Remington 700 vs Tikka T3

[Crews]

I have an SPS Tactical 700 in .308 While it is an accurate rifle and I really enjoy the compact size, there's a few things I really don't like. It's a pain in the ass to load from the top, and the action is difficult to operate.

I'm contemplating switching to a Tikka T3. Anyone have any experience with them? I have a friend who used one, and he's very happy with it, and claims it is a sub-moa gun with hunting ammo.

[Crews]

I might add, this would be a 0-400 yard rifle used for hunting. No bench rest stuff, and the gun will remain bone stock.

[Corey]

I say go for the Tikka. They are an awesome hunting rifle for the money. The only time I would recomend a 700 is if you are planning a custom build. Very little aftermarket stuff out there for the Tikka.

[SamuelBLong]

I spent some time with my buddies t3. They're incredibly well built and accurate, and the cost is not that bad. Good consistent ammo certainly turns in MOA / Sub MOA groups.

[JV_]

Have you considered a DBM kit, and a bolt knob, for the 700?

[Crews]

I have not considered that... But a quick search turned up $200 for the metal and $80 for a magazine, and maybe gunsmith work. Plus that doesn't smooth the action any does it?

Or I could sell the $600 rifle I have and but the other $600 rifle that already has what I need. I'm here for advice, y'all tell me if I'm missing something!

[JV_]

Yea, those numbers aren't far off.

IME: A 700 will never be as smooth as a Sako/Tikka, but you can put on a bolt handle to make it easier to manipulate. If keep the firing-pin cam lubed with grease, it'll help a bit too.

[Corey]

Those Remington conversions are nice but you're right, they don't smooth the action. The also don't change the bolt rotation (60 degrees on a Tikka versus 90 on a Remington). Not really a big deal, but nice with some scopes when you're running the bolt fast. Like I said, for what you want (stock rifle to hunt out to 400 yards) I don't think you can beat the Tikka.

[lightning fast]

Tikka, every time. IMO.

[Crews]

Anything else in the $600 price range that is comparable to a Tikka?

[SecondsCount]

I once was a Remmy fan but they really lost my respect with a friends recent purchase . He spent $1200 on their 5R model. It came with that awful X Mark trigger and we tried all kinds of different loads, both factory and precision handloads and we could not get it to shoot under 1 MOA. Rather than waste any more time with it, he is swapping out the trigger and having it rebarreled by a professional.

The aftermarket support for the Tikka will never be what it is for the R700 but there is a surprisingly good amount of stuff out there.

[Spr1]

I have a Lite SS in 7mm-08 coming in next week to try out. I have been too long without a 7mm-08, and have been reading almost universally positive comments on this rifle.

[Nate]

Far be it from me to discourage someone from buying a new gun... but before you go spending money you might want to try smoothing up the action. If you slather on some JB paste on the bolt (making sure to get the friction surfaces like the sides of the lugs, bolt body, and cam surface) and then cycle the bolt a few bazillion times, it makes a *huge* difference. (Pro tip: make sure you put some force on the bolt from various directions--if all you do is cycle the bolt with perfect technique, then it'll be very slick--until your form is at all off, and then it'll stick. But if you cycle the bolt while pulling up/down/in/out on the handle, then it will still be smooth when you put a bit of off-axis force on it while using it) JB polishing isn't just for factory guns, either, I've done it on my custom rem-clones, too.

I shoot NRA high power (including "rapid" fire--think "sustained", not "rapid" by the standards of this forum) and long range, so a slick bolt is pretty darn important, but the 10" X-ring at 1000 yards isn't exactly huge, either. I can honestly say that my factory 700s** are easier to run in the rapid fire stages than my custom 700 clones are.

Oh, and the T3s are pretty darn slick, too. I don't have any where near the experience with the T3 that I do with the 700 and clones, but the Tikkas I have used have been quite easy to cycle (I'm trying to remember the bolt lift with the short throw, but I specifically remember that the bolt runs easy), and the 595s (older version of the T3, if I remember correctly) are very good, and very well thought of by HP shooters.

** Disclosure: I shoot for the Remington factory team (NRA High power/Long range).

[DanH]

Anything else in the $600 price range that is comparable to a Tikka?
I don't know how it compares to a Tikka but the Weatherby Vanguard series 2 are quite nice and easily beat that price point

[secondstoryguy]

I've had a few T3s. They shot well but my there were a few things that made me get rid of them. The mags are expensive and are made of thin plastic. I've also had several of the plastic bolt shrouds(the cap on the end of the bolt closest to the buttstock)crack and they wouldn't warranty them. They are plastic and wanted like $40 for a replacement. F-that.

[JAD]

and the 595s (older version of the T3, if I remember correctly) are very good, and very well thought of by HP shooters.

I have a 595 continental varmint, and a buddy has same in a target stock. Both guns are slicker than any gun I've shot. His .308 is half minute, out of the box, for $700. My .223 will deliver 0.4" groups with the right ammo.

[Frank R]

Nothing.

[LittleLebowski]

Anything else in the $600 price range that is comparable to a Tikka?

Not really. Some would say Savage but not me.

[Spr1]

Just another data point, but my 7-08 T3 appears to be true to the brand reputation. I am still doing load work ups, but my last 3 shot group at 100 yds was 1/4". That was with the highest powder charge loaded to date.

[fn/form]

Not really. Some would say Savage but not me.

The Savage extractor design AND material are pitiful. The main reason I sold mine.

In addition to Tikka I'm also partial to the FN/Win bolt guns.

[LittleLebowski]

The Savage extractor design AND material are pitiful. The main reason I sold mine.

In addition to Tikka I'm also partial to the FN/Win bolt guns.

Yeah, the Savage material was scary.

[SecondsCount]

The Savage extractor design AND material are pitiful. The main reason I sold mine.

In addition to Tikka I'm also partial to the FN/Win bolt guns.

There has to be reasons that the Savage costs less. Many people say that they shoot great, and I have seen a few that do, but I am not a fan of the Accutrigger design. There was a thread a while back on another forum that discussed the longevity and somebody mentioned that he had seen a few go down in a rifle class. He could not tell us why they failed.

I have asked my gunsmith about Savages and he just said that he is not a fan.

Are all the Winchesters made by FN or are some made by Miroku? Either way I am sure they are a good product.

[LittleLebowski]

There has to be reasons that the Savage costs less.

Just disassemble one and you'll see.

[Luke]

you could keep an eye out on gun broker for a cheap sig sg3000. saw one 2 nights ago WITH bi pod and nice (looked like nice, no name) scope for 1250

[1986s4]

Any comments on the CZ line of bolt actions?

[fn/form]

There has to be reasons that the Savage costs less. Many people say that they shoot great, and I have seen a few that do, but I am not a fan of the Accutrigger design...

The Savage bolt and barrel designs are key features to their popularity. Most caliber changes in the same action length can be as simple as swapping a bolt head and barrel. You can do all of it yourself, including headspacing. A tinkerer's dream. Very popular with Bubba and Benchrest crowds. SavageShooters.com is a good reference site for centerfire and rimfire.

The Bad. The Accu-Trigger has been known to stick if pressed at an angle. It's usually seen in rapid fire. I don't know if Savage has done anything about that in the last few years. No controlled feed. The aforementioned extractor crap.

The Winchester bolt guns are made at the FN plant in South Carolina. I don't know about the rest of the Winchester line.

Tikkas still have the smoothest factory action.

[fn/form]

Any comments on the CZ line of bolt actions?

A head above the Rem 700 and similar. I prefer them over the Ruger 77s. My favorite CZs are the bolt rimfires. Micro Mauser gems.

[SecondsCount]

The Savage bolt and barrel designs are key features to their popularity. Most caliber changes in the same action length can be as simple as swapping a bolt head and barrel. You can do all of it yourself, including headspacing. A tinkerer's dream. Very popular with Bubba and Benchrest crowds. SavageShooters.com is a good reference site for centerfire and rimfire.


There are barrel manufacturers that are making barrel nut style setups for the Remingtons but it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are satisfied with a rifle that will shoot around a half-inch at 100 yards then you may be able to get there with a home brewed Savage or Remington. Plenty accurate for a tactical match but you won't be winning any legitimate benchrest competitions with one unless the action has been blueprinted to match the barrel. Even then I doubt it. People that are winning benchrest are doing it on custom ground- up builds.

We picked up my friends Remington 5R from the gunsmith yesterday. He said that the crown looked like it may have had an issue and one of the lugs on the bolt was not making contact. He trued everything up, put a brand new Bartlein barrel on it, and bedded it so hopefully it will shoot like it was supposed to when it left the factory.