Today on the MAC Outdoors Podcast I’m sharing the details about the rifle I used for this fall’s big game hunts. If you’re looking for a smooth, reliable, lightweight hunting rifle, this may appeal to you.
Details from the show:
Tikka sent a rifle. When they asked what rifle I’m looking for I asked for an ultralight version of my old standby caliber, the .270 WIN.
I’ve been testing this rifle out at the range and while hunting this fall and I’m loving it. Opening morning of this season my daughter tagged a buck at 415 yards with this rifle.
When I returned from my trip to Finland, I raved to family and friends about the bolt on the Sako and Tikka rifles.
When you’re hunting things can get exciting in a hurry, and once you make your shot you want to run the bolt and cycle a round quickly in case there is a need for a follow up shot. The Finnish bolt runs like butter; it is so smooth.
The rifle features a detachable box magazine, and when you drop a round in the trough for loading, there is no hang-up when you slide the bolt forward. With an oversized bolt handle, this is easy to do with gloves on in the wintertime.
I noted that the rifle company began as a military manufacturer. the Sako plant also makes rifles for the Canadian Mounted Rangers. They know what works year-round and in cold, harsh temperatures.
I mention this because this hunting season in Colorado, we’ve experienced the arrival of winter, which started with wind, rain, and then snow. When you’re out in single digit temperatures, which will be worse in winter months, you want your tools to run smooth. The Tikka T3x has done just that.
My hunting partners have had their safety mechanisms freeze and bolts not run. This is simply NOT something you want when you’re out in the woods. I quietly test my Tikka each morning as I load, and the bolt runs smooth. I’m pretty sure the hunting partners are going to be ordering a few Finnish-made guns.
The Tikka Lite is the base model from which the Roughtech is designed. The Lite is a synthetic stock rifle, with an angled, low-grip design. The Roughtech has a rough surface texture throughout, which allows for a solid grip in all weather conditions.
A muzzle brake is included for recoil reduction, and the rifle comes with a large recoil pad. The length of pull is 13.2” and the rifle comes with additional spacers for adjustment and customization.
The trigger is precisely manufactured for crisp, clean shots, which help with the rifle’s accuracy.
The stainless-steel bolt is run only when you disengage the safety mechanism, and the bolt releases even in the coldest of temperatures. I must note, it does not disengage when it’s rubbed against my side as I have the gun slung and am hiking.
“Tikka rifles provide you with an extremely rigid action with a two-locking lug T3 bolt. The bolt features a spring-loaded plunger ejector and a removable bolt handle, with a 70° opening angle leaving plenty of room for handling the bolt. This is one of the smoothest actions on the market.”
Tikka not only gets it’s lite mode by having a synthetic stock, but also with the fluted bolt and barrel, which reduce the overall weight of the rifle. The rifle weights in at just under 6-1/2 pounds and has an overall length of 42-1/2”.
My Tikka is chambered in .270, which has a 1:8 rate of twist.
If you’re looking to know how many rounds you can load, you can hold three rounds in the detachable box-magazine and one in the chamber.
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Mia Anstine
MAC Outdoors LLC
PO Box 31
Ignacio, CO 81137-0031
Mia Anstine is an outdoor writer, licensed outfitter, hunting guide, keynote speaker, and a range safety officer, firearms instructor, and archery instructor. She is the founder of MAC Outdoors and Host of the MAC Outdoors Podcast.
Mia Anstine strives to encourage others to outdoors, hunt, fish, shoot, and survive life with others in a positive way.
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