Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Sako A7's...Whats the Word?

You leave me no choice!!

Thanks! I knew y'all would understand....grin.

DJ

Cub, the main reason I choose the A7 over the T3 is the open loading port on the A7. It is possible to load the A7 from the top(with some fancy glue work on the metal mag rails).
Pretty sure you're not supposed to pop rounds in from the top but of course I do it anyway.....(grin)

Yeah I read your post on the crazy superglue thing and wondered WTF happened. So even though the port on top is open, your not really able to load from the top with the mag. I may just bite the bullet and pick up a Tikka locally, now to decide on what caliber......

You can load from the top with no worries provided you 'caveman glue' the magazine. I only like to do it when I'm hunting(right after a shot), shouldn't be a problem so long as a guy doesn't do it 10,000 times.

Maybe I'm weird but I really like to have the option of loading from the topside.

I'm thinking about one in 22-250. I've enjoyed the thread. Thanks.

I found this review on the net and I like how he compares it to the T3 and the 75/85:

http://www.biggamehunt.net/sections/Hunting_Gear_and_Products/Sako-A7-Review-09090804.html

Thanks, Brent. That's a helpful review.

A couple of additional points I find important in the comparison (which I did not see in the review, but have come to light in this thread):

1. Weight - A7 and Tikka are much lighter...

2. True short action in the A7 vs. one size fits all on the Tikka - a significant advantage in a Short Action A7 over the Tikka.

Other distinguishing advantages which seem of real significance:

1. Magazine release upgrade.
2. Load/unload safety button.

Top load doesn't seem to be an A7 pro given Sam's experience - a possible compromise, but not something to be relied upon.

Accuracy seems promising in the A7, while it is a near dead cinch in a Tikka.

My assessment: if a man wants a SA/WSM - A7 enjoys an edge over the Tikka. For a LA, I still give Tikka an edge just because they're so proven. If the A7 shows the accuracy the Tikkas have demonstrated, I think I'd give them the edge in LA's also - especially if real world price difference is only around $100 or so.

While I like the magazine and bolt shroud of the 85's, they are not really in the running in my view because of their additional weight and cost. Until they have a Kimber quality stock, they won't tempt me much at what they cost.

Just a few thoughts as my evaluation comes together...

DJ

Yeah it makes my 75's feel like boat anchors.....

I will have to say the plastic looks better in person but it's still plastic.... and if it had a double stack mag then it would be a definite home run in my opinion.

Gonna take mine to the range next week and I will post the results.

Sounds like you have already made a decision anyway....

BTW...If .338 Federal is something you can utilize, it looks like Sako is discontinuing the 85 in that caliber and you kind find them (85 Hunter) on GB for $750+/- NIB.

For the long and short action deal. I have a 243 and a 270 and the difference in overall length is about 1/2" and the weight is the same, so I am not sure that is a great advantage. I was going to get a 7-08 instead of the 270 but I figured I could live with an extra 1/2 inch ;-)

Wonder what the recoil is like on a 7mm Rem mag in this rifle, or that of a 270 WSM?

GregoryR-pretty much my sentiments as well. I've never quite seen the worry to that 1/2"..

Dober

Good points, Guys.

While the "principle of the thing" component of carrying a LA and shooting a SA bugs me, if the mfgr. doesn't trim the package and tailor it to the SA like Kimber does with its 84M, and barrel lengths aren't tweaked, that half inch doesn't amount to much...

DJ

I thought I would like an A7 from the way they looked from the web, but in person was disappointed. I'm not sure they are an upgrade from a T3 which I like a lot.

So because my girlfriend has been doing an all girl antelope hunt with two other women for the past two seasons and my 14 year old nephew who lives in Seattle and has an antihunting mother is getting into hunting, I convinced my girlfriend that I needed a loaner gun.
I took her to the gun store and eventually convinced her to hold a couple different rifles. She eventually tried a kimber, a sako a7 and the tikka.
She was most comfortable with the sako a7 in 7mm-08.
After working up some loads she shot it off the bench with 10 into a quarterish size group(better than me).
It does have a bit of muzzel jump that caused my girlfriend some grief but it has been a shooter. Taken two buffalo, an elk and a bunch o deer.
It is more comfortable to carry than my 264 and I will probably pick up another.

It was a nice sunny, calm afternoon up here so I snuck away from work and did a little 'long-range' shooting to verify my scope's training wheels.
Shooting off the hood of the truck, the 300WSM A7 managed to poke 5 shots inside of 4" at 523 yards. I was pretty impressed given it only has the little 2-7x33LR on board.

I ain't sellin' the ugly bastid......(grin)

Wow! Enough said.......

That'll do...

Good night that's good shootin'! I think you're steadier off your hood than I am off my tailgate...

That settles it - I'm gettin' some new shocks - only 230,000 miles on this set, but if it's affectin' my shootin', I'm replacin' 'em.

Thanks, Samo...

DJ

To all,

Having looked at the pictures in the links this Sako is not for me. I don't like the plastic detachable magazine, the lack of CRF nor the design of the safety. The overall look of the rifle is not to my taste at all.


The Sako A7 (middle)

I've always liked that fact that you could open and close the bolt with the safety on.....

The action is smooth, takes talley light weight rings, and shoots well.
Not a huge fan of the plastic stock/magazine but the likes outweigh the dislikes.