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I'm just getting into precision rifle right now. On Saturday I attended the NorCal Practical Precision Rifle Club's intro clinic at Sacramento Valley Shooting Center on Saturday. (More on that later.)
Having never shot a bolt rifle, I had considered the Ruger Precision Rifle for some time, but at the time I was looking to buy (mid/late last year), prices were still quite inflated ($1600+) especially for the 6.5 Creedmoor version, assuming I could even find one. So I ended up picking up a Tikka T3X CTR 24" earlier this year. I had read good things about the Tikka line -- their good value, buttery smooth bolt operation, and very good (for factory) trigger.
My first outing with the Tikka last week was sending 10 rounds downrange to zero my new scope (Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP EBR-2C) at 100 yards, in preparation for the clinic. Right off the bat, it proved to be easily capable of sub-MOA groups with a Harris bipod, rear bag, and a bench. (Don't be so quick to credit the Indian over the arrow in this case, either -- my rifle experience is limited to taking my AR to a few tactical clinics and some range time.)
At Lincoln Rifle Club:
First sighting shot to get it on paper, followed by 4:
Two days later, I took the clinic and was sending 46 rounds downrange from 200 to 1000 yards over the course of 2 hours. At 200 yards I was hitting a 3" dot fairly easily. Going to 500-600 yards, groups open up, predictably. Starting at 800 yards, things get really interesting (read: frustrating) with wind and mirage coming in to play. Yet at 1000 yards, despite triple-digit heat and finicky winds (and wind flags that were constantly disagreeing with each other), I was able to hit the man-sized (ok, portly-man-sized) silhouette on 7 of 9 shots. (I give credit to my NCPPRC coach making great wind calls that day. He also made me think about each shot, offering observations about my technique.)
Color-coded shot dispersion. A little nervous on the 200-yd headshots.
My CTR was about $900, and I wanted that model specifically because (1) it was one of the few Tikka models available in 6.5CM; (2) it had a threaded heavy barrel, if/when I later decide on a muzzle brake. (If I had been flexible on these two points, I could have opted for one of their many other models that are closer to $600-700.)
Now that RPRs are back down to reasonable prices, would I still choose the Tikka? Hard to say. At the time I bought it, my justification was that it was still less expensive than what RPRs were going for at the time, and I could afford to add upgrades incrementally. The decision is harder now because a RPR with its full chassis can be had for just a few hundo more. I'm a guy that rarely defaults to the popular/mainstream brands, though. So I have no regrets.
Having shot it bone-stock, I can easily say that a new stock or chassis will be the first upgrade to the CTR. I struggled the entire morning to get comfortable behind its non-adjustable stock. I'm leaning toward the XLR Element or Evolution chassis.
By the way, the NCPPRC's Intro Clinic was the perfect, uh, intro to precision rifle for a noob like me. They only do it once a year (and registration fills up in under 5 minutes), but it's worth the wait. They also have noob-friendly monthly practices, but the clinic is an amazing value for getting great instruction with a near-1:1 instructor to student ratio. Highly recommended!
Photo credit: Jon Whitehair / NCPPRC
Having never shot a bolt rifle, I had considered the Ruger Precision Rifle for some time, but at the time I was looking to buy (mid/late last year), prices were still quite inflated ($1600+) especially for the 6.5 Creedmoor version, assuming I could even find one. So I ended up picking up a Tikka T3X CTR 24" earlier this year. I had read good things about the Tikka line -- their good value, buttery smooth bolt operation, and very good (for factory) trigger.
My first outing with the Tikka last week was sending 10 rounds downrange to zero my new scope (Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP EBR-2C) at 100 yards, in preparation for the clinic. Right off the bat, it proved to be easily capable of sub-MOA groups with a Harris bipod, rear bag, and a bench. (Don't be so quick to credit the Indian over the arrow in this case, either -- my rifle experience is limited to taking my AR to a few tactical clinics and some range time.)
At Lincoln Rifle Club:
First sighting shot to get it on paper, followed by 4:
Two days later, I took the clinic and was sending 46 rounds downrange from 200 to 1000 yards over the course of 2 hours. At 200 yards I was hitting a 3" dot fairly easily. Going to 500-600 yards, groups open up, predictably. Starting at 800 yards, things get really interesting (read: frustrating) with wind and mirage coming in to play. Yet at 1000 yards, despite triple-digit heat and finicky winds (and wind flags that were constantly disagreeing with each other), I was able to hit the man-sized (ok, portly-man-sized) silhouette on 7 of 9 shots. (I give credit to my NCPPRC coach making great wind calls that day. He also made me think about each shot, offering observations about my technique.)
Color-coded shot dispersion. A little nervous on the 200-yd headshots.
My CTR was about $900, and I wanted that model specifically because (1) it was one of the few Tikka models available in 6.5CM; (2) it had a threaded heavy barrel, if/when I later decide on a muzzle brake. (If I had been flexible on these two points, I could have opted for one of their many other models that are closer to $600-700.)
Now that RPRs are back down to reasonable prices, would I still choose the Tikka? Hard to say. At the time I bought it, my justification was that it was still less expensive than what RPRs were going for at the time, and I could afford to add upgrades incrementally. The decision is harder now because a RPR with its full chassis can be had for just a few hundo more. I'm a guy that rarely defaults to the popular/mainstream brands, though. So I have no regrets.
Having shot it bone-stock, I can easily say that a new stock or chassis will be the first upgrade to the CTR. I struggled the entire morning to get comfortable behind its non-adjustable stock. I'm leaning toward the XLR Element or Evolution chassis.
By the way, the NCPPRC's Intro Clinic was the perfect, uh, intro to precision rifle for a noob like me. They only do it once a year (and registration fills up in under 5 minutes), but it's worth the wait. They also have noob-friendly monthly practices, but the clinic is an amazing value for getting great instruction with a near-1:1 instructor to student ratio. Highly recommended!
Photo credit: Jon Whitehair / NCPPRC
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