Out of all my tikkas forest hunter is by far my favorite (in 300wsm) and all of them are outfitted with mountain tactical hardware. The recoil lug is an absolute necessity upgrade. Looking forward to the next episode.
Thank you. This series is super helpful to the decision making process. Especially if you may only have one hunting/general purpose rifle. Love the detailed explanations. Great camera work. And the ‘live bloopers’ tell me you’re not glossing over anything.
@@mountaintacticalcompany “no plan survives first contact with the enemy”, just like rarely is a hunt or outing perfect every time. We just hope to be prepared as best as possible for the situations likely to arise. “Professional” to me is the competence, technical knowledge, wisdom and curiosity - which you clearly demonstrate. Looking forward to the next video!
I never KNEW! I have a Tikka T3 and replaced the stock with a Boyds stock after installing your recoil lug as well. I will have to really think twice about changing the stock out when I buy the T3x I'm looking at, and probably won't. That will give me more ammo money. Thank you for that info and demonstration. The next time someone says something about Tupperware, I got something for them.
The only thing I will without doubt replace on any lite/superlite is that recoil pad. Love Tikka rifles but that's such an easy and noticeable improvement when you swap it out.
We finished filming it Wednesday and Colin is editing it for next Friday's premiere. Each time we start an episode, we think the video is going to be less than 10 minutes, but they keep getting longer, haha!
I like this idea. We started sending out a torque spec card with every order. It is amazing how fast you can damage your rifle or scope with the wrong torque settings.
Awesome video. Just subscribed 👍🏻 I ordered a T3X yesterday and I have a question. Is the recoil lug in the new T3X good to go or should I upgrade it ? Sounds like it is improved over the T3 but maybe still not as good as an aftermarket one. Thanks
Problem. I bought a Tikka 708 COMPACT. No one makes an aftermarket recoil pad for this. The Limbsaver recoil pad for a Ruger compact appears to be the same measurements but the Limbsaver brand for the compact Ruger comes with molded in pins and the screw holes are for the Ruger fit. I ordered a Limbsaver based on measurements and was sent the Ruger pad. Just finalized a refund from Limbsaver yesterday because it won't work for the Tikka and they tell me they won't initiate fabrication on a new pad w/o enough demand. What MANY hunters and shooters don't seem to get is their own LOP is likely shorter than they think if they use proper shooting ergonomics and also when they hunt during the cold and layer up on clothes, that increases the LOP as well. During warmer months my LOP is fine at 13. When it's single digit tamps and I'm wearing a few layers it shortens to 12.25 or 12.5 max, thus, a compact Tikka stock actually fits me just fine but I bought it for my wife and kids to use. Sure would be nice if Limbsaver had enough demand to start making the appropriate airtech pad for a Tikka Compact like they did for the Ruger By the way, I'd buy a dozen of the Mountain Tactical recoil lugs for Tikka but no one has them in stock and I've checked for months. I'd also like to stock up on the long action bolt stops but can't ever find those anywhere either.
I much prefer a shorter LOP on my rifles. It makes positional shooting much easier. The Post 2017 Limbsaver on our website will fit the extended part of the T3 Compact stock, but it will hang low on the shorter configuration of the stock. We've had long action bolt stops in stock since December and just finished a run of over 1,000 recoil lugs. MidwayUSA, MidWest Gun Works, and Brownell's have our recoil lugs in stock. We have only been out of stock for a couple weeks. www.mountaintactical.com currently shows recoil lugs out of stock but that will change as soon as Jeff updates inventory.
I think people think stocks are cheap because of how they feel in the hand. Kind of slick. Think about the Bergara stock coating. It gives the impression of a better stock.
Exactly! That's why the perception of the Roughtech is considerably higher than of the T3x Lite. Same stock, but it has texture. This can easily be added by the owner with off the shelf paints.
Fantastic question! It is important to point out, a majority of the issues we troubleshoot with customers are rooted in improper bedding of their rifles. Even a competent gunsmith can have difficulty bedding a Tikka because of the narrow tolerance envelope that must be maintained for proper functioning. I would not take the time to bed the factory polymer stock. However, I highly recommend bedding wood and laminate stocks. Especially if you use your rifle in varying weather conditions. Aftermarket carbon fiber and fiberglass stocks also perform well when you bed them.
Yeah. People hate on the T3x stock but honestly for the weight it is very rigid. I replaced the stock on my CTR with a KRG Bravo (which weighs ~6 lbs) and I can't see any difference whatsoever with group sizes. My CTR averages ~0.5 MOA with just about every bullet/powder combination I've tried in it so it shoots really good. It's also possible that ~0.5 MOA is the limit of my current shooting ability.
@@mountaintacticalcompany I'm not going to complain to be sure. I mean, I have only had two range sessions with it it so far (I will probably take her out for another session tomorrow) and I am already shooting as well as I've ever shot with the original CTR stock. There are, however, 4 things I don't like about the Bravo. 1. The M-Lok is polymer (even the pic rail included in the box is polymer). I bought their minimalist spigot mount and aluminum pic rail to get a more stable mounting point for my bipod. 2. The stock is in two pieces and the stock/vertical grip section is 100% polymer (i.e. the only part of the stock that has metal is the forend). So I question how rigid the system of the stock/vertical grip and forend actually is. 3. The mag release paddle is polymer and I can feel it flex whenever I use it. 4. I'm left-handed and the thumb screw for the cheek riser pushes into my face so I had to replace it with a normal screw which requires a screw driver. Of course, the majority of the issues I have with the Bravo can be "fixed' with paid upgrades. I just would rather have these "issues" taken care of out of the box. To be clear, I'm not complaining. I like the Bravo chassis. I'm just letting people know the few gripes I have about it as it comes in the box.
Fair enough! That’s the big difference between the Bravo and the Whiskey price points. The Whiskey is awesome, but you pay for it. For the money, the Bravo and X Ray work really well.
@@mountaintacticalcompany Agreed. I definitely don't regret buying the Bravo. I was just trying to point out some minor points I didn't care for. As you say, the ergonomics are vastly improved. For the price, you can't go wrong.
Oh wow! That’s a tough one. The easiest thing to do would be to find a Tikka Compact stock someone is selling. It is designed with a removable section of the stock for shorter shooters.
Once again, Great Video! Do you think that Tikka may not be so dumb after all by using a mild steel recoil lug? Maybe they want the lug to wear instead of a the action slot? I've had the original T3x steel lug in my 30/06 for thousands of rounds and neither lug or action are showing any sign of wear.
That's awesome that your recoil lug is working for you! Different steels have different properties. You can have a stronger steel with high elasticity, which means it can take a high amount of stress and return to its original shape. If both the action and lug are made of these materials, you'll have strength without deformity. Most people do not realize their bolts have the strongest and hardest steel in the rifle system. That harder steel does not deform the action because of the action's modulus of elasticity.
You are welcome. We get quite a few questions about the sacrificial nature of a weak recoil lug. I should do a video on it. Thank you for the feedback!
@@mountaintacticalcompany I am welder fabricator by trade 30 years. But we have machine shop as well. Mostly Manuel machine s but we have one CNC mazak but I do know what good work looks like and you do good work attention to detail 👍 thanks for the good work and I also got bold stop very good A's well
No when I put the limb saver recoil pad (300 Win Mag needs it) I put on flush cup on the right side and then I put the other on the left of the forend just far enough back to make it mostly flush which is about 6" back but it's round so there's a tiny gap between the cup edge and the stock. I just put non stainless angled Allen head screws into the forend and put liquid blue on them so they blend in but the rear swivel stud is wood screw based so I had to find a wood screw shank with an angled Allen head which I could only find in stainless for some reason so it's still in the white. I have your bottom metal, shroud, bolt handle, bolt release, two fancy short mags, and two slick side large mags. Love the products but I need more Tikkas now to pimp out. Put a Game Reaper low mount on though for my VX5 3-15x44. Keep up the good work
Two questions? Can I buy a Left-Hand T3X stock for my T3 Lite 308? You say all the T3 actions are the same, so is it just the bottom metal and mag different for the long action calibers? Asking because I was thinking about rebarreling my 308 to to a 270 win. Thank you in advance.
Yes you can. Your T3 will fit right into a T3x stock. The only pieces you would need to change are the bolt stop and magazine. The bottom metal is the same for long and short action Tikkas. The bolt stop is what is used to control the bolt travel.
Tikka recoil pad designers probably think to themselves: "when we grew up we had BRASS PLATES for recoil pads... just go get your gown up pants and use your shoulder to absorb the recoil."
Recoil lugs should be integral to the action. I personally won't buy a Tikka because of this. I love everything else about them. But I believe in the old-school proven over generations integral recoil lug. Like weatherby does on there mark v and also on there vanguards.
The Tikka T3X is like the Glock-19 of the world.
Thank you Tikka and company for making this great rifle.
Good analogy!
Out of all my tikkas forest hunter is by far my favorite (in 300wsm) and all of them are outfitted with mountain tactical hardware. The recoil lug is an absolute necessity upgrade. Looking forward to the next episode.
The stock on the Forest Hunter is awesome! I wish we had more of them down here. Cheers!
Thank you. This series is super helpful to the decision making process. Especially if you may only have one hunting/general purpose rifle. Love the detailed explanations. Great camera work. And the ‘live bloopers’ tell me you’re not glossing over anything.
Haha! I was worried it would come across unprofessional, but it’s what happens sometimes. I’m glad this is helpful!
@@mountaintacticalcompany “no plan survives first contact with the enemy”, just like rarely is a hunt or outing perfect every time. We just hope to be prepared as best as possible for the situations likely to arise. “Professional” to me is the competence, technical knowledge, wisdom and curiosity - which you clearly demonstrate.
Looking forward to the next video!
Great quote!
I never KNEW! I have a Tikka T3 and replaced the stock with a Boyds stock after installing your recoil lug as well. I will have to really think twice about changing the stock out when I buy the T3x I'm looking at, and probably won't. That will give me more ammo money. Thank you for that info and demonstration. The next time someone says something about Tupperware, I got something for them.
They are surprisingly stout! I’m looking for the paint Tikka uses on their Roughtechs so our customers can convert their standard Tikkas to Roughtechs
The only thing I will without doubt replace on any lite/superlite is that recoil pad. Love Tikka rifles but that's such an easy and noticeable improvement when you swap it out.
Really great series so far! Can’t wait to see the next one about the trigger.
We finished filming it Wednesday and Colin is editing it for next Friday's premiere. Each time we start an episode, we think the video is going to be less than 10 minutes, but they keep getting longer, haha!
My t3x is 3 years old with over 3000 rounds through it in 223 and the stock is handling weekly use with no issues.
That rifle is getting some work in!
Best video of the series so far.
Thank you! We’re learning with each one as well.
@@mountaintacticalcompany next should be a torque video. Stock, differ stocks, scope rings and rail etc.
I like this idea. We started sending out a torque spec card with every order. It is amazing how fast you can damage your rifle or scope with the wrong torque settings.
Awesome video. Just subscribed 👍🏻
I ordered a T3X yesterday and I have a question.
Is the recoil lug in the new T3X good to go or should I upgrade it ?
Sounds like it is improved over the T3 but maybe still not as good as an aftermarket one.
Thanks
Problem. I bought a Tikka 708 COMPACT. No one makes an aftermarket recoil pad for this. The Limbsaver recoil pad for a Ruger compact appears to be the same measurements but the Limbsaver brand for the compact Ruger comes with molded in pins and the screw holes are for the Ruger fit. I ordered a Limbsaver based on measurements and was sent the Ruger pad. Just finalized a refund from Limbsaver yesterday because it won't work for the Tikka and they tell me they won't initiate fabrication on a new pad w/o enough demand.
What MANY hunters and shooters don't seem to get is their own LOP is likely shorter than they think if they use proper shooting ergonomics and also when they hunt during the cold and layer up on clothes, that increases the LOP as well. During warmer months my LOP is fine at 13. When it's single digit tamps and I'm wearing a few layers it shortens to 12.25 or 12.5 max, thus, a compact Tikka stock actually fits me just fine but I bought it for my wife and kids to use. Sure would be nice if Limbsaver had enough demand to start making the appropriate airtech pad for a Tikka Compact like they did for the Ruger
By the way, I'd buy a dozen of the Mountain Tactical recoil lugs for Tikka but no one has them in stock and I've checked for months. I'd also like to stock up on the long action bolt stops but can't ever find those anywhere either.
I much prefer a shorter LOP on my rifles. It makes positional shooting much easier. The Post 2017 Limbsaver on our website will fit the extended part of the T3 Compact stock, but it will hang low on the shorter configuration of the stock.
We've had long action bolt stops in stock since December and just finished a run of over 1,000 recoil lugs. MidwayUSA, MidWest Gun Works, and Brownell's have our recoil lugs in stock. We have only been out of stock for a couple weeks.
www.mountaintactical.com currently shows recoil lugs out of stock but that will change as soon as Jeff updates inventory.
@@mountaintacticalcompany Great, I'll check them out now. Thanks!
You are welcome!
I think people think stocks are cheap because of how they feel in the hand. Kind of slick. Think about the Bergara stock coating. It gives the impression of a better stock.
Exactly! That's why the perception of the Roughtech is considerably higher than of the T3x Lite. Same stock, but it has texture. This can easily be added by the owner with off the shelf paints.
I’ve wondered if filling stocks with spray foam would do an even better job.
We did this with many standard T3s with great success.
Any plans to cover the UPR stock? I am also curious if the recoil lug is removable on the UPR stock, it seems like it may be glued.
We'll have to get our hands on a UPR. It would be fun to do the comparison between the standard stock and the fiberglass UPR stock. Cheers!
Lots of great information! Thank you very much for putting together this series. Do you feel there are any benefits to bedding the action on a T3X ?
Fantastic question! It is important to point out, a majority of the issues we troubleshoot with customers are rooted in improper bedding of their rifles. Even a competent gunsmith can have difficulty bedding a Tikka because of the narrow tolerance envelope that must be maintained for proper functioning. I would not take the time to bed the factory polymer stock. However, I highly recommend bedding wood and laminate stocks. Especially if you use your rifle in varying weather conditions. Aftermarket carbon fiber and fiberglass stocks also perform well when you bed them.
no
Good video!
Thanks!
Good stuff!
Glad you enjoyed it
Yeah. People hate on the T3x stock but honestly for the weight it is very rigid. I replaced the stock on my CTR with a KRG Bravo (which weighs ~6 lbs) and I can't see any difference whatsoever with group sizes. My CTR averages ~0.5 MOA with just about every bullet/powder combination I've tried in it so it shoots really good. It's also possible that ~0.5 MOA is the limit of my current shooting ability.
The factory stock is great, but the ergos on the KRGs are fantastic. You may not have picked up accuracy, but I bet the rifle is way more comfortable.
@@mountaintacticalcompany I'm not going to complain to be sure. I mean, I have only had two range sessions with it it so far (I will probably take her out for another session tomorrow) and I am already shooting as well as I've ever shot with the original CTR stock.
There are, however, 4 things I don't like about the Bravo.
1. The M-Lok is polymer (even the pic rail included in the box is polymer). I bought their minimalist spigot mount and aluminum pic rail to get a more stable mounting point for my bipod.
2. The stock is in two pieces and the stock/vertical grip section is 100% polymer (i.e. the only part of the stock that has metal is the forend). So I question how rigid the system of the stock/vertical grip and forend actually is.
3. The mag release paddle is polymer and I can feel it flex whenever I use it.
4. I'm left-handed and the thumb screw for the cheek riser pushes into my face so I had to replace it with a normal screw which requires a screw driver.
Of course, the majority of the issues I have with the Bravo can be "fixed' with paid upgrades. I just would rather have these "issues" taken care of out of the box. To be clear, I'm not complaining. I like the Bravo chassis. I'm just letting people know the few gripes I have about it as it comes in the box.
Fair enough! That’s the big difference between the Bravo and the Whiskey price points. The Whiskey is awesome, but you pay for it. For the money, the Bravo and X Ray work really well.
@@mountaintacticalcompany Agreed. I definitely don't regret buying the Bravo. I was just trying to point out some minor points I didn't care for. As you say, the ergonomics are vastly improved. For the price, you can't go wrong.
Short Arms, any suggestion on how to shorten up the Tikka Tupperware stock. LOP on mine is near 14 inches and I need 12 inches.
Oh wow! That’s a tough one. The easiest thing to do would be to find a Tikka Compact stock someone is selling. It is designed with a removable section of the stock for shorter shooters.
Once again, Great Video! Do you think that Tikka may not be so dumb after all by using a mild steel recoil lug? Maybe they want the lug to wear instead of a the action slot? I've had the original T3x steel lug in my 30/06 for thousands of rounds and neither lug or action are showing any sign of wear.
That's awesome that your recoil lug is working for you! Different steels have different properties. You can have a stronger steel with high elasticity, which means it can take a high amount of stress and return to its original shape. If both the action and lug are made of these materials, you'll have strength without deformity.
Most people do not realize their bolts have the strongest and hardest steel in the rifle system. That harder steel does not deform the action because of the action's modulus of elasticity.
That makes sense, thanks for the explanation.@@mountaintacticalcompany
You are welcome. We get quite a few questions about the sacrificial nature of a weak recoil lug. I should do a video on it. Thank you for the feedback!
We can only hope people don’t use a “Leadsled”for their shooting.
We bought one to make a spoof video... but we're not sure if we want to lick that spoon yet, haha!
Love your channel and products just got your bottom metal very good fit and finish
Thank you for your business!
@@mountaintacticalcompany I am welder fabricator by trade 30 years. But we have machine shop as well. Mostly Manuel machine s but we have one CNC mazak but I do know what good work looks like and you do good work attention to detail 👍 thanks for the good work and I also got bold stop very good A's well
This means even more coming from a fellow craftsman!
I put Grovetech qd flush cups in my black T3X Roughtech and took out the swivel studs with little flush Allen had screws.
That's a great idea! Did you need to modify anything else? Or did the allen bolts match up to the thread inserts?
No when I put the limb saver recoil pad (300 Win Mag needs it) I put on flush cup on the right side and then I put the other on the left of the forend just far enough back to make it mostly flush which is about 6" back but it's round so there's a tiny gap between the cup edge and the stock. I just put non stainless angled Allen head screws into the forend and put liquid blue on them so they blend in but the rear swivel stud is wood screw based so I had to find a wood screw shank with an angled Allen head which I could only find in stainless for some reason so it's still in the white. I have your bottom metal, shroud, bolt handle, bolt release, two fancy short mags, and two slick side large mags. Love the products but I need more Tikkas now to pimp out. Put a Game Reaper low mount on though for my VX5 3-15x44. Keep up the good work
Thank you for your business! And thank you for the fodder for mods for the factory stock. I’m going to try this with one of our rifles. Cheers!
Where does one find the vertical/magically changeable grip?
Brownells, MidwayUSA, and MidWest Gun Works usually have them in stock
Two questions?
Can I buy a Left-Hand T3X stock for my T3 Lite 308?
You say all the T3 actions are the same, so is it just the bottom metal and mag different for the long action calibers? Asking because I was thinking about rebarreling my 308 to to a 270 win. Thank you in advance.
Yes you can. Your T3 will fit right into a T3x stock. The only pieces you would need to change are the bolt stop and magazine. The bottom metal is the same for long and short action Tikkas. The bolt stop is what is used to control the bolt travel.
@@mountaintacticalcompany right on. Thank you! Love your videos, keep’m up!
@@mountaintacticalcompany one last question. What about changing the bolt face to a magnum bolt Phase for sale 270 WSM or 7 mm PRC?
The easiest way to do that is to buy a magnum donor rifle. I burned up my 270WSM barrel and might go 7PRC next.
Thank you!
What are your recoil lugs made of
Check out our website. Loads of info there!
Tikka recoil pad designers probably think to themselves: "when we grew up we had BRASS PLATES for recoil pads... just go get your gown up pants and use your shoulder to absorb the recoil."
Best comment I’ve read in a long time!
Ok thanks
No problem
I love my tikka 270 win best most accurate rifle I own
Great caliber!
@@mountaintacticalcompany great video you doing thanks hoping to order some stuff for my rifle from y'all soon
Thank you! If you need anything, give us a call 406-595-1970 or info@mountaintactical.com
@@mountaintacticalcompany thanks
I’ll second that statement!
Recoil lugs should be integral to the action. I personally won't buy a Tikka because of this. I love everything else about them. But I believe in the old-school proven over generations integral recoil lug. Like weatherby does on there mark v and also on there vanguards.
The legendary TRG 42 uses the same system in their 338 Lapuas.
@mountaintacticalcompany I kno , it's just personal preference.
Nothing wrong with that!