Did I get worked over?

[psalm69]

Hey fellas great site! I've been lurking around for a while in the Mini -14 section. Anyway, I traded my beat up Mini-14 ranch for a NIB Tikka T3 Lite in 7mm Rem Mag. The thing has never been shot. Are these guns pretty good? How does it compare to a Savage 110 in the same caliber? I had the Savage last summer but traded it for a nice Super Redhawk in .454.

Also one last question. Is 7mm Rem Mag appropriate to compete with in NRA Hi-Power?

I figured I have it I might as well use it. Scott

[kravman4]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

You got a NIB Tikka T3 in trade for a beat up ranch rifle??? I did a quick google search on the Tikka T3 lite and the first price I came up with was in the $550 ballpark. Seeing as a beat up ranch rifle will often go for ~ $300, I'd say you got an AWESOME deal! B)

Hehe, can you tell? I'm a big fan of the Tikka T3 line of rifle. Fairly inexpensive, very accurate, good trigger... not much more you can ask for from a gun. ;)

BTW, welcome to the forum! I like your screen name! :) :usa:

[kravman4]

I take that back... the Tikka T3 lite looks to be going for around $600 (wow, $50 difference! :rolleyes: )

[psalm69]

Yeah not only did the guy give me the rifle, but he gave me 3 boxes of federal ammo in various bullet weights and styles. I'm getting anxious to fire it. I just need to find a good scope.

What do you think of the 7mm in the NRA hi-power competitions? Seems to shoot a lot flatter than the 308, but there must be some reason that everyone still shoots .308. Scott

[surbat6]

With the right loads (the only way to find out which ones are "right" is to shoot a few or a lot and compare groups), the 7mm Rem. Mag. is a great target round. It kicks about like a stout .30-06 load. One possible reason the .308 dominates competition is the proliferation of ready-made target ammo for this caliber. The 7mm will really come into its own when handloaded. This isn't to say there's no accurate factory ammo for the caliber, just a more limited selection. It's also (usually) a bit more expensive than the .308. You got a great rifle on a great trade in a great caliber. Relax and enjoy!

[JackT]

Originally posted by psalm69@Feb 3 2005, 06:09 PM
Are these guns pretty good?
I bought a Tikka T3 Lite stainless in .270 WSM two years ago. Have a 3.5-10 scope on it. I have used it for deer, antelope, and varmints. It is a great gun. Less than MOA with my handloads right out of the box. Excellent trigger and a joy to carry. I would hate to part with my Mini 14 but it sounds like you made a great trade.

[psalm69]

Well this is all good news. I now just need to figure out what kind of optic I'm gonna put on it. Scott

[mikr]

psalm,
I take it you intend to comptete in any rifle, any sights class--for that I commend you. However, do not be discouraged by the benchrest shooters with the high dollar set-ups.

You may find yourself flinching with 7mm loads. I find handloaded .308's mild and .223's for Service Rifles akin to shooting BB guns. That may be your biggest thing, the recoil. If you are inclined to do so, I highly suggest handloading your ammunition.

Anyhow, Tikka are generally fine rifles.

As far as shooting .308's, there are a lot more options for rifles and factory ammunition for .308, and it is easier as far as recoil.....If you can become very familiar with your rifle and shoot well with it, then you will do fine.

For optics, go with the best that you can afford, which will easily be at least 2-3x the cost of the rifle.

[kravman4]

Scott, have you looked into Leupold's new Rifleman series? There was an article about them (and whaddya know, I think it was mounted on a Tikka T3) and they had some pretty positive things to say. Of course, they claim they had to cut some features such as the click-adjust for adjusting the scope (you won't here or feel an audible "click" when you adjust the scope). Still, they look to be really nice scopes... and they start at $199. B)

[psalm69]

Actually, I was wondering if anyone has any experience with some of those Russian scopes that are available from Kalinka. They have some really neat features and are about 1/3 of the price of a Leupold of simialr build. I have a POSP scope that I have on my SKS that I'm really happy with, but I have not heard of anyone using the more conventional styles. Scott

[kravman4]

No, I haven't heard of those. Sounds interesting though... I'm gonna see if I can find anything about 'em.

[psalm69]

Kalinka Optics (http://www.kalinkaoptics.com)

I like these guys quite a bit. You can see my scoped SKS in the SKS gallery section. Scott