears

I totally agree. So let's not make disparaging remarks about the old chick. I never took any abuse from any of the soldiers who were lucky enough to be assigned to my command in the Army and I am not going to take any from any loud mouthed....ok I will say this nicely as I can, "Gentleman," here. I have to admit however that 99.9 % of all of the comments made here by you guys (and gals) are welcome, accepted and fun to read. It's all a learning experience as well as training experience. There are however that 1/10th of 1 % who simply cannot be nice. I am old, I still shoot very well, have sent many thousands of bullets over the berm as we called it in the Army. I have learned a lot simply because I paid attention and listened to the advice of those who were better than me. I found that every shooter I shot alongside with was not stingy about sharing their knowledge with me even to the point of sharing shifting wind data at the 600 or 1000 yard (Meter) line. The result is that I learned a lot. All that I am trying to do here is impart what I have learned over these many years to those who will pay attention and listen instead of making snide remarks. In closing, if you don't want to listen then simply don't. You will not hurt my feelings at all. This is the last I have to say on this matter. Comments on the Tikka vs CA will be brought to you at a later moment.

 

[milo-2]

I totally agree. So let's not make disparaging remarks about the old chick. I never took any abuse from any of the soldiers who were lucky enough to be assigned to my command in the Army and I am not going to take any from any loud mouthed....ok I will say this nicely as I can, "Gentleman," here. I have to admit however that 99.9 % of all of the comments made here by you guys (and gals) are welcome, accepted and fun to read. It's all a learning experience as well as training experience. There are however that 1/10th of 1 % who simply cannot be nice. I am old, I still shoot very well, have sent many thousands of bullets over the berm as we called it in the Army. I have learned a lot simply because I paid attention and listened to the advice of those who were better than me. I found that every shooter I shot alongside with was not stingy about sharing their knowledge with me even to the point of sharing shifting wind data at the 600 or 1000 yard (Meter) line. The result is that I learned a lot. All that I am trying to do here is impart what I have learned over these many years to those who will pay attention and listen instead of making snide remarks. In closing, if you don't want to listen then simply don't. You will not hurt my feelings at all. This is the last I have to say on this matter. Comments on the Tikka vs CA will be brought to you at a later moment.

No disrespect to you Teri Anne, but you created a side bar in an interesting thread. The Squirrel doesn't always get the spotlight.

Thank you for your service!

 

[Teri Anne]

I would like to reconsider my thought that a Tikka in 300PRC would attract me. It would, but the magazine is too short to use the PRC, 8"-twist, with long heavy monolithic bullets without single-loading the top round only, and different loads in the magazine itself. That is not a good all-around solution. For the PRC, one would need a longer action and one should look at CA, preferably in one of the lower price ranges.

However, if Tikka is now doing a 10" twist in all 30 calibers, then the 300WSM would become close to ideal. Tikka uses there standard action for the WSM series, which means that a longer length COL and magazine are possible. Voila--a very lightweight, adaptable 30-cal hunting tool, with longer bullets seated long. Of course, the 300PRC with medium weight bullets would still work very well in a Tikka with 10" twist.

PS: I am uneasy that Tikka still lists only 11" twists on its website.

My experience has been that Tikka seems to know more about what does and what does not perform in their rifles. This is an actual target I fired from my T3X in 30-06 While it only looks like a 4 shot group there are actually 5 in there. The flyer was not the fault of the rifle or ammo, but of my old eyes. While everybody seems to be stuck on a 10 inch twist in .30 caliber its apparent that an 11 inch twist seems to work just as well maybe better. What has really sold me on Tikka's is not only the light weight and inherent accuracy of the lightweight barrel but the fact that the recoil seems to be less than other 30-06 or even .308 rifles I have fired. In addition to this I recently purchased a bore scope. Upon scoping the barrels of all 3 of my Tikkas, T3x's in .270 and 30.06 but also a T1X .22 LR the quality of the machining not only is apparent in the action but continues down the barrel too. Comparing the interior of the barrels on my other rifles the Tikka's show the touch of a master machinist while the others vary between an apprentice to shaky journeyman barrel maker. Yes they all shoot well but one can simply say that they live up to their slogan of, "Second to None!"

 

[General RE LEE]

I have a Superlite T3x .30 06 with the fluted sporter barrel. It shoots lighter bullets with more accuracy. Heavy bullets pushed at near max loads create more violent barrel harmonics and creates fliers. Just my opinion.

 

[Teri Anne]

I have never owned anything with a fluted barrel so have nothing to compare it to. I have pushed 200 gr federals out of it with only a slight degrading of group size to about 3/4 of an inch. Every rifle shoots different and every barrel has the loads it likes. Mine shoots good with both 165 and 180's. Those will do anything I want the rifle to do so I'm a Happy Camper.

 

[Glenn Tullius]

My experience has been that Tikka seems to know more about what does and what does not perform in their rifles. This is an actual target I fired from my T3X in 30-06 While it only looks like a 4 shot group there are actually 5 in there. The flyer was not the fault of the rifle or ammo, but of my old eyes. While everybody seems to be stuck on a 10 inch twist in .30 caliber its apparent that an 11 inch twist seems to work just as well maybe better. What has really sold me on Tikka's is not only the light weight and inherent accuracy of the lightweight barrel but the fact that the recoil seems to be less than other 30-06 or even .308 rifles I have fired. In addition to this I recently purchased a bore scope. Upon scoping the barrels of all 3 of my Tikkas, T3x's in .270 and 30.06 but also a T1X .22 LR the quality of the machining not only is apparent in the action but continues down the barrel too. Comparing the interior of the barrels on my other rifles the Tikka's show the touch of a master machinist while the others vary between an apprentice to shaky journeyman barrel maker. Yes they all shoot well but one can simply say that they live up to their slogan of, "Second to None!"

Just curious Teri, how long between shots?

 

[Teri Anne]

Just curious Teri, how long between shots?

Hi Glenn, I am not a believer of the first shot cold barrel theory. These shots were fired from a cold barrel to a hot barrel in about 6 minutes loading each round one at a time by sliding into the chamber the magazine inserted. I have also been able to duplicate groups like this firing rapid fire, in this case 4 shots in 60 seconds. A guy I used to work with said that it was impossible to do that. He is shooting a Franchi in .308 and after some fine tuning of both rifle and ammunition he is shooting under 1 MOA from cold to hot.

 

[Glenn Tullius]

Hi Glenn, I am not a believer of the first shot cold barrel theory. These shots were fired from a cold barrel to a hot barrel in about 6 minutes loading each round one at a time by sliding into the chamber the magazine inserted. I have also been able to duplicate groups like this firing rapid fire, in this case 4 shots in 60 seconds. A guy I used to work with said that it was impossible to do that. He is shooting a Franchi in .308 and after some fine tuning of both rifle and ammunition he is shooting under 1 MOA from cold to hot.

That's the way-cold to hot, that I do it as well. I just believe it's more "real world". Thanks!

 

[SkyFreek60]

debating likewise.... ive seen a good bit of issues with CA but it seems that they are more than willing to take care of things.... so that's actually not that bad... not to add more options but the xbolt hells canyon models look nice too (brothers shoots incredible in 6.5CM).

 

[General RE LEE]

I have three Tikkas. I have a 6.5 Creed and 30-06 in the T3x and a 308 in the T3. All are sub MOA shooters with factory ammo or handloads.

I've had no trouble with them and the trigger is excellent from the factory.