I'm looking for a 308 bolt action for target shooting. I'm considering the varmint model. I bought a t3 lite in .223 for my girlfriend, and I absolutely love the rifle.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it's very difficult to load a round directly into the chamber. Does it work with the larger 308 round?

Also, can a bullet be seated close to the lands and still be mag length?

One of the secrets of Tikka's accuracy is the rigidity of their actions; the price to pay is an added (small) difficulty to load/unload the chamber. The 308 should be a little easier, due to the bigger hole at the breech.
I can't reply to your second question. BTW, I'm a Tikka fan too; I have a T3 in cal 270WSM.

I have a T3 varmint model in .308. It's hard to get close to the lands with most bullets. I load Hornady #3031 bullets (150 grain soft point) .050 off. Any longer won't fit the magazine. I can't remember how much Varget I use with those bullets, but I get about 2900 fps. Remember it's a 24 inch barrel.

Accuracy is under 1 inch with most bullets (5 shots at 100 yards), but not by much. That includes the el cheapo Hornady's mentioned above.

The bore seems to be fairly smooth. Doesn't seem to collect much copper. Mine is stainless.

I really like my T3. The bolt is scary smooth, and the accuracy, though not exactly match grade, is very consistent. Also, I'm a recoil wimp, but I can shoot my T3 Varmint quite a bit with no problems. The recoil pad is fairly soft and the gun is a little on the heavy side.

I have the T3 Lite in 270 and it is no problem to single feed directly into the chamber.It's only when you want to top up the mag that you encounter problems
robz

I have ordered Tikka T3 Varmint .308 winchester but now i hate vo wait 'till september. Waiting lines are very long in Europe. Otherwise i was shooting with Tikka T3 Tactical 308, with ammo Norma Diamond Line. Results: 5 shots at 100 meters, 8mm (1/3 inch). My opininon: rifle with the best "out of the box" accuracy for its money.

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Originally posted by michael.tx:
I'm looking for a 308 bolt action for target shooting. I'm considering the varmint model. I bought a t3 lite in .223 for my girlfriend, and I absolutely love the rifle.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it's very difficult to load a round directly into the chamber. Does it work with the larger 308 round?

Also, can a bullet be seated close to the lands and still be mag length?

I bought a ss 308 t3 last spring and used it for a while. Might have been the most accurate out of the box rifle I ever owned. Shot cheap federal 150 and Hornady 165 extremely well and that was only ammo used. I sold the gun a few months back , could not get over the aesthetics.

Thanks for the responses. I'm about 90% decided now. For the price, I can't find anything I'd rather have.

Going to go with the 308 varmint for now, but a 7mm mag might soon follow.

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Originally posted by michael.tx:
Thanks for the responses. I'm about 90% decided now. For the price, I can't find anything I'd rather have.

Going to go with the 308 varmint for now, but a 7mm mag might soon follow.

Once you crack the bolt shroud after 50 rounds and then call Beretta Dis Service and order a new one and find out they don't have them in stock you might change your mind. I had to get one from Bolsa for about 40 + dollars. Still not sure if the original shroud came in since I offed the gun. I would like someone to explain why they make a piece of shit part out of plastic in the first place, I know it is only ornnamental and doesn't do anything but act like a cover why not make it out of a material that doesn't crack?

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Once you crack the bolt shroud after 50 rounds and then call Beretta Dis Service and order a new one and find out they don't have them in stock you might change your mind.

How'd you manage to break that?
I've never heard of that happening.

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The only thing I don't like about it is that it's very difficult to load a round directly into the chamber. Does it work with the larger 308 round?

It's very easy, just drop the cartridge in the ejection port on an empty mag and close the bolt.

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Also, can a bullet be seated close to the lands and still be mag length?Also, can a bullet be seated close to the lands and still be mag length?

You can't get close to the lands and still feed in the mag.
BUT, I have a T3 Lite in 308 and I can do it in mine.
The 308 length T3 mags have a spacer that's molded into the rear of the mag. I cut that out and that gave me an extra half inch of space. The mag wouldn't feed right after I did that because the follower was too short. So...I added a piece of 1/4" plexiglass to the back of the mag and epoxied part of the piece of the mag that I cut out onto the follower to make it longer.
I didn't need a full 1/2" of extra space in the mag, that's why I added the plexiglass. The result is a mag that works just like the factory mags but I have an extra 1/4" to load bullets however long I want.

I have a t3 in 300 win mag and love it. However when I wanted a 308 I order the remington vtr. It's one ugly little sucker but I like the ported muzzle as the far berm at our range can be sprinkled with clay birds. It should be fun to watch them explode through the scope without the gun jumping on the sand bags.

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Originally posted by Fumbler:

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Once you crack the bolt shroud after 50 rounds and then call Beretta Dis Service and order a new one and find out they don't have them in stock you might change your mind.

How'd you manage to break that?
I've never heard of that happening.

quote:

The only thing I don't like about it is that it's very difficult to load a round directly into the chamber. Does it work with the larger 308 round?

It's very easy, just drop the cartridge in the ejection port on an empty mag and close the bolt.

quote:

Also, can a bullet be seated close to the lands and still be mag length?Also, can a bullet be seated close to the lands and still be mag length?

You can't get close to the lands and still feed in the mag.
BUT, I have a T3 Lite in 308 and I can do it in mine.
The 308 length T3 mags have a spacer that's molded into the rear of the mag. I cut that out and that gave me an extra half inch of space. The mag wouldn't feed right after I did that because the follower was too short. So...I added a piece of 1/4" plexiglass to the back of the mag and epoxied part of the piece of the mag that I cut out onto the follower to make it longer.
I didn't need a full 1/2" of extra space in the mag, that's why I added the plexiglass. The result is a mag that works just like the factory mags but I have an extra 1/4" to load bullets however long I want.

Noticed the crack when I took the bolt apart after 50 rounds. There must be a reason that Bolsa has them in stock and beretta is back ordered on them when I ordered mine. There is no logical reason that the bolt shroud should be made of plastic(polycarbonate). Needless to say that was a complete rip...I am really surprised that no aftermarket person makes aluminum bolt shrouds and bottom metal for the Tikka T3..that would be all I would own if that happened.

I had one that was extremely accurate. I traded it for a Steyr and have been sorry eversince.
I have one in 300WSM taht is also very good.

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Originally posted by SempreElk:
It's very easy, just drop the cartridge in the ejection port on an empty mag and close the bolt.

This doesn't work on the 223, its doesn't seem to have a real feed ramp, just the angle of the round coming out of the mag makes it enter the chamber, seems weird to me but 0 feeding issues with any bullet from 50 ro 80 grains. I have to acutally insert the round into the chamber.

I have the Tikka T3 Tactical/308 and will say it is one of the most accurate rifles I have shot that is "off the shelf" so to speak. I load at 2.800" for mine, but the throat is a long one and to be up close to the lands and grooves will leave less than a caliber in the neck. Mine prefers the 175 HPBTM/Sierra and 1/11 twist w/ threaded muzzle for whatever-muzzle brake, silencer, etc. Had a screw on brake made to assist in muzzle jump/20"barrel/and does a fine job of controlling the jump and would say recoil is not much over 223. Believe if you check out sniperhide.com there is a source for replacement bottom metal and I think the bolt shroud as well. Have not had any sort of problems with mine to date and have worked it pretty hard and consider it a lot of rifle for the money. The sporting rifle versions of the T3 are an excellent value when you consider the pricing of the other brands out there now compared to the Tikka.

I have had the 308 varmit for a couple and its had a few thousand round through it and it still shoots and have had zero problems with it.It shoots about anything you put in it.
I have a 25/06 and when I first got it it wouldn't shoot anything,I sent it back and when I got it back it would shoot one holers at 100 yds.on a good day.The 308 I just shoot it off the bench and it has a 5 round mag if anyone has a 3 round and wants to trade let me know.

owensby, what kind of optics do you have mounted on tikka?

I have a springfield armory 4x14x56 308 scope and a nikon 6x24 that I trade back and forth on the tika.Last year my shooting buddie and I took the tikka with the springfield and was busting some shotgun birds with it at 1000 yds,this thing shoots.
I have a savage F/tr in 308 and both it and the tikka shoot about the same with the same loads.

Bought my g'friend a SS/laminated T3 .308 couple of yesrs ago with a 3-9x40 Zeiss in OptiLoks and the first thing I found out is that there's no way I'll even try to outshoot what it does with Hornady 165 Light Mags by handloading for it. Very first 3 shots fired with it on sandbags @ 100 yards were a .4" tiny cloverleaf. I was shocked. With a 150 TSX loaded right up it's the same thing. Just shake my head after shooting a few and put it back in the safe.

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Originally posted by owensby:
I have had the 308 varmit for a couple and its had a few thousand round through it and it still shoots and have had zero problems with it.It shoots about anything you put in it.
I have a 25/06 and when I first got it it wouldn't shoot anything,I sent it back and when I got it back it would shoot one holers at 100 yds.on a good day.The 308 I just shoot it off the bench and it has a 5 round mag if anyone has a 3 round and wants to trade let me know.

WOW..and at 300 yards too. I call that awesome accuracy, and great shooting on your part.

2009 dated thread, old- I get it, but...

You can change out or modify the Tikka bolt stop on 308 Win-chambered rifles. Use a "long" action (ie 30-06) bolt stop and magazine. Problem solved.

This allows more room to seat bullets out further if you have a 308 Win-chambered Tikka.

All Tikka T3/T3x actions are "long" actions. They just have different bolt stop sizes and mag lengths to "match" the various cartridge length to make them a "long" or "short" action.