Tikka T3 Stainless Lite

I recently spent some time shopping for a new ‘sheep gun’. While my Tikka T3 Stainless Lite sat in the safe, I spent hours in local shops and online reading articles about calibers, stocks, barrels, actions and triggers hoping to find a new, superior rifle. The result? I’ll stick with my Tikka Stainless Lite 30-06.

Admittedly there are nicer rifles: Kimber Montanas, Sako Finnlights, Barrett Fieldcrafts. But the Tikka has alot going for it at a fraction of the price, money that could be better spent on upgraded glass. It’s stainless and synthetic so you don’t need to worry too much about maintenance in the field. It’s a 30-06 with a 22” barrel: relatively short and very effective for all BC game and bears (a note about caliber: I’m not planning to shoot much past 300 yards and within that range, in this province, the 30-06 is the best all-around caliber in my opinion. I prefer to stay away from magnum calibers, especially in a lightweight/short rifle). My Tikka weighs in at 7.0 lbs with a newly installed Swarovski Z3 3-10x scope, an excellent total weight for a backpack rifle (too light = more difficult to shoot accurately) and it consistently throws Nosler 180gr Accubonds sub-moa.

I’m sure the majority of us have limited resources and with that in mind, I suggest taking a hard look at the Tikka T3 Stainless Lite paired with a nice scope for your backpacking adventures.

Pros: Accurate, light, short overall length, great trigger, very smooth action, non-magnum caliber

Cons: Stock feels cheap/hollow, some plastic/composite parts (trigger guard, magazine, etc - although I’ve had no issues in over 6 years and as you can see below she’s taken a few bumps), stock recoil pad requires an upgrade, I prefer a floorplate vs detachable mag.