Hunting season is underway around the country. If you need a good hunting rifle, consider a Tikka. The Tikka T3 and newer T3x rifles are very popular with hunters around the globe — for good reason. These rifles offer smooth-running actions, easy sub-MOA accuracy with good ammo, crisp triggers, and ultra-reliable detachable box magazines. The Tupperware stocks aren’t super-rigid, but they are comfortable and easy to handle. If you are looking for a hunting rifle, the Tikka T3 and T3X models are smart choices, offering good performance for the price (starting at $649.99 for the T3X Lite version). The T3 series is offered in a wide selection of chamberings, from .204 Ruger up to the large magnums.
Here are three good Tikka T3/T3x video reviews. The first, from the popular Backfire YouTube channel covers the features of the Tikka T3 series. The second and third videos are from New Zealand and Scotland respectively. Both reviewers are experienced hunters who explain why the T3 is well-suited for hunting applications. These videos cover the T3’s controls and how to use the rifle most effectively during a hunt.
VIDEO One — Why the Tikka T3x Is Great for Hunting
With 550,000+ subscribers, the Backfire Channel is one of the most popular gun channel on YouTube. You can trust what the Backfire reviewer say because they pay their own money for the products they review. This video reviews Tikka’s current generation T3s rifle. Backfire had high praise for Tikka T3x rifles: “The Tikka T3x SL is an incredibly lightweight mountain rifle that should be in every hunter’s safe. We like it for its lightweight build, stainless steel barrel, superb trigger, and surprisingly accurate shooting. Overall, this is the hunting rifle we recommend more frequently than any other.”
VIDEO Two — Tikka T3 Controls and Function
In this video, New Zealander Mitch of BushBrothersNZ reviews a T3 with polymer stock and stainless barrel chambered for the .270 Win. Mitch focuses on the T3’s controls and functions, with particular attention to the operation of trigger, safety, and bolt.
VIDEO Three — Report from Scotland with .223 Rem Tikka T3
In this video, David, a hunter and wilderness skills teacher from Scotland, demonstrates the features (and remarkable accuracy) of a factory Tikka T3, chambered in .223 Remington. With David’s handloads, this rifle has grouped just over an inch at 250 yards, as shown near the end of the video.
David uses his rifle primarily for fox-hunting (often done at night). He employs a variable-power scope with an illuminated reticle to target his night-time prey. David offers many tips for predator hunters. He prefers an extra-high Harris bipod. With the bipod’s legs fully extended, he can assume a comfortable and solid sitting position. The rifle is supported on his shoulder and on the bipod, leaving both of his hands free. Being able to support the rifle without gripping it is a major advantage, David explains. This frees his hands to search for animals with binoculars or scan distances with his rangefinder.
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Hunting season is coming soon. Here’s a rifle with a smooth three-lug action and good trigger that can take any game in North America. The Browning A-Bolt III is justifiably respected as a solid hunting rifle. This AB3 model with wood stock normally retails for $700.00+. Now it’s on sale for under $549.99 in a choice of five chamberings: .243 Win, .308 Win, 7mm Magnum, .30-06 Springfield, and .300 WSM. What’s more, Browning is currently offering a $100.00 Browning Bucks Rebate for qualifying Browning firearm purchased before September 30, 2017. That drops your net cost for this hunting rifle to just $449.99. But to get this rebate, you have to act soon — you have just ten (10) more days to purchase.
You can also purchase this rifle with a “tupperware” black synthetic stock for $349.99 after rebate. Available chamberings at this price include: .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Win, 7mm-08, 7mm Rem Mag, .308 Win, .300 WSM, .30-06 Sprg, 300 Win Mag. The .270 Win and .30-06 versions are also available with Realtree Xtra Camo (above) for the same $349.99 after-rebate price.
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Forum member Bill Goad’s 6XC II Hunter Rests in a Whitetail Rack taken this past year.
One of the most popular items in our Shooters’ Forum is the ongoing “Pride and Joy” thread. Since 2009, Forum members have posted photos and descriptions of their most prized rifles. Here are some of the most recent “Pride and Joy” rifles showcased in our Forum. Do you have a gun you’d like to see featured there? Just Register for the Forum and you can add your favorite gun to the list.
TT Freestyle’s Husband and Wife Borden Benchrest Rifles
Here’s a pair of “His and Hers” rigs delivered by Santa in December. Forum member TT Freestyle reports: “After our rookie year in Short Range Benchrest with good used equipment, my wife and I decided we liked it enough to get two new Bordens for Christmas!”
FalconPilot’s Fabulous F-Classer in Shurley Claro Walnut Stock
This beauty belongs to Forum member FalconPilot. He tells us that his “Lastest F-Classer features a Shurley Brothers SOD stock in beautiful Claro Walnut.” Components include Bat M action, Bix-N-Andy trigger, and Nightforce Comp scope. FalconPilot has several barrels for this Open-Class rig, including tubes chambered for .284 Win and 6mm Dasher.
Eric’s Blacktical .308 Win for Precision Rifle Series
Forum member Eric32 spent months building out this rifle, “getting it to work just right for PRS”. Designed for practical/tactical matches, this rugged rig features a blue-printed Rem 700 action (with 1.5-lb 40X trigger) in an XLR Element chassis. On the end of the .308 Bartlein 5R barrel is a JP brake. Other components include: PiG skins barricade grips, Atlas Bipod, and GGG bungee sling. On top is a SWFA HD 5-20x50mm optic with Vortex scope level and custom throw-lever.
Forum member Willow reports: “Here is my new F-Open gun. It features a hydro-dipped LowBoy stock and LH Barnard Model P action with ‘V’ bedding block. The barrel is a straight profile 32″, 1:8.5″ twist Bartlein 5R, chambered in 280AI by Matt Paroz”. On top is a Vortex 10-60x52mm Golden Eagle in a Spuhr 3001 mount. Willow says his lightning bolt rig is a shooter: “After 42 rounds through the barrel, I’m liking what I am seeing so far”. Check out that trick aluminum base for his rear Edgewood bag.
Stinnett’s 6.4×47 Lapua Tactical Rig
Forum member Stinnett tells us: “This is my third 6.5×47 Lapua rifle — the 6.5×47 is the best cartridge ever! I’m not a huge fan of muzzle brakes. I look at them as tools — use the correct tool for the job. The ’47 doesn’t need a brake. .308 Winchester and up need muzzle brakes. For this rifle, I’m going to start out with 123gr Scenars and Reloder 15. I also like to shoot the 123gr SMKs and Varget. The SMKs are much less seating-depth sensitive. Very easy to find a load! Also gonna try the Berger 130 Hybrids and H4350.”
Components: McMillan A5 adjustable stock in GAP Camo, Stiller TAC 30 A/W action, Jewell HVR trigger, Badger bottom metal and DBM, Atlas Bipod, Nightforce NXS F1 3.5-15×50 with MLR 2.0 reticle. Metal has been Cerakoted graphite black.
6mm BRX Benchgun with Home-Made Cherry/Redheart Stock
You have to give credit to a guy who crafts his own custom wood stock. This 6mm BRX benchgun features a custom-built laminated stock featuring Cherry wood with vivid Redheart pieces on the sides and Redwood Burl on the buttplate. The front of the stock is 4″ wide. The action is a Benchrest Borden RBLP Right Eject unit, with custom titanium scope rings on top. Owner Erick C. is proud of this stock, saying it is “the best one I’ve built so far”. We agree it’s a beauty.
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Hunting season is right around the corner. If you don’t own a worthy deer-hunting rig, there are many affordable options available. You can often save yourself $100.00 or more by purchasing a “turn-key” deer rifle package — a hunting rifle combo complete with rings and rifle-scope.
The American Hunter magazine website recently published a guide to affordable package hunting rigs. Jon Draper spotlights Four Off-The-Rack Deer Rifle Combos from Howa, Mossberg, Ruger, and Savage. Two of the four rigs, the Mossberg and Savage entries, come in at under $500 including scope/rings. Next up is the Ruger American Rifle, priced at $679.00 MSRP with 3-9x40mm Redfield Revolution scope.
The priciest entry is Howa’s Hunter Zeiss Walnut Package. MSRP is a not insubtantial $1103.00 for the Howa package, but this includes a premium-quality Zeiss Terra 3-9x42mm optic. The Howa also has a very nice two-stage 2.5 to 3.8-lb HACT trigger* that we prefer to the triggers on the other three, lesser-priced rifles.
To learn more, CLICK HERE to read the American Hunter Deer Rifle Combo article.
* HACT stands for Howa Actuator Controlled Trigger. Howa’s HACT assembly is a trigger and sear unit that works like a two-stage trigger. This allows the shooter to take up trigger creep before squeezing through. HACT trigger pull weight adjusts from 2.5 to 3.8 pounds. We like the lower weight for varmint rifles shot from prone or portable benches, while we prefer the heavier pull weight for a carry rifle.
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Nesika is back. Now part of the Freedom Group, Nesika has introduced new ‘custom shop’ Sporter, Long Range, and Tactical rifles. All three rifles feature composite stocks (with aluminum bedding blocks), Douglas barrels, and Timney triggers. Nesika provides a 5-shot, One MOA accuracy guarantee for all three rifles. These are all fairly expensive for factory rifles but Nesika claims they are built “one at a time, by hand” in the Nesika Custom Shop. The Sporter runs $3499.00, the Long Range is $3999.00, and the Tactical is a daunting $4499.00. You can buy a very nice true custom for that money.
The green Tactical model has an adjustable cheekpiece and spacer-adjustable buttplate. The Tactical comes with a matte black CeraKote finish, a built-in +15 MOA scope rail, and an AAC Blackout muzzle brake/suppressor adapter on the barrel. The Nesika Tactical is offered in .300 Win Mag (26″ barrel) and .338 Lapua Magnum (28″ barrel), with a 5-round DBM provided.
The Long Range Rifle has Nesika’s stainless, open-top Hunter action, with a CeraKote-finished chrome-moly bolt. The Timney trigger breaks at three pounds. Leupold QRW bases come standard, as does a SS
Oberndorf-style hinged floor plate.
The Sporter features a Nesika stainless tactical action. A wide variety of regular and magnum chamberings are offered, and barrels are 24″ or 26″ depending on chambering. Like the Long Range Rifle, the Sporter offers Leupold QRW bases. The rifle weighs eight pounds without optics — a reasonable weight for a hunting rifle. It looks nicely built, but will it harvest white-tails any better than a $450.00 Savage? Maybe not.
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Smith & Wesson Corp., announced today that the company will offer new consumer promotions through the end of the year (12/31/2008). The new fall/winter promotions include product offerings and consumer rebates for Smith & Wesson, Thompson/Center Arms and Walther products. For rifle buyers, there are $50.00 rebates offered on both the Smith & Wesson i-Bolt™ and the Thompson/Center Arms ICON™ rifle. Under the Fall Spectacular Hunting Promo, purchasers of a new S&W i-Bolt rifle will get a $50.00 rebate. Likewise, under T/C’s Get in the Hunt Promo, buyers of a new T/C ICON™ qualify for a $50.00 rifle.
We were impressed with the T/C ICON™ rifles we handled at SHOT Show earlier this year. The upper end ICONs had really nice Ultra Wood™ stocks made from three pieces of hand-selected walnut laminated together with two sheets of carbon fiber. The actions are smooth and very strong, with integral (milled) Weaver-type scope mounts. Modern CNC production methods are used to manufacture the action and aluminum bedding block. The three-lug bolt has a short, 60° throw, a handsome jeweled body, and is easy to disassemble. Every ICON is factory-tested and the button-rifled barrels are guaranteed to shoot sub-inch groups at 100 yards. If you are looking for a US-made hunting rifle with modern engineering and state-of-the-art construction, the ICON is a good choice. We love the looks of the standard ICON with blued metal and glossy wood, but if you prefer a more rugged field rifle, the ICON is also offered in stainless with a Hogue® over-molded composite stock in matte black or camo finish. The Hogue stocks have a rubberized external finish that is very “grippy” in wet conditions.
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