I have read a lot of past post about using a tikka action vs a custom. I would like some current opinions from some of you more experienced shooters. Thanks in advance! For those that have used them, where is the best place to source a stainless tikka action?
Tikka build
- Thread starter cgailey
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
wilehunting
Active Member
What’s your goal in your build?
Light weight hunting rifle .
Things I think tikka offers (built 3 now):
1) the lightest weight bottom metal (plastic) option available including magazine. This is alone close to a 3-6oz savings on most actions.
2) one action fits most (works for all but the longest COAL rounds in LA). Can convert short to long, mag to std, etc. all that’s needed is a bolt stop (almost free), magazine ($40), and possibly a new bolt (expensive).
3) It’s still the smoothest action I’ve messed with. And if not the smoothest, very close and at a fraction of the cost.
4) trigger is really good….and free. A $10 spring makes it a bit lighter.
5) the action itself for being full profile all steel is pretty light…for a LA. To compare it’s about a 28oz LA w/o trigger. Some folks are doing some lightening cuts and Ti bolt handles it can get down to ~24 oz. That’s not bad.
6) aftermarket support is not as good as r700 footprints, but improving. Many stocks available. Rings have decent options. Triggers too. Magazines if you can’t make AICS work and don’t want to run plastic is maybe the weak spot.
Hope that helps.
1) the lightest weight bottom metal (plastic) option available including magazine. This is alone close to a 3-6oz savings on most actions.
2) one action fits most (works for all but the longest COAL rounds in LA). Can convert short to long, mag to std, etc. all that’s needed is a bolt stop (almost free), magazine ($40), and possibly a new bolt (expensive).
3) It’s still the smoothest action I’ve messed with. And if not the smoothest, very close and at a fraction of the cost.
4) trigger is really good….and free. A $10 spring makes it a bit lighter.
5) the action itself for being full profile all steel is pretty light…for a LA. To compare it’s about a 28oz LA w/o trigger. Some folks are doing some lightening cuts and Ti bolt handles it can get down to ~24 oz. That’s not bad.
6) aftermarket support is not as good as r700 footprints, but improving. Many stocks available. Rings have decent options. Triggers too. Magazines if you can’t make AICS work and don’t want to run plastic is maybe the weak spot.
Hope that helps.
ShtrRdy
Well-Known Member
Here's a link to a place that sells Tikka actions.
jaoutdoors.com
Tikka Actions -
Tikka Actions. Many variations available. Stainless steel & chromoly blued. Readily available, find your Tikka T3x action at J&A Outdoors Today!
jaoutdoors.com
Amazing response! Thank you for the knowledge!
I'm building and using a lot more Tikkas and my nice custom 700clones site in the safe. It's too easy to build one when they have the nice shoulder prefits out there and are so **** smooth and light weight. Some times too light! Can't recommend Tikkas and Nightforce enough!
. Find a rifle your self and modify it the way you want. Don't buy an action from a company when you can get the whole rifle cheaper than the action alone. The stocks they come with are actually decent too. The new roughteck ember stock feels real good. Mesa(Pure Precision) makes a great tikka stock as well.
. Find a rifle your self and modify it the way you want. Don't buy an action from a company when you can get the whole rifle cheaper than the action alone. The stocks they come with are actually decent too. The new roughteck ember stock feels real good. Mesa(Pure Precision) makes a great tikka stock as well.Attachments
I would buy a stainless tikka lite, have your smith pull the barrel and sell it on used market. Depending on what you want to build there are desirable cartridges to start off with for barrel resale value
My comp/tactical gun is a tikka custom build, in a krg with a Bartlien. My hunting rifle is a tikka with the factory barrel chopped and threaded in a rokstok.
I've had defiance, bighorn, Curtis, bergaras, 700s, another I can't remember… tikkas are my favorite.
They work extremely well in crap conditions and feed/eject more reliably than anything else I’ve owned. They just work
My comp/tactical gun is a tikka custom build, in a krg with a Bartlien. My hunting rifle is a tikka with the factory barrel chopped and threaded in a rokstok.
I've had defiance, bighorn, Curtis, bergaras, 700s, another I can't remember… tikkas are my favorite.
They work extremely well in crap conditions and feed/eject more reliably than anything else I’ve owned. They just work
Last edited:
wilehunting
Active Member
I would look for a cheap used stainless Tikka T3/T3x on Gunbroker with the proper bolt face for the caliber you want. That’s what I started with. I paid $650 for a stainless T3 in 270 win that I had converted to 280 Ackley Improved.
FireFlyFishing
Well-Known Member
Or…you can buy a factory Tikka and shoot it.
jbenevides89
Well-Known Member
I love my Tikkas. I built one as a 7rem mag and its an absolute powerhouse. 195gr EOLs at 2950fps on a hot load and deadly for a loooong way.
Before glass with a 27" Carbon 6 barrel, AG Composite stock, and Atlasworx bottom metal it came in right around 8lbs.
The prices are going up now that people realized what a great setup the T3X is, and for barrel builders to offer shouldered prefits for a factory built mass produced firearm speaks volumes to the consistency and quality control they provide. I wish I had gotten 3 or 4 more actions when they were cheaper, you can build almost anything you would want on them.
Before glass with a 27" Carbon 6 barrel, AG Composite stock, and Atlasworx bottom metal it came in right around 8lbs.
The prices are going up now that people realized what a great setup the T3X is, and for barrel builders to offer shouldered prefits for a factory built mass produced firearm speaks volumes to the consistency and quality control they provide. I wish I had gotten 3 or 4 more actions when they were cheaper, you can build almost anything you would want on them.
