Understanding the Differences Between Tikka T1x Scope Mounts, Scope Rings, and Scope Bases

The Tikka brand of bolt action rifles is part of the Sako Limited rifle brand based in Finland. Both brands are owned and operated by the Beretta Holding Corporation out of Italy.

Tikka is best known for its bolt action rifles line, so rimfire enthusiasts were excited when Tikka introduced the Tikka T1X MTR rimfire series of rifles. The MTR acronym stands for Multi-Task Rimfire as this rifle was designed to perform equally well in the field and off the bench. The T1X rifle was created using many of the popular features of the Tikka T3 and T3X line of centerfire rifles.

As the T1X rifle has grown in popularity, so have the commonly asked questions about the rifle and its performance. One of the more common questions that I’m asked at my day job focuses on mounting a scope on the T1X. Most of the confusion seems to be related to the differences between the scope mounts, scope rings, and bases for the Tikka T1X rifle.

Before I get into trying to answer the Tikka T1X rings and bases questions, let me first provide a little more detail on the T1X itself.

Tikka T1X Overview

The T1X rifle is currently available in the following two rimfire calibers:

• 22LR
• 17 HMR

Both calibers come with a synthetic modular stock, 60 degree bolt throw (which I love), and a 10-round magazine (for both calibers).

Since the T1X is built-in on the larger T3X rifle frame, almost all the aftermarket accessories for the T3X rifles will also work with the T1X rimfire platform. This forward-thinking was a nice touch from Tikka as it meant that there were ready-made stock and trigger group upgrades for the Tikka T1x the minute it hit the market.

Although the T1X was introduced at the 2018 SHOT Show, production delays slowed down the release to the market. The T1x rifle was not available for sale in the U.S. until the beginning of 2019, meaning this rifle has not been around the U.S. market all that long.

That being said, it has exploded in popularity with the rimfire crowd for almost every aspect of rimfire shooting. The action is very popular in long-range 22 shooting and is disciplines like PRL and NRL. The lightweight and durable stock, coupled with the excellent out of the box accuracy, have made the T1X a favorite for hunters as well.

Scope Mounting Options for the T1x

When the T1X was in the design phase, those Tikka engineers really thought things through as the T1X was designed, so there are a few different ways to mount a scope on the rifle.

The T1X is drilled and tapped to accept direct mount scope rings, but also comes with an integrated 11mm rail that can be used to mount scope rings.

For the most part, here are the most common methods to mount a scope on a T1 X rifle:

• Direct Mount Scope Bases
• Direct Mount Scope Rings
• Rail Mounted Scope Rings
• Aftermarket 11mm to Weaver Conversion Rail
• Aftermarket Picatinny Rail Mount

Let’s go a little bit deeper into each of those scope mounting methods:

T1X Direct Mount Scope Bases

People commonly misunderstand the terms scope base and scope rings, so let me take a second to clarify the differences. A scope base is a mount that attaches to the top of the rifle or shotgun receiver. It serves as an attachment point for scope rings.

Scope rings are the actual rings mounted on a rifle or shotgun, which physically hold the scope in place on the firearm. Some rifles and shotguns will accept a base as an option, while others require a base to mount rings to the firearm.

In the case of the T1X, you can mount a set of bases to the drilled and tapped receiver and then use those bases as an attachment point for scope rings.

Given all the scope mounting options on the market for the T1X, I feel that there are better and more cost-effective options for mounting a scope on the T1X.

T1X Direct Mount Scope Rings

With the receiver being tapped for screws, it will also accept a direct mount set of scope rings. With this approach, the scope rings are designed to be attached directly to the top of the receiver (no bases required) via screws.

This approach requires scope rings that are specifically made for this purpose and made explicitly for the T1X. Like most other scope rings, the direct mount scope ring model you pick for the job would need to ensure that it allows enough height to accommodate the objective size of your preferred riflescope.

The direct mount approach is one of my personal favorites in terms of scope mounting options and the one I used on my T1X. I’ll go into more detail below about my favorite direct mount scope rings.

T1X Rail Mounted Scope Rings

The T1x features an 11mm rail integrated into the receiver, so another scope mounting option would be to use scope rings made to fit an 11mm rail (which is the same size rail on the CZ 452, 455, and 457 rifles).

The traditional U.S. standard for scope mounting rails is the Weaver rails, which are a ¾” wide. Since ¾” is wider than 11mm, trying to mount Weaver style scope rings to an 11mm rail usually doesn’t end well.

However, 11mm is the European standard for scope rails, which is why the T1X comes with an 11mm integrated rail.

Since there are plenty of scope rings made specifically for an 11mm rail, it makes far more sense to buy one of those options instead of trying to make rings made for a Weaver rail fit.

I’ll go over my favorite rail mounted scope rings for the T1X down below.

Aftermarket 11mm to Weaver Conversion Rail

If your favorite set of scope rings are only available to fit a Weaver rail, and you have no interest in shopping for a new 11mm set of rings, then your only other option would be to use an aftermarket direct mount rail that converts from 11mm over to the ¾” Weaver rail specifications.

Personally, I’m not a fan of this approach for several reasons, and the major one is that there are several excellent quality 11mm scope ring options already on the market. The 11mm to ¾” conversion rail would make more sense to me if there were only a limited number of 11mm scope ring options or if those options were excessively expensive, but that’s not the case.

Aftermarket Picatinny Rail Mount

The final option would be to purchase an aftermarket rail that is a Picatinny rail. The Picatinny rail is a U.S. based rail system that was adopted by the U.S. military as their standard rail system. This rail system, which is also called the 1913 Rail) is different from a Weaver rail system and offers a greater degree of adjustability.

Typically, this rail mount is popular for the T1X for the following reasons:

• For long-range shooting in situations where your scope elevation is maxed out, you need more vertical scope adjustments (commonly called MOA adjustments). These types of rails usually offer another 10-20 MOA of elevation
• In situations where a shooter already uses a Picatinny-based scope mounting system and prefers that all his or her gear functions the same way.

What are the best Tikka T1x Scope Rings or Scope Bases?

In my opinion, the answer to that question is broken down into two parts and depends on whether you prefer a direct mounted option or a rail-mounted option.

I like the scope mounted as close to the rifle’s bore as possible, so I prefer the direct mount option for a T1x.

Here are the direct mount Tikka T1x scope rings I use, and these are the same ones you see in some of the pics on this page on my T1X:

If you prefer the rail-mounted approach, here are my favorite T1x scope rings that attach to the 11mm rail of the Tikka:

FAQS

Here are some of the frequently asked questions that I see and hear in regards to Tikka T1X scope rings and bases:

Will scope rings made for a Tikka T3X also work for a Tikka T1X?

Ah, an excellent question. The answer is no, and here’s why: Although the T1X and the T3X are very similar, they are not identical in size and configuration. While the T1X features an 11mm integrated scope rail, the T3X and T3 rifles come with an integrated 16mm scope rail.

Also, the screw mounting locations on the receiver of the T1X are in a different position compared to the direct mount locations on the T3X.

What’s the best scope for a Tikka t1x?

That question is nearly impossible to accurately answer as the answer would depend on so many variables, including:

• How is the rifle being used?
• What caliber are you shooting? .22 or 17HMR?
• What’s your scope budget?
• What’s your ideal scope magnification range?

I could go on and on with this.

Without more specific details, I wouldn’t even try to answer that question.

Do I just need scopes rings for my T1X, or do I need rings and bases as well?

I’ve somewhat already covered this topic above, but I’ll go over it once more.

The answer depends on how you plan to mount the scope to your Tikka. If you want to use a direct mount option using the existing tapped screw holes, you would technically be looking at a set of bases and rings that are integrated into a single unit like the Talley Ultralight T1X mounts mentioned above.

If you prefer to use the existing scope rail on the T1X, you would be looking at just scope rings (no bases) built for an 11mm scope rail.

When shopping for rings for my T1X, I see options for a Tikka T1X rail or a T1X MOA rail? Do I need one of those to mount a scope on my T1x?

An MOA rail or specific T1X rail is not necessary to mount a scope on your T1x as it already comes with an integrated 11mm rail from the factory. All you need is either scope rings made to fit an 11mm rail or integrated bases and rings that will mount directly to the T1X receiver’s top.

The MOA rail you mentioned is designed to add additional MOA-based elevation adjustment ranges for long-range shooting.

As I come across more questions about Tikka T1X scope mounting, I’ll update this section accordingly.