Seeking advice on upgrading my Tikka T3

[outdoorthrillz]

Hello everyone. I’m a relatively new gun owner and own a Tikka T3 in a 7mm Rem Mag. I have a leupold v1 3-9x40 scope on it. I like my rifle but wanted to spend some money on it and try some upgrades done. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking upgraded stock but don’t know where to look. Being a newbie, any advice or a starting point is appreciated. I hunt elk, deer and want to go for sheep.
Thanks


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[elkhunter11]

Prophet River sells B&C stocks for Tikka.They are a reasonably priced stock, but they do add a bit of weight. A nice feature is that the recoil lug is cast into the metal bedding block.

[brewster29]

If keeping it light is a concern you could check out Wildcat Composites. They have very nice stocks that are a bit lighter than the T3 Tupperware.

I installed the tactical bolt handle/knobs/metal bolt shroud from CoreTac solutions, and did the trigger spring on my T3's.

A 7 Rem should also have a steel or titanium recoil lug as the aluminum job will get beat up in short order.

[Dubious]

New stock glass bed and new barrel (lilja) and you’ll be shooting 1/4 inch groups in no time.

[morinj]

If the gun is new and performing well, I would leave it stock, simply because you stated you are a new gun owner, that tikka will probably shoot to your ability, and beyond! My biggest mistake as a new shooter was spending unnecessary funds! If you’re really gung-ho on spending some doe maybe upgrade your scope to a vx3. Whatever ever your decision, make sure you do some research on your upgrades and ask questions, there’s lots of smart guys on this forum who have fed me great advice!

[Dubious]

With my last comment if you don’t hand load And want to shoot better think about starting that’s the biggest upgrade A rifle can get.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by Dubious

With my last comment if you don’t hand load And want to shoot better think about starting that’s the biggest upgrade A rifle can get.

X2 If you don't reload the rest is redundant IMHO.

[Stinky Coyote]

Originally Posted by outdoorthrillz

Hello everyone. I’m a relatively new gun owner and own a Tikka T3 in a 7mm Rem Mag. I have a leupold v1 3-9x40 scope on it. I like my rifle but wanted to spend some money on it and try some upgrades done. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking upgraded stock but don’t know where to look. Being a newbie, any advice or a starting point is appreciated. I hunt elk, deer and want to go for sheep.
Thanks


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even though they don't need it, for peace of mind and rock solid lock up of those action screws every time you take the stock off for a little tlc, you could have Henry Rempel pillar bed it, and have the barrel threaded with a thread protector for hunting and muzzle brake for the range work, his don't have poi shift and i've had several from him, and then make sure you're running talley rings, and upgrade the scope...

i did 7 lb all up tikka t3 lite stainless like this in .270 awhile back and shot factory ammo sub-moa all day long, made a believer out of a guy when called out for a 701 yard shot on a pretend sheep rock while afield and dialed up for perfect center hit, leupold ultralight 3-9x33 on that one with korth adding the 7/8" standard elevation target knob and Kenton supplying the speed dial turret corrected to 5000' and whatever temp i asked for at the time, likely close to 0 degrees c, we were probably at about 6000-6500' at the time...things were pretty quiet after that call out, factory federal fusion 130's to boot, those tikka's sure can shoot

you can make a heckuva sheep rifle out of that rig

for the scope upgrade i'd look real hard at the vx3i 3-9x40 with the new cds-zl turret for a perfect set up in talley low rings imo

[Stinky Coyote]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

X2 If you don't reload the rest is redundant IMHO.

i would argue this point

i also had Henry do my next rifle after that, a sako a7 .270 wsm, pillar bedded, threaded barrel with protector and brake (hunting/range) and it shot factory ammo .6-.7" ctc 5-shot groups at 106 yards, i have my 620 yard coyote with that rig, factory ammo is all i every shoot but i don't mind having all the other variables ruled out or a little 'extra' into a rifle i like regardless what gets stuffed up the pipe

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by Stinky Coyote

i would argue this point

i also had Henry do my next rifle after that, a sako a7 .270 wsm, pillar bedded, threaded barrel with protector and brake (hunting/range) and it shot factory ammo .6-.7" ctc 5-shot groups at 106 yards, i have my 620 yard coyote with that rig, factory ammo is all i every shoot but i don't mind having all the other variables ruled out or a little 'extra' into a rifle i like regardless what gets stuffed up the pipe

You would do better with reloads, no question.

[Fowl91]

Are you looking to upgrade the aesthetics or performance of your rifle?

I assume by wanting to upgrade your rifle that you want to increase your accuracy. Therefore I would suggest a better optic and a simple bedding job would be the biggest factors. Sometimes the T3 stocks seem unbalanced in magnum cartridges, and if you're experiencing this then a stock upgrade could be necessary. Prophet River should have a Bell and Carlson stock for you that should do nicely, however I would still recommend bedding whichever stock you fit permanently to that rifle.

[Tronneroi]

Nothing wrong with a stock Tikka. I haven't bothered to swap stocks or bed the action on either of mine. They both shoot 1/2 MOA with handloads.

Spend the money on another gun!

[huntingfamily]

[QUOTE=outdoorthrillz;4175788]Hello everyone. I’m a relatively new gun owner and own a Tikka T3 in a 7mm Rem Mag. I have a leupold v1 3-9x40 scope on it. I like my rifle but wanted to spend some money on it and try some upgrades done. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking upgraded stock but don’t know where to look. Being a newbie, any advice or a starting point is appreciated. I hunt elk, deer and want to go for sheep.
Thanks

On the T3's, typical upgrades include the stock, ie, Wildcat Composites or McMillan Edge.
Install a metal bolt shroud.
Replace the factory recoil lug.
Limbsaver recoil pad
...

[kingrat]

Limbsaver pad,fluted bolt and or barrel, better scope, what is your end goal?

[sns2]

Forget stocks and pillar bedding yada yada. That's all fine and well, but your rifle is already a good one. Best bang for your buck. Nothing will help your quest for shooting better than learning to load your own ammunition. Buy yourself a quality kit - not Lee - and it will last a lifetime and help not only this rifle, but every other one you may buy.

[andy1]

Take a look at the following stock makers:

McMillan
Manners
Boys

You can order boyds direct, and in alberta you can get stocks from:

ATRS
RPS INTERNATIONAL
INSITE

Might be some more options. Corlanes in BC brings them in as well.

Synthetic Tikka original stocks are really hit and miss and irregular barrel stock contact will really mess up your efforts.

Wildcat stocks is becoming more common so worth a look. Mcmillan is the longest producer on the list for composite stocks.

[Stinky Coyote]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

You would do better with reloads, no question.

absolutely, but to go 5-600 yards, even 800, 3/4 moa 5 shot groups will get er done even on a prairie wolf, half moa handloads or even if you get 1/3rd moa...it's a lot of extra work/money/time to extra kill that coyote at 620 yards

i see an opinion/assumption that upgrade may mean more accuracy, and when it comes to tikka i don't see that at all, the performance is already there regardless what you feed it, most can't shoot better than the gun anyway, i typically hold moa in field conditions, some days 3/4 some days 1 1/4...on the bench i can more consistently run 3/4 moa

tikka's with factory ammo are easy to find 3/4 moa

to upgrade a tikka to me is to look at everything except the performance

ie; if direction change for a sheep/mountain rig, lighter scope, lighter rings

or recoil management, recoil pad or muzzle brake options

or glass quality, better glass

those are places to upgrade also

if you want to shoot very well past 600 yards i'd maybe consider reloading for a tikka, just sayin, i've shot my tikka's really well with factory ammo out to 930 yards so my money/time goes anywhere but reloading

[elkhunter11]

The OP needs to state his goals in doing any modifications, and his budget. What does he hope to gain? Factory T-3 rifles tend to shoot well, but they aren't great for recoil, but a Limbsaver solves that. Does the factory stock fit the OP?

[Big Sky]

The Tikka stock is just fine. I'd keep it.
If the following upgrades have not been made to your T3, I'd do them.
1 Metal bolt shroud
2 Limbsaver recoil pad
3 Stainless steel recoil lug.
The above were changes that were made when Tikka introduced the T3X. They are not that expensive to do.

And now for that advice that you weren't asking for.

Hold off on the reloading. It's expensive to get into. If shooting becomes a hobby, you will probably want to get started with reloading. You can create ammo tailored to your firearm that is better than factory ammo. If you shoot a large volume of ammo, it can also be economical.

When shooting factory ammo, save your brass. Try to use just one brand of ammo. If you eventually decide to start reloading, you'll have a good amount of brass saved up. With brass running about a buck each, it is a fairly major expense when starting up. IMO, shooting factory ammo is not that expensive IF you are going to use the brass later for reloading purposes.

To become a good shot it is important to shoot. (duh!!) The more you can shoot, the better you will become. IMO, the best way to become a good shot is to get a rimfire. When you head out to practise with your 7mag, take a 22 along with you. Fire a box of 7mag and a couple boxes of 22. Shoot prone, offhand, kneeling, off of sticks, off your backpack, etc.

A better stock may improve the accuracy of your rifle, but I highly doubt that your Tikka stock will be inadequate for hunting. I'd wait before replacing the stock.
The improvement in your shooting that will happen from shooting that rimfire thousands of times will be much greater.

A rimfire is where I'd be putting any extra money that is burning a hole in my pocket.

[markg]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The OP needs to state his goals in doing any modifications, and his budget. What does he hope to gain? Factory T-3 rifles tend to shoot well, but they aren't great for recoil, but a Limbsaver solves that. Does the factory stock fit the OP?

I completely agree with this post.

What do you want to do with the rifle? Make it better for hunting? Make it better on the bench?

I also agree with what many are saying about accuracy. Stock Tikka's perform exceptionally well out of the box. If you want it to be more comfortable buy a stock.

If you want to make it a better hunting rifle buy a nicer scope that gathers more light for better morning and evening shots. You mentioned you hunt sheep so you might consider a scope that has windage and elevation adjustmets for longer shots. If you want to save weight you can replace the stock with something in carbon fibre (expensive). Lighter rings will also help with this. You could also consider a carbon fibre wrapped barrel to reduce weight. (expensive)

If you want to shoot it on the bench buy a tactical stock, bed it, and replace the barrel and then start reloading.
I recommend replacing the barrel and switching to a cartridge that performs well at distancewith limited recoil and good barrel life, plus I have found that Tikka barrels are slower than the Krigers that I replace them with. (Your results may vary).

I have done several Tikka builds and have always been happy with them.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Dubious

With my last comment if you don’t hand load And want to shoot better think about starting that’s the biggest upgrade A rifle can get.

spot on...enjoy and have fun...plus when you get another rifle you are well on your way.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by markg

I completely agree with this post.

What do you want to do with the rifle? Make it better for hunting? Make it better on the bench?

I also agree with what many are saying about accuracy. Stock Tikka's perform exceptionally well out of the box. If you want it to be more comfortable buy a stock.

If you want to make it a better hunting rifle buy a nicer scope that gathers more light for better morning and evening shots.

If you want to shoot it on the bench buy a tactical stock, bed it, and replace the barrel and then start reloading.
I recommend replacing the barrel and switching to a cartridge that performs well at distance, plus I have found that Tikka barrels are slower than the Krigers that I replace them with. (Your results may vary).

I have done several Tikka builds and have always been happy with them.

It's not that the factory barrels are slow, it more like the factory chambers are more generous than custom chambers, so going with a tighter chamber produces more pressure.

[stob]

not to get anyone going but dressing up a Tikka is like putting lip stick on a pig ... don't waste your money ... upgrade your scope to Leupy V3i at least in 4.4 x 14 and shoot the lighst out of it ... save your money for a cry once buy once reloading set up and get busy ... a future new rifle.. but don't put any more $$$ into the girl that brung ya!!!cheers

[Buckhead]

Originally Posted by sns2

Forget stocks and pillar bedding yada yada. That's all fine and well, but your rifle is already a good one. Best bang for your buck. Nothing will help your quest for shooting better than learning to load your own ammunition. Buy yourself a quality kit - not Lee - and it will last a lifetime and help not only this rifle, but every other one you may buy.

This^^^^. Put a limbsaver on it. Buy a reloading kit. Read some reloading guides and ask others for help so you know what you are doing. Buy 8 pounds of the appropriate powder and 100 cases - primers and bullets, of course.
Reload and shoot. When you have used up the 8 lbs of powder look back at your own question and you will be able to answer yourself.

[markg]

Why on earth would you start off with 8lbs of one specific powder without doing testing?

I would purchase 3 different powders (1lb) each and find out what brass, bullet, and powder charge choice my rifle prefers. Too many varibles, what size of group is acceptable what velocity is he looking for ect? Once I found a load that my rifle likes and fits my criteria for group size and velocity, then I would gladly by 8lbs.

My guess is your assuming the OP would do that first and my appology if this is the case.

[markg]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

It's not that the factory barrels are slow, it more like the factory chambers are more generous than custom chambers, so going with a tighter chamber produces more pressure.

Thanks for clarifying that.

[Buckhead]

Originally Posted by markg

Why on earth would you start off with 8lbs of one specific powder without doing testing?

I would purchase 3 different powders (1lb) each and find out what brass, bullet, and powder charge choice my rifle prefers. Too many varibles, what size of group is acceptable what velocity is he looking for ect? Once I found a load that my rifle likes and fits my criteria for group size and velocity, then I would gladly by 8lbs.

My guess is your assuming the OP would do that first and my appology if this is the case.

Yes that is why I suggested he read and ask others first. Then figure out the powder and components he is going to use with the help of others.

Trigger time is the most important variable. All the other choices are secondary if you don't focus on that first.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by markg

Why on earth would you start off with 8lbs of one specific powder without doing testing?

I would purchase 3 different powders (1lb) each and find out what brass, bullet, and powder charge choice my rifle prefers. Too many varibles, what size of group is acceptable what velocity is he looking for ect? Once I found a load that my rifle likes and fits my criteria for group size and velocity, then I would gladly by 8lbs.

My guess is your assuming the OP would do that first and my appology if this is the case.

Exactly, only your rifle can tell you what combination of bullet and powder it prefers . I typically buy a pound of powder, and a box of bullets, if I don't have what I want on hand. Then after testing, I decide which components to buy in bulk. Then again, there are people that choose one load out of a manual, and that is their load, no testing of other components at all. They really have no idea as to the potential of their rifle.

[Buckhead]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Exactly, only your rifle can tell you what combination of bullet and powder it prefers . I typically buy a pound of powder, and a box of bullets, if I don't have what I want on hand. Then after testing, I decide which components to buy in bulk. Then again, there are people that choose one load out of a manual, and that is their load, no testing of other components at all. They really have no idea as to the potential of their rifle.

Oh good grief.

This is a new shooter. Trying to learn. How is he going to know how to test loads and components?

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Buckhead

Oh good grief.

This is a new shooter. Trying to learn. How is he going to know how to test loads and components?

You learn by doing, there are many loads listed in the manuals and online, you try a combination of bullet/powder, and if the results aren't great, try another bullet, or another powder. Determining proper bullet seating depths and safe powder charges, takes a lot more learning, simply using components from a different container is easy.