Ruger Hawkeye vs Tikka T3X Lite?

FoghornLeghorn · October 26, 2018, 11:43 AM

I'm looking for an all purpose medium to big game stainless steel rifle in a left handed action. There are precious few manufacturers catering to the southpaw shooting crowd. Especially in stainless.

I've read that the Tikka has "cheapish" components, but is an accurate rifle. I've also read that the Ruger Hawkeye is built like a tank but, like Ruger rifles, accuracy is hit or miss.

I'll be heading to the 4000 table Wannamacher show in a couple of weeks and would like to know what to look for. Maybe some members of this forum have had experience with the above choices?

All the above will be preempted if I stumble onto a Remington 700 in stainless in 30-06 or 270 caliber in a left handed action. Several months ago there were three for sale on gunbroker, but while I was pondering ............

BBarn · October 26, 2018, 12:04 PM

I can't speak to the Tikka from personal experience.

I really like the Hawkeye design, and they are accurate enough for my needs. But if most Hawkeyes are like mine, you may not be happy if you require sub MOA 5-shot groups.

Tallest · October 26, 2018, 12:19 PM

I would certainly recommend the Ruger. They are well built rifles, and my experience has shown me they are just as accurate as the next mass-produced rifle... as long as you take the time to find the load they like!

If you reload, no problem. If you don't, and you have a pet factory ammo you really like, you may have to look at other options. All of the M77s/Hawkeyes I own or have owned could get 1 MOA or tighter with due diligence to find the right load.

FoghornLeghorn · October 26, 2018, 01:15 PM

Concerning the Ruger, how easy is the Hawkeye to work on? Every Ruger I own/have owned, with the exception of the single action revolvers, have been a major pain to work on.

Even my Mark 1, and me knowing it's a pain before I field strip it, it's still a pain to get back together.

And the minis I've owned? Fugettaboutit!

Is the Ruger bolt action better? If you hunt in the rain and back at camp want to dissemble the bolt? Is that possible with Ruger?

ms6852 · October 26, 2018, 01:18 PM

I have no experience with the Ruger as I do not own one. But I do own a Tikka T3 Lite in stainless steel. The action on the Tikka is extremely smooth and the adjustable trigger is easy to adjust and is very crisp. The rifle weighs about 6.5 pounds by itself and surprisingly an extremely accurate rifle. I have a 30-06 and for the rifle to be so light the recoil pad softens the recoil quite well. My rifle out of the box shoots sub-moa groups using factory loads at 200 yards. When I zeroed it at the time I was using the 165 grain Winchester silver tips. It did not like the 150 grain bullets. I would recommend a Tikka based on the performance of my rifle. With customized reloads the group got smaller with the 165 grainers but maintained a 1.231 3 shot group at 200 yards with the 150 grain bullets. It likes the heavier bullet. I did not measure the group with the 165 grains but all 3 shots were inside the one inch square of the target. I would venture to say it was about 3/4 the size of the 1.231 shot group.

603Country · October 26, 2018, 02:04 PM

I have one of each. I prefer the Tikka, though there are things about both that I like.

std7mag · October 26, 2018, 03:54 PM

Both accurate, but you really can't compare the 2.
Ruger American to the Tikka T3X, sure.
But to be fair you would need to compare the Hawkeye to the T3 Hunter.

BBarn · October 26, 2018, 04:15 PM

I would say working on the Hawkeye is fairly typical of most bolt actions. The striker assembly can be removed from the bolt fairly easily in the field. However, it does require a suitable pin or nail to do so.

jmr40 · October 26, 2018, 05:11 PM

Those are 2 very different rifles. The Hawkeye is designed for rugged reliability under adverse conditions. If I were picking a rifle that absolutely, positively had to work under any conditions with no excuses the Hawkeye would be near, or at the top of my list. They have never had a reputation for excellent accuracy, although they are generally more than adequate for hunting purposes. They are one of the heavier options as well.

The Tikka design lends it self to exceptional accuracy and they will be about 1 1/2 lb lighter than the Ruger. They have a much better trigger. Tikka's don't have CRF like the Ruger, but have proven to be one of the more rugged and reliable Push Feed designs.

The Tikka synthetic stock is one of the better designs. It is no more or less cheapish than any other rifle

Both are good, it depends on which traits are more important to you

I wouldn't pick a Remington over either the Ruger or Tikka at 1/2 the price. Another option to consider is the Ruger American which is available for lefty's. They are significantly cheaper than Tikka and close in accuracy. Although somewhat less pleasing aesthetically.

Not a lot of options for lefty's. FWIW there are NONE that suit my left handed brother. He has chosen to use the rifles he likes best and just shoot a right handed bolt gun from the other side rather than buy a left handed rifle he doesn't like. It ain't that hard. I'm right handed, but practice shooting from both sides.

FoghornLeghorn · October 26, 2018, 05:38 PM

ms6852:

Quote:

I do own a Tikka T3 Lite in stainless steel

Is the bolt shroud plastic? I think I read somewhere the T3X bolt shroud is metal.

FoghornLeghorn · October 26, 2018, 05:42 PM

Quote:

jmr40: He has chosen to use the rifles he likes best and just shoot a right handed bolt gun from the other side

My bolt action big game rifles have all been the 700 BDL. Left handed. It's just something I've gotten used to. I stupidly sold my last one which was tailored to suit me. Like I said in the OP, I was anticipating buying the 700 stainless LH. Remington was still making the XCR in LH, but by the time I got around to shopping for it, they discontinued it.

ms6852 · October 26, 2018, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoghornLeghorn

ms6852:

Is the bolt shroud plastic? I think I read somewhere the T3X bolt shroud is metal.

No, not on mine, I do not know if they make them that way now, I bought mine several years ago when they first came out. If they are plastic now Beretta USA sells the metal shroud.

FoghornLeghorn · October 26, 2018, 07:16 PM

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

They started putting metal shrouds when customers were complaining plastic shrouds were cheap. I thought they changed over with the T3X series. But if yours is metal, the T3, maybe not.

Dunno which models had the plastic shroud.

p5200 · October 27, 2018, 05:15 AM

I've only owned one Hawkeye in .223 for a brief period so, it wouldn't be fair for me to make a decision between the two brands but I've owned 3 different Tikkas the last one being a Deluxe model and will never, forgive myself for getting rid of it as it was scary accurate with my hand loads in .270 Win. but all 3 of the Tikkas were tack drivers and I do, hope to obtain another one in my life time!

hseII · October 27, 2018, 07:05 AM

The Tikka is a no frills workhorse.

Me being a lefty, I originally went with an A Bolt II Stainless Stalker in .270 Regular & was satisfied. It had the effect of going off, & a deer laying on the ground without a pulse, no tracking required.

The Hawkeye is a M77 Mark II & is a solid choice.

I’m a tinkerer, so it’s now a Cerakoted M700LH in .260 Regular.

The Remington Just has more aftermarket support.

If you plan to leave it alone, the Tikka gets the nod from those 2 options.

I’ve got a buddy that loves all his Tikkas equally & they shoot lights out.

October 26, 2018, 11:43 AM	#1
FoghornLeghorn Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2011 Posts: 961	Ruger Hawkeye vs Tikka T3X Lite? I'm looking for an all purpose medium to big game stainless steel rifle in a left handed action. There are precious few manufacturers catering to the southpaw shooting crowd. Especially in stainless. I've read that the Tikka has "cheapish" components, but is an accurate rifle. I've also read that the Ruger Hawkeye is built like a tank but, like Ruger rifles, accuracy is hit or miss. I'll be heading to the 4000 table Wannamacher show in a couple of weeks and would like to know what to look for. Maybe some members of this forum have had experience with the above choices? All the above will be preempted if I stumble onto a Remington 700 in stainless in 30-06 or 270 caliber in a left handed action. Several months ago there were three for sale on gunbroker, but while I was pondering ............

October 26, 2018, 12:19 PM	#3
Tallest Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2016 Location: West of the Atlantic Posts: 418	I would certainly recommend the Ruger. They are well built rifles, and my experience has shown me they are just as accurate as the next mass-produced rifle... as long as you take the time to find the load they like! If you reload, no problem. If you don't, and you have a pet factory ammo you really like, you may have to look at other options. All of the M77s/Hawkeyes I own or have owned could get 1 MOA or tighter with due diligence to find the right load. __________________ Matthew "All men are ignorant. The topics of our ignorance may vary, but the nature of the world is that no man may know everything." ~ R Jordan

October 26, 2018, 01:18 PM	#5
ms6852 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 1,394	I have no experience with the Ruger as I do not own one. But I do own a Tikka T3 Lite in stainless steel. The action on the Tikka is extremely smooth and the adjustable trigger is easy to adjust and is very crisp. The rifle weighs about 6.5 pounds by itself and surprisingly an extremely accurate rifle. I have a 30-06 and for the rifle to be so light the recoil pad softens the recoil quite well. My rifle out of the box shoots sub-moa groups using factory loads at 200 yards. When I zeroed it at the time I was using the 165 grain Winchester silver tips. It did not like the 150 grain bullets. I would recommend a Tikka based on the performance of my rifle. With customized reloads the group got smaller with the 165 grainers but maintained a 1.231 3 shot group at 200 yards with the 150 grain bullets. It likes the heavier bullet. I did not measure the group with the 165 grains but all 3 shots were inside the one inch square of the target. I would venture to say it was about 3/4 the size of the 1.231 shot group. __________________ ONLY TWO DEFINING FORCES HAVE GIVEN UP THEIR LIVES FOR YOU. ONE IS JESUS CHRIST FOR YOUR SOUL AND THE OTHER IS THE AMERICAN SOLDIER FOR YOUR FREEDOM. Last edited by ms6852; October 26, 2018 at 01:24 PM.

October 26, 2018, 03:54 PM	#7
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	Both accurate, but you really can't compare the 2. Ruger American to the Tikka T3X, sure. But to be fair you would need to compare the Hawkeye to the T3 Hunter. __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

October 26, 2018, 05:11 PM	#9
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,809	Those are 2 very different rifles. The Hawkeye is designed for rugged reliability under adverse conditions. If I were picking a rifle that absolutely, positively had to work under any conditions with no excuses the Hawkeye would be near, or at the top of my list. They have never had a reputation for excellent accuracy, although they are generally more than adequate for hunting purposes. They are one of the heavier options as well. The Tikka design lends it self to exceptional accuracy and they will be about 1 1/2 lb lighter than the Ruger. They have a much better trigger. Tikka's don't have CRF like the Ruger, but have proven to be one of the more rugged and reliable Push Feed designs. The Tikka synthetic stock is one of the better designs. It is no more or less cheapish than any other rifle Both are good, it depends on which traits are more important to you I wouldn't pick a Remington over either the Ruger or Tikka at 1/2 the price. Another option to consider is the Ruger American which is available for lefty's. They are significantly cheaper than Tikka and close in accuracy. Although somewhat less pleasing aesthetically. Not a lot of options for lefty's. FWIW there are NONE that suit my left handed brother. He has chosen to use the rifles he likes best and just shoot a right handed bolt gun from the other side rather than buy a left handed rifle he doesn't like. It ain't that hard. I'm right handed, but practice shooting from both sides. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

October 26, 2018, 12:04 PM	#2
BBarn Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2015 Posts: 887	I can't speak to the Tikka from personal experience. I really like the Hawkeye design, and they are accurate enough for my needs. But if most Hawkeyes are like mine, you may not be happy if you require sub MOA 5-shot groups.

October 26, 2018, 01:15 PM	#4
FoghornLeghorn Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2011 Posts: 961	Concerning the Ruger, how easy is the Hawkeye to work on? Every Ruger I own/have owned, with the exception of the single action revolvers, have been a major pain to work on. Even my Mark 1, and me knowing it's a pain before I field strip it, it's still a pain to get back together. And the minis I've owned? Fugettaboutit! Is the Ruger bolt action better? If you hunt in the rain and back at camp want to dissemble the bolt? Is that possible with Ruger?

October 26, 2018, 02:04 PM	#6
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	I have one of each. I prefer the Tikka, though there are things about both that I like.

October 26, 2018, 04:15 PM	#8
BBarn Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2015 Posts: 887	I would say working on the Hawkeye is fairly typical of most bolt actions. The striker assembly can be removed from the bolt fairly easily in the field. However, it does require a suitable pin or nail to do so.

October 26, 2018, 07:16 PM	#13
FoghornLeghorn Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2011 Posts: 961	^^^^^^^^^^^^^ They started putting metal shrouds when customers were complaining plastic shrouds were cheap. I thought they changed over with the T3X series. But if yours is metal, the T3, maybe not. Dunno which models had the plastic shroud.

October 27, 2018, 05:15 AM	#14
p5200 Senior Member Join Date: April 1, 2008 Posts: 241	I've only owned one Hawkeye in .223 for a brief period so, it wouldn't be fair for me to make a decision between the two brands but I've owned 3 different Tikkas the last one being a Deluxe model and will never, forgive myself for getting rid of it as it was scary accurate with my hand loads in .270 Win. but all 3 of the Tikkas were tack drivers and I do, hope to obtain another one in my life time!

October 27, 2018, 07:05 AM	#15
hseII Member Join Date: April 11, 2015 Posts: 34	Ruger Hawkeye vs Tikka T3X Lite? The Tikka is a no frills workhorse. Me being a lefty, I originally went with an A Bolt II Stainless Stalker in .270 Regular & was satisfied. It had the effect of going off, & a deer laying on the ground without a pulse, no tracking required. The Hawkeye is a M77 Mark II & is a solid choice. I’m a tinkerer, so it’s now a Cerakoted M700LH in .260 Regular. The Remington Just has more aftermarket support. If you plan to leave it alone, the Tikka gets the nod from those 2 options. I’ve got a buddy that loves all his Tikkas equally & they shoot lights out.