The Tikka T3X Lite Shooting Experience
Tikka T3X Lite Accuracy Summary
It’s not just Tikka, but most companies that sell and market hunting rifles will boast about their products’ 3-shot group sub-MOA capabilities. On the one hand, this is fine for hunting rifles since hunters don’t really take several shots on game during hunting. Conversely, a sample size of three bullet holes in a group is statistically insufficient.
In statistics, a larger sample size always yields better results. This is why I printed two 10-shot groups for the 6.5mm Creedmoor hunting ammo I fired through this Tikka T3X Lite. Even though larger groups are likely to include a wider extreme spread between shots, they also demonstrate a more comprehensive picture of the “cone of fire” that pertains to a specific rifle and bullet combination.
A 20-shot group would be even better than a 10-shot group, and a 30-shot group would beat out a 20-shot group. Unfortunately, rifle ammo isn’t cheap, and shooting careful groups takes a long time. With this Tikka T3X Lite, I fired my 10-shot groups at a very slow pace, about 3 minutes in between shots, while also ensuring that the barrel never got truly hot.
The other data-related benefit of larger rifle groups is that they provide shooters with a more realistic margin of error when determining what their rifle and bullet are truly capable of. Technically, this wouldn’t matter at closer distances. However, being off by 0.25 MOA or 0.10 MOA at longer ranges could mean missing a shot by a few inches or a few feet, depending on that distance. Good rifle shooting is predicated on having good data.
Tikka guarantees its rifles to print 3-shot sub-MOA groups. Is this claim true?
I think so. I shot a cold-bore 0.5-inch 3-shot group with the Winchester Copper Impact ammo with ease. I couldn’t quite do it with the Sig Venari SP and even though the Hornady American Gunner group is approximately. 0.16 inches over the sub-MOA threshold, I’d argue its 10-shot group suggests that the American Gunner has the capability to print smaller groups.
I don’t think this accuracy claim from Tikka is hollow. Again, I would have loved to group other ammo through it, but everything mentioned in Part 3 of this review was product that I previously purchased and already had on hand.
It would be insane to expect that the rifle would print little pretty groups with every cartridge on the market; there would be too much variability. Given my observations with both the Winchester 125-grain Copper Impact and the Hornady American Gunner and the way they grouped, it suggests that Tikka T3X Lite favors bullets that are longer (or heavier).
From my experience, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to proclaim the Tikka T3X Lite in 6.5 mm Creedmoor to be a 1.5 MOA rifle in real-world conditions in its standard configuration. And that’s hard to complain about vis-a-vis a Finnish budget rifle.
Tikka T3X Lite Shootability
Shooting with the Leupold Mark4 HD fully magnified on 18x at a distance of 100 yards really facilitated the process. Not only does this scope have great glass and an extremely comfortable eyebox, but I love the Leupold PR1 reticle’s central aiming point. However, at this magnification level, I could clearly see how things like my heartbeat or the aggregate [lack] stability of the Tikka T3X Lite’s stock made the reticle move.
From a pure precision or target-shooting perspective, the standard synthetic stock, though decent and useful in the context of a field gun, leaves something to be desired when it comes to printing neat little groups. Not only is it too light, but the triangular sloping bottom portion tends to slip against rear bags. I found that stabilizing this rifle in the rear requires some finesse. Is it a deal breaker? Hardly.
I’m being nitpicky, and this is a basic hunting rifle, not a target rifle. Hunters don’t need a benchrest rifle to harvest game. However, I have little doubt that removing the synthetic stock and laying down the Tikka T3X Lite’s barreled action in a heavier, better purpose-designed chassis could shrink down groups using the same ammo I showcased in Part 3. The Tikka T3X Lite barreled action harbors a lot of potential.
Not a New Issue
When I reviewed that .22 LR Tikka T1X MTR, I had a similar experience with its basic stock. The barrel and action were capable of printing truly phenomenal ragged-hole groups at 50 yards with match ammo, but I found myself fighting that the stock. The Tikka T1X MTR and the Tikka T3X Lite share the same stock, save for the action’s footprint.
It could be argued that the stock is this rifle’s “weakest” link for this reason, but it also serves to keep Tikka T3X Lite prices reasonable. After all, the best aftermarket riflestocks are anything but cheap.
Recoil-wise, it’s hard to complain about the Tikka T3X Lite, especially because its chambered for 6.5mm Creedmoor, which has fairly mild felt-recoil. A hunter isn’t likely going to shoot 40-60 rounds of expensive hunting ammo every time they hunt. I have no complaints about the included rubber buttpad.
Cycling the Tikka T3X Lite Action
Keeping in mind that this was the first centerfire Tikka of any kind that I’ve ever shot, I thought that the action felt surprisingly smooth, even out of the box, prior to shooting it for the first time.
Physically moving the bolt fore and aft in the raceway yielded no friction points nor did the action need to mildly wear in the way it does in other bolt-action rifles when they’re brand new. Likewise, the interior of the Tikka’s receiver is machined in such a way that it is impossible to bind it.
According to this video I watched while conducting some background research about Tikka rifles, the actions feel slick because the factory in Finland uses a broach-cutting technique that renders work surfaces very smooth during the machining process. The end result of this manufacturing technique is a bolt that can slide smoothly inside the receiver without ever feeling like it could bind while not feeling loose, sloppy, or cheap.
Tangentially, when cycling the Tikka T3X Lite’s action, the ejection of empty casings was also very positive. The Tikka bolt’s ejection mechanism reliably expels empty cases away from the rifle cleanly, regardless of how swift or soft the shooter is moving the bolt.
Because this action is so frictionless, it hardly needs any lubricant. It makes me wonder if Tikka receiver raceways are designed with this smoothness to account for harsh Finnish winter conditions, given the country’s location in the Arctic Circle. Historically, Finnish gunmakers have been some of the most adept at winterizing rifles, especially before the advent of weatherproof synthetic stocks and or other modern materials.
The Takeaway
Tikka T3X Lite rifles are neither the cheapest nor most expensive hunting rifles on the market. But they do have an excellent price-to-performance ratio. They might actually rate their hype, especially since hunters can own this rifle in a variety of calibers, not just 6.5mm Creedmoor.
After taking the time to shoot and look over this rifle for my review, I can clearly see why they have a cult following and why many shooters are even using Tikka actions as the basis of their customized hunting or precision rifle builds. While the Tikka T3X pattern isn’t as pervasive as anything that resembles the classic Remington 700 action, it’s very clear that the industry is changing that. Tikka rifles are here to stay.
For more information, please visit Choose.Tikka.fi/USA.
Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of my Tikka T3X Lite Hunting Rifle Review series.
