At the 2018 SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range, Tikka brought out a surprising new product: The company’s first rimfire bolt action rifle. The T1x, as it’s called, is based in part on the successful T3 and T3x centerfire rifles, but with a redesigned action suited for rimfire operation. The result is a svelte little rimfire that was one of the most fun guns to shoot at the 2018 Industry Day.

The Tikka T1x is a .22 caliber rifle on part in terms of fit and finish with their centerfire T3x line. Like those rifles, it comes equipped with an excellent Sako barrel, widely considered to be some of the most excellent barrels on the market. This accuracy was evident at Range Day, as the T1x was so repeatable that I could lob .22 caliber projectiles out to the 200-300 meter mark, and, with the right dope, make hits easy as you please. Of course we all know how fun rimfires are to shoot – but truly accurate rimfires are something else. It’s really good fun to pull the trigger, and watch your bullet make its way down range and finish with a barely audible “dink” on steel! As a T3x owner, everything about the T1x was familiar to me; the trigger pull, ergonomics, etc. were all consistent with the T1x’s bigger centerfire brother. Indeed, the T1x is in fact compatible with the stocks of the T3x, making it very upgrade-able even on launch.

The T1x will be available in .17 HMR and .22 Long Rifle. Tikka representatives said .17 version is expected to hit store shelves sometime in the spring, while the .22 LR will take a little longer. Both versions are expected to retail for $499, putting them in the mid-tier rimfire bracket up against the CZ 452.