Tikka vs Ruger

[younghunter12]

Hi. I've been looking at the Ruger m77 Mark II Compact and the Tikka T3 Hunter. Which one is the best quality? This rifle will be in .243 and I'll will mainly be hunting deer. Thanks. Alec

[257 roberts]

I've never owned a Tikka T3, I looked at them and thought that there was too much plastic on them But people who have them like them, I would/ did go with Ruger ( I have two Rugers, 308 Win, 7mm08 Rem ) very pleased with them.

[Buckfever]

I have Tikka's and while there is some composite, clip and such, I love the look of my wood and blued.  The reason I buy firearms is how well they shoot!  Tikkas are dead on accurate right out of the box, trigger is one of the best on the market, and the bolt is silky smooth.  I think Rugers are very good looking guns on most other features I like the T3 Tikka.  Buckfever

[nasem]

Not trying to p!ss anyone off.... but there is no comparison....

Tikka vs ruger is like.... a brand new Cadillac vs a Neon

[Brithunter]

OK so WHICH IS BETTER?

Not everyone knows what is, or has even heard of, a Neon :roll:

[BUSTER51]

Unmodifyed the Tika wins ,but do the trigger on the Ruger and its a toss up. but nothing wrong with ether one .the Feel of the Tika is prefered by me but that's just me .

[Jason]

The Ruger will be a very reliable rifle. The Tikka will be very reliable and very accurate. There's really no comparison between the two. The Tikka wins.

[Zachary]

Hi. I've been looking at the Ruger m77 Mark II Compact and the Tikka T3 Hunter. Which one is the best quality?

This isn't even a close call.  The Tikka is truly a high (not just higher) quality rifle.  The Ruger is not even in the same class as a Ruger.  It truly is an apples to oranges comparison.

Zachary

[victorcharlie]

Don't know about the Mk II, but I've got a .243 ultra lite Ruger tang safty model.....Now, I've had to work to get it to shoot, but It's a very nice rifle that shoots around an inch at 100 yards...it's a fine looking rifle as well...and it's made in the USA......

[glshop20]

Both rifles would be a good choice.  I own both and am happy with the shootability of both.  I think the Tikka would probably be more accurate and the trigger is easily adjustable.  If you go with the Tikka and plan to scope it, stay away from the Tikka rings/base.  They are not that great.  Go with Weaver Grand Slam bases and Leupold Rings.  (rock solid)  I can't resist adding to your confusion,  LOOK AT CZ rifles,  also a lot of gun for the money.

[nasem]

OK so WHICH IS BETTER?

Not everyone knows what is, or has even heard of, a Neon :roll:

You honestly don't know what a Neon is

Assignment of the day:
--go to google.com
--type "dodge neon"
--view the pictures
--write a 5000 word paper about what you think about a neon vs a tikka (your probebly wounder why Im trying to compare a car to a gun.... well its a very similar to comparing a tikka to a ruger)

[Coyote Hunter]

younghunter –

First, full disclosure – My name is Jim and I’m an unabashed Ruger fan.

There are a number of things I look for in a rifle.  Accuracy and reliability are at the top of the list.  Then there are specific features, such as the scope mounting system, CRF or push-feed, etc.  Good looks count too, as life is too short to have an ugly rifle.

In reverse order of importance, more or less:

In the looks department, I think the Ruger rifles have a very classic look.  The walnut may not be premium grade, but I don’t have any ugly wood on mine.  The overall shape, both stock and receiver is a match made in Heaven IMHO, whether walnut, laminate or plastic.  

CRF or push-feed?  I have both types on my rifles and haven’t had an issue with either.  The newer Rugers are CRF, which I think is a good idea in general.  I also appreciate the Mauser-type claw extractor, don’t know why they make rifles any other way except to cut costs.

The Ruger scope mounting system is, the strongest available.  No itty-bitty screws holding the scope on.  The Tikkas have a somewhat similar mounting system but it’s not as good IMHO.

Accuracy with the Rugers should not be a concern.  I have done nothing to my Rugers except tune the triggers and float the barrels and accuracy is very good.  (Haven’t touched the .22-250 VT, which came floated with a target trigger.)  Best group out of the .257 Roberts (22” sporter barrel) is 0.232”, best for the 7mm Mag (24” sporter barrel) is 0.266”.  The .22-250 (26” heavy barrel) has put 4 shots into 0.50” at 200 yards.  My buddy’s 7mm Mag has shot 0.4” when we’ve been at the range.

Reliability.  Ruger has an exceptionally good reputation for service, and IMHO it is well deserved.  While I’ve never had a problem with a Ruger rifle, new or used, my buddy and I both bought used .357 Blackhawk revolvers that needed service.  Dave’s needed the safety upgrade and a new hammer spring, mine needed a new base pin.  Ruger made all the repairs at no charge and paid the return shipping to boot.  Others I have talked to had good things to say about Ruger service as well.

In the end, get what you like – both the Ruger and Tikka will probably provide a lifetime of problem free service.  For myself, I’ll keep buying Rugers.

[Cement Man]

Coyote Hunter nailed it.  From the floor plate release, scope rings, CRF, stock design, sub-moa accuracy,  service, etc.etc.  there is nothing about the Ruger that I do not like except the factory trigger pull, and that is simple and inexpensive to remedy.  I don't think there is a bad choice between the two, but I have been pleased with my Rugers.

[Todd1700]

I own both and can say without reservation.

Get the Tikka T-3 and never look back.

The Rugers are sturdy reliable guns. However the triggers are awful and not adjustable. You are looking at either a trigger job which helps some or the even more expensive although better option of replacing it with a custom trigger in order to get it up to the Tikkas trigger level. I don't know about you but I hate paying 450, 500 bucks for a firearm that I must immediately do all sorts of custom work on just to get them to an acceptable level. Furthermore even after you modify the 10lb factory lawyer trigger, I have seen more albino deer in my lifetime than I have accurate Ruger bolt action rifles. In fact I have never personally owned or shot one that was what I would refer to as a great shooter. That encompasses 3 that I have owned and about a dozen more owned by friends and family that I have had the opportunity to shoot in my lifetime. I have encountered people online who claim to have some tack driving Rugers and I am by no means calling them a lie. Merely stating that their experiences are 180 degrees opposite from mine and in the minority of people that I have spoke with in person and online. Of the 3 I have personally owned I now only have the 7mm magnum which was the best shooter of the 3. Even after replacing the trigger, floating the barrel and bedding the action it's best groups with any ammo is 2 inches at 100 yards. I'll never own another one unless somebody dies and wills it to me.  

Tikkas on the other hand are almost without exception very accurate straight out of the box. Mine will shoot sub inch groups with at least 3 different types of factory ammo. And all the people I know that have purchased one report similar results with their Tikkas. The trigger can be adjusted easily by you in just minutes using one allen wrench. If you like it can be turned all the way down to 2 lbs and is very crisp. The action is slick as snot on a brass door nob. The barrel is free floated and it has a detachable magazine. Now as for the one thing that some people like to rail Tikkas about, the plastic, let me say this. There is a difference between cheap plastic and high grade polymers. The trigger guard and the detachable magazine are made of this stuff but it seems pretty tough to me. After nearly 3 years of use with mine I can't even see a scratch on the surface of the few polymer areas. I can't envision anything under normal hunting conditions that would damage it. I suppose however that if you planned to hold your rifle by the barrel and beat deer to death with the underside of it near the trigger guard then the Ruger might be a better option for that one scenario. If on the other hand you plan to shoot your game like me then I feel you will like the Tikka better.

[George Foster]

My experience with the Rugers is the complete opposite of Todds.  I have two 77 MarkII's and they both will shoot 1/2" 5 shot groups.  My best is 3/8" for a 5 shot group so far.  Yes I put Timney triggers in them and I figure the intergal bases and supplied rings more than offset the cost of the trigger.  Now for the Tikka I think it is a fine rifle but for a difference of $100 to $200 more over the Ruger I can't see it.  I don't care if the parts are called plastic or polymer for that price I don't think they should be using them.

[Demonical]

If I was to win a draw (or someone was going to give me the $$$) and my choice was a Tikka or a Ruger I would take the Ruger.

First of all, I'd rather see the $$$ go to a good ol' USA company then Tikka/Sako...

Secondly, whenever I have looked at Sako/Tikka products I have always thought they were too fancy... "Bling-Bling".
They might shoot okay but they darn sure will not outshoot my "plain Jane" Remington Model 700's.

I have 3 Ruger handguns, 4 CZ rifles and 1 handgun so I am not completely biased against European arms cos.

[Todd1700]

Yes I put Timney triggers in them and I figure the intergal bases and supplied rings more than offset the cost of the trigger.

The Tikka has an integral mounting rail and comes with supplied rings as well. So no, those triggers were definately extra. And the fact that you replaced the triggers at least substantiates what I said about factory Ruger triggers. They do indeed suck!

They might shoot okay but they darn sure will not outshoot my "plain Jane" Remington Model 700's.

Unmodified straight out of the box they will. And I've seen damn few modified model 700's that would shoot any better.

[Demonical]

If I wanted a Tikka I would realize I could afford quality and I would buy either a Dakota or a Kimber.

Keep your Tikka "sparkle"; over-rated Bling Bling...

My stock .270 Remington will put 5 inside 1" out of the box.  

[killdeer]

The Ruger is a working mans rifle built like a tank IMHO.

Can't like the polymer or long throat/mag box confines that prevent tailoring handloads to kiss the lands in a Tikka.

 There's something to be said for buying U.S. products.

[killdeer]

Not trying to p!ss anyone off.... but there is no comparison....

Tikka vs ruger is like.... a brand new Cadillac vs a Neon

 Cain't savvy the comparison......

 How many automobiles have you owned/driven?...........

[Demonical]

One thing I will admit here is that my Remingtons are older models. I am not a fan of the current Remington product.

That aside, if I were going to buy a new rifle I would not buy one of these Sako/Tikka things...  :?

[Todd1700]

My stock .270 Remington will put 5 inside 1" out of the box.

Then don't ever sell it cause you will be damn lucky to ever find one that good again.

 

One thing I will admit here is that my Remingtons are older models.

Ahaa, well that explains a lot. Quality control has gone to complete s### at Remington these days. You may get one shooter but the next gun you get from them may be a horror show.

[Todd1700]

If I wanted a Tikka I would realize I could afford quality and I would buy either a Dakota or a Kimber.

Well first of all you are talking like Tikkas, Kimbers and Dakotas are all in the same price range. I paid 458$ for the Tikka I have. And none of my friends paid more than 500 for their Tikkas. I hate to break it to you but a brand new Kimber or Dakota costs a heck of a lot more than that. How much more depends on the particular model but a lot more in any case. Secondly, you still may not get a rifle that shoots any better even if you fork out the extra dough for a Kimber or Dakota. I have spoke with a fair many disappointed Kimber or Dakota owners that could not get his new high dollar rifle to print 3 shots inside 1 1/2 at 100 yards. Don't get me wrong. They are fine beautiful guns and most are accurate but not really any more so than a Tikka.

Keep your Tikka "sparkle"; over-rated Bling Bling...

Well I don't know of anyone over 14 years old who consistently uses the term BLING BLING so I will assume I am speaking to a child who knows nothing about firearms and give you a little lesson. A Tikka is far from a sparkle bling bling as you put it. In fact it is a no frills econo model put out by the same people who make a Sako rifle. Basically it is a Sako barrel and trigger in a cheaper stock. That way if you are a person who prefers function over looks you can get a highly accurate rifle in a much less expensive package. So you see your particular criticism is embarrassingly off the mark and only serves to prove that you have no experience with this particular firearm whatsoever.

[Todd1700]

The Ruger is a working mans rifle built like a tank IMHO.

They are rugged firearms as I stated in my first post. And I like the mauser style action on them. Heck I even think they look nice for their price range. If only Ruger would improve the trigger and barrels a bit they would easily be the most popular American firearm.

There's something to be said for buying U.S. products.

But sadly there is much to be desired with most of the firearms that the US is producing these days.

[Demonical]

You need 3 posts to make your point?   :eek:  


You are right about one thing, I am not parting with that .270.  :-)



And yes I am a "child" of 48 years.  

[Todd1700]

And yes I am a "child" of 48 years.

Then stop saying bling bling. It's confusing.

[Demonical]

Todd1700 I admit to having certain biases and one of them is I disdain the Sako and a Tikka is just a bastardized Sako anyway. That's all. It's just that I hate them.

I was watching a guy flinching away shooting a Sako in .300WSM the other day. Lot of tricked up grey plastic and textured stuff there for to grip the stock tighter to aid a flinch evidently...  :eek:

Nothing wrong with being prejudiced as long as you admit it. While we're at it you seem to have a real hard on for Tikka. No problem buy 'em use 'em and all but I don't see why it is so important to try to prove how good they are. Why not start a pol, that might prove your point... oh heck I see you already did...  

I have firearms made by Winchester, Marlin, Remington, Ruger and Brno/CZ.

I freely admit also to bias towards older Remingtons. I look for bargain rifles in standard calibers that are Pre-1990 that guys sell cuz they are looking for the next "Super-Short-Ulta-Hyper-BS-Mag".


Hey from me to you, have a nice day!


Jim.  :-)

[Coyote Hunter]

...
The Rugers are sturdy reliable guns. However the triggers are awful and not adjustable. You are looking at either a trigger job which helps some or the even more expensive although better option of replacing it with a custom trigger in order to get it up to the Tikkas trigger level. I don't know about you but I hate paying 450, 500 bucks for a firearm that I must immediately do all sorts of custom work on just to get them to an acceptable level.

First, the triggers on the Rugers vary.  The last M77 MKII I purchased was a .300 Win Mag and the trigger was pretty good.  Not as good as the Wild West ‘Happy Trigger’ I put in my Marlin 375, nor as good as the triggers I’ve touched up in my other Marlins, Browning and Ruger rifles.  But pretty good, and very good after a simple touch-up job.  

While not adjustable, Ruger triggers are very easy to work on.  I do mine for free, but a Timney drop-in trigger is only $85.

That .300 Mag Ruger cost me $375 new in 2004 and I’ve kept the factory trigger.  It has a Tupperware stock (one of the reasons I bought it) and accuracy isn’t quite as good as my other Rugers, but still sub-MOA.

Furthermore even after you modify the 10lb factory lawyer trigger, I have seen more albino deer in my lifetime than I have accurate Ruger bolt action rifles. In fact I have never personally owned or shot one that was what I would refer to as a great shooter. That encompasses 3 that I have owned and about a dozen more owned by friends and family that I have had the opportunity to shoot...

Do you have a black cloud that follows you around raining on your head, too?

My hunting buddy has a MKII 7mm Mag.  We floated the barrel on it, something we do to all our bolt guns, and it shoots 0.4” groups.

My rifles do a bit better and a bit worse, mostly better.  They all have floated barrels, a 10-minute job I do myself, and other than the trigger touch-up I did to some of them, they are completely stock.

0.23” @ 100 yards (3 shots) = .257 Roberts
0.27” @ 100 yards (3 shots) = 7mm Mag
0.75” @ 100 yards (3 shots) = .300 Win Mag
0.50” @ 200 yards (4 shots) = .22-250

Yeah, Rugers shoot like crap.

I have encountered people online who claim to have some tack driving Rugers and I am by no means calling them a lie. ...  

I won’t call someone who claims to have “seen more albino deer in my lifetime than I have accurate Ruger bolt action rifles” a liar, either.

Tikkas on the other hand are ...

Made by a company that had a serious problem with stainless barrels blowing up with factory ammo and tried to hide the fact – first by denying the problem existed, then by refusing to make the problem well known so that owners of the potentially dangerous rifles could take appropriate action.    

Ruger, on the other hand, is well known as a company that takes the safety of its customers very seriously – to the point that they do free safety upgrades to their older revolvers and last I knew were still running advertisements to notify the public of both the potential problem and the free fix.

[Demonical]

Coyote Hunter we saw an albino mule deer doe 2 years ago, here in central Alberta. We were driving up Hwy.32 on our way to work. Helluva looking thing the driver got the truck stopped and we backed right up beside the deer. It just stood there in the ditch no more then 15 yards away.
Whereever the deer was supposed to have black markings there was an onvious different grain of hair growing there so you could see where the black shoulda been. Red eyes...
I think the stupid creatures are affected by the lack of pigment. That particular deer didn't really act as if it could see us.


Back on topic, although I have not owned a Ruger bolt gun I have a friend who is a bit of a rifle loony and he has owned a bunch. I know from duscussing guns with him that pretty much all of those Rugers have had to be bedded and then careful handloads built. He has always managed to get them to shoot well and in the process he has leaned a helluva lot about rifles and bedding and what makes them work.


And I agree with anyone who likes to spend their money on domestic products.

[Todd1700]

Ruger, on the other hand, is well known as a company that takes the safety of its customers very seriously – to the point that they do free safety upgrades to their older revolvers and last I knew were still running advertisements to notify the public of both the potential problem and the free fix.

Ruger has had problems with some of their firearms as well. They have issued recalls in the past for safety modifications. All firearms manufacturers have had to do it at one time or another. Sako had a problem with a bad batch of steel in some of their stainless barrels. It was a very limited problem and they were recalled. Unfortunately not before a few blew up. I had no problem hearing about the recall although I did not own one of the affected rifles. Can't understand why some people claim it was kept a secret. Since then some people (mostly folks who hate foreign made firearms anyway) have tried to put as negative a spin as possible on how the recall was handled.

I know from duscussing guns with him that pretty much all of those Rugers have had to be bedded and then careful handloads built.

Which is pretty much all I have been saying. Out of the box accuracy from rugers especially with factory loads is rare.

0.23” @ 100 yards (3 shots) = .257 Roberts
0.27” @ 100 yards (3 shots) = 7mm Mag
0.75” @ 100 yards (3 shots) = .300 Win Mag
0.50” @ 200 yards (4 shots) = .22-250

This is typical of the type of claims that I only encounter online concerning Ruger M77s. Never in person. Happy for you though. If I were you however I'd go buy a lottery ticket cause you are a lucky man to find that many tack driving Rugers in one lifetime.  Maybe that's why there are so few out there for the rest of us. You own all of them.  :wink: