Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles best factory stainless/synth. hunting rifle???

Out of the box the Sako comes with what every sucks owner wishes they had. An adjustable trigger, all SS construction even the
magazine box, Its bolt lugs dont need to lapped. Its free floated and it comes with a great pair of rings that wont mar your scope. It cant leave the factory unless
it shoots MOA.
A great extractor....
It can be had in a light weight configuration that goes less than 7 lbs.

Being the diehard 700 fan that I am, I feel that the best bang for the buck is the Mountain LSS (Laminated Stainless Steel). Remington, Winchester, Savage, and Ruger tupperware stocks SUCK!!!!! But , to answer your question, for a lightweight, the Remington Ti has a fiberglass stock and is a nice package. I think I'd be inclined to bypass the Sako 75 (WAY TOO HEAVY AND $$$$$$$) and go for the cheaper albeit as accurate (possibly more?) Tikka Whitetail Hunter (being replaced by the T3). Although it has a little plastic on it, I find the stock decent for the tupperware type. She's no Macmillian, but for the price, the ones I've used SHOOT!!!!!!!!!! To conclude, I must agree with the others. Buy a donor remington, get the action nickel plated or tefloned... and throw a stainless tube on it (Pac Nor seems to be popular in the USA) and stick it in a good fiberglass stock. This will run you around the same as a factory setup, and be superior in all aspects. Hope this helps, sorry for the longwinded novel. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

280_ACKLEY

SU35
I did not know that the Sako could be had under 7 pounds. Im not really up on all the new stuff. Thats pretty interesting and I will keep that in mind.That being said not to long ago I bought a mid 70s M700 long action with a mag bolt face for a new project. I stripped this one down myself and bead blasted the action. After spending some time inspecting this thing im beginning to wonder if the " sucks" name isnt closer to being spot on ,than just a campfire joke.
In a word the machine work does suck .There are burrs around the cross pin holes for the trigger and bolt stop slot and the recoil lug was just butchered and the top of the action, although it looks ok, is just crap. The extractor is one of the ones with rivets and I have heard that you cant get new ones. The bolt lugs dont match as usual
By the time you get done polishing this turd what do you have. ? Just a 700.
By the time you bring this thing along to where it should be I cant believe you could not at least be even with the Sako. Money wise anyway. Im saying this and im about as big a m700 fan as you will find. But when you really start checking under the hood on the 700 there not all there cracked up to be.
dave

dave 7mm



Spot on with your conclusion. I am a very big Remington

fan, I also love Winchester Super Grades.



But when it gets down to the ditty nothing comes close to the Sako.

If I buy a Remington the first thing Im going to do is;



Change or pay a smith to adjust the trigger

Lap the lugs

Square up the action

Install a SAKO extractor

Change the stock

Change the barrel

or float the existing factory barrel.



The 6 1/2 lb Sako Finnlight has all of this, a more than decent stock

that does not need to be changed out. The 75 comes

with a match grade barrel and a smooth action that

a remmy owner would love to have. NO Sako can

leave the facrory unless it can shoot MOA or less period.

NO other manufacturer makes this statement in print.



What do you think it would cost you to have this done

with a Remington?



Why do you think gunsmiths love remmys so much?

So we can leave our rifles with them for a couple or more months and pay them to make them as good as

a Sako. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Except for the Sako extracto--which I don't like in a 700--and doing my own triggers, I do pretty much the same as you to my 700s. However, I'd do the same to a Sako, a Mk 5, or any other action. They all are out of spec when they come out of the factory. It's just that Rems and Wins seem to be the worst when it comes to quality control. It's not that all of them are that way, but way too many make it out in too rough of shape. Having said that, it is almost irritating when you get a rough 700, but it still shoots .5 to .75 moa with the right handloads and .75 to moa with the right factory ammo. I think if 700s shot poorly when they are sloppily assembled, Rem couldn't get away with poor quality control.

Blaine

Actually,Remington has the best printed control standards I have seen,but those perameters are for it's 40X lineup. I just gawked at a catalog I have saved and for the 308Win chambering,it says anything over .50" for 5shot 100yd MAX average center to center groups,is outta Specs. The .224" and 6mm offerings are held to .40" standards. Hell,their 40XR-KS is mandated to shoot 1.00" 5-shot groups at 100yds(thatsa a 22lr boys).

Not that shabby,were you to ask me.

Now I can't comment on what another wishes to do with a new rifle purchase,but am comfortable speaking for myself and my quirks.

I've zero qualm making the trigger how I like it,nor am I troubled in bedding it and then loading ammo tailored to it. That regardless of Manufacture,as them things interest me,no matter who's name is stamped upon it.

As to Remington's specifically,I'm lukewarm at best on the Sako extractor "upgrade". Hhave done it when bumping boltface diameter,but otherwise happily retain the issue extractor and am still patiently awaiting it's first failure on any of my Remington boltguns.

Swapping a stock out is something I've done once or twice. Only Remington offers a synthetic to my liking,but it is on their higher end offerings(KS mountain in particular,AWR another). Walnut isn't to my liking,despite whoever may have rolled it through their production facility,though laminates are sometimes tolerable.

Now as far as ergonomics,the Remington Classic and Mountain rifle patterns are my favorites,as they fit me best. Also can get along with the Ruger R pattern and even the RL,never felt a Winnie I liked. Sakos are better but I'm still not that giddy,though some of that could be traced to the bias of handles I use more often.

Swapping a barrel out is something I've done once or twice too. However,that is most generally to scratch an itch that don't exist over the counter(generally a Wildcat chambering) or to get a balance/feel I'm striving for. Would say in summation,more [bleep] has been Won with issue Remington tubes,than any other 3 Factory barrels added together.

So I think a guy is out the asking price of his new Remington,a coupla twists of his screwdriver and a dallop of bedding compound.

None of that excessive or inordinate IMHO...................

Blaine and Stick all good points and true. All my Rems
save for some mountain rifles have been able to put 3 under an inch.
The 6 1/2 lb Finnlight can do this out of the box and it
comes in a short action Mag, (the 300 WSM). Something
the Remington MTN rifle does not come in.

I've never shot any rifle that was "field ready". All of them needed sights added and a trigger job, or replacement. I insist that all be free floated as well for shooting sling use.
The best raw material to me is one that is basically tough and reliable.
I differ to JJHack when it comes to reliable. He says it's either a Winchester M70 Classic or a Ruger. He has seen all others fail.
I've never seen any example of either that wouldn't shoot under 1.5 MOA.
I really like the simple rugged triggers of both and their 3 position safeties. I really like their non spring style, fixed blade ejectors. Their extractors aren't quite as strong as the Remington clip style, but that is really a pretty academic point.
I really like the Ruger Ring system. Easy to slap a backup scope on, or go to iron sights if desired.
The Ruger stocks might not be McMillian, or Banster, in quality, but I know of no one who has said they aren't reliable in doing their part.
I'd call the Rem Ti rifle "best" for the guy who wants real light weight and understands and appreciates the fine points of stock and rifle construction. He isn't going to let his trigger get adjusted improperly, or anything, including the trigger, or the bolt stop release get gumed up to the point of not functioning properly. E

I got this idea that I needed a stainless/synthetic rifle so I went to the local gunshop. After looking over several brands I have to say the Sako is the one thats going to follow me home. I also decided its going to be .375 as I already have a .338. It seems the sako has most of the requirements that hunters need already in the box. It also feels well balanced. There is nothing wrong with a bit of weight in a heavy recoiling rifle. I already have five Sako's but this will be my first 75.

Happy Hunting
Tasso

I have several Sako rifles, I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a quality rifle. However the above statement does not apply to the new and improved, over priced model 75, of which I have 1 in 7MM. I might add Sako warranty sucks, started right after the Mafia took over. The most accurate box stock rifles I own are Remingtons, and the butt ugly Savages.

Dan

I have two Browning Stalkers...not SS though. And I have been very pleased with them. I shot my .270 yesterday for the first time since I had it bedded and the trigger worked on...........my last three shots were touching eachother with Hornady factory ammo. I also have a .22-250 that I just love.

I can't say they are better than the others, but they do the job very well for me and several people I know.

I would say look at them all, see which one you like the best as far as function and feel, and then if you can afford it, upgrades will only help!
(I have heard good things about the Tikkas on another board......they also like Savages over there, especially when upgrades are planned b/c the are very affordable)