Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles New mountain rifle Tikka t3x superlite or savage 110 ultralight?

Can I come moose/caribou hunting with you?

I'll even bring my own rifle!

Tikka rifles have some fanboys on this site that think they are the best rifle ever made and Salvage 110's also have their fan base. I own a few Tikka T3x and a few Salvage 110 rifles and they both have their merits and detractions first plus for both is they shoot great! (And that is ALL that some guys need or care) I have owned some Salvage rifles that were scarey accurate right out of the box (sub .5") 👍....BUT Salvage 110's have their pieced together bolt ( thats very easy to work on) but rougher than the smooth T3x, along with their bladed trigger (which I change out to a Timney immediatly) and a Salvage rifle aint the prettiest girl at the dance but some models have the Accustock which I find excellent for fitting to my preferance, all hunting rifles should have this.....Tikka T3x also shoot/work great with a fantastic trigger and smooth as silk action but they have the notorious "plastikka" bottom metal along with a non-adjustable plastic stock that has a very cheesy recoil lug system and dont forget the plastic magazines and the one size fits all action from .223 Rem to .300 Win 😵‍💫 ..In the end both rifles are built to a price point and they do work great but neither can be compared to a fine classic hunting rifle like a Model 70 or many others......Good hunting ....Hb

Check out the Superlite version at Sportman's Warehouse.

Hell, lets really get this discussion going. I'll throw out getting a Browning X-Bolt in one of several models. Plain old Stainless Stalker, Hells Canyon Speed etc. IMO the bolt throw, smoothness and tang safety cant be beaten. Weight and accuracy are good also. I say the Browning is better than both the Tikka or Savage.

Yeah I cant argue with the Browning X-bolt being a dandy rifle, i have owned several (maybe 8 ) and they have been on average the most accurate rifle's right out of the box I have owned. my only complaint is i dont care for the busy trigger ( lots of parts ) and im not a fan of the bolt handle but I do like the short bolt lift and weight is fine, not too heavy not too light and X-bolt's have nice looking aluminum bottom metal👍..They make a dandy rifle at Miroku Corp..Hb

That's the exact one I'm looking at

There is a lot to like about the X-Bolt. I like the fact that the safety locks the bolt. Would be tempted to pick up basic X-Bolt SS in 308 but alas, I'm left handed.

One down side is that many (most) of their models are pretty expensive. You could be into a pretty snazzy semi-custom for the same money.

I also looked at a couple weatherby vanguards while I was there. They look to be really sweet rifles as well, but weighed in about 7.5 lb possibly a little heavy for a mountain rifle?

I have both rifles. My Savage is a 223 and my Tikka is a 6.5CM. I am a huge fan of both rifles, but would pick the Tikka every day of the week. The Savage is lighter, but with the spiral cuts in the bolt, the bolt does not slide very smoothly. It feels more like a titanium action. The Tikka on the other hand is super slick. It is great. Both shoot very well. The only reason I would consider the Savage over the Tikka is if you like to tinker with barrel and bolt head swaps or if you were a dedicated sheep hunter where every ounce counts. I have never used a prefit on a Tikka so I can not speak to that. I have on the other hand had dozens of Savages apart tinkering and having fun. Like I said, I am a huge fan of both rifles. I think I own five or six Savages and four Tikkas. Neither will disappoint on accuracy.

If you’re not dead set on a new mountain rifle, look at a good used weatherby mk5 ultralight. I have one in 280rem. Deadly accurate and weighs in at 5.75lbs. Very hardy well built rifle.super slick action and Shoulders like a dream. And has soaked up a lot of mountain abuse and keeps on ticking. Highly, Highly recommend.

I was actually playing online earlier tonight and was looking really close at the new weatherby mark v hunter. It weighs in at right around 6 lbs and the price is really good too!

After much research, if I do decide to sell my buddy my 700 mountain my replacement should be an upgrade. I am looking very closely now at the new weatherby mark v hunter and the Kimber Montana. Does anyone have any experience with either?

Tikka

If accuracy is the only criteria you judge a rifle by IME the Ruger is a tie with Tikka. I've had 3 of the Ruger Predators, 223, 308, and 6.5CM. All were quite accurate. But I had magazine issues with the 308 and 6.5. The 223 uses AR magazines which work, and I still have that rifle. The magazines work on my Tikka's and the 5 round mags don't protrude far enough below the stock to be an issue for me. That is all I use.

I paid $350 each for my Predators and can remember seeing the standard Americans priced at $200 on sale. At that price I'd look hard at the Ruger. But the Predators are now approaching $500. I can still get a blue Tikka for $600 and it is well worth $100 more to me.

A SS Tikka is around $750. SS isn't a regular option with Ruger, although I've seen one.

Yeah if accuracy is your only concern in a New rifle you can save a LOT of money by buying Tikka T3/Ruger American/Savage 110 rifles and have a great time with some very accurate rifles 👍👍.....Hb

You have a lot of votes for Tikka and then you want to get a Weatherby? Sorry, but that is not an upgrade over the mountain rifle. The Tikka is an upgrade because it is more mechanically sound/reliable, plus it will outshoot that mountain rifle any day of the week.. It's your choice, but you are trying to take a step backwards on that one. Good luck with your search. Hell, the mauser I just bought is an upgrade over all the rifles you mention. ha ha..

My son has a Tikka t3 in 270 Win. We think it is a good rifle, however it is a terrible idea to take the safety off to get the round out of the chamber. We can talk about " dont be stupid" , " just be carefull", but when it is cold out and maybe even with big gloves, it does not take that much to make a mistake. One slip of your hand when you are out all morning hunting and you are cold, your hands don't worth the same. To make matters worse, a 2 lb trigger does not take much to set off. There is no reason for it. My Ruger American, TC Venture, Rem. 700 all let you take the round out with the safety on. Also, That gun kicks like a mule in 270 Win . especially with hard loads with 150 gr. for our bear loads. The recoil pad is all but useless too. Many say it has a weak part in the recoil lug too. One poster said he would not go bigger than 270 WIn . because of that. There is no reason for that neither , if it is true. As for my only Savage, a model 12FV with a bull barrel in .223 Rem. Sure, it shoots good, real good, but the round hardly ever goes into the chamber . This makes it basically a single shot. Not that it matters, it has never been in the woods. I wanted to trade the Savage in for a Tikka T3 light but with that "safety" I don't think I will buy one. Would be a coyote gun. Below 0 temps are common. This leaves me with a Ruger Ranch rifle if I want a super light .in .223 Rem. Cant find them at the gun shops though . ,.. After 100 yrs of making rifles, they still seem to be stupid . Why dont they make a Ruger compact in .223 Rem?? I like mine in .243 WIn.

I apologize, I would like to set the record straight. The rifle I have that my buddy wants to buy isn't 90s era, it is early to mid 2000s. It is a model 700 mountain SS. I got it mixed up with my 90s Winchester 70 .30-06(which is not going anywhere 😉)

Are you going to compare the trigger on a Tikka T3 with one out of a Remington 700 in regards to functionality? Especially in cold weather.

you can't go wrong with a Savage... but you do it with style when you pick a Tikka....