Tikka T3 vs bergara vs browning x-bolt.

farmer44mag

farmer44mag

New member
I’m trading a high value gun in at the local shop next month and trying to decide between the Tikka T3x possibly stainless the x-bolt stalker or the Bergara. All basic synthetic sporter models. Either another .243 or possibly a 6.5 Creedmoor. I’ve never shot either brand but have run the action on several Tikkas and X-bolts in shops and really like them. Just looking pros and cons of each. Barrel quality differences? Reliability?

Main use- whitetails.
 
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I can vouch for the Tikka after several trouble free shooters over a couple decades.
On the T3X the changeable grip is a good improvement for me.
 
I've had several Tikka's and all were good shooting rifles. I had an X-Bolt LR Hunter on 308 and it shot good. I have a Bergara B14 HMR and it looks like its going to be a good shooter as well. The Bergara is a Remington clone so like said, lots of available parts. Not so much with the Tikka and Browning.
 
Never owned a Tikka or Browning. Own two Bergaras (6mm Creed and 6.5 Creed) and both shoot under 1/2 MOA out to 600 yards.
 
I just traded away a Browning X Bolt Max long range. The action was slick,rifle looked and felt nice ,but it was an awful shooter 3 MOA to 5 MOA at 100yds. Had gunsmith re-bed rifle and that turned into just barly deer rifle accurate. Detachable magazine would only latch when action screws were loose. I've heard great things about Tika rifles,now I own a Bergara Premier Ridgeback and this rifle is a beautiful piece of engineering.
 
I have two Tikka T3's. .22-250 and 300wsm. Both shoot very well. Action is very smooth. I have had Remington and Ruger and the Tikka is much better. They are also priced reasonably.
 
I own a couple of Tikkas and a couple of Bergara rifles. Overall, they all shoot extremely well. If I had to pick one over the other for quality without a lot of difference in price, I'd choose the Bergara without hesitation due to a considerably better stock (composite versus Tupper Ware plastic) and a better overall design concerning issues like recoil lugs, etc. In essence, you get a lot more rifle IMO with a Bergara for not a lot more money.

I've never owned a Browning X-Bolt rifle, but I do own an older Stainless A-Bolt in 30-06 that shoots 150 and 165 grain bullets far better than it should. For a general purpose no-frills hunting rifle, it is a favorite of mine.
 
Only Browning I ever liked was a BLR until I had one, then didn’t care to never own another Browning product, they may have changed but I haven’t. No experience with a tikka per say, but do have a couple Sami’s that I really like. As of late I have become a Bergara fan, lot of bang for the buck . Bought 2 HMR’s and a ridge in the last year. Give them a try and I think you will like what they are.
 
I traded a Ruger tang safety 270 Win that never got better than 1 1/4” with handloads for a Browning A Bolt II composite blued stalker in 25-06 with a BOSS.

After setting the BOSS to the Browning recommended setting I hastily slapped some loads together and every one of them went sub .7” with very little fussing.

My brother bought a spring kit for his A Bolt I and had the lighter of the springs left over. He gave it to me and I installed it. I have not taken it out since the spring change but I would bet I can squeeze better groups out right now and even more with some more load development.

I do not know beans about the X Bolt but I sure like the A Bolt series.

I handled a Tikka Stainless in .338 Federal a while back. What a sweet heart!

I have no experience with a Begara but as members are posting it is a Remington 700 clone, I sure am tight with my Remington 700’s!

Golly, just buy all three! LOL!

Three 44s
 
I have a Tika T3 ultra lite in 6.5 Creedmoor that shoots great. I also have a Browning X-bolt in 300 WSM that shoots great. From everything I have read and heard, you won't get a Tika that has a problem. Not so with the Browning X-bolt. I'm lucky I haven't had a problem with either one of mine.
 
Everyone's opinion on accuracy is different. I've read inch and a half groups are good enough where others won't settle for less than bug hole groups. Basically all depends on what the purpose of the firearm is. Tikka's are great shooting rifles no doubt but not all are bench rest accurate. I had a Browning LR in 308 that shot great and my smith has a He11's Canyon 6.5 CM that shoots very well also. A guy at the club had a Browning HC in a McMillan stock and was shooting 2 inch groups at 100 yards and said good enough to hunt with. My Bergara HMR is shooting pretty good but I'm not thrilled with the trigger. Seems all three can have glitches. But all three will probably be good rifles. Sometimes they just need some help getting there.
 
Accuracy does mean different things to different people.

For me a big game hunting rifle will likely never be fired much more than three shots in rapid succession at a game animal. As a result, any serious hunting rifle needs to be able to keeps three shots fired in succession well within a MOA out to 300+ yards with no consistent dispersion pattern (ie. clover leaf types of groups are required). And the rifle has to be able to regularly duplicate that with significant time intervals in between each 3-shot group before it becomes accurate in my mind.

A varmint based hunting rifle typically requires more shots to be fired in relative fast succession. As a result, 5 shots at less than 1 MOA is my accuracy requirement for a varmint based hunting rifle.

I do have some rifles that are capable of far better accuracy, but that is minimum to me. If a rifle can't perform its not worth keeping in a gun safe, whether its a factory rifle or a custom rifle. For me, selling an accurate rifle is blasphemy. Its replacement might be a clunker.

That's me, and it may not be the next guy's accuracy requirement, but I seldom worry about the next guy and what he wants because that is his decision. I only worry about what I know works for me.

btw - The Bergara Owner's Manual has simple trigger adjustment instructions beginning on about Page 13 in the Owner Manual followed by a thorough discussion of how to know it is safe after adjustment titled "Testing A Trigger Setting For Safety". All Bergara rifles come from the factory set a hair over 3.5 lbs. Improving significantly on that is not rocket surgery or brain science and you still have a safe trigger.
 
I recently bought a Bergara Ridge rifle in 6.5 Creedmore. Without going into a lot of details, I would definitely pick the Tikka. I still have two Tikka's in .223 and sold a varmint in 22-250. My Bergara has finally come around accuracy wise, but it has been a real chore. All my Tikka's have been much more accurate.
 
Originally Posted By: nr123I recently bought a Bergara Ridge rifle in 6.5 Creedmore. Without going into a lot of details, I would definitely pick the Tikka. I still have two Tikka's in .223 and sold a varmint in 22-250. My Bergara has finally come around accuracy wise, but it has been a real chore. All my Tikka's have been much more accurate.

Any preference on stainless vs blued barrel? As far as barrel life in the Tikkas?
 
I have a .223 varmint bbl in blue, it's been on several prairie dog shoots, and still going strong. I also have a T3 stainless fluted bbl in .223. I doubt if there's much difference in bbl life. More depends on how hot and fast you shoot it. More personal preference of the shooter.
 
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