Gun Reviews >
Find a Dealer >
Find a Club >
Competitions >
videos >
Reader Survey >Tikka T3x Ace Game review: a £1,560 chassis rifle for stalking
- Last updated: 25/09/2026
Bruce Potts puts the Tikka T3x Ace Game through lead-free accuracy testing at 100 yards and a wet week on the Argyll stags, to see whether a £1,560 chassis rifle deserves a place in the stalker’s cabinet.
Rifle design moves on whether we like it or not, and right now the direction of travel is towards chassis systems, where the barrelled action beds into a stiff, strong, weatherproof modular frame. The appeal is the amount of adjustment on offer to suit individual shooters, and it has won over a good number of newer stalkers.
Tikka has followed the trend with its Ace series, built on the familiar T3x barrelled action and an aluminium chassis-type stock. There are three versions: the Ace Target for long range, the Ace Game for foxes and deer, and a rimfire model based on the T1x. Each comes either in black chassis and metalwork, or with a Cerakote Midnight Bronze and tungsten finish.
Because it is modular, the Ace can be stripped, adjusted and added to, so the owner can tailor it closely and get the most from its ergonomics with a long list of accessories.
The chassis is all aluminium and, unlike the T3x TAC A1, it does not fold. It has an open, skeletal look and brings an M-Lok forend, an Arca rail, a barricade stop, provision for extra weights and an AR-style pistol grip. A quick-adjusting cheekpiece and length of pull, swappable bag-rider attachments and ambidextrous thumb shelves for fast shooting are all welcome.
Tikka calls it “a complete shooting solution”, pairing a stiff, fully adjustable chassis with the smooth bolt and accuracy the T3x is known for. The Ace Game on test here is the black version at £1,560; the Midnight Bronze option costs £1,665.
Prices are RRP at the time of publication and may since have changed.
The chassis is the reason to buy an Ace. It is well engineered, fully adaptable and finished in hard-wearing black anodising, and it is made to take bad weather and rough treatment without the zero wandering.
The forend is 2.5in shorter than on the Target model but keeps the full-length Arca rail for a bipod and a complete set of M-Lok slots. It is not the most comfortable thing to carry on the stalk, although the optional grip pads help. The plastic AR-style grip is a little slippery in the hand, but the three-position thumb rest earns its keep.
At the back, the skeletal butt has three trapezoid cut-outs that take 140g weights, and 200g forend weights are also offered. Adding them improves balance and control, keeping the rifle steady on target so you can watch the strike and get a quick second shot away if it is needed.
The 5in cheekpiece feels slightly plasticky but works well. A threaded central column and a big thumb wheel give up to 1.5in of height adjustment very quickly. Length of pull starts at 13.75in and is changed with 5mm plastic spacers, and the recoil pad can be angled too, which makes for a very thorough set of adjustments.
A fast-resetting cheekpiece, adjustable length of pull and room for weights and bag riders
|
The T3x action sits securely in the black anodised chassis
|
Underneath, this is a T3x barrelled action in blued steel with a hammer-forged, Sporter-weight fluted barrel. At 20in it is handy for stalking, and there is a 24in alternative, with a 5/8 UNEF thread at the muzzle. It is noticeably slimmer and lighter than the Ace Target, and more nimble on the hill as a result.
The T3x action itself is unchanged and hardly needs introducing. It has earned its name as a smooth, fuss-free turn-bolt with a low bolt lift and strong twin opposed lugs. The current version has six spiral flutes cut into the bolt body, and a single extractor claw with a plunger ejector handles the cases reliably. The large, naturally angled plastic bolt knob is typical Tikka and comfortable to use, and a well-thought-out one-piece 20 MOA Picatinny rail takes the scope.
Lock time is quick, helped by the single-stage trigger, which adjusts from 1kg to 2kg (2lb to 4lb). Set at 3lb 1oz for the test, a safe and comfortable weight, it broke crisply and consistently. The side safety falls easily to hand, the five-shot single-stack polymer magazine fed without a hitch, and the ambidextrous release is a thoughtful addition.
The magazine well is interchangeable, and on the Game it takes standard five-shot T3x magazines
|
The one-piece 20 MOA rail, a comfortable bolt knob and spiral fluting on the bolt body
|
The trigger and ambidextrous magazine release are good; the AR-style grip is a little slippery
With a ZEISS Duralyt scope and an Evolve moderator fitted, the Ace still balanced well. The sling points are in the right places, so the rifle hangs comfortably muzzle-down on the walk in.
Lead-free accuracy was impressive. Hornady ECX was the pick, printing 0.45in groups at 100 yards at 2,982fps and 2,469ft/lb. Norma EcoStrike 150-gr was not far behind, holding 0.85in at a consistent 2,746fps and 2,513ft/lb.
Sako Powerhead Blade Pro at 130-gr also went into 0.85in, at 2,911fps and 2,446ft/lb, which makes it a good choice for the smaller deer species. Remington 150-gr Copper and RWS 165-gr Hit Green both shot close to 1in, at 2,772fps and 2,560ft/lb, and 2,571fps and 2,423ft/lb, respectively.
Most brands grouped well at 100 yards
|
Hornady ECX 125-gr was the most accurate load, and one of the fastest
|
In Argyll, with the stags roaring and the rain coming down in sheets, I watched the deer through HikMicro HQ50L Habrok 4K binoculars. The weather was grim but the wind stayed predictable, which kept the stalking workable. The stags were cautious and only showed at last light, so it took several evening outings, and through all of them the Ace Game coped with rain, mud and the odd bump without complaint.
For all its tactical looks, the Ace Game is a handy, nimble stalking rifle with plenty of adjustment
Tucked in behind a stone wall, I raised the cheekpiece until my eye lined up perfectly and settled in to wait, glad of the wind in my face and the lack of midges. The roaring started up as the light went, hinds filed past, and six- and eight-pointers followed, but by then it was too dark to shoot. By this point I had nearly forgotten I was carrying a chassis rifle at all. What I noticed instead was how tough and weatherproof it was, and that it held its zero.
In the end a six-pointer came through the trees chasing a hind at 150 yards. Following him in the scope was easy, and when he stopped for a moment the Norma EcoStrike did its job perfectly. One clean shot, and then the long drag out.
A red stag taken with the Ace Game in .308 Win and Norma EcoStrike
|
Norma EcoStrike 150-gr proved accurate and hit hard down range
|
I had my doubts about stalking with a chassis rifle, but the Ace Game won me round. It is easy to carry, tough, accurate and very steady when it counts. The price is sensible, and for anyone ready to accept where stalking rifles are heading, it makes a strong case.
Expect to pay £1,560 for the black rifle and £1,665 for the Midnight Bronze version, both through GMK. Grip pads and the add-on weights (140g for the butt, 200g for the forend) are sold separately.
It is built for carrying rather than the bench. The forend loses 2.5in, and the barrel is a lighter Sporter profile, fluted and 20in long as standard. Chassis, action, Arca rail and M-Lok slots are common to both, and there is also a rimfire Ace built on the T1x.
From .223 up to .300 Win Mag. The test rifle was in .308 Win.
The Hornady ECX was the clear winner, printing a 0.45in group. Three other loads were close behind: the 150-gr Norma EcoStrike and the 130-gr Sako Powerhead Blade Pro at 0.85in, and Remington Copper and RWS Hit Green at about an inch.
Tikka T1X and T3X Ace Series: product showcase – the Ace range introduced at the British Shooting Show.
Tikka T3X Tac A1 – the folding chassis rifle on the same action.
Tikka T3X Lite in .270 Win – the T3x action in a conventional stalking stock.
