All hail the Veil
Lefty Paul Miller on a Tikka/Sako revelation
Tikka rifles are imported by Beretta Australia and have become one of the most successful rifle brands both here and worldwide. Their history stretches back more than 120 years with beginnings in a humble tool workshop in Finland, making basic gun components as early as 1918.
In the early 1920s machines and equipment were acquired to make rifle barrels then, in 1937, the first complete sporting rifles started to be manufactured. During World War II the factory almost exclusively made ammunition before ownership of the company reverted to the Soviet State for a short while and they started making Tikka sewing machines! This didn’t last long and by 1949 they were back to producing firearms with a double-barrel shotgun called the M49.
With new ownership in the 1950s gun production ramped up, then in 1967 the firm began making car accessories. They apparently came to their senses two years later to concentrate on firearms again and a rifle many of us more mature SSAA members would remember, the LSA 55 bolt-action, was born.
In 1972 the serious manufacture of Tikka rifles accelerated and in 1981 they teamed up with legendary Finnish company Sako to design a prototype rifle. By 1989 the production of Tikka firearms was transferred to the Sako factory in Riihimaki and the rest, as they say, is history. In March 2020 the one-millionth Tikka T3/T3X was produced to mark amazing milestone.
When you realise Tikka rifles today are engineered and manufactured in the Sako factory in Finland, you begin to understand why they’re so accurate and just as popular as the more affordable yet equally durable and accurate Sako counterparts. So I was thrilled to see an advert in our magazine for the new T3X with patented Veil ‘Wideland’ camouflage pattern in a left-handed bolt configuration, and can’t remember firing off such a speedy email to the editor to hopefully secure a review.
Beretta responded immediately and a carton arrived within a week. What emerged from the box was the highest specification hunting rifle Tikka has made to date, with a highly impressive Steiner Ranger 10 scope secured in Burris mounts and bases. It was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor and its performance was quite a revelation. I’d heard of the ‘6.5 Creed’ of course, which has been rapidly growing in popularity in Australia during the past few years as more than just a superb target round.
There are several excellent factory loads more readily available now, along with suitable game bullets reloaders can craft into serious hunting loads. This was all a revelation to me, not being a dedicated long-distance target shooter, and this rifle gave me the chance to come out from the rock I must’ve been living under (with my much-cherished 25-06) to discover what this short-action cartridge is really capable of at the range and in real-world hunting scenarios.
Stock and fore-end
This T3X has a very modern yet classic-shaped robust synthetic stock. It features the proprietary Veil ‘Wideland’ camouflage pattern the Finns recommend for forested areas like so many places we hunt here and is also available in ‘Alpine’ for where snow may feature in the landscape, ideal for our alpine areas in winter. The Cerakote coating on the action and barrel matches the camo colours well in both stock camo colour schemes on these rifles.
The fore-end of this stock is quite slim and profiled almost flat on the bottom for resting on a bag at the range and has a sling swivel stud for bipod attachment (Tikka make an exceptional one that suits the T3X perfectly). I believe the fore-end can be broadened by adding an optional Tikka one, while the pistol grip can be swapped out for a more aggressive, near-vertical one that’s said to improve alignment of the trigger finger and trigger. The grip supplied has a more open radius, looks elegant and is very comfortable for hunting.
Barrel
Tikka are famous for quality barrel manufacture using the cold hammer forging method, said to greatly enhance accuracy and remove the need for breaking in the barrel. The barrel is 24.3” long which allows the 6.5 Creedmoor to attain its best ballistics, is made of stainless steel and Cerakote coated to maximise durability in almost any conditions. The profile is thicker from the knox form forward to where the barrel tapers down compared to other lightweight Tikkas. This is said to improve accuracy for those long shots anticipated in a firearm designed to be a portable mountain rifle.
The end of the barrel is threaded ⅝-24 and a slim muzzle brake is included which reduces recoil significantly, the downside of course being the intense muzzle blast. To further reduce weight, the barrel has been fluted, all up a smart-looking barrel and muzzle brake which also includes an end cap. The 6.5 Creedmoor isn’t a heavy-recoiling cartridge but the brake certainly made shooting off the bench noticeably more comfortable. In hills or mountains you may prefer not to use it but, if you do, be sure to have hearing protection on hand – and use it!
Action
The stainless steel T3X action has been given the deluxe treatment with a fluted bolt and Cerakote coating to match the barrel. This rifle features a short action to accommodate cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester. The near flush-fitting industrial plastic magazine holds three cartridges with one in the chamber, with others of greater capacity available as extras. This one fed flawlessly and was positively located in the action, never feeling like it might drop out. It would be a good idea to buy a spare magazine in the unlikely event you lose the one supplied, or if you want to increase firepower with a spare in your pocket.
The fluted bolt is the smoothest I’ve ever used, its large handle enhancing the ability to manipulate the bolt in the quickest possible time. Fluting is designed to reduce weight and apparently works better to remove crud in extreme shooting environments – and it looks cool!
Scope-mounting is via a long dovetail machined into the action and ample screw placements for a Picatinny rail or bases on the flat top of the action, like the Burris ones supplied here. There’s ample room to mount the scope fore and aft to allow for gun fit and safe scope placement, enhancing eye protection on heavier recoiling cartridges (no excuses for scope eyebrow with this set-up). The single-stage trigger is easily adjustable from 4lbs down to roughly 2lbs, is absolutely crisp with no hint of creep and at 2lbs is among the very best I’ve ever used.
Scope
The one supplied is the new high-end Steiner Ranger 10 1-10×24 which is a 10-zoom power, quite an achievement. The optics are superb as are the illuminated reticle and sheer quality of feel with tactile adjustments for zoom and illumination. This scope will be the subject of a separate review, but worked perfectly on this rifle until I replaced it with a higher powered 4.5-14×40 for the hunting part of the review.
Shooting impressions
It’s fair to say Tikka rifles have come a long way from the T3s I reviewed here in the days of their introduction. I was most impressed then but these new T3X variants are superb examples of Finnish engineering and manufacture, being thoroughly modern rifles with features which make them outstanding in their class and price point. The fact they offer left-handed actions just makes them even more appreciated worldwide by all us good-looking and modest lefties, who love our sport just as much as the other 90 per cent of the shooting population!
With its lightweight yet rigid camouflaged synthetic stock and super-smooth stainless action with fluted bolt and Cerakote coated stainless barrel with muzzle brake, this rifle’s best described as having ‘all the bells and whistles’. My only comment is the recoil pad could be better, as while the one supplied is perfectly adequate and cool-looking, I wonder if Tikka/Sako could do a deal with Limbsaver to install the excellent Limbsaver Tikka replacement pad at the factory. Frankly, that’s all I can think of that could be an improvement on an otherwise impeccably modern, hi-tech and highly portable hunting rifle. If I owned one I’d install the aftermarket steeper pistol grip and basically be in ‘lefty heaven’.
Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor it proved to easily break the three-shot MOA guarantee it comes with. It loved the two boxes of Sako 140gr Blade ammo kindly supplied for this review and also responded well to handloading. Its superb accuracy and precise handling in the field helped reduce the pig, goat and fox numbers around the Crookwell area of NSW during two separate visits. Apart from the recoil pad, it’s hard to imagine how Tikka and Sako could improve on this rifle but never say never. Very highly recommended.
- I’d like to thank Sammi Hogg and the team at Beretta Australia for their quick response to my review request and for including premium Sako ammunition which, when expended, allowed me to also reload for this review.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Tikka of Finland
Model: T3X Lite Veil ‘Wideland’ camouflage pattern
Cartridges: .223R through .300 Win Mag and 6.5 Creedmoor (tested)
Action: Stainless steel Cerakote coated action with fluted bolt
Magazine: Three-shot industrial plastic, near flush-mounted
Trigger: Adjustable approx. 2-4lb
Barrel: 24.3” stainless steel, 1:8 twist, Cerakote coated, fluted and muzzle brake
Stock: Synthetic, Classic profile with Veil ‘Wideland’ camo pattern, aftermarket optional interchangeable pistol grip and secondary wider fore-end available
Dimensions: 14.5” length of pull, total length with muzzle brake 46” (1180mm)
Weight: 3.2kg (7.1lb) naked, 3.78kg (8.3lb) with Leupold scope, bases and mounts
Accessories: Instruction manual, sling swivels
Warranty: Two years
RRP: About $2950 (LH) and $2850 (RH) but shop around
Distributor: Beretta Australia (www.berettaaustralia.com.au)