Copyright 2025 – Stephen Redgwell – email me
Above is my Tikka T1x Gen 1. It was okay, but…
In mid 2024, I started modifying my Tikka T1x. I had no intention of creating a competition rifle. I just wanted what used to be called a “club rifle”. Something that I could shoot for fun. When the weather turned bad, I could put up some 50 yard targets and plink.
Maybe plinking isn’t the right word, but I’m not sure what the right word would be. I wanted a rifle that could shoot small groups, but wouldn’t mean that I had to mortgage the house. And to repeat – it was not an attempt at building a competition rifle! But I gotta tell you, what started as a small, inexpensive project, got pricey as the year progressed!
The first time around, I got a replacement grip, a wider forend and a Yo Dave trigger spring. The trigger spring was a solid investment and a better value, to my mind, than a Timney trigger. It broke cleanly at 13 oz. The two plastic stock parts, on the other hand, were not helpful.
Except for the stock, I liked the rifle from the get-go. Tikkas of any calibre are the best rifles out of the box right now, in my opinion. They are accurate, well made and are reasonably priced. My friend said that I was a gun snob, but I disagreed. If that was the case, I said, I would only own Sakos.
But oh, the Stock!
Plastic stocks have been the standard for many years. It’s fair to say that there are some people who have never owned a wooden stocked rifle. While walnut is beautiful, it’s not the best material to use as a gun stock, if durability is in the mix. It’s my experience that synthetic stocked rifles are easier and faster to get to shoot accurately. They are also easier to maintain. Nicks and gouges in walnut make a lot of guys cringe. This, of course, could spawn a few pages of arguments about wood vs synthetics.
As I was testing ammunition, I noticed almost immediately that the stock was uncomfortable. This rifle was primarily going to be a bench rifle, with only the occasional foray onto a shooting mat. The guy in the next lane saw me squirming and trying to settle the rifle on the bench. I guess it got to him after a while and he suggested that I look around for another stock. “Check MDT. They have a new field stock called, well, the Field Stock. It’s not as expensive as the ones used for PRS or NRL 22.”
So I did, but not before checking the Boyds website first.
They had an AT-One that caught my eye. I seriously considered that one until I visited the MDT page and saw their Field Stock. For the same money (about $20 cheaper actually), I could get the MDT stock instead. It’s Canadian made, has faster shipping, and far fewer hassles if I had to get any warranty work done.
The Tikka T1x Gen 2
Tikka T1x Gen 2 – the next phase
It has an aluminum inner chassis and can be adjusted to fit. I had spare spacers shipped with my order, which is standard. I should explain that the aluminum chassis does not go from butt to forend. It starts at the grip and ends approximately where the barrel starts.
If you are looking at a similar build with your Tikka, here are the approximate costs.
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Tikka T1x Rifle Build
Tikka T1x MTR rifle – $825.00
MDT Field Stock – $370.00
MDT 20 MOA Picatinny Scope Base – $ 80.00
Discovery HD – 5-30×56 GEN2 scope – $440.00
Discovery Medium height scope rings – 34mm $ 90.00
Spearhead Tuner – $200.00
Total before taxes – $2005.00
with taxes (CDN) $2265.00 or $1675.00 (USD)
More to come.