r/canadaguns • u/ExtremeCommercial821 • 2d ago
Buy recommendations Ruger American Gen II vs. Tikka t3x
I'm looking for my first bolt action, and I know this sounds like a no brainer; the Tikka is objectively better on action and accuracy.
However, I'm going to be doing mostly range and I'm drawn to the Ruger; it's tastefully bubba'd from the factory and has all the aeathstics I love, plus functional stock risers, plus a pic-rail to boot.
Action feel is so important to me but the cost savings on the Ruger are very noticeable and at its price, the Tikka is already much higher I'll be spending hundreds more on a scope and basic mods.
I guess what I'm asking is; will the Ruger fall short the more experienced I get and cause me to just get a Tikka anyway; or is the Ruger respectable enough to keep for years to come and put down good groupings at distance on range?
I'm looking at 6.5CM btw. Thanks!
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u/ovjho 2d ago
I have a Ruger American Gen 1 in 6.5cm. I put it in the magpul stock and bipod and use it to learn some basics of target shooting and medium-long range shooting.
It puts holes in paper at 100+ yards no problem. The same holes as a tikka for much less.
Yes, the tikka is objectively a better rifle in all areas aside from price. That said, don’t let “online experts” tell you nothing short of a custom carbon barrel and hand built action will suffice. The Rugers are a solid option at an entry price. Get it, shoot it, and if your skill or use case outgrows the rifle, upgrade.
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u/Iokua_CDN 2d ago
Agreed I'd argue most if not all my guns are more accurate than me.
You like the things and features that the ruger has, that's also a cost saving vs buying the Tikka and modifying it.
So all in all? Sure maybe the Tikka is slightly better quality, slightly more accurate.
However the ruger is decent qualify, good qualify too. It will serve you well, and shoot great.
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u/Birdybadass 2d ago
Rifles are tools and the purpose matters here. The tikka T3x in most models is a purpose built hunting rifle. It’s lightweight with a pencil thin barrel. Those two features are not what you’d typically value in a rifle you’re only taking to the range for punching paper. Is the tikka better? Yea for the purpose of hunting it will be a better option than the Ruger absolutely. But for what you want to use the tool for, I’m not sure the benefits would be an actual value worth paying for.
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u/Primary_Judge 2d ago
What? Tikka has lots of target rifles
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u/Birdybadass 2d ago
And Chevrolet sells the corvette but that doesn’t mean it’s a sports car brand. The huge majority of tikka rifles are built around hunting pursuits. If OP is comparing a ruger gen 2 to a T3x, the most similar T3x models are likely the base or the lite and it’s not likely he’s talking about the Ace, UPR or CTR.
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u/NemrahG 2d ago
I have a Ruger American gen 1 and its been pretty great, very accurate and just works with no issues. Really my only complaints is the zipper noise, which they fixed in gen 2, and I’m not a fan the trigger safety blade, but you can remove blade or get an aftermarket trigger pretty easily.
I have a Tikka’s as well, the bolt and gun is very smooth and solid, and it has a great trigger, but accuracy wise I’d say they’re both pretty similar.
Personally, I think the Ruger is a better deal for the price, its just a solid gun all around that works, but you really can’t go wrong with either.
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u/Hotdog_Broth 2d ago
I own a couple Gen 1 rugers and a couple T3Xs, one of each being in .223. There isn’t any massive difference in accuracy between the two rifles in my experience. I’ve also shot a few Gen 2 rugers, but don’t own any myself.
They’re all great guns, but I’d personally get the tikka as it’s obviously the better rifle. If you really want the Ruger, go for it.
In terms of a cheek riser being a selling point, there are plenty of cheap ones you can throw onto a tikka.
Assuming you want to buy new, with some patience the T3X can still be found on discount for nearly the same price as a Gen 2 ruger’s regular price.
If this is your first bolt action, I assume it’s a gun you plan on keeping for a long time or for life? If so, I think the biggest thing to consider is if an extra ~20% initial cost (assuming you can’t find a T3X on discount) is something you’re willing to take a hit on to have the better rifle over that timeframe.
Something I always comment on these types of posts is that in almost all cases, OP either gets the tikka or they make a post in a few months saying they wish they got the tikka. You could absolutely be an exception to this, but just consider if you see yourself ending up in that position.
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u/Next-Swimming-4270 2d ago
Ruger has much better magazines too. (Tikka uses proprietary mags, which are expensive). I have the ruger american predator gen 2, which is a great gun
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u/ReturnOk7510 2d ago
I do like that the Ruger uses AICS mags. I've got the factory mag, plus a MDT 10 round metal mag and a PMAG 5 7.62 AC, both feed flawlessly, aside from the fact that the PMAG needs a light bump to get it to lock in if the bolt is closed.
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u/groggygirl 2d ago edited 2d ago
tl;dr: skill > $$$, Ruger American wins this comp over some much more expensive guns.
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u/Top_Importance6216 2d ago
Tikka first for function, Ruger second if you then decide to just start spending on drip.
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u/Acc4Wtf 2d ago
Tikka every time, without hesitation. Didn't even read the post, only title was necessary.
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u/SpectreBallistics Spectre Ballistics International (Verified) 2d ago
Yup. You will not go wrong with the Tikka. They're great.
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u/Eyeronick 2d ago
I have both. As you said they Tikka is definitely better but the aesthetics of the gen 2 are hard to pass up. Something to note is that they both have pretty thin profile barrels. I'd highly suggest you look at something with a thicker barrel if you're interested in range shooting. My Ruger starts to drift after 1 mag and I need to swap it out for a different rifle to cool down. If you want to do both hunting and range shooting I'd suggest two seperate rifles.