TIKKA MASTER SPORTER

s most people know Tikka is now a part of Sako, sharing a lot of the same manufacturing tooling, processes, and engineering. The result is some really high quality rifles for a very resonable price. The Master Sporter is not a purpose made sniper rifle, but a rifle that could very easily be adapted to sniper use. If you look closely, you will notice that the stock is almost the exact contour and shape as the Sako TRG-21/41 series. This style of stock is great for target shooting, and adapts well to sniper use also. Another nice feature is the detachable box magazine, very handy for rapid ammo type changes. (i.e a quick change from standard match ammo to armor piercing). The stock is fully adjustable, another nice feature. The only problem, of course, is the fact that it is a wood stock, not even laminated. Wood changes A LOT with different weather, especially moisture. This can lead to a shift of inpact from what you might expect. If you use a wood stocked rifle, you MUST keep very accurate data for all weather conditions.

The accuracy of these rifles is outstanding, routinely shooting .5 MOA straight out of the box. Maybe the most appealing feature of all for this rifle is the price, you should easily be able to order in a new Tikka Master Sporter for under $1000 USD. If your working on a tight budget, but need to have extreme accuracy, the “Poor Man’s TRG-21” just might be the rifle for you.

Update: A new version of the Sporter has been released by Tikka, read our review.