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The Tikka T3 is quite possibly the best value for money bolt action rifle on the market. In general, I've almost always found outdoor equipment from European c

The Tikka T3 is quite possibly the best value for money bolt action rifle on the market. In general, I've almost always found outdoor equipment from European companies to be superior to American (regardless of where it's actually manufactured). I've always got the impression from their marketing material that the Europeans are selling a product, whereas the Americans are always selling a lifestyle.

throw0101a 6y ago
> I've always got the impression from their marketing material that the Europeans are selling a product, whereas the Americans are always selling a lifestyle. A lot of people say the same thing about Harley-Davidson motorcycles. FortNine had a video made the rounds a little while ago: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOwxxsPaogY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOwxxsPaogY
- ska 6y ago
  HD clearly shifted to a "lifestyle" brand in the 1980's, and along with the Reagan era tariff protection it probably saved the company in the post AMF years... but now they have dug themselves into a hole they probably can't get out of, although they are finally trying, a decade or two late.
kerkeslager 6y ago
The Tikka T3 is a fantastic rifle, but a Ruger American is competitive. If you get one of the Ruger Americans with a muzzle brake, it can give you a better overall experience, especially in the punchy calibers common in this type of rifle, like 308. The Tikka will probably be more accurate out of the box, but very few shooters can do their part to the level of either gun. The big old school companies like Remington or Marlin have become lifestyle brands, for sure, but there are still some US companies making quality products. This is particularly true for more traditional American guns: you'd have a hard time beating a S&W or Ruger revolver, or a Henry lever action, with a foreign brand.
edorsey 6y ago
> I've always got the impression from their marketing material that the Europeans are selling a product, whereas the Americans are always selling a lifestyle. Reminds me of “We Don’t Sell Saddles Here” by Stewart Butterfield around the time Slack launched. https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c59524d650d https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c5952...

throw0101a 6y ago

> I've always got the impression from their marketing material that the Europeans are selling a product, whereas the Americans are always selling a lifestyle. A lot of people say the same thing about Harley-Davidson motorcycles. FortNine had a video made the rounds a little while ago: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOwxxsPaogY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOwxxsPaogY

ska 6y ago
HD clearly shifted to a "lifestyle" brand in the 1980's, and along with the Reagan era tariff protection it probably saved the company in the post AMF years... but now they have dug themselves into a hole they probably can't get out of, although they are finally trying, a decade or two late.

kerkeslager 6y ago

The Tikka T3 is a fantastic rifle, but a Ruger American is competitive. If you get one of the Ruger Americans with a muzzle brake, it can give you a better overall experience, especially in the punchy calibers common in this type of rifle, like 308. The Tikka will probably be more accurate out of the box, but very few shooters can do their part to the level of either gun. The big old school companies like Remington or Marlin have become lifestyle brands, for sure, but there are still some US companies making quality products. This is particularly true for more traditional American guns: you'd have a hard time beating a S&W or Ruger revolver, or a Henry lever action, with a foreign brand.

edorsey 6y ago

> I've always got the impression from their marketing material that the Europeans are selling a product, whereas the Americans are always selling a lifestyle. Reminds me of “We Don’t Sell Saddles Here” by Stewart Butterfield around the time Slack launched. https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c59524d650d https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c5952...