Tikka, Australia, and F-Class

[Alaska_Seth]

I just moved to termporarily to Australia in November, and I bought a Tikka T3 Varmint Stainless in 30-06 (not available in America).

I have been shooting F-Class with it for a few weeks and am really liking it.

I live near the Snowy River country and we don't have much in the way of really long range shooting, though I am lucky enough to have a 1200 yard F-Class range within 2 miles of my house.

Granted a 30-06 isn't going to be on anyone's short list for long range hunting (or F-Class), but I had to have a caliber bigger than 277 to hunt Sambar with, and there were no Tikka T3 varmints available in Australia in 300 or 7mm Rem.

I am shooting 190 Grain Sierras, getting 2500 out of them using a Australian powder called short cut.

I have a Trijicon 5-20x50 on the rifle in Sako Optilock rings, so far the results have been good, I shot 104 out of 120 at 500 yards this weekend. Was about a 5 inch group. Not bad for a factory plastic stocked rifle.

I used The Best of the West website's calculator for MOA to figure out how much to dial it up, and that worked within an inch. So that was good.

I have 3 plans for this gun.

1. New X-Treme Tikka 2 stage trigger
2. New laminate or fiberglass stock, and bedded.
3. Might rebarrel later on to 6.5-284. Might just buy a 2nd hand Tikka in 270 and rape it.

I know Tikka's get kind of a bad rap in America, and I am really suprised to see how much I like this rifle.

It's not as nice as my Sauer 202 or my old Sako AV, but I really like it.

Any other Tikka converts out there?

 

[rscott5028]

Congratulations! It sounds like you're well on your way.

There's nothing wrong with the 30-06. Folks were shooting 1,000 yds using peep sights with that cartridge long before the 6.5x284 was ever dreamed of.

You should be able to get a bunch of good practice in with what you have. Meanwhile, take your time figuring out exactly what you want to accomplish and how to get there.

Good luck and have fun!
-- richard

 

[Alaska_Seth]

Thanks,

Well I leave Australia in 2014, and am retiring from my job. So I am not 100% sure on what my next job will be, or where. I am originally from Wyoming and Montana and Alaska. To say the least over the years I have moved around a lot.

I'll end up in Wyoming, Montana, or Alaska, probably Fairbanks, Pinedale, or Livingston. Really just depends on jobs.

I hate to get a bunch of money tied up in guns down here, when everything is twice to three times as expensive as it is back home.

A Tikka T3 varmint was $1500.

Scopes and the rest I can order from the states. Everything excepting firearms parts and ammo.

I shot against 8 guys with custom 6mm BR and 308 rifles and I came out 3rd. Then again it was windy as all hell, and even though I had a better load for the wind, they had much more accurate rifles. A couple of them are hunting buddies of mine and I have shot their 6mm BR rifles. .10-.20 100 meter rifles.

The 30-06 is working well for me, as I have to use the same rifle. Kind of limited on what I can have thanks to my job, and my status here.

 

[roninflag]

wish we could get some fo those tikka varmints here. the 30-06 is an awesome long rnage range round. see riflemansjournal. roninflag

 

[Topshot]

I live near the Snowy River country and we don't have much in the way of really long range shooting, though I am lucky enough to have a 1200 yard F-Class range within 2 miles of my house.

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I am shooting 190 Grain Sierras, getting 2500 out of them using a Australian powder called short cut.

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I have 3 plans for this gun.

1. New X-Treme Tikka 2 stage trigger
2. New laminate or fiberglass stock, and bedded.
3. Might rebarrel later on to 6.5-284. Might just buy a 2nd hand Tikka in 270 and rape it.

You must live near Corryong? I shoot down in Gippsland and up your way a bit.
My son has a Tikka T3 Laminate in .338WM, Great rifle and 1 MOA or less is normal.
A laminate stock might help but maybe not if it is shooting that good.

Get some 155 grain HBC projectiles from your mates at the club or the VRA shop. They are very good and cheaper than the heavier pills.
I shoot them out to 1200 yards with my .308. You should be able to get over 3000 fps with that .30-06. I would use the 155's out to 1000 and save the heavier bullets for the longer distances.

Good fun isn't it.

 

[shorty]

I picked up another Tikka M695 synthetic, a few weeks ago. It's in 300WM but have not had time to shoot it yet. If it shoots half as well as my woodstocked one I'll be happy.

Going to work this one over, Got a Krieger barrel on the way and will gather more goodies soon.
I was browsing Tikka's website and found they make a set trigger for this model, but the gunsmith said the wait time was probably going to be horrendous,like October! Berreta owns them now and things aren't going well.

Really like the older Tikka's, I passed on another in .243 it had a drop dead gorgeous walnut stock. Just to pretty to shoot, so I let it go. All in all ,great gun for the money.

 

[Alaska_Seth]

695 and 595s are great! I am pretty happy with this Tikka, I think when I get back to the states I'll order a new Sporter in 6.5x55 if I can get it, and if not in 308.

 

[zupatun]

Sounds like you're having fun. I really enjoyed my SS T3 Varmint in 308...personally I think tikka cdoesnt have a "bad" rap here in the US.I just think folks on the averag e like the farmiliar like savage winnie and most of all Remington for all the common obvious reasons...

Matt

 

[Joaquin B]

I bought a Tikka 595 in 7mm-08 a few years ago. I like it so much, that I turned it into a long range (800 meter max.) hunting rifle by fitting it with a 26" Pac Nor polygon bore barrel in .260 Rem. I also use it to shoot HP silhouette with it in Hunter class, with a Shilen 24 " barrel. I installed an EGW 20 MOA aluminum Picatinny rail only because I could not find anyone to make one in steel. This rifle, with the Pac Nor barrel, shoots 1.5 inch 3-shot groups at 300 meters with Hornady 129 gr. SSTs or Nosler 130 ABs. The stock is the factory synthetic stock, with the screws torqued to 6.5 N-M. With a 200 meter zero, the bullets drop 9-1/2 MOA at 500 meters.

Great rifles!

 

[Alaska_Seth]

I keep finding them on gunbroker back home in America for $500 or less, and 2nd hand Tikka T3s as well.

Going to have to get some and do some builds on them when I get home.

Now that X-Treme is making a 2 stage trigger.

 

[crittrgittr]

I've got a whitetail hunter in ss 22-250 and love it. It's a true tack driver from the factory. Can't go wrong with a tikka.

 

[schwabdog]

I'm loving my Tikka T3 in 270 win.
I ordered a MCS T3 stock from APRS and should arrive in May 2013
some pic..










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im shooting 500m no swet with it

 

[schwabdog]

I'm loving my Tikka T3 in 270 win.
I ordered a MCS T3 stock from APRS and should arrive in May 2013
some pic..


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im shooting 500m no swet with it

do you go shooting át the BUCHAN Rifle Range

 

[northernexposure]

Well, I'm another convert here. Four years ago I bought a Savage... liked it but found it was a bit small caliber wise. So this fall I went out and bought a Tikka T3 HB stainless in 300 WSM (another of the rifles not available in USA).
Wow... From what I can tell, Tikka did their homework on this rifle. If a person doesn't want to spend money on mods, they really don't have to. It's accurate just as it is.
Unfortunately, I don't have a 1000+ yard range where I am... but I do have an 800 yard one. Farthest I have been able to stretch it out so far was 400 with great accuracy (1.0"). Maybe some day I will get a chance to stretch it out some... but until that time, I know I have something worth keeping for a lifetime.