Quality firearms have been associated with Finland for well more than a century. Prior to the merger of Sako and Tikkakoski, both companies wandered in and out of manufacturing arms and other mechanical items in order to keep the lights on during numerous wars and economic downturns. Nokia/Valmet brought Sako and a newly-renamed Tikka under one umbrella in 1983, steering these storied gunmakers to the end of the 20th century. Beretta took the wheel in 2000, and by all accounts, fans of high-quality, bolt-action rifles have been reaping the rewards ever since.
As a key player in this conglomerate, Tikka has built on its classic M558, M668 and highly successful T3 rifle designs with the updated T3x. At the time of this writing, Tikka’s flagship centerfire model is available in multiple flavors—17 to be exact. Options include lightweight models, hunters, a ranch rifle, tactical variants and competition versions. We decided to evaluate one from the last category that appears to fit squarely among the new class of precision rifles making worldwide waves at competitions and in the hands of military and law-enforcement snipers.
While currently limited to two color schemes and three chamberings, the T3x “Ace Target” still covers a wide swath of precision-rifle needs. All models have a standard 1-MOA accuracy guarantee from the factory, which is pretty conservative for rifles of this style today. Owners of other Tikka rifles who like the Ace Target’s chassis will be happy to know that it’s backward compatible with all T3, T3x and T1x actions.
Barrel lengths are 24 and 26 inches, with available chamberings in .223 Rem. (not 5.56 NATO), 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win. Color options are Anodized Black or a Midnight Bronze/Tungsten Cerakote combo. I requested the longer-barreled, 6.5 Creedmoor version in hopes of wring-ing out the rifle’s long-range capabilities.
Oversize and easy to manipulate, the bolt handle operated smoothly and without hitches throughout testing, while the two-position safety locks the bolt in place when engaged • AR-compatible, the grip is adjustable for angle and reach.
The Ace Target’s heavy-contour barrel is fronted by a thread protector and has a recessed crown to provide some protection in the field. Regardless of chambering, all versions’ muzzles are threaded 5/8×24 tpi, so adding a muzzle device or direct-thread sound suppressor is easy enough. A removable, 14.75-inch freefloat fore-end is open on top, but it accepts mounting screws for up to two, optional, rail-topped cover sections.
M-Lok slots along the handguard’s sides and bottom, as well as a full-length, integral ARCA-Swiss RRS rail, provide ample space for a bipod, tripod and other common accessories. Reinforced QD sockets are present on either side, just forward of the receiver. A removable fore-end cap provides access for installation of optional 7-ounce weight sets that affix to the M-Lok slots from the inside.
The receiver has a 5.75-inch-long rail with a built-in 20-MOA cant up top. A spring-loaded bolt catch is nested in the left side of the receiver, while a stainless steel, spiral-fluted bolt rides inside. An oversize polymer knob and 70-degree throw make manipulation easy, even for southpaws like me.
The T3x’s dual-lug bolt features the well-proven, Sako-style extractor and a spring-loaded ejector in the bolt face. A cocked-firing-pin indicator protrudes from under the rear of the cock-on-open bolt once the handle is lifted. The two-position safety sits next to the bolt on the right side of the receiver, locking the bolt handle down when actuated.
The action bolts to an aluminum block inside the chassis, with an integral recoil lug mating to a corresponding slot in the receiver’s bottom. A removable, polymer mag well is relieved on the sides to facilitate easier loading when prone. Additional mag wells for Tikka’s T1x and polymer T3x magazines are currently available as accessories. According to a company representative, an AICS-compatible mag well is also in the works.
Aggressive texture for use as a barrier-stop graces the front of the magazine well, while the ARCA rail makes using a tripod easy • Magazines are robust, but proprietary and require break-in • Well-padded with multiple adjustments, fitting the stock is simple • M-Lok attachment slots grace the fore-end at the 3-, 6- and 9-o’clock positions.
The chassis features an aggressively textured barrier rest in front of the magazine well, while a paddle-style, ambidextrous mag release sits between the mag well and trigger guard. An adjustable polymer insert with a protruding post is set into the side of the chassis, providing an effective strong-side rest for the firing thumb. The rest can be moved to either side or replaced by a shelf-style version that’s available as an accessory.
The pistol grip is secured by a pair of transverse screws: one allows the grip angle to be changed and the other enables forward or rearward positioning of the grip. The chassis will also accept traditional AR-compatible grips. The adjustable trigger requires removal of the action from the chassis to access the 2.5 mm adjusting screw. At 3.75-pounds on arrival, my test rifle’s trigger was smooth through the first stage and clean breaking in the second. Nonetheless, I reduced it to 2 pounds for my evaluation.
Separating the action from the chassis requires removal of the action and guard screws, which can be accomplished with the included Torx driver. The pistol grip must first be loosened and slid rearward to access to the guard screw. While the same driver can be used for tightening, I opted to torque the test rifle’s screws to 65 inch-pounds.
The Ace’s skeletonized stock is affixed to the chassis via a single bolt. Optional weights are available for attachment within the stock’s open spaces. The recoil pad adjusts vertically and horizontally by way of a single T25 screw. Two stock spacers accompany the rifle, providing an additional .4 inch in length-of-pull when used together.
A three-position post gives options for resting the strong-hand thumb • Adding a suppressor, brake or other muzzle device is easy thanks to the 5/8×24 tpi-threaded barrel • The fluted bolt reduces friction and allows for efficient, smooth operation while shaving weight and minimizing the effects of fouling • With a large paddle to facilitate magazine changes, the mag well itself is relieved to allow rapid reloads even in the prone position.
The comb is adjustable via a thumbwheel that sets height, and a pushbutton that quickly takes it from flat to the pre-set position. The stock toe features a removable, polymer hook for support-hand use, but an optional bag-rider bottom is also available. QD sling sockets are machined on both sides of the buttstock, ahead of the recoil pad.
In spite of its long, heavy barrel, the Ace Target feels good in the hand. Mounting a 12X test optic for comfortable eye relief was easy, and for my average-size frame, neither stock spacer was needed. After patching the bore, lubricating the bolt and double-checking the screw torques, I headed to the 100-meter test range to gather baseline accuracy and muzzle-velocity measurements.
The Ace Target’s recoil was mild, with the rifle quickly coming back on target after each shot. Bolt movement was not as smooth as some higher-end models, but it still cycled efficiently and without feeling sticky. The only difficulty encountered was that while I was in the firing position, inserting the steel-bodied magazine proved awkward. I repeatedly had to come out of position in order to look for the sweet spot when seating the mag. Anything other than perfect alignment stopped the magazine from sliding upward. Also, once empty, the magazine did not drop free.
In every other respect, shooting was trouble-free, whether unsuppressed or with my Huxwrx Ventum 762 suppressor threaded onto the muzzle. I fired 100 rounds for this phase of the evaluation and out-of-box accuracy was excellent. The .56-MOA extreme-spread average of all three ammo types nearly convinced me that I was in my shooting prime again.
Rifles like the Ace Target are designed for wide-open spaces, so after cleaning the bore and changing scopes, I headed to a longer range. This time, I chose a Nightforce NX8 2.5-20×50 mm F1 riflescope to help manage my firing solutions. I shot most of this range session from prone, with only a bipod and rear sand sock for support.
Beginning at 200 meters, I worked my way out to 1,130 meters, with targets at 300, 400, 450, 500, 600, 756 and 975 meters between those bookends. Target sizes ranged from 3×6-inch steel rectangles and 8-inch round plates out to 500 meters, to 12-inch-square plates and IPSC-size steel silhouettes at the longer distances. Once I tweaked my holdovers, the T3x was boringly consistent, hitting right where I aimed at all distances.
For my final magazine, I switched to a tripod and engaged the 500-, 975- and 1,130-meter targets while standing. Once again, the rifle delivered. Relatively calm headwinds made for perfect test conditions, but when the occasional full-value gust did appear downrange, the efficient 6.5 Creedmoor projectiles only required minor wind holds.
The magazine insertion and drop problem disappeared at some point during the second test, so it must have been a wearing-in issue with the polymer mag well. No malfunctions or problems were noted during this range trip and after using up another 50 rounds of Sako’s 136-grain Scenar-L load, I called it a day.
Having tested Sako’s TRG-22 A1 in the same chambering and size class a couple years ago, it’s natural to compare them. The T3x lacks the side-folding stock and quick LOP adjustability of its well-heeled cousin. However, the Ace Target version has a nice assortment of optional accessories, is a couple pounds lighter and my test rifle edged out the TRG sample in best group and overall accuracy. Most significantly, Tikka’s rifle is less than a third the price of the Sako.
In the late 1990s, my sniper mates and I were issued our first, reliably half-MOA rifles. Such accuracy among off-the-shelf guns was rare, and those rifles were valued by us in the field. Today, it’s increasingly common to find well-built, versatile rifles that are turn-key ready to deliver that level of accuracy. My testing indicates that Tikka’s T3x Ace Target has a place at this table.
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