Best 204? savage 12, tikka varmint or tikka t3 lite?

calebduff

New member
i recently picked up a Tikka CTR in 260 rem and starting to look for something a bit smaller for coyotes and pdogs. i was set for good on savage until i got my hands on this tikka, super accurate and just feels more "refined" than other rifles I've had my grubby mitts on. the tikka lite and the savage run at about the same price locally and the varmint about $300 more.

how does the accuracy out of the box compare between the 3?
is it really worth the extra $300 for the varmint?
whats your opinions on any of the 3 above or really any other rifle i should look into?

Thanks Y'all!
 
So how much are you finding the tikka varmint for? I thought they were closer in price. I think the tikka varmint is my next bolt action rifle. And how do you like the CTR? I've never regretted spending more upfront. Looking back you will recover it in resale or years of use and shooting. Get the varmint I would say. Seems a lot of guys like the cz rifles too
 
I have had very good success with Tikka and accuracy out of the box.
Varmint madels are good for sustained shooting but are a bit heavier, more than I care to pack for walking/hiking calling.
Many Tikka add ons are now available aftermarket.
Tikka is offering $150 Beretta bucks til the 31st.

http://info.berettausa.com/tikka150
 
For a stationary, or setting up close to the truck, a rifle with the heavy barrel is fine. For a packing rifle I want a lighter rifle. I made the mistake of buying my 204 in a 700vls. 11 pounds of rifle is more than I want to pack.
 
Yeah, there are others. A C-Z Varmint will shoot as well or better than the Tikka, and do it for at least 250 bucks less; no plastic, either (unless you can find a used Kevlar stock model, but those of us who own them aren't selling.) Less weight than the T3 Varmint, also. Frankly, it'd take more than $150 off to get me to buy a Tikka/Sako since Beretta took them over.
Or, just buy a Cooper if your budget allows; used ones are several hundred less than new. No magazine, though, unless you pop for the new Model 51 repeater.
Another (single shot) option might be the discontinued Remington XR 100. I occasionally see them go for reasonable prices (under a grand.) Like the Cooper (Varmint model, at least), it might not be the best "carry" rifle, but you can be pretty sure it will be accurate.
 
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If you do much walking or don't like to lug around a heavy rifle, get the Tikka Lite. For prairie dogs and coyotes, Tikka Varminter. Just prairie dogs the the Savage 12.

I like the Tikkas better than the Savages if you talking plastic stocks. My 12's only leave the safe when we head west to shoot prairie dogs. My Tikka varmint does double duty but its a 223 and I like a little more speed so for coyote hunting with the 204 I have a Savage sporter and a 22-250 Tikka Lite.

You won't go wrong with any of your choices but the 12 will start to feel like a boat anchor if you have to lug it around.
 
I have several Tikkas and have modded some of them up a lot ( B&C stock, alum bolt shroud, glass bedding, performance center 20 MOA rail with lugged base, custom bolt handle, on and on and on). They don't shoot any better than an out of the box tikka in the plastic stock. SUB MOA. It's hard to argue with results. The Tikka triggers are better than average and accuracy is far better than average. Last year I bought a T3 compact in .204 and swapped out a full size factory Tikka stock. It is super light weight and very accurate. A gun I don't mind packing all day. I also have some Savages and CZ's. Savages too heavy and although I really like the CZ's, I still don't like their backward safety.

All that said, you won't go wrong with any of them.
 
Tikka, enough said... I won't comment on CZ 527's, draw your own conclusions from here. Don't want to offend anyone, let's just say I have bad luck with them..
 
I would go with the CZ 527. I do have to admit I have had some bad luck with them wearing out the barrels. I am on my third CZ rifle so this time I just had Kevin Weaver screw on a new Lilja tube. The darn things seem to lose their accuracy at around 6,000 rounds.
 
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