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Hi, 

I'm currently looking at buying a T3 Varmint/Super Varmint for mainly target shooting, I want the 1/8 twist as I'll be shooting 77gr SMKs and I'm currently looking at the heavier barrels, but are there any other rifles worth looking at before I go and order one?

Thanks

Deker

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The only thing which stands out with the Tikka is that the barrel is a little on the short side for much over 600 yds. I shoot 77 TMKs from a 26 inch tube and that's just about ok to 800 yds but not really any further unless I use double base higher energy powders or load the 77's pretty hot! (I have shot it at 1000, but it wasn't ideal).  For longer range a 28 inch 1/7 twist would allow you to use 90gr target rounds and maintain more than sufficient velocity.

The Tikka's a nice rifle spoilt imho only be the standard long action (with bolt stop for cal) which seems out of place with the little 223 cartridge. I much prefer the short Mauser action of the CZ527 (also worth consideration in heavy/varmint profile with set trigger).

Off the shelf there are better choices for a purely target .223, the stand out for me being the Sabatti Tactical MRR with Sabatti's Multi-radial rifling.  This is a purpose designed target rifle rather than a typical sporting rifle with a heavy 20/22 inch barrel.  These are lovely rifles, very well made and they shoot superbly.

SAB5B223-large_image.gif

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8 hours ago, Deker said:

Hi, 

I'm currently looking at buying a T3 Varmint/Super Varmint for mainly target shooting, I want the 1/8 twist as I'll be shooting 77gr SMKs and I'm currently looking at the heavier barrels, but are there any other rifles worth looking at before I go and order one?

Thanks

Deker

I would go for  custom 1:7 or 1:7:5 Bartlein barrel on a T3 donor and if you want put it in a new T3X Adj Varmint stock, all of which I just happen to have.

You could have any barrel length and profile for very little more than a new Super Varmint and my accuracy guarantee is far better than Tikka ;)

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Thanks, I'll look at both options, I did read a thread about going the custom route with a T3 but in all honesty I'm a little lost as to where to start with donor actions etc and will probably end up buying the wrong things again :/

But I'll take a look again and see what I can find, I do like the idea of going that route as I was planning on doing similar with an xbolt due to the 1:12 twist being wrong (form rifle stock and custom barrel).

I'll also check the Sabatti out.

Regards


Derek

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9 hours ago, Deker said:

Hi, 

I'm currently looking at buying a T3 Varmint/Super Varmint for mainly target shooting, I want the 1/8 twist as I'll be shooting 77gr SMKs and I'm currently looking at the heavier barrels, but are there any other rifles worth looking at before I go and order one?

Thanks

Deker

 

Value for money? - you'll be hard pressed to better it

https://www.czub.cz/en/cz-527-night-sky-edition.html

 

cz_527_nightsky_3d2.png

 

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Indeed, Deker....many compromises to consider. It'll boil down to your needs.

FYI I have fired 75g Hornady ELD's out of a CZ varmint laminate at 525yds without any problem whatsoever. I will say however that its sweetest bullet is the 69g smk (at least in mine) which excels at 300yds - I have not tried the 69g smk out any further

Also the stock of the CZ trounces the Tikka T3X...I have a special order Super-Varmint T3X in 24" with the set-trigger (although be it in .308) ..and it goes without saying the adjustable stock of the Super-Varmint is a great benefit and is indeed a superbly accurate rifle but, 'in the hands' the feel of the CZ I find is way superior. And I'm saying this as a Tikka 'fan'. Incidentally, all the CZ's I've seen easily hold their own against the Tikka accuracy speaking - I have found no discernible difference between the two

Good luck with your choice/dilemma ;)

 

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I'd agree with that owning both a T3, T3x and a Cz.  The CZ in 223 is a great little rifle.  As Bradders confirms, the 1/9 isn't suitable for 77gr pills; it's worth considering the 527 with 69 TMKs or similar.  Barrel length is the other issue with the 527 for longer distance work. There's a nice example in the classifieds at the minute going for a song. I'm almost tempted to that one myself!

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7 hours ago, VarmLR said:

I'd agree with that owning both a T3, T3x and a Cz.  The CZ in 223 is a great little rifle.  As Bradders confirms, the 1/9 isn't suitable for 77gr pills; it's worth considering the 527 with 69 TMKs or similar.  Barrel length is the other issue with the 527 for longer distance work. There's a nice example in the classifieds at the minute going for a song. I'm almost tempted to that one myself!

A hell of a bargain!...If I had the space in safe.......

75g Hornady plinked at Sennybridge so hardly precision shooting...The regular pill of choice is 69g standard matchking. Did consider trying the 69g TMK but probably wouldn't stabilise in 9" twist for more precision work (and at those cost wasn't taking the chance) :(

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  • 2 weeks later...

The 69gr tmk stabilizes no problem in my 1 in 9 twist blaser lrs 2. Another very good choice is the hornady 75 gr bthp. These 2 shoot very well in my rifle. 

 
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The 69gn TMK is a bit longer (0.982" v 0.900") than its older SMK sibling, so whilst it'll shoot OK in most atmospheric conditions in a 9-twist, its Sg is down around 1.3 at 3,000 fps MV. That'll see it group OK in most conditions, but BC is degraded by around 5%. (As the TMK's BC as measured by Litz is 7.7% higher than that of the SMK, the stability/BC issue will wipe out most of the gain and you're buying a more expensive product for potentially marginal benefit in external ballistics terms anyway - assuming it's being used on paper, not live quarry as many regularly do with these acetyl tip designs.) 

Interestingly though, Sierra shows 10 twist or faster for both the SMK and TMK, Strange in that this company is usually very conservative on twist rates often advising considerably 'faster' ones than are essential in 'normal conditions'.

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