Tikka T3X Lite – The best rifle for women and smaller framed shooters – When rifle hunting it is vital that you have a gun that is reliable, comfortable to carry, shoulders well and that you feel comfortable operating. Basically, something that becomes an extension of your own body. This past season I upgraded my rifle to the Tikka T3x Lite. After hunting for many years, and trying out a number of different guns, I decided it was time to upgrade to a sturdy, lightweight, reliable rifle for all my big game hunting. I bought the rifle as a treat to myself for graduating university with a business degree. This past season I used my new rifle a number of times at the gun range and while white-tail deer and moose hunting. While doing so, I was comparing it to other rifles I have used in the past.
My rifle purchase wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment shopping event. I spent a long time researching what I wanted and chose I Tikka T3x Lite by Sako, a high-performance rifle that can be used on any hunt. What sold me on this rifle was its availability as a left-handed gun. As a left-handed shooter, the options for a good rifle are limited. When I found out the T3x Lite was also available in a left-handed model I was super excited. This gun has everything I want, from being lightweight, two-position safety, easy to load and unload, removable clip, along with durable easy to care synthetic stock. The Tikka T3x Lite, can also be customized with accessories such as my personal favorite the ball bolt handle to make the bolt easier to open when afield, especially on cold days when wearing gloves. All of these factors combined convinced me that this is the best rifle out there.
I really like Vortex Optics and I chose to top my rifle with a Vortex Razor HD LHT rifle scope. I chose a variable power scope as it would give me plenty of magnification options for all kinds of hunting and shooting situations. My brother mounted the scope for me using High Rings and a Picatinny Rail and then bore sighted it.
My new rifle was ready to shoot and off to the range I went. Even though the Tikka rifle barrels are cold hammer forged and do not need to be broken in to shoot accurately out of the box, for the first 10 shots, I would fire a round, clean the barrel, let the barrel cool down and repeat. Every time I squeezed the trigger, I was amazed by how smooth and crisp the trigger pull was and that the shot would have little to no kickback. I then settled in to sight in the rifle using .270 Winchester 130 grain Deer Season XP bullets. Within a few rounds this gun was easily sighted in and shooting tight groups averaging under an inch. I then tried shooting groups with a variety of different bullets and had good groupings with all of them proving just how accurate these rifles are.
Compared to other rifles I have used in the past the accuracy of my Tikka T3X Lite is unmatched, once sighted in, I never had to be concerned with the accuracy of this rifle and confidently used it harvest a bull moose and whitetail buck
Key Features:
The Tikka T3x Lite has numerous features that make it the best rifle out there for big game hunting. Below are some of the key features that I have found while using this rifle.
- Lightweight and quiet when afield
- The Tikka T3x has a light barrel and compact design making this lightweight rifle easy to carry. The stock is filled with foam which causes it to be silent when moving through the brush even if your stock rubs up against something. Being silent while hunting is key to having success.
- Highly customizable
- The Tikka T3x comes in over 300 different variations including stock length, barrel material, adjustable cheek pieces and multiple sight options. This gun can be customized and adapted to a hunter’s needs rather than a hunter needing to adapt to their gun.
- Numerous Accessory Options
- The Tikka T3 comes with another of accessory options to elevate your game in the field, this includes the ball bolt handle, grips designed to your preferred shooting method, slings to carry your gun on long distance stalks or walks to your blind, muzzle breaks, soft sided gun cases, magazine clips, and bipods. Using accessories that will assist you in your hunt, will elevate your shooting and lead to more successful outcomes.
- Low Maintenance
- With a synthetic stock, the Tikka T3x is an easy low maintenance stock. It is easy to clean when faced with the elements while afield.
- 19 Caliber options and multiple barrel lengths
- Tikka T3x Lite has the largest selection of calibers of T3x rifles. There are 19 caliber options and multiple barrel lengths from 20” – 24”. This provides hunters with the ability to select the options they are looking for in a gun that is still dependable and incredibly accurate in the field. My personal choice for caliber is 270 Win with a shorter barrel length of 22.4 inches.
- Two-Locking Lug T3x bolt
- The T3x bolt on the Tikka T3x Lite is made out of hardened steel. The bolt has a spring-loaded plunger ejector and is an easily removeable bolt handle making cleaning easy. It opens to a 70-degree angle which provides lots of room to handle the bolt and avoids contact and finger pinching with even larger diameter scope tubes.
- Trigger
- The Tikka T3x features a single stage trigger that is adjustable from two to four pounds. In order to adjust the trigger pull, you will need to remove the rifle stock to access the adjustment screw.
Purchase the Tikka T3X Lite here (click to purchase at Scheels)
My Rifle Stats
- Caliber – .270 Win
- Left-handed
- Total Rifle Length – 42.6 inches
- Barrel Length 22.4 inches
- Weight 6.6 pounds without a scope
- Stainless steel barrel
- Rate of Twist – 1:10”
- Magazine Capacity 3 plus 1 in the chamber
- Trigger – Single stage trigger – adjustable 2 to 4 pounds
- Synthetic Stalk
In my opinion this is my best rifle out there for big game hunting. Having accessibility to a left-handed rifle with so many options brought this gun to the top of my list. Add the accuracy, durability and dependability of this rifle into the mix, and it is hard to match. The Tikka T3x is built to last. Sako uses the best technology in its manufacturing with its cold hammer forged barrel, minimal rifle trigger lock time and its strong and sturdy synthetic stock.
With every gun there are pros and cons, below I have highlighted the pros and cons that I have found while using the Tikka T3x Lite.
Pros:
- Excellent out of the box accuracy
- Easily customizable
- Strong and sturdy stock that is easy to maintain
- Lightweight and easy to carry in the field
- Well balanced
- Low recoil
- 70-degree bolt pull for quick recycling
- Ranging in price from $800 US – $1500 US depending on the caliber and finish this gun for its value is economical and affordable
Cons:
- Accessories are sold separately and come at an additional cost
- No open sights
- A Scope will need to be purchased separately
Overall, the Tikka T3x by Sako is an economically priced rifle, showing that it is the best based on a number of factors including out of the box accuracy, being easily customizable, a strong and sturdy stock that is easy to clean, and is lightweight making it the best for carrying in the field. This gun is well balanced and points well. It has a low recoil because it has a short rifle trigger lock time, limiting the amount of time and therefore movement between pulling the trigger and the firing pin hitting the primer. This leads to greater accuracy than any other gun that I have used.
Not only is this a great rifle for any hunter, in my opinion it is especially good for smaller shooters such as kids and female hunters like me. When in the field the T3x Lite was easy to carry in on a stalk with it only being 6.6 pounds compared to the average rifle with the same caliber and sturdiness weighing much more. With the durability, accuracy, customization options, and field readiness of this gun, it is the best out there. If you are in the market for a new rifle, I strongly recommend you get yourself a Tikka T3x Lite.
