Ok, first post here - so hello everyone.

I sorta sold my guns a few years back and concentrated on biggame fishing after my Dad quit hunting (Parkinsons).

Well I've got the fever again, have aquired a lease, and will be teaching my sons to hunt and shoot the same as my father did with me.

So, time to buy a deer rifle. I've seen the Icon on the TV in a hunting show or two. I've seen the commercial on T/C's website, I've read the articles...I really do like the gun and wouldn't mind having one.

Problem is, it don't exist yet. I am coming accross posts going back to last year talking about this gun - only it still isn't on the shelves. T/C's website is absolutely no help as the only thing they have is an old post from the Shot Show saying it will be out in June - well that obviusly didn't happen.

Does anyone have the real info as to what is going on with this gun and when it will be available?

We don't have much time till the season starts (first weekend in November here in Texas).

I'll give it till the end of September then the first Tikka Hunter Deluxe I run accross in .270 or .308 is going in the safe.

TexTuna

They are already available from some places:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=78279710

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=78548562

http://www.gunsamerica.com/976927715/Guns/Rifles/TU-Misc-Rifles/Thompson_Center_Icon_308.htm

They have been on Gallery of Guns for some time now (zero available). My dealer has them on order with no ETA from any of his distributors.

T/C will supply their key dealers/distributors first.

The I-Bolts are also listed on GoG (zero available).

mudhen - CA

Thanks for the links. I had looked on Auction Arms a few days ago and not seen one, didn't think to check the other two sites.

Now I have to determine if the rifle is worth that kind of money to me. A Tikka T3 would be about half that whereas for the same $$ I could get a pre-Garcia Sako (w/scope) which is what I may do.


TexTuna

Manufactures today market there new guns years before they ever fill the dealers shelves. I collect a certain caliber of firearms and when Savage announced there latest in that caliber I wanted one for the collection so I could have all that were made by Savage. In the intervening time frame Savage came out with another model that they never marketed in that caliber. Acquired it and still waited four years for the much tooted and wrote about rifle that I originally wanted. Both models are now discontinued--wonder why?

Ruger does the same thing all the time as does other manufactuers. That ploy has torqued me off so much that I will not buy new calibers or firearms. The much tooted 204 Ruger--don't own one and won't own one. WSSM's the same. Some day the manufactures will realize that marketing products so far in advance and real world realities by the buying sportsman are two different entinities entirely.

I tend to agree there hailstone. I was and still am interested in the Icon, but at $1000 I just don't think I can justify it.

I called the dealer up locally that had one of those Icons listed on Gunbroker thinking he might sell it reasonably but he still wanted $922 plus tax.

I dropped into another shop to see their Tikka's and ended up walking out with a tried and true stand by.

They had a Remington 700 BDL, one of the ones with the earllier style flor-de-lei checkering, excellent condition, beautiful pattern in the wood, .270 Win w/sling and a Redfield Widefield 3x9 scope (not one of the Japanese ones). Price was $475. Could go back and get the 6mm BDL they had next to it w/scope and sling and still come out less than the price of the Icon itself. In fact I very well might. A 6mm BDL with the earlier style checkering was my first real deer rifle. I have regretted letting that rifle go from the day I did it. I thought I needed something bigger, but I never had a more accurate, dependable rifle that it.

My oldest son will turn 13 next month, I may well go back and get it with an eye for him to use.

TexTuna

You can't go wrong with the 700 BDL or ADL for that matter. My first centerfire was a varmit heavy barrel in 223 that I still have and use. Since then have acquired a few others and they all are solid performers with respectable accuracy. Remington's new marketing hype with all the letters and the plain cheezy looking rifles makes me want to puke. If they don't watch out they'll pull a Winchester 64 blunder and the beginning of the end will start. 7mm-08 is one of the better white tail deer calibers I hunt with using a 700 Remington.

Icons had an increase in MSRP somewhere in the long process of coming to the market.

It will take some time to see where the price settles down to.

My dealer (a close friend) says they will be around $820 for me.

mudhen - CA

My question isn't "where?", but "why?".

There's an article in this month's AMerican Rifleman that hypes the rifle, and then reports groups of 1.23 to 2.85 inches with the special Hornady 30 TC ammo. You'd expect sub MOA groups from an $800 to $1000 rifle.

Then there's the 30 TC cartridge that's supposed to equal the 30-06 performance...2800 fps with a 165 gr bullet. I can get that velocity with a 180 grainer from my Rem 700 30-06.

It is a pretty rifle...can't deny that. BUt performance will have to ratchet up before I'd part with that kind of money.

...and all that .30 T/C power will only be available as expensive factory ammo since its magic powder can only be handled by specially trained witches and warlocks and will be unavailable to the general handloading public. With that nice compact case and available powders are we looking at maybe a warm .30-40 Krag (not even .300 Savage).

That new rifle, that is neither cheaper, lighter, slicker, sleeker nor more accurate than commonly available, could be in for a rather brief lifespan. It might be worth buying one because a few years from now they could be a collector's item.