My first Tikka

[Lorgar]

Well, I've finally be convinced into my first Tikka

I was tossing up between the Hunter Stainless for the Fluted barrel, and the Forest for the roll over cheek piece. Either way in 7mm-08.

Happily the guy at my local store was willing to swap a few bits around for me and give me the fluted barrel in the Forest stock

It pays to make a friend at your LGS, he shoots a 7mm-08 too and gave me his load data he'd worked up as well.

50 rounds of 2 loads all pressed and waiting for when I pick it up this Saturday

[Member-Deleted]

Two General questions, what's with the enormous scope on it & why would you order a sako in the same cal?

[Chronos]

Good stuff Lorgar. I'm a tikka owner but also a 7-08 fan.

If you use quality brass and do your prep well I'm sure the rifle will shoot very well.

My loads work in my rifle (stainless Varmint) but you will need to find THAT load for your chosen bullet.

Also don't get carried away with seating them long. I've never failed to get an accurate load when loading to magazine length

Chronos

[inervate]

Welcome to the club

[Lorgar]

Two General questions, what's with the enormous scope on it & why would you order a sako in the same cal?

I've just ordered the Sako a few days ago, but it's going to be 6 months before it gets here.

At the moment my .308 is "my" rifle and the .243 is my partners.

I'm selling my .308 now and using the Tikka until the Sako arrives.

Then I'll be taking the Sako and giving her the Tikka (and selling the .243 - the problem with the .243 is she's not allowed to shoot Sambar/Rusa/Red deer down here with it.)

A bit of a process, but at the end if it we'll both have rifles for all deer down here, I'll have the Sako, and she'll have the cheaper Tikka. She doesn't shoot that much so not justified spending anything more on it.

RE: The scope - It's my 'do-it-all-scope'. Obviously the top 2/3rds magnification is wasted for hunting, I only ever have it on 4-10x max in the field, the rest for fun at the range.

In time I'm going to add a bench rifle to the safe and the 4-30x will go on the bench rifle. I plan to get the same scope in the 2.5-16x version when that happens for the hunting rifle.

I like the scope anyway and it does the job

[tiki]

I like the scope anyway and it does the job

Don't they say overkill is underrated?

[Member-Deleted]

Wow, there is no way I would go to all that trouble. There is a nice sako 7mm-08 on usedguns. If you buy that you could make the cook feel special by having the same brand of rifle as you, it's about the same price as the tikka. I am curious about the 08 though. Let me know how it goes please. I took the 25-06 tikka out yeasterday & tried two types of ammo. Not fantastic but it will do the job until I can find something else.

[Lorgar]

I am curious about the 08 though. Let me know how it goes please.

Sure, will do.

I've got some 120gr and 140gr ballistic tips loaded up. I'll post some initial results next weekend and get to fine tuning in due course too.

[Noisydad]

That's a good buy. You wont be sorry you bought a Tikka! I bought my model 55 .222 in 1981 (It cost an entire months pay cheque - in fact my first pay cheque having just left school) and it'll still shoots MOA. Just needs a new spring under the extractor hook atm.

[Lorgar]

That's a good buy. You wont be sorry you bought a Tikka! I bought my model 55 .222 in 1981 (It cost an entire months pay cheque - in fact my first pay cheque having just left school) and it'll still shoots MOA.

I'm sure it will shoot great.

As this is going to be a dedicated stalking rifle I wanted the weigh reduction from a fluted barrel and the roll over cheek piece for faster/better shouldering while on walkabout.

The Tikka was the best tool for job, all things considered, so that's the one I got. Taking tomorrow off now to go and pick it up instead of waiting until Saturday

The main reason I bought my Ruger's way-back-when was for the top-feed ability and Mauser action - I know not everyone's a fan of controlled-feed but I like it.

A bit of consumer feedback for Tikka, if they can shoehorn in a top-feed Mauser action into the "T4" I reckon they'll have the perfect hunting rifle