Anatomy of the Tikka T3x - Episode 4: The Stock

[@303parkerhale]

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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

The stock on the Forest Hunter is awesome! I wish we had more of them down here. Cheers!

[@RandyMan388]

The Tikka T3X is like the Glock-19 of the world. Thank you Tikka and company for making this great rifle.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Good analogy!

[@gregpace4676]

Tikka is much better than a Glock, excellent trigger, Glock not so much!

[@senko_muratovic]

@@gregpace4676 He meant durability, toughness...

[@roshtainsky]

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]

Haha! I was worried it would come across unprofessional, but it’s what happens sometimes. I’m glad this is helpful!

[@roshtainsky]

@@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!

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Great quote!

[@richcotte]

Really great series so far! Can’t wait to see the next one about the trigger.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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!

[@mr.mr.3301]

Best video of the series so far.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Thank you! We’re learning with each one as well.

[@mr.mr.3301]

@@mountaintacticalcompany next should be a torque video. Stock, differ stocks, scope rings and rail etc.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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.

[@BlackArcher221]

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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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

[@gregpace4676]

I have 3 gun safes filled with hunting rifles, I finally bought a Tikka T3x light veil fluted and CerraKoted and factory muzzle brake in 6.5 CM $1,100 a couple of years ago, it is my favorite deer rifle. I did add your spring kit, it is really light and feels better than my expensive Timmineys. I added the vertical hand grip, and I might put the original back on because it makes it feel small to me (6' 2" and 240 lbs) however if you are a smaller person, woman, youth with smaller hands, this is for you. Great gun and worth every penny IMO

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Once you go Tikka…. Haha! Welcome to the family!

[@DreamConundrum]

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.

[@seanrogers3245]

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 ?

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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.

[@lycheeznuts]

no

[@matzel.1555]

Good video!

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Thanks!

[@saltyOG]

Good stuff!

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@wayneschenk5512]

My t3x is 3 years old with over 3000 rounds through it in 223 and the stock is handling weekly use with no issues.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

That rifle is getting some work in!

[@apodlosky]

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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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!

[@WayneGent-t2l]

Love your channel and products just got your bottom metal very good fit and finish

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Thank you for your business!

[@WayneGent-t2l]

@@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

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

This means even more coming from a fellow craftsman!

[@JNOSNOW]

I put Grovetech qd flush cups in my black T3X Roughtech and took out the swivel studs with little flush Allen had screws.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

That's a great idea! Did you need to modify anything else? Or did the allen bolts match up to the thread inserts?

[@JNOSNOW]

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

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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!

[@Accuracy1st]

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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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.

[@Accuracy1st]

@@mountaintacticalcompany Great, I'll check them out now. Thanks!

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

You are welcome!

[@gabrielcantu3772]

Love this video and all of your content! Quick question regarding stock fit. I recently purchased a Tikka T3X Hunter chambered in 7MM Rem Mag. I noticed that the forend of the stock is just slightly closer to the barrel than the other side. Is this a big deal or should there be any concern? Appreciate all the info, and keep up the fantastic work!!

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

I wouldn't be too concerned unless you are having accuracy issues. Tikka does not kiln dry their stocks so they move quite a bit over time. We just purchased a T3x Hunter for a video series on how to bed these stocks. When we get them, becuase of our dry environment, they move a ton.

[@gabrielcantu3772]

@@mountaintacticalcompany Great! Thanks for the response and keep up the fantastic work!

[@michaelhill6451]

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]

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.

[@michaelhill6451]

@@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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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.

[@michaelhill6451]

@@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.

[@audieladd2476]

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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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.

[@audieladd2476]

That makes sense, thanks for the explanation.@@mountaintacticalcompany

[@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!

[@RandyMan388]

We can only hope people don’t use a “Leadsled”for their shooting.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

We bought one to make a spoof video... but we're not sure if we want to lick that spoon yet, haha!

[@mr.mr.3301]

I’ve wondered if filling stocks with spray foam would do an even better job.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

We did this with many standard T3s with great success.

[@mr.mr.3301]

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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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.

[@stevenbarnes5220]

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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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.

[@d.whaire469]

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

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Great question! The T3x recoil lug is made from mild steel vs the aluminum the T3 had. For a smaller cartridge, like a 223, I wouldn’t change it out. For anything larger, our Bombproof Recoil Lug is significantly stronger and will last the lifetime of the rifle.

[@d.whaire469]

It’s is 7mm-08 compact…thank you for your response and your knowledge of the Tikka’s…I will most likely order the better one 😊

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Thank you for your business and support!

[@jayperreira2778]

Have you guys tried removing the contact points on the factory black stock? I got 1.25” or so groups in my 7mag. Dropped it in a chassis and first group 0.679” and second group 0.57”. Put my .308 in the same stock and it’s getting 1.5” right now. I’m thinking the contact point may be an issue? I will shoot it in a walnut stock to confirm.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

I think we touch on this briefly in this video. Usually, the nubs do a great job dampening harmonics. There are some rifles that do perform better without them. Since yours performs better in the chassis, I bet yours is one that likes to be truly free floated.

[@jayperreira2778]

@ Thanks, I watched this a while back and came back to it since I’ve been debating the removal of those nubs. I do have the MT trigger spring in my 7mag now, it’s perfect and this series has been really helpful.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Fantastic! I bet there’s something up with your stock since two rifles do not perform in it. Keep us posted on what you find out. Cheers!

[@fattigla]

I don't mind the plastic triggergaurd because the action screw holes are reinforced.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Very true!

[@pan8a]

Is the Roughtech Ember stock heavier than the factory T3X stock?

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

It’s the same stock, just with splatter paint on it.

[@pan8a]

@mountaintacticalcompany 👍

[@pan8a]

@@mountaintacticalcompany how about the Veil wideland/alpine, is it the same stock as the regular t3x with different paint or is it heavier?

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Those are the same stock but hydrodipped.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

The only stock that is different is the Hunter, UPR, Ace and Tac A1. Even the Super Varmint uses the same basic stock as the Lite, but they add the vertical grip and beaver tail forend

[@shaunsian4784]

What are your recoil lugs made of

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Check out our website. Loads of info there!

[@danielbeach4855]

Where does one find the vertical/magically changeable grip?

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Brownells, MidwayUSA, and MidWest Gun Works usually have them in stock

[@Sticky7173]

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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

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.

[@Sticky7173]

@@mountaintacticalcompany right on. Thank you! Love your videos, keep’m up!

[@Sticky7173]

@@mountaintacticalcompany one last question. What about changing the bolt face to a magnum bolt Phase for sale 270 WSM or 7 mm PRC?

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

The easiest way to do that is to buy a magnum donor rifle. I burned up my 270WSM barrel and might go 7PRC next.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Thank you!

[@jonathanmitchell3733]

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."

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Best comment I’ve read in a long time!

[@stevenbarnes5220]

Ok thanks

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

No problem

[@WayneGent-t2l]

I love my tikka 270 win best most accurate rifle I own

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Great caliber!

[@WayneGent-t2l]

@@mountaintacticalcompany great video you doing thanks hoping to order some stuff for my rifle from y'all soon

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Thank you! If you need anything, give us a call 406-595-1970 or [e-mail]

[@WayneGent-t2l]

@@mountaintacticalcompany thanks

[@wrigman]

I’ll second that statement!

[@REDNECKROOTS]

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.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

The legendary TRG 42 uses the same system in their 338 Lapuas.

[@REDNECKROOTS]

@mountaintacticalcompany I kno , it's just personal preference.

[@mountaintacticalcompany]

Nothing wrong with that!