I grew up shooting Weatherby Mark V’s and a Steyr SSG. And there I was, a full-grown adult with a credit score and everything, browsing the gun rack at Sportsman’s Warehouse. I noticed a Thompson/Center Arms offering in .243 Winchester. The rifle’s beautiful walnut stock and unique stealth-like receiver design set it apart, like the beautiful girl in a line-up of potential partners at a high school dance. I struck up a conversation. Big mistake—as far as my credit card balance was concerned. After checking the temperature of my increasingly warm plastic, I got wood . . .

 

 

While the Thompson/Center Icon’s stock isn’t an exhibition grade piece, it’s far more elegant than standard production rifles in this price range. The T/C’s semi-matt lustre stock boasts even grain and some curling, with sharp, precise, lightly decorated 20 LPI checkering. The stock’s classic sporter contour offers a low, straight comb and no cheekpiece. The contoured barrel’s blued with a deep high-lustre finish; the receiver and trigger guard are blued with a semi-matte black finish.

Overall, the T/C Icon’s design provides moods for moderns. with styling cues borrowed from the Browning Cynergy shotgun. It’s simple, elegant, refined and deadly.

The T/C Icon sports a European Mannlicher-style butter knife bolt handle, detachable box magazine, and integral weaver rail.  For this hunter, the Icon’s 60-degree-angle bolt throw makes the Remington 700’s and Winchester Model 70’s 90-degree throw seem like an anachronism–especially when shooting with gloves.

 

 

A rifle bolt that rattles too much when unlocked is hardly confidence inspiring (animals seem to notice it too). At the same time, if a rifle’s action is too tight the bolt can get hung up on snow, ice or dirt. The Icon’s bolt-action is slippery smooth, with just enough play to make it appropriate for field use.

At some point, the salesman proffered the test target that came with the rifle. It documented a three-shot, .59 MOA group. I needed the Icon. Not really. But I could make a hell of a good rationalization . . .

The .243 Win is a versatile cartridge. It shoots flat enough with 55-70 grain bullets to take out coyote and other varmints. The 85-to 100-grain bullets are big enough to handle white-tailed deer, antelope, hogs/boar, and similar sized beasts. Unless elk or bear are on your menu, the .243 Win is a time-tested “can do” cartridge. While there may be newer, better performing rounds on the market, the .243 Win is not a bank breaker. And unlike your super sexy 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 WSSM, or 6.5 x 284 Norma, you will likely find a box of .243 Win at Wal-Mart or the general store out in the toolies.

But wait! There’s more! I told myself. In fact, I jotted down the Icon’s advantages over the competition. (I’m like that.)

1. The T/C Icon has an ergonomic, aluminum pillar bedded, free-floating stock.

Modern stocks are obviating the need to have hunting rifles custom bedded, which saves on gun-smithing costs. The Icon’s stock features the Interlok bedding system. As the name implies, it’s an aluminum block embedded into the wood stock. The receiver bolts to the bedding block in three locations. According to T/C, Interlok “provides a stable and rigid platform for securing the barreled action into the stock.” This system does not appear to be revolutionary, as my Remington PSS comes equipped with an H-S Precision stock that has a similar set up. Nonetheless, it’s a “state-of-the art” feature in a sensibly priced firearm.

 

 

2. The T/C Icon has integrated Weaver rails.

Back in the old days, most rifles needed to be drilled and tapped by a gunsmith. These days, most, if not all, of the major manufacturers offer pre-drilled/tapped rifles or proprietary rail designs. However, many of those rifles still need bases, which translates into extra green-backs.

 

 

The Icon offers integral Weaver rails integrally CNC machined as part of the receiver, obviating the need to buy and install scope bases. As shown below, the rings mount directly to the receiver’s Weaver rail, which results in one less set of screws that can loosen up or otherwise introduce an error into the equation.  In the photo below, you can see the rails, the Leopold scope rings, and a Leopold LPS 2.5 x 10 x 45 scope (now discontinued).

 

 

[Wonk Note:  A Weaver rail looks and feels pretty much the same as a picatinny rail, but there are some subtle but potentially important differences. It is doubtful that it makes much practical difference in the case of a hunting rifle, since I can’t imagine anybody wanting to put mil-spec tact-toys on a rifle of this design.]

 

 

3. The Icon’s bolt is a massive hunk of steel

It’s much thicker than most modern bolt designs and nicely jeweled along its length. I’m guessing that it weighs in at right at a pound. Assuming one were so inclined, the Icon’s bolt could probably serve double duty as a kubaton.

Compared to a Mauser-designed bolt (e.g., the Ruger M77 or Winchester Model 70), the Icon’s bolt does not have large long extractor running down its length, or any other protruding parts for that matter. Rather, all of the guts are contained inside of the bolt itself, similar to the Remington 700 bolt. This explains the Icon’s smooth and effortlessly cycling. That said, I’m puzzled by the bolt’s immense girth; I suspect business efficiencies are responsible.

In the photo below, I have placed three bolts side by side to make a size comparison (from left to right: Ruger M77 Mark II Safari in .375 H&H Mag, T/C Icon in .243 Win, and Remington 700 PSS in .308 Win.). As you can see, the Icon’s bolt is more or less the same size as the bolt for the Ruger .375 H&H Magnum, and the Remington 700’s .308 bolt is considerably smaller.

 

 

One really unusual but welcome feature on the T/C Icon: you can quickly change out the bolt handle between the standard “butter knife” handle design or a more traditional round bolt handle. The Icon comes with a bolt disassembly tool, which is required to remove the firing pin assembly from the bolt.

The bolt also features three large locking lugs on the front of the bolt face. The extractor is cleverly integrated into one of the three lugs; it appears to be similar in design to the Remington 700. The Icon’s bolt also features a cocking indicator so you can tell if the rifle is armed. Note that this feature is NOT a loaded chamber indicator; it simply tells you if the action is cocked.

 

 

4. Detachable magazine

The Mauser internal magazine / floorplate design sucks, especially if the rifle is scoped and you’re not loading the gun via stripper clips. A detachable magazine loaded from the bottom of the rifle is ten times more efficient and convenient. In most cases, it makes the rifle a tad lighter, too. All medium action Icons come equipped with a 3-round detachable magazine (the long action models are equipped with the traditional hinged floorplate). Purists may recoil (so to speak) from a polymer instead of steel magazine. Meanwhile, modern polymer magazines are stronger, quieter, and less prone to getting dinged or dented than steel. The $4000(+) Blaser LRS-2 sniper rifle is equipped with steel-reinforced polymer magazines.

5. User friendly safety

Opinions vary on the best location / design of the safety mechanism. I prefer a labelled tang safety, similar to the one on my Beretta Silver Pigeon III shotgun. But none of the designs are a deal breaker. The Icon’s modern two-position safety allows the bolt to be manipulated while the gun is in “safe” mode. An independent bolt lock secures the bolt from opening during field use. The bolt lock is automatically disengaged when the safety is moved to its forward (firing) position. If you are used to the Remington 700, the Icon’s system is a snap.

 

 

6. Trigger

Trigger technology has come a long way in the past 30 years, and most of the major manufacturers are producing triggers that are user-adjustable.  Long gone are the years where the gun buyer had to make the obligatory trip to the gunsmith to get a trigger job.  The Icon’s trigger does not disappoint:  it is creep-free and exhibits only slight over-travel.  The Icon comes equipped with a small allen wrench that allows the user to set the trigger between 3.5 and 5.0 lbs. I keep mine set at 3.5 lbs unless I’m shooting coyotes in the winter, in which case I set the trigger closer to 5 lbs for use with large gloves (and, invariably, cold fingers).

7. 5R Rifling

The Icon has a 24 inch, medium contour barrel with 1:10 twist. I’m not sure if “5R rifling” is a marketing gimmick or some genuine advance in technology, and so I mention it only for sake of completeness. According to T/C: “5R rifling is a rifling developed in Russia which uses 5 lands and 5 grooves instead of the traditional 6 lands and grooves. In addition, the sides of each land are cut at a 65 degree angle versus a harsh 90 degree angle on standard rifling.”

Personally, I’m not sure if I would have mentioned the “developed in Russia” part, as that seems to invoke imagery of drunken Bolsheviks using utilitarian but somewhat obsolete com-block weapons, as opposed to anything high-tech or supremely accurate. In any event, T/C’s website calls the barrel “match grade.” As far as I can tell, that phrase does not have an objective standard in the context of barrels. I think it’s is just their way of saying “really kick ass” whilst sounding technical and professional.

 

 

8. Pachmayr recoil pad and sling-swivel studs

The mid-century knob pattern and 1950’s-era font on the Pachmayr label embedded in the recoil pad doesn’t match the otherwise modern aesthetic of the Icon. But I’m sure that won’t bother by the vast majority of potential purchasers. (Note to Pachmayr:  I know a couple of good under-employed graphic designers – call me!)

 

 

Using high-quality factory ammo (Hornady, Federal, Nosler, etc.) I’ve used the T/C Icon to shoot ½- to ¾-inch groups at 100 yards, and consistent 1- to 2-inch groups at 200 yards. For this article, I journeyed to Tri-County Gun Club and shot a series of groups at 100 yards using two different Federal factory loads: 58-grain Hornady V-Max and 70-grain V-Shok Nosler Ballistic tip. Deploying a bi-pod and a rear mono-pod,  three-shot, 100-yard groups from a bench ran as follows: .42, .54, .58, .62, .72, .76, .78, .78, .83, and .87. Both of the two largest groups started as two-shot .3-inch groups, with the third shot opening up the group considerably (I choked on the third shot.)

 

 

My main if not only criticism of the Thompson/Center Icon: weight. At 7.75 lbs. it’s up to a pound heavier than some of the competition. But unless you are going to be humping it up a mountain in pursuit of dall sheep or similar animals, a pound or so isn’t that big a deal. (I might change my mind as I get older.) Some folks may object to the use of the investment casting steel floorplate and trigger guard. I’m ambivalent. It’s not a part that is subjected to a great deal of stress, and if it saves a few bucks and yet maintains good strength and rigidity, then I’m Ok with it.

As I am with the T/C Icon generally. You could even say that she’s proven to be one of the best dance partners in my collection. Do I regret dropping a grand to secure her affections? I do not. And neither will you.

THOMPSON/CENTER ICON Specifications

Caliber: .243 Win. The ICON is also available in .22-250 REM, .243 WIN, .6.5 Creedmoor, .308 WIN & .30 T/C. The Icon “Classic” is available in .270 WIN, .280 REM., .30-06 SPRG, .7MM REM MAG., .300 WIN MAG, and .338 WIN MAG.

Barrel: 24” 1:10 twist.

Size: 44″ overall length

Weight: 7.75 lbs. empty

Operation: bolt

Finish: blued

Capacity: 3+1

MSRP: $933  (Street price, as usual, is around 20% less).

 

 

Ratings (Out of Five Stars)

 

Accuracy:  * * * * *

In terms of rifles with conventional barrel contours, I doubt that there is any other gun manufacturer out that consistently produces a more accurate rifle in this price category.  If there is, I have not shot one yet.

 

Ergonomics: * * * *

The butter knife bolt may not be to every person’s liking, so I will deduct a point. Even so, it is replaceable with a more conventional ball design, so it gets a half point back. I took another ½ point away because the rifle in slighter heavier than the competition.  Nonetheless, other features dictate a high score in this category: The safety is intuitive and located in a familiar location for many shooters. The stock has fairly a traditional comb and conventional contours, and therefore will not be objectionable to most shooters.

 

Reliability: * * * * *

It’s a bolt-action rifle so there is not much that can go wrong. I have not torture-tested this rifle (because its mine!), but I have no reason to think that it is not reliable in adverse field conditions.

 

Customization: * * * *

Admittedly, other than custom ‘smith work, there is not much to “customize” on a typical bolt gun of this sort. However, I think this is the only rifle that offers interchangeable bolt handles. The option of buying a camouflage Hogue Overmolded stock will also be appealing for those folks wanting to keep their walnut stock looking nice and new(ish).  The Weaver rails make it easy to mount a wide variety of scope rings.

 

Overall Rating: * * * * 1/2

Top of the class. Took a ½ point away because of the slight weight issue, and also because of the fact that the gun requires a special tool to take the bolt apart.

 

 

 

 

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22 COMMENTS

  1. Cool gun; nice review! I don’t think TTAG has featured *anything* in .243 before. There’s no “One Cartridge To Rule Them All” for North American hunting, but the .243 (and maybe the .270) comes close. The .243 excels as a varminter and medium game round, and its mild recoil is well suited for younger and smaller shooters.

  2. Looks like a fabulous rifle! The bolt is highlight for me. The way the bolt is sloped at the end to go along with the contour of the rifle is absolutely beautiful. Coupled with that scale look. I’ve always appreciated artistic weapons, but I’ve never appreciated a bolt like that.
    One remark though.
    “Personally, I’m not sure if I would have mentioned the “developed in Russia” part, as that seems to invoke imagery of drunken Bolsheviks using utilitarian but somewhat obsolete com-block weapons, as opposed to anything high-tech or supremely accurate.”
    Russia has developed some great weapons in the past. I would argue that when Kalashnikov introduced his design, it was at the forefront of military technology. Just like the 1911 has been around for a hundred years, I imagine 2047 is going to have similar celebrations in the Russian speaking world.
    And lets not forget the Dragunov. I think it is ugly. It think it is somewhat sinister. But it is highly accurate and has gained as much praise and international use as the AK design.

    • Hi Ben: Thanks for the comment.

      Ha! I figured someone would take me to task for the “drunken bolshevik ” comment! Your point about the AK-47 being on the “forefront of military technology” in the mid 1940’s is undoubtedly correct, but given that this is 2011, I tend to think of the AK as being a fairly dated design. Granted, the AK-47 / AKM / AKMS / AK 74 design has a number of advantages that make it still highly relevant on the battlefield (despite its functional obsolecence), but accuracy has never been one of its selling points. Most AKs tend to shoot in the 3-4 MOA range or worse, and most people would find it hard to deliver even that kind of performance with the horrible factory sights.

      The Dragunov is another example of a rifle that I do not consider to be very accurate. I’ve personally always thought that the performance of the Dragunov never lived up to the mystique. Most Dragonovs will shoot in the 2 MOA range, which is less accurate that your average out-of-the-box bolt action hunting rifle from Remington, Winchester, Browning, Savage, etc, etc. My Blaser LRS2 will shoot .25MOA groups or less – assuming I do my part (which, unfortunately, is not always the case.. Grrr). These days, .5 MOA or less seems to be the going standard for sniper rifles. When stacked up against that kind of competition, the Dragunov simply falls short.

  3. You cant compare a Dragunov to a precision bolt gun, they’re two different styles of rifles made for two different purposes. The Dragunov is a squad support weapon meant to be carried by a front line soldier.

    • When I was in the Army (89-94), the SVD “Dragunov” was the closest thing the Soviets had to a general purpose sniper rifle, and therefore I think the comparison holds. While you are correct insomuch as the Dragunov is a different style / design of weapon than a bolt gun, its purpose / role in Soviet doctrine is decidedly that of a sniper rifle, not a squad support weapon. In fact, Soviet TO&E called for one SVD per rifle platoon, or 81 per motorized rifle division. See U.S. Army CACDA Handbook 550-2 “Organization and Equipment of the Soviet Army,” dated 15 July 1980. Soviet Army doctrine called for the use of RPKs and PKMs as squad level support weapons.

      The performance of a dragunov is admittedly more akin to a scoped MIA / M-14 than a bolt gun. In addition, soviet snipers were typicially not school trained in the way that U.S. military snipers are, but are more analogous to “designated marksman” in terms of training and capability.

  4. The Soviets definition of a sniper rifle was much broader then that of western nations. Although sometimes used as a sniper rifle (by the western definition) the Dragunov was not designed for that role. The standard of accuracy for the Dragunov is that of a DMR & it was/is used primarily like a DMR. Scoped bolt guns have always stayed in active duty use along side (although not in as great a number) as the Dragunov. Pictures show some troops using scoped Mosin’s in the Russian-Afghan war.

    Hopped up AR’s (& even many not so hopped up AR’s) have better accuracy then the Dragunov, their not sniper rifles by western definition but under the same guidelines that define the Soviet term “sniper rifle” they could be if employed that way. That’s why personally I believe that comparing a Dragunov to a precision western sniper rifle isn’t right. Two rifles made primarily to suit two different goals & theologies of sniping. Compare bolt guns to bolt guns & semi autos to semi autos.

    • Ok, think we are saying more or less the same thing – that Soviet doctrine for the SVD is more akin to what western armies call a “designated marksman” rifle (think scoped MIA or Scoped HK 91) but that it also filled the pure sniper role in the Soviet military as well (largely due to a lack of alternatives).

      You mentioned the use of Mosin Nagants in the 1980s, and I don’t doubt that for a second. These were probably not TO&E weapons, however. Incidentally, there is a guy at my local range that has gussied up an old M-91/30 with a harris bi-pod, pistol grip, modern sniper scope, trigger job, etc (I think he may have even bedded the action and added a muzzle break, but my recollection on those last two points has faded). In any event, he was shooting sub-MOA groups with that gun, and overall I was pretty impressed!

      Overall, I guess when compared to rifles in DM configuration, the SVD probably holds its own. My original point is that I don’t tend to associate Soviet designs with high-tech or supreme accuracy, and I still think that is a fair assessment.

  5. Rest in Peace:Thompson Center Arms:All TC GUNS are made in spring field MASS,.. ALL bye new operators that don”t even Know what a finish is!!!A barrels finish and twist is the MOST important part of our guns!!!!And wish all well to my fellow employees that put all there time and effort and time for our TC guns,just remember S&W will NEVER make anything that comes near to our finish,they DID NOT PICK our bests employees to keep OUR guns , SPECS, and trade ALIVE!….S&W…..DOES NOT KNOW HUNTING!!!!I am a former employee of TC…I ran all machines CNC AND MANUAL….WHAT EVER was into creating the barrels,receivers.From raw stock to finish, i had a part of it! I will always miss making a gun i can shot before it goes out the door..at the end the TC employees stopped checking their part 100%,my last year i did not see soo much scrap in the five years i was there.Even though i make so much more money wise now,i still miss it…If you only knew how much of that scrap still went out the door!!! I WILL NEVER BYE ANOTHER TC GUN,UNLESS IT WAS MADE IN ROCHESTER NH. of 2010 all others are S&W IF you ASKED me …I helped trained their employees on our operations and they didnt even know how to check a finish,they never did it before on their S&W guns,and this was a engineer!!A FINISH is one of the most important parts of our formula to make one of the most ACCURACY in hunting firearms.

    • I bought an icon in 223 three years ago. It is a monster. I routinely shoot groups of less than 1/2″ at 100 yrds. Last week I put 10 rounds through less than 1/2″, If you do your part, this gun will shoot. I use Black Hills ammo or my reloads (I’d sorry to say the Black Hills is as good as my hand loads). Being from New Hampshire, I know the work ethic of the folks who made my rifle. Craftsmen all. Thank you.

  6. Nice review. I happen to own one of these in 7mm rem. mag and have had the privlege to take an elk with it. I must say if your looking for a top notch rifle these guns will run with the best.

  7. I have one of these rifles in .308 win…..it is an amazing rifle. The rifle will shoot sub-moa groups every time I pick it up, even when I can’t. It is not picky about bullet weight and I would highly recommend it. I also have a couple of other rifles with the 5R rifling and to me it offers amazing accuracy with a wide range of bullet weights.

  8. I bought one of these guns in 243 last year off of gun broker for around 600 bucks, it was new in box, s/n and test target indicated it was manufactured in mid 2007. the finish is excellant , walnut stock is some of the best looking wood I’ve seen on a production rifle in a long time.can’t decide whether to make it a shooter or leave it unfired, but after reading the positive reviews, I guess I’ll have to see if it shoots as good as it looks.

    • (to dennis whittington, or anyone else who might know)
      I know this is a very old post, but I recently came into the know about these as well and have aquired one in the last couple years. Says it was made in NH, but how do you know what the serial number relates to what year of manufacture? I’m curious to know when this one was made.
      Thanks.

  9. I have an icon precision hunter chambered in .22-250. it’s my predator rifle. Can put three holes in a dime at 125 love it. It’s also a work of art. I’d put it right there with my savage 12bvss in .308. Also outstanding

  10. I have an Icon Deluxe in a 30TC and it is amazing-Sets in with my Tikkas and Remington 700 and my Weatherby Mark V as well as my Rugars and the rest of my wooden stock guns-I love it!

  11. I have an Icon in .308. T/C has a safety recall on all Icons, but I’m not going to give them the opportunity to “F” with my rifle. There’s nothing wrong with it. I believe its all about S&W lawyers fretting over a non-issue, because the safety works as-is.

  12. I have a Thompson Icon circa 2009 in 300 win mag and as others have stated this is an incredibly accurate firearm. On the bench it is not uncommon to get (at 100 yards) 1/2 inch groups with factory loads and 1/4 with tuned hand loads. I also saw the recal on the safety and as a previous poster noted mine works fine and I also had a local smith look it over and agree it works just fine. So, no going back to S&W to be “fixed”.

    Grest review!

  14. I’m an Oklahoman but I purchased my TC ICON 308 Win in Salt Lake City in 2010. Earlier today, I sighted in at 100 yards with a .85 sub moa group. I know the rifle can shoot straighter and tighter, the problem is the aged shooter who is pulling the trigger.
    I too debated the safety recall as my original safety seem to work but the company stated the problem could be intermittent. I emailed the company, they immediately emailed the return address with the postage paid. I dropped it off at Fed Ex on a Thursday and the rifle was back at my front door on the following Wednesday. I’m serious. I asked them to return my original box and they did. Incredible service. The new safety is black, as opposed to the original chrome, but it works smoother and seems to be better. I know if I ever sell the rifle (I don’t plan to), it will have the correct stamp indicating that the recall was performed. My cost, removing the scope, boxing it up, and maybe a gallon of gas. I think Smith and Wesson wants a good bolt action rifle and TC built it with the Icon. Between 2009 and 2012, I never saw a print ad for the rifle. The reviews were always sterling but the rifle was not promoted at all. I paid about $850 in 2010 and I’m darn glad I did. A pound heavy? Well, we don’t have many giant mountains to climb here in Oklahoma. However, Oklahoma does have a record herd of “giant wheat-fed” whitetail deer. My wife wants me to harvest the ones eating the flowers in our front-yard garden. No such luck, we’re inside the city limits.

  15. An attention-grabbing discussion is value comment. I feel that it is best to write more on this subject, it might not be a taboo topic but generally people are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers

  16. The Thompson Center Icon family seems to have fragile extractor. I’ve had my own stainless steel extractor hand made, it is very sturdy and continues to work.

    They’ll cost $US175 a piece. That should spur somebody
    into making so money.

    I’m wondering how many are broken in the USA?

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