Thread: Calibre and Barrel Length Decision......

Originally Posted by SlimySquirrel

I thought the new T3X is supposed to have a bigger port for single feeding?

Originally Posted by Nick-D

Yeah you still cant top of the mag though

Yea that, if you feed the chamber from the mag as most would and dont fire you then have to drop the mag and reload the mag close the bolt and re insert the mag vs extract live round and stuff it down with your hand into the mag and close the bolt on an empty chamber.

^ what he said, its a right pain in the ass. I've been a long time Tikka owner as a hunting rifle, but I've finally seen the light.

I must be the odd one out here. I own two T3s. When I go hunting I chamber a round and put the safety on. If I see game, I disengage the safety and shoot it. If I don't, I unload the rifle at the end of the hunt. If I was a position that I did"t trust the safety (clambering around sketchy country maybe) I disengage the safety, squeeze the trigger and close the bolt (decocked on a live round). Pretty safe I recon. In order for it to fire the bolt would have to be lifted and closed again which is pretty hard to do accidently. When I am ready to start hunting again I lift the bolt, close it, and engage the safety. Done.
Even the rifles I can top load from I never actually find a need to.

Originally Posted by Shearer

I must be the odd one out here. I own two T3s. When I go hunting I chamber a round and put the safety on. If I see game, I disengage the safety and shoot it. If I don't, I unload the rifle at the end of the hunt. If I was a position that I did"t trust the safety (clambering around sketchy country maybe) I disengage the safety, squeeze the trigger and close the bolt (decocked on a live round). Pretty safe I recon. In order for it to fire the bolt would have to be lifted and closed again which is pretty hard to do accidently. When I am ready to start hunting again I lift the bolt, close it, and engage the safety. Done.
Even the rifles I can top load from I never actually find a need to.

Each to their own but I will have an empty chamber when clambering around/threw shit....and so will anyone behind me!

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Each to their own but I will have an empty chamber when clambering around/threw shit....and so will anyone behind me!

Yeah. Different story if I am hunting with someone else. Chamber is always empty until I'm shooting.

Have just got my Tikka T3x Superlite back from DPT. Darren shortened it to 16". This model has the factory fluted barrel. He said it was no problem to do it when I asked it. Saved approx.$250-$300 by not having to get it fluted by a gunsmith. I put 2 extra modules in it. The first one is their stainless blast module. Overall length is the same as standard barrel was.

Interesting. I top load mine all the time.

Originally Posted by SlimySquirrel

Interesting. I top load mine all the time.

Mind uploading a vid? I cant topload mine but I am not very clever.

Nor am I. I get what you mean now. I can't load em in the mag from the top but can single feed it. My mistake!

Hey Shearer, is there a safety issue with a decocked firing pin resting against a live round? I know its common practice lowering hammer down on lever rifles and pistols with one in the chamber.
Someone told me they can go off with a solid bump on the butt...don't know if its true or urban/rural myth.

Originally Posted by stevodog

Hey Shearer, is there a safety issue with a decocked firing pin resting against a live round? I know its common practice lowering hammer down on lever rifles and pistols with one in the chamber.
Someone told me they can go off with a solid bump on the butt...don't know if its true or urban/rural myth.

Lowering the hammer on a lever action be done without the trigger pulled through the entire action as it will be sitting rested against the firing pin. Where as the safety option on many Rossi etc it is safe and it can't be bumped closed. Hard to explain but very simple in principle. I like half cock as it's a deliberate action to close and I can also see where a mates at with his action if he's with me on a hunt. When the boots closed God only knows if there's one in or magazine only.
I use safety only when I'm ready or a shot is expected.
Tikka are not conducive to my line of likes. Top feeding and unloading from the top is another kick in the Tikka tyres.

The 16" above sounds good.

Originally Posted by stevodog

Hey Shearer, is there a safety issue with a decocked firing pin resting against a live round? I know its common practice lowering hammer down on lever rifles and pistols with one in the chamber.
Someone told me they can go off with a solid bump on the butt...don't know if its true or urban/rural myth.

Apparently possible. Never tried it and don't want to go thumping my rifle on the ground even on an uncharged but primed case to find out.

It takes a pretty decent hit to get a primer to go off in my experience anyway when hunting alone which is most of the time that's how I carry mine decocked on a round in the chamber havnt had one go off in 34 years so far not to say it couldn't happen tho

Originally Posted by stevodog

Hey Shearer, is there a safety issue with a decocked firing pin resting against a live round? I know its common practice lowering hammer down on lever rifles and pistols with one in the chamber.
Someone told me they can go off with a solid bump on the butt...don't know if its true or urban/rural myth.

I have to admit to not testing it with the T3, but I would be VERY surprised if you could make it fire just by dropping or banging it. Some of the old military 303's were bad for that sort of thing and I think that's where the idea of it being unsafe came from. Not convinced you could make a modern rifle fire accidentally like that. The main reason I don't hunt with the chamber empty (unless I am with someone else) is the noise it makes loading. Enough too alert an animal and force a hurried shot.

Originally Posted by Shearer

I have to admit to not testing it with the T3, but I would be VERY surprised if you could make it fire just by dropping or banging it. Some of the old military 303's were bad for that sort of thing and I think that's where the idea of it being unsafe came from. Not convinced you could make a modern rifle fire accidentally like that. The main reason I don't hunt with the chamber empty (unless I am with someone else) is the noise it makes loading. Enough too alert an animal and force a hurried shot.

The real issue is rifles that have an exposed cocking piece or indicator that is directly part of or connected to the firing pin. A bloody good whack on these and it will likely discharge and that is just plain unsafe!