The optional muzzle brake is not actually needed with the .223, but it is a nice feature on the .308 version.

I also like the stock of a varmint rifle to have a beavertail-style forearm. The extra width along with a flat surface at the bottom stabilizes the rifle by eliminating rocking and canting when shooting over sandbags. The forearm of the fiberglass-reinforced polymer stock of the Tactical is almost 21/4 inches wide at the rear and tapers to two inches at the front. The stock has quick-detach sling swivel posts.

The T3 Tactical rifle has a 20-inch-long heavy barrel. And the barreled action of the Tactical is blued. The Tactical I have been shooting has the optional muzzle brake, and while it is not actually needed on a rifle in .223 Remington, it is not a bad idea on a .308. Beyond that, its appearance most certainly gets plenty of attention at the gun club. A threaded cap included with the rifle screws on the muzzle of the barrel to protect its threads if the brake is not used.

On all Tikka rifles, a two-position safety tab on the right-hand side of the receiver tang locks the bolt from rotation when engaged. When the firing pin is cocked, an indicator replete with red dot is in view behind the bolt shroud. The bolt release is located on the left-hand side of the receiver.

I have worked with several T3s during the past few years, and each had a very good trigger. Trigger pull weight of the Tactical I have been shooting is three pounds with an incredibly low pull-to-pull variation of only one ounce. It has no detectable creep, and the bit of overtravel it has goes virtually unnoticed due to the smoothness of the trigger. Its quality also makes the trigger feel much lighter than it actually is.

The T3 rifle has a cocked firing pin indicator, and its two-position safety blocks bolt rotation when engaged.

Other Tikka varmint rifles are also available. The T3 Varmint and T3 Varmint Stainless are the same except for their metal types. Their synthetic stocks are quite similar in shape to that worn by the Tactical, but they do not have the height-adjustable comb, nor do they have the Picatinny rail on their receivers.

The new T3 Super Varmint has a 23.5-inch barrel, extra-capacity magazine, synthetic stock with height-adjustable comb, Picatinny rail, and stainless-steel barreled action.

They have heavy 23.5-inch barrels and are available in .223 Remington, .22-250, and .308 Winchester. The newest varmint rifle from Tikka is the T3 Super Varmint, which is almost identical to the T3 Tactical (including the Picatinny-style rail and adjustable stock comb) except that its barreled action is stainless steel and its barrel is 23.5 inches long. It is available in .223 Remington, .22-250, and .308 Winchester.

Is Capable Of Sub-MOA Accuracy
Sub-minute-of-angle accuracy was another thing on the list of priorities I sent to my friend at the Tikka factory, and I can say for certain the Tactical most certainly qualifies in that department as well. And it will do it with both factory ammunition and handloads. During my accuracy tests I kept things simple and easy by shooting bullets made by Hornady and ammunition made by Winchester. When handloading the various weights of Hornady V-Max bullets I seated them .010 inch off the lands, which put them at an overall cartridge length of 2.260 inches. This was absolutely the longest cartridge length the magazine of the rifle would accept.

First chance you get, try a Tikka T3. You'll be surprised at how much rifle you can get for your money.

NOTE: All load data should be used with caution. Always start with reduced loads first and make sure they are safe in each of your guns before proceeding to the high test loads listed. Since Shooting Times has no control over your choice of components, guns, or actual loadings, neither Shooting Times nor the various firearms and components manufacturers assume any responsibility for the use of this data.