Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Sako A7 Vs. Browning X-Bolt Vs. Kimber 84 M

I might have to get a new .308 and I lent a buddy of mine my .308 Tikka SS Laminate .308 and he took his first 3 deer with it. He is presuring me to buy it from me. So what do your think of these 3 options? Or any other ideas..

Sako A7 Vs. Browning X-Bolt Vs. Kimber 84 M

I have personaly never had any of them so looking for some others experience.. Thanks..

I like em all. Flip a coin

It you want the lightest trimmest toy on the shelf get the 84M. But you might want to checkout the X-bolt too!

I have a Kimber Select Grade Claro 308. Weighs 6lb 6oz with a Leupold FXII 6x36, and will shoot MOA with most of the handloads I feed it. No experience with the other two, but I sure love my Kimber.

Find folks that have each and shoot them. I can't comment on the other 2 but, the X-Bolt I have is a good rifle.

Don't think you could go wrong with any of those.

JM

I have two A7s, .308 & .300WSM, and four 84Ms, two in .308 (one Little Sky, one in wood), And two high grades in .300WSM.

The A7 is an absolute tack driver, shoots ~2" at 200yds, great trigger, it's my knock around gun. I like it a lot, and would buy another. Same goes for the WSM version.

My 84M Montana is one of my favorite rifles of all time. Shots sub MOA at100yds, great ergonomics, trigger, feel...AWESOME rifle. The wood version is all of the above but not as accurate. The two WSM 84Ms were an absolute nightmare. One had a dangerous head space problem (according to my smith), the other a high spot in the barrel. Both had to be skim bedded and re-crowned. Now both shoot ~well. Would I buy another Kimber? No. I did just buy a Sako 85 Bavarian. Could be my new best friend next to my Blaser!

I've heard some people bashing the A7. "not worth the money, may as well buy a Tikka, all plastic......" I don't agree. The extra features make it a better gun then a Tikka (have two of those), haven't been able to find another gun as perfect out of the box for a grand, and as far as the plastic thing? Well, if you prefer wood and metal buy another gun, but the plastic works just fine. Remember the plastic pistol that came out in the '80s that everyone laughed at? Exact same comments I have heard about the A7. If it feels, and looks good to you, buy it! You will not be sorry. I also think the .308 is an EXCELLENT choice.

In regards to the Browning? Uh, well......gotta go!

Hate to mention another website but GB has Sako A7's stainless for $565.

XBolt, A7, then Kimber. You know the Browning and Sako will shoot. The Kimber is more of a crapshoot.

I know a guy was just bragging on how good his kimber's are but beware for every guy who brags and blows about how good his Kimber is there's another that's gutting his for being the biggest POS he's ever owned, for this reason I'd stay away from kimber. that being said I bought a new Mod 84 in .308 and had no problems and it shot OK, but wasn't a tack-driver by any means, Kimber is too big a gamble for Me to try another.....I think either of the other two choices would make a superb rifle..............Good luck.....547.

I respectfully disagree with all of this. I've owned all 3 and honestly think the Tikka is a better design than the A7. Based on accuracy, weight, handling, fit & finish I rank them like this; X-Bolt, Kimber 84m, Sako A7.

Really?! Can you please explain what makes the Tikka better than an A7?

Horseman,

I might be in the market for a new rifle and am considering the A7, X-bolt and the Tikka. I would like to know your thoughts on why you think the Tikka might be the better rifle over the A7. Thanks.

why carry a heavy rifle in such a light caliber? 5 pounds 4 ounces +scope for the Kimber montana, I like mine, does Browning still use the pot metal trigger guard in the Xbolt?

I think it's aluminum. And chances are, it will shoot circles around that Kimber as well, for less money.

5 lb. rifles can be made to shoot consistently tight groups, Kimber just don't make 'em consistently do that, at least not the ones I've been around.

JM

OK here goes. The Tikka is actually a very similar action to Sako's premium rifle...the TRG. The angular Tikka action with small loading port is amazingly ridgid for it's weight. The triggers are the same on each and actually is a Tikka design now used on Sako's since Sako mfg's Tikka. The bolt lift is stiff IMO on all 3 lug Sako's. By comparison the Tikka's bolt lift is light and feels as precise as my Stolle Panda BR action that cost $1250 for the action alone. My Tikkas have shot as well or better than my Sakos. Tikkas dominate my clubs factory class 300yd matches even over high dollar Sako 85's. I also prefer the simpler 2 position safety of the Tikka that locks the bolt on safety. The 3 position of the Sakos I find difficult to manipulate in the dark or with gloves on. The A7's plastic bolt handle plug and exposed hollow plastic magazine look cheap to me. A7's are modified versions of the old Sako 75 action and are good guns but when it comes to the details I just prefer the Tikkas. Admittedly I've only owned 1 A7. It shot well around 1" or less groups. But shoot it back to back with a T3 and the T3 feels smoother, more positive, and all 3 of mine shoot better than any Sako I've owned 75's, 85, and A7.

Bottom line they're very similar but I feel the Tikka is a better design in general. The beauty of the T3 is it's dead simple, lightweight, and they shoot like target rifles. If Sako were to put better wood on the T3's and machine the few plastic parts on them I believe they could sell them for the same as the 85's.

This is purely opinion and I'm sure others would disagree.

Being that the going price for both the T3 and the A7 is nearly the same (~$500-$575) then how does that change the calculus?

I've never had an A7 (no lefties) but I did have a T3. I liked many things about the T3 but the one size fits all action is not one of them.

Does the A7 have cartridge specific lengths?

Spare parts like magazines were outrageously priced for my T3 and they are probably the same or higher for the A7.

Mr. Moses sure seems to like the X-Bolt but once again no lefties.

The Kimber 84M is a rifle! The other two are firearms!

I loath plastic parts on a rifle!

I think Browning's designers moonlight as comic book illustrators!

What in the world is this???:

I would keep the Tikka, and let your buddy buy whatever he wants from someone else.

Me too! The laminated stock Tikka's are getting very hard to find. If you decide to sell it to him I'd go with the A7. My A7 in 308 is an absolute tackdriver and will shoot just about any 165 grain bullet into a 5 shot 1/2" group.

Kimbers are hit or miss for accuracy & quality. The X-Bolt is a big improvement over previous A-Bolts but I'm not a Browning fan.

Thanks Horseman, very persuasive!

That is a button to lift the bolt handle while leaving the tang safety in the SAFE position. This is actually a pretty clever way to retain the tang safety and still have a locking bolt that's safe to unload. That's the best design of any gun I own.