I think any Tikka rifle is a dependable choice. I personally have shot the Tikka T3 Varmint setup and liked it but not enough to own one. I myself own many other brands of rifles and my favorite is Winchester by far, the pure simplicity and reliability won me over. I think it is one of the many wonderful rifles out there and everybody's opinion on the "best rifle ever made" varies.

I have a T3 LH .270WSM. and like it a lot in spite of its flaws.
You pretty well hit on most of them.

- the synthetic stock on mine fits me alright but feels cheesy. That being said this is the first synthetic-stock gun I have owned. I'm still getting used to that.

- I have an old Mauser that has possibly a smoother bolt throw but not as short and not as crisp, and it is not nearly as accurate a gun.

- the plastic mag is functional but I live with it. I hate the way it protrudes out of the belly of the stock. Whatever you do, don't lose this mag. After buying the second one you will never lose it again.

All gripes aside, mine is the most accurate bolt action I own. It shoots roughly 3/4 MOA on a couple of different factory loads. I have started to reload for it and expect great things. My main reason for reloading for it is more cost than accuracy. I could see it maybe improving a little but not much. Time will tell on that one.

Mine has possibly the best factory trigger on any gun I've had.
I've got mine set at about 2 1/2 lbs.

If I could get a stock made for it exactly the way I want, I would probably not be fit to live with.

I won't say it's 'the best' or 'perfect'. Being a southpaw the choices are slim to nil for true left hand action guns. It was a good choice for me and I'd be comfortable and confident recommending it to anyone left or right handed.

I've never doubted the Tikka lines. Even before Sako entered and made Tikka their sister company. Tikka's have Sako barrels. With that said, hence, the accuracy and the reliability of Tikka rifles. It's not a Sako, but certainly has the Sako accuracy out of the box. I was going to pick one up at Cabela's last Saturday, but they didn't have one in 300 Win Mag., stainless, synthetic. They price it at $600.00

That's a darn good price. What state do you live? I live in Washington State. I've checked the shops along the I-5 corridor, and they are about the same, around $600.00. I wouldn't mind buying it from your state and pay the FFL transfer fee up here.

Mine was a .270 Win, synthetic stock and blued steel. Very accurate, Very different points of impact for different rounds. Not a complaint, just a point. I didn't care for the plastic components but could live with them ... except that stock. It made so much noise whenever anything hit or brushed against it - couldn't stand that anymore so sold it. Would definitely recommend one with a wood stock - just wish their wood was nicer, but that would take it too close to a Sako.

You are right, Sakos take the quality up several notches. Bolts on Tikkas and Sakos are still not as smooth as a Sauer, but plenty smooth enough.

Idahooutdoors shot his famous/infamous wolf with a T3 in .243. Says it's a tack driver. Good guns.

I have the T3 synthetic, blued barrel topped with a Nikon scope. I know that whayever is in my sights is mine. Great Gun for the woods. All for under $500.

I shot one in .243 with a laminated stock. I loved it, it was light, very accurate and i liked the trigger.

I very much like the Tika T3, so I bought one in .300 Win Mag. Trouble was, if the bolt was backed out quickly, it would flip the entry cartridge and leave it lying backwards in the action; i.e., it would not eject the cartridge. So if one were needed a quick second shot, a jam would be certain unless one were to flick out the flipped around brass by hand.

I returned the rifle to the retailer and after a three month wait, was told that the problem couldn't be fixed (whether this meant fixed at all or fixed within a reasonable period of time, I did not inquire.

So I returned it and bought the Browning X Bolt.

Hey its me cam i was reading some comments about thiss tikka t3 light .270 winchester bolt and it looks like most of you like it but im still not sure so if anyone can tell me some more details about it that would be great. My dad has a tikka t3 .308 bolt and i love it smooth action consistant accuracy and he has the monarch scope from nikkon. So if anybody has any details please tell me because i was going to get a savage rifle but my dad told me to save my money and get a tikka because he loves his soo much. So pleaseany details. Thank you.

I have to chuckle everytime I read something about the Tikka T 3.
Everyone always says it is the smoothest bolt that they have ever worked- but it is a two pieced bolt- SO WHAT- No one has has any problems with it. Everyone agrees that the rifle "fits" most everyone better than most other rifles- but it has a plastic trigger guard- SO WHAT- no one has had any problem with it. People say they don't like the plastic magazine- SO WHAT-I like detachable magazines and no one has had any trouble with them. Oh people forgot the awful black plastic stock-SO WHAT- the rifle is better balanced than most rifles than I have ever had and that has been between 100 and 200 and the palm swell fits me perfect. I like my Sakos, but for the price, my Tikkas are as much or more gun for the money. I have 5 Tikka T 3 Lites and plan to buy 2 more ( one in 243 and one in 25-06) to leave to the grandsons. I have had only 1 Tikka T 3 that wouldn't shoot no matter what and that was a 7MM-08. Dollar for dollar all I can say is whatever you have bring it on, and maybe I will even spot you a few hundred dollars.

im thinking about getting 3 new rifles before 2011's deer and elk season and the t3 is sorta on my list. but ive shot my fiends t3 in 270win and his has significantly more recoil than my rem700 cdl 270win.idk if any of you have compared it side by side with another rifle of the exact same caliber with the exact same load...but can someone please tell me why this is? the guns both seem to weigh about the same too.

thanks PAShooter, that makes alot of sense and i didnt mind the recoil because when i elk hunt i usually use my 338win mag...but it has a muzzle break on it lol.i was just curious about the diff in recoil.i just bought a t3 in 30-06 and will probably get an after market recoil pad for it...havent shot it yet.

I have a stainless T3 lite in .300 WSM that I bought myself for Christmas a month ago for $629 at Cabelas. I have been very happy with it. It shoots sub-MOA groups with factory ammo. Maybe I can get a bit more accuracy out of a handload, so I might take that up. Like another reviewer commented earlier, who really cares about the plastic trigger guard? I doubt I'll be needing to buy one. (I hope not anyway). A spare magazine would be nice, but if Tikka is asking $60 for one, how much would a replacement trigger guard be? Again, I doubt I'll ever really need either.

I really like the integral dovetail scopemounts machined into the receiver, though I think Tikka and Sako should go to Picatinny instead of the proprietary setup. That way, you would have a huge selection of rings. The reason I point this out is, if you buy the Tikka, the scope rings are of marginal value - mine didn't cinch down in the groove well at all. If you buy a magnum, I would suggest the Warne rings. They are really solid.

The action is very smooth and the gun fits me very, very well. I haven't found anyone who has put my gun to their shoulder that didn't think so, as well. For the money (and even a lot more) I wouldn't feel too bad if it got banged up a bit out in the field. Can't say that about my L61R Sako.

This gun has lived up to all the great things people say about it, but like any light-weight magnum, you will feel the recoil. I suggest a 32oz Nightforce scope and a Limbsaver recoil pad. That's a sweet package.

Couldn't talk my old man out of the Tikka T3 and into a Kimber instead, he claims that Tikka is more accurate based on reviews, feed back, and reports. I like the wooden Kimbers, and freehand I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, nor an Elk at 150 yards in accuracy.

Also, I own one in .300 WSM and for how light the gun is, the recoil is comparable to a .243 IMO.

I have 2 T3s and am very happy with both. One is a T3 Lite stainless in .308 Win and the other is a T3 Hunter in .300 Win Mag. As far as the "plastic" goes, I believe that it is actually a polymer, which is now being used on many modern handguns. No one seems to complain about those. I fly modern helicopters and you would be surprised how much "plastic" is used in their construction. Same goes for most modern airplanes. How many of you still fly knowing that. What I'm trying to say is that the use of this "plastic" is really not a shortcoming, just something new to get used to. I also own a Weathery, Kimber, Winchester, Savage and other than my AR15, none of these have any "plastic".

Because visual stimulation > higher percentage of a full freezer...
;rolls eyes;

I for one find the t3 lite attractive. I'll agree it is a little plain looking. I have a question... who cares?

I just bought a T3 in .223, & I must admit that it was certainly not love at first sight! The Tikka in .223 is not a short action, but is what I would describe as a medium action modified to work with a short cartrage. The bolt stroke is a lot longer than it should be for a .223, and is pulled way to the rear of the cartrage head. The clip has a half-inch spacer in the rear to hold the .223 cartrage in place. The clip also sticks in place & has to be pulled out of the rifle. The bolt is smooth & the handle is dovetailed into the bolt body making a strong, if somewhat unsightly mating of the two pieces. The trigger has an allen screw that takes some of the spring tension out of the trigger pull, but it cannot be accessed without removing the trigger mechanism retaining screw. The trigger is not adjustable for sear engagement or overtravel. The stock appears to be a cheap molded plastic, with no rubber gripping surfaces at all. the molded-in checkering does little to assist the gripping of the slick stock. Don't know how it will shoot yet, but unless it shoots way better than it looks, I will be trading this one!

ok. My son has decided on the T3 lite, blued barrel in 30-06. He's a lefty. Now it seems as if there is a problem getting a blued barrel. We're not done done pursuing it yet, but the SS barrel just doesn't appeal to him. Besides the resistance to the elements, are there any other pros and cons to SS? After using his brothers 700bdl bolt as a benchmark, he wants the Tikka's smooth bolt. The Rem is probably the worst action I have ever seen. It's really not that smooth. Beautiful gun and shoots well, though.

I have a T3 lite Stainless 22-250 with a Carl Ziess 4.5-14x44 scope and it is an amazing rifle. As previously posted, DO NOT lose the clip as it will cost upwards of 60 bucks to replace. They want the same for a 5 round and I haven't been able to find one anywhere cheaper. The stainless barrel does hold heat and must be cooled after 12 or so rounds, but if not target shooting who needs to fire that many in a row. But all in all a GREAT value for the money.