Wish Nikon was still in business, I have Nikon on all my rifles. They have gave me great performance over the years.
Tikkas are too lightweight for my taste, the stock is terrible and there are too many plastic parts. A part from this it's a good rifle from a practical point of view. The fact is that tikkas have a very good track record but they are not perfect by any means. For example, i much prefer bergaras. Smooth action, very good barrel, good overall quality, right weight for me, more classic design and feel.Interesting.
This is the first i've heard about Meopta having weak tracking.
While not their top of the line, i've had zero complaints with my Optika 5.
Have you looked at US Optics Foundation series of scopes?
I've handled a few, but alas out of my budget.
Nightforce would be another excellent option.
Along with the Vortex Razor or Golden Eagle.
Highly used by competition shooters for a reason.
If you wonder why so many people say Tikka for a rifle, there are reasons.
First among those is the smoothness of the action. The only way to get a smoother action is to go with a full blown custom action at about 3 times the cost.
Add in decent fit/finish, accuracy and halfways decent trigger.
Also the aftermarket is catching up with stocks & triggers and such.
Aside from their weight, and price, i'd buy one in a heartbeat!!Tikkas are too lightweight for my taste, the stock is terrible and there are too many plastic parts. A part from this it's a good rifle from a practical point of view. The fact is that tikkas have a very good track record but they are not perfect by any means. For example, i much prefer bergaras. Smooth action, very good barrel, good overall quality, right weight for me, more classic design and feel.
Reality is that if you spend 7-800 dollars and buy from a good manufacturer, it's difficult to go wrong and what differentiates one rifle from the other is personal taste of the shooter or personal needs.
Tikkas are imho a bit overrated even if they are good rifles for sure
Never heard about US Optics Foundation.. has the company good track record?
Lot of reccomendations for leupold scopes! And probably for a reason. I have heard the quality optically is not on par with zeiss etc but they are build very solidly and the mechanic is reliable. Is this true in your experience guys?
I think when you look at the cost, Leupold has more bang for the buck compared to Zeiss or Swarovski with their VX3I line. Quality might be better with a more expensive scope but IMO a $600 Leupold vs. A $1500 Zeiss or Swaro, the Leupold is a better buy for the casual hunter/shooter who shoots 100 rounds a year and only shoots out to 400 yards.
I have many Nightforce scopes and they are outstanding and very durable. I added a Leupold VX5 HD 3-15 to my smokeless powder ML and have been extremely happy with it. The weight is great for off hand shooting. NF scopes tend to be a bit of a boat anchor, but still my best scopes.Lot of reccomendations for leupold scopes! And probably for a reason. I have heard the quality optically is not on par with zeiss etc but they are build very solidly and the mechanic is reliable. Is this true in your experience guys?