Tikka vs sako 3006

[hilt134]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

A Mesa definitely has a better synthetic stock than a Sako, and a better trigger, and it costs less. Accuracy was comparable to my Sako hunting rifles as well.

Well ill have to do some practical research and see which feels better. I will say I like the look of the mesa. And I definitely should of stated a sako 85. As its about the only one I've seen in canada. Though christensen is a brand I've only heard about recently. I'll have to do a deep dive into the reliability of them

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by hilt134

Well ill have to do some practical research and see which feels better. I will say I like the look of the mesa. And I definitely should of stated a sako 85. As its about the only one I've seen in canada. Though christensen is a brand I've only heard about recently. I'll have to do a deep dive into the reliability of them

Christensen is just another Remington 700 clone, with a decent stock, and a Triggertech trigger. They are quite well done for the price.

[Buckhead]

I would not buy another Tikka. The price is just getting above what I would pay for what is a truck gun. They are decent in their own right but not worth the current market price.
Why pay $1,400 bucks for a new Tikka when you can get a nice Sako for $2,000 or less if you look around. In the used market even less.

[fishnguy]

^ A new stainless tikka can be bought for $1,000-1,050 on sale and if one looks around, those sales aren’t impossible to find. I don’t have any experience with Tikka. I did buy a Roughtech for $999 that I have not shot yet, amazingly (amazingly because it is going to be a year soon since I bought it). It’s a nice gun to handle for what I paid for it, in my opinion.

[southernman]

Personally I rather a Sako than a tikka, ive got several and have owned a couple for more than 40 years, made a living with a Sako vixen .222, deer culling and goat control.
Ten years ago the Tikkas were a bargain, 700-800, now lots of low to mid priced options,
You're in Canmore, I recommend taking a drive to bashaw sports, the have a sale on a number of Sako 85's, New for around 1700-1800 bucks, and carry a good stock of Winchester M70, another fine hunting rifle.

[KazIce]

I own 2 T3X tikka. Very happy with them. They shoot incredibly well, even with factory ammo. Only minus I have found are the magazines. Factory mags don’t give you clearance to adjust bullet seating depth very much at all; you have to use an aftermarket magazine for this. So if you plan to hand load keep that in mind.


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[Salavee]

Originally Posted by Tactical Lever

Well, the Tikka are reported to shoot quite well. One of my long time friends and his wife have a couple or few. They seem to like them, and I handled his, but to me, it didn't feel like a high dollar gun. I only have a hair more experience shooting a Sako years ago, and even as young as I was, I could tell that they were special rifles.

Personally I have no desire for a Tikka. Maybe an older one, but the new guns have a number of cost savings measures, which may not be detrimental, but I hesitate to put down hard earned money for some of the features. Sorry if that ruffles feathers... didn't know how to put that delicately. Quite a bit of plastic, and short cuts, yet they seem to be a bit heavy, if I have read correctly. Been a long time since I handled one.

I'd sooner get one of the mid grade guns from one of the other manufacturers. Not a fan of any of the entry level guns. Or used guns can be had quite reasonable, with lots of life left in them. Most big game rifles are shot very little.

Chuck Hawks says it quite well:https://www.chuckhawks.com/critical_look.htm

Great article !! Says it all. Chuck Hawks is, and always was, a pretty straight shooter. Too bad that those who would really appreciate real quality and value in a rifle wont listen.
Kool Aid is all over the place these days. Money Talks.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Salavee

Great article !! Says it all. Chuck Hawks is, and always was, a pretty straight shooter. Too bad that those who would really appreciate real quality and value in a rifle wont listen.
Kool Aid is all over the place these days. Money Talks.

Chuckhawks is about rhe last place I look for reviews on hunting firearms. He is a writer, and has no special qualifications as far as being a gunsmith or even an experienced hunter. I value the opinion of some AO members more than I value Chuckhawks opinion.
As far as choosing a firearm , look at what your hunting budget allows, if you can afford to buy a higher end firearm, without sacrificing your ability to actually go hunting, then by all means, purchase what you like. If you have to hunt less, or make sacrifices in optics or clothing or equipment to buy the higher end firearm, then you need to look at where spending your money will help you more in the field.
I know people that treat their firearms like a tool, to the point of abusing them, and it makes no sense to spend extra cash to abuse something. I did some load develop for a friend this summer, and his Tikka was one of the most mistreated firearms that I have ever seen, but it still functioned well. I know other people that have higher grade firearms, that lose out on hunting opportunities, because they are afraid to put a mark on their firearm.

[buckbrush]

I own both. I’ve had three buddies shoot my Sako and all three ended up buying one. It’s the highest quality rifle I’ve ever owned.
With that being said, I feel like Tikka is a great rifle for the cost and I’m just as good of a shot with a Tikka as I am with a Sako.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Chuckhawks is about rhe last place I look for reviews on hunting firearms. He is a writer, and has no special qualifications as far as being a gunsmith or even an experienced hunter. I value the opinion of some AO members more than I value Chuckhawks opinion.
As far as choosing a firearm , look at what your hunting budget allows, if you can afford to buy a higher end firearm, without sacrificing your ability to actually go hunting, then by all means, purchase what you like. If you have to hunt less, or make sacrifices in optics or clothing or equipment to buy the higher end firearm, then you need to look at where spending your money will help you more in the field.
I know people that treat their firearms like a tool, to the point of abusing them, and it makes no sense to spend extra cash to abuse something. I did some load develop for a friend this summer, and his Tikka was one of the most mistreated firearms that I have ever seen, but it still functioned well. I know other people that have higher grade firearms, that lose out on hunting opportunities, because they are afraid to put a mark on their firearm.

Quite the examples. Try Again.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Salavee

Quite the examples. Try Again.

They are actual examples, not some opinion written by a writer that has no first hand experience with much of what he writes about.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

They are actual examples, not some opinion written by a writer that has no first hand experience with much of what he writes about.

That remark makes little sense as well, unless have spent some time with the writer.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Salavee

That remark makes little sense as well, unless have spent some time with the writer.

Look through the list of firearms reviews on his site,and see how many of those reviews that were done by Chuckhawks himself. Most of the reviews were done by someone else, that actually used the firearms in question.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Look through the list of firearms reviews on his site,and see how many of those reviews that were done by Chuckhawks himself. Most of the reviews were done by someone else, that actually used the firearms in question.

Maybe he should send you a copy for approval before he sends it to a publisher.

[huntingfamily]

The toy stock alone is one reason I refuse to buy a tikka. It's a major turn-off for me.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Salavee

Maybe he should send you a copy for approval before he sends it to a publisher.

I could care less what he does, I am not foolish enough to actually pay to subscribe to his nonsense.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by huntingfamily

The toy stock alone is one reason I refuse to buy a tikka. It's a major turn-off for me.

Then again, the Sako plastic stocks aren't much better.

[huntingfamily]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Then again, the Sako plastic stocks aren't much better.

You're not too far off with that statement. This is why my preference is for the Sako A or 75 series rifles.

[kujoseto]

For the price of a Sako, I prefer to get a Tikka and put a Ron Smith or Bob Jury barrel on it.
I like the Tikka laminate stock but I have also been surprised by the Bell & Carlson I installed. Not the same quality as the McMillan but purchased second hand it is a fraction of the cost of the expensive brands.

[obsessed1]

You guys are hilarious. Arguing over what is nicer ECT...I'd wager 75% of the guys one here would benefit from buying a 600 $ gun and 1500$ of ammo and actually shooting it than buying a high dollar gun and not shooting it. Or having to make other sacrifices financially that will have greater impact on shooting/ hunting ability that actually equate to a higher level of skills.
At the end of the day both are tools, if money is no object and you can afford to get a " beautiful" gun buy the one you like best. 2k is a huge pile of money in my world so my experience might be different from someone who has 2k/ month disposable income....
As for the OP...both guns have a good reputation. Both also put out lemons if you can afford it get the one that speaks to you. That will be your rifle.
Ps I agree with elk11 on hawks. But that's just my opinion

[goldscud]

I have a left hand Tikka 7mm Rem Mag (ordered from Prairie gun traders in Sask). Buddy shoots a Sako. No doubt the Sako is probably better in a number of areas, but when it comes to hitting the mark, I see no difference when putting game in the freezer. Never had an issue with the Tikka.

Buy a good scope, practice, and the Tikka will serve you well.

[sns2]

I have had the following Sakos (all 85s)

Bavarian 270 wsm
Hunter 30-06
Finnlight 270 & 7-08
Grey Wolf 6.5x55
Stainless Hunter 6.5x55

Sakos are admittedly very nice guns, they are good quality, that is why I have bought them, but nothing really grabbed me about any of them, so they went down the road. Some, I never even shot.

I would buy two T3X Tikkas over a single Sako any day of the week. You get the same barrel and trigger to begin with, but the one piece bolt, magazine, and bottom metal just do not matter that much to me.

At the $1000 price point, imo, there is nothing better than a stainless Tikka T3X.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

You guys are hilarious. Arguing over what is nicer ECT...I'd wager 75% of the guys one here would benefit from buying a 600 $ gun and 1500$ of ammo and actually shooting it than buying a high dollar gun and not shooting it. Or having to make other sacrifices financially that will have greater impact on shooting/ hunting ability that actually equate to a higher level of skills.
At the end of the day both are tools, if money is no object and you can afford to get a " beautiful" gun buy the one you like best. 2k is a huge pile of money in my world so my experience might be different from someone who has 2k/ month disposable income....
As for the OP...both guns have a good reputation. Both also put out lemons if you can afford it get the one that speaks to you. That will be your rifle.
Ps I agree with elk11 on hawks. But that's just my opinion

I certainly agree with that, but that doesn`t mean the one couldn`t buy a higher quality rifle and still shoot it just as often. Sqeezing the S--- out of the Beaver on a nickle doesn`t quite cut it. Hunting and shooting was always a relatively expensive passtime for most and is not for everybody. Going the cheapest route on your main tools isn`t a practical approach to frugality IMO. The same goes for projectiles.
As usual, get the best that you can afford and enjoy it for the rest of your life.

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by Salavee

I certainly agree with that, but that doesn`t mean the one couldn`t buy a higher quality rifle and still shoot it just as often. Sqeezing the S--- out of the Beaver on a nickle doesn`t quite cut it. Hunting and shooting was always a relatively expensive passtime for most and is not for everybody. Going the cheapest route on your main tools isn`t a practical approach to frugality IMO. The same goes for projectiles.
As usual, get the best that you can afford and enjoy it for the rest of your life.

This is true to a point. But I have 2 sub 600 dollar guns that will do better than 1moa all the time. both have wood stocks and all blued metal parts. Good guns don't have to be expensive, if a guy has the coin and wants to spend it...fantastic but even if you do have the coin it's not necessary to spend 1-2k for a great rifle. Buy what you can afford and want...but shooting / hunting does NOT have to be a rich man's game or even super expensive. There is a cost for sure but even modest budgets can play
I do hole heartedly agree to get what you WANT if you can afford too without having to sacrifice other areas that might actually make a difference in your skill level wether it be hunting or shooting.

[heybert]

I currently hunt with a stainless T3 that gets scratched and scraped while hunting. I used to hunt with a 75 and an AV. I've never had an 85. Reason why I've changed is that the T3 is lighter and I don't mind it getting marked up. I've only held an 85 and didn't find it to be anything special. I still like my old Sakos, especially my carbines. They only get shot at the range now. Do I think the 85 or the A7 is better than a T3/T3X? Some components may be, but as everyone would agree, performance is what counts.

[wwbirds]

I dialed in my tikka t3 hunter 30-06 as good as I could get with reloads as one of my first employee purchases at WSS in 2008. On a good day I could squeeze 3/8 to 1/2 groups consistently and hunted pretty much exclusively with it for 5 years.
Before getting laid off at WSS in 2012 I made sure to get my last employee purchases in before the hammer fell so for some reason I decided to order a Sako A7 stainless in 30-06 replacement with a view to offering my Tikka to my son if he wanted to trade up from his Parker Hale.
He found he got better groups with the Parker Hale and perhaps he was attached to it for he had killed many deer and one bull elk with it when it was all he could afford so I sold the Tikka Hunter to a member of this forum.
Initially on my old tried and tested reloads I could sometimes get 3/4 inch groups out of the Sako so thought perhaps I had made a mistake dealing the Tikka away so quickly. A little bit of playing with the velocity of the load for the Sako now has it shooting as good as the old tikka.
Parker Hale, Tikka or Sako I think it still matters how and if you dial it in and for some minute of deer is good enough as they are not chasing paper sized dimes. If the owner is happy with it that is all that matters!

[Battle Rat]

I've never owned a Sako but do have a couple Tikkas.
Leaving the stocks out of it, if were talking just action and barrel, what is better about a Sako?

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

I've never owned a Sako but do have a couple Tikkas.
Leaving the stocks out of it, if were talking just action and barrel, what is better about a Sako?

Barrels roll off the same assembly line. One piece bolt for the Sako. Bottom metal is actual metal on a Sako. Bolt shroud used to be plastic on Tikkas, but are now metal, so that one is off the table.

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

Having owned Sako 75 and Tikka T3's rifles, they are both great rifles and shooters. If you prefer action size to fit the caliber, go Sako 75/85. Sako 75 / 85 rifles also have metal magazines that are double stacked.

The only reason I sold my 2 Tikka T3's LS rifles was I found a Sako m75 SS in the same caliber, so I sold the T3's to my bro-in-law and father-in-law. All my rifles now are Sako 75 models.

Sako A7 RTP has a few additional features (stock / fluted barrel) over a T3 and Sako A7.

Maybe look at the new Sako S20 and the new features it has.

I bought my first new Sako m75 SS back in 1997 and its still my main go-to rifle today. Been hunted hard with but has been very well kept and you would never know its 23 years old.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

I've never owned a Sako but do have a couple Tikkas.
Leaving the stocks out of it, if were talking just action and barrel, what is better about a Sako?

(Sako) 3 locking lugs, metal mag (expensive to replace) better stocks. (little things like cast etc.)

(Tikka) 2 locking lugs, Not as good of scope mount rails, one size fits all mag and actions, recoil lug is wimpy.

I like them both tikka is lighter,. Choose which ever fits you best, neither choice is the wrong choice.