Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 243 to 284 Sako

I have an early Mod 57 Sako sporter in 243 win. Not new;made in 1958 or so I think; but I would rate it a solid 90 to 95%.
I am not a tremendous fan of the 243. I am thinking about a rebarrel to 284. What should a simple rebarrel and chamber job cost me? Or should I just leave it stock as is and get me a shooter?
Hi, Miles!! I am the guy you talked to in Hope AR one morning over coffee. Teaching the blade class.
mike

It's my understanding that the L57 was very similiar to the later L579. I had one of these in 284, it fed fine. I think you're a barrel job away. I can't see any other mods required. My L579 was originally a 308.

Okie if you need dies let me know, I have a set of Redding on the bench about brand new.

Thanks

Mark D

Been reading the 7-08 thread. I am beginning to lean that direction a little. 7-08 cartridges are common compared to 284 if you were in a bind and needed to buy factory loads. Though that is not likely.
Will there be that much velocity difference between the two in say a 23 or 24 inch barrel?

Okie,

I have a similar quandry involving a Kimber 84M. In mine the magazine box is very short for a 284 at 2.81". The thing is that I don't like the barrel I have but want to keep the action and stock.

You must make up your own mind. The thing is that a complete gun in the popular 243 will bring much more in the market than a reworked gun. If you don't like it as it is in 243 you might figure a way to sell it as it is and get all that you can for it. Some of those older Sakos bring big bucks here.

Once you sell the gun there are many options open to you but a new 284 is not one of them. Other cartridges will do similar things however and some short ones are the 7mm-08 which makes too much sense so most of us have to do it the hard way and get 7mm WSM's etc.

The thing is that the rifle matters more than the cartridge and the bullet matters more. The only thing that matters most is the aiming.

So shop the Sako around and see what they say and at the same time as about new guns in 7mm or similar calibers.

okiedge:

I have owned several 7-08's and 7x57's along with two current 284 based rifles. (284 and 6.5x284). The difference in velocity between the slowest to the fastest of those 7mm cartridges was perhaps 125 fps. Although I love my short action 284 based rifles, I would not feel the slightest bit handicapped were they a 7-08 or 260.

Although he is incorrect about a 2.8" magazine being too short for a 284, Savage 99 has some great points about a sell off and rebuy. Your out of pocket expense would be about the same, and you could have a new rifle which carries more residual value than a rebarreled deal. This does not of course consider that a custom barrel will possibly shoot better than a factory rifle, nor does it consider the obvious quality of the older Sako actions.

Heads or tails?

JimF

Some very good points guys! Will have to ponder on this a little. Thanks!

okie,

What I mean by the 284 being short for a 2.8" box is that it looks short to me. I made up some test rounds to try in my magazine with the 139 Interlock loaded to 2.8" and the ogive of the bullet pushes in past the 284's mouth to where there is a small gap there! At that point the bullets diameter is less than .280"

Now the COL for a 284 is 2.8" or thereabouts and the factory loads fit but neither my handloads nor the factory rounds look right.

As pointed out in another thread here one can get a WSM in a short action too and it will run rings around smaller rounds.

The more I think about the 260 Rem I have in the Kimber the more I think that I am just going to sell it as is.

As for yourself take the Sako to a shop after checking out what its worth. Keep in mind that some dealers may try to steal it and will ask you what you want for it. Now they want to make at least 25% or so but you will get more the more you know. At the same time look at what they have in 7mms and see if you like one.

Unless you really like the action and the stock on the Sako and must have a new 7mm barrel it's less expensive to just buy new. Quicker too.

My loads with the 140 Noslers go 3.075 and fit the mag of my SA Win fine. Too short for my old L-57 or it would have become a 284 or a 6.5/284 years ago. A 25/284 will work OK with the 100gr in the .25/284 and as I don`t ever use anything over 100 it might be the next step up for the old Sako. Also got a nice Rem Mod 7 to use as a platform for one too.

Aloha, Mark

I have a Sako same vintage. It was born a 243 but I rebarreled it to 284 and we have lived happily ever after for four decades.
It could use a new barrel I have just about loved it to death. I am leaning towards the 6.5mm/284. It has become quite popular.
-Doc-