Tikka 6.5X55

C

Cain R

New member
Finally found a good 6.5x55 yesterday, been looking for a Ruger for the last 2 years. But a trip to Edmonton yesterday to a new gun shop was well rewarded. A brand new Tikka Whitetail hunter in 6.5x55, beautiful stock and the bolt glides like ball bearings. Wow. And at 503.00 US (795.00Cdn) the price was right. This debate about Savage vs. Remington vs. Winchester is silly, they are all good guns, some have different features, but all are well constructed safe rifles. I've got several of each and have NEVER had a problem with any of them. :D
 
Yes I did get it at P&D. Seen the article in this month's NFA mag, Point Blank. Great bunch of folks up there! But I still miss Trail Firearms in Edm, best deals I ever got were at that store.
 
Yep Phil and Diane are great folks...

I have bought almost all of my guns except 3 from P and D. I really like them a lot - even though their prices aren't the best I always throw them my business. I've only bought guns and accessories from other places when their prices were way more than a competitors (not very often). They always mount, lap, and boresight a scope for me and they never charge me. If you have any problems with a rifle they will always fix the problem without any hassles.
 
Cain R

Looking for a Ruger and ended up with a Tikka. Truly a story with a happy ending.

Nice to see so many fellow Canucks on the board.
 
HEY CAIN R:GUNNUTS HERE,I've been looking for a SAKO/TIKKA model ? not sure what model# it is,a shop told me they make it in lefthanded,270 cal. is the smallest they make in this model,he's had one on order for 3 months,I have a SAKO FINNFIRE model P94S in righthand they don't make it in lefthand, :mad: it is a very !! nice rifle.
 
You certainly made the right move in regards to buying tikka over a Ruger. Both do indeed have cast recievers but unlike the Ruger the Tikka is not cast nearly as crudely.

The Tikka certainly does have good workmanship but it does not have a quality forged reciever so sorry but it does not make the grade for my personal tastes. I am very particular when it comes to buying rifles. For me cost has always been a secondary consideration.

Despite the wrong info just published here that the Tikka is forged, it is not. Read the two write up's in back issues of the American Rifleman or get hold of a person that has worked in industry with castings and he can show you what to look for.

I personally have always, always perferred the controlled feed action of the various classics like the 98 Mauser or Original Model 70 Winchester or post '94 Winchester Model 70. They have proved way more reliable for my use. I have never ever jamed up one of the controlled feed type rifles. This is one reason I have always admired and purchased them. W.R.
 
Hey Wild Romanian. Your right about the post '94 Winchesters alright. I've got three and the controlled feed is great, its takan a few years of work but the bolts are finnally starting to smooth up. But I will never buy another Winchester product ever! Last one was a .300 Wby, purchased at Wholesale Sports in Calgary, first the scope bases were drilled out at a different width for modern bases, apparently in the pre '64's the screw mounts were farther apart, NONE of the new bases from Leupold, Weaver, Millet, etc would fit, Wholesale wanted me to pay to have new holes drilled at $25.00 per hole. After a month of fighting with them and 24 phone calls to Winchester, no one there was any help and no one ever called me back, I took it to a local 'smith who had some old never used bases in stock. So, after over a month of down time, my .300 Wby was ready to fire right? Took it too the range and none of the factory ammo would chamber. A bore cast showed the chamber was almost 1/16" too short. So more unreturned calls to Winchester, Wholesale wouldn't even talk to me, said they would fix it for their regular 'smith hourly rate only. Long story short, my local 'smith removed the barrel, said he did it with his bare hands, it was that loose, recut the chamber, floated the barrel and glass bedded the action, so after paying $695.00 for the rifle I had to pay almost another $250.00 just to be able to pull the trigger. Around here Winchester is a swear word. I know that occasionally you get a Lemon, but the level of service from the factory was terrible.:mad:
 
Here we go again. The same wives tales about cast receivers. In another thread, the same poster said they were filled with air pockets, would crack in cold weather and needed to be much heavier because they lacked strength. Ruger rifle actions are cast and they are the same size and same strength as the rest. I don't care for Ruger not because they aren't strong or have cast metal but for other reasons.

The Winchester action, properly executed, is a wonderful thing. The trouble is Winchester isn't properly executing them as noted above. Dakota and Beretta are, CZ too.

Right now buying any rifle from one of the major North American factories is a crap shoot for quality control. Sad to say but the Europeans are putting up better rifles these days -- more expensive to be sure but definitely better.
 
The Tikka seems to be a good critter. A buddy of mine brough a southpaw .243 out to sight in, and it was inside an inch at 100 yards, right out of the box. He feels he's got himself a nice coyote gun. :)

Now: This thread is about a guy who's happy with his good deal on a good gun. What it ain't is a thread about castings and forgings and controlled feed. And it ain't a thread about bum-rapping anything.

Cause I said so. :D

Art
 
To Cain R.

Sounds as if you had a pre -War Model 70. They did indeed have different holes. I find it strange that no one told you about blank undrilled bases. Here in our neck of the woods we are lucky enough to have some real professional gunsmiths and they all have blank bases.

I ran into the same problem myself with a pre-war Target Model and I simple bought one of the fully ajustable Buelar mounts (now out of buisness) turned it upside down and filed off a small ridge on it and had the scope mounted in less time than it takes to talk about it.

I find it suprising that you had so much trouble with a new Post 94 Winchester Model 70. Most of the ones that I have sold in recent times actually had better workmanship than most of the Old Model 70's excepting the pre-War Guns.

I have sold serveral to some close friends and they went on some very expensive hunts to the far corners of the world and they raved about the accuracy and reliablilty and the smoothness of the action.

I have found the Winchester Model 70 to be one of the smoothest actions ever built. I have never encountered a rough bolt as you have described but I guess as you say their are probably lemons in all brands. It's just that so far I have never found one yet in a Winchester. W.R.
 
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