Match grade barrels, Sako Versus Kimber

[old roper 42]

The information I am about to offer is six tears old.

John Barnsness, gun and shooting writer with a solid reputation, wrote an article comparing a Sako Finnlight with a Tikka. At that time he stated that " the premium match grade barrel on the Finnlight was worth the entire Tikka".
About that same time when I was hunting and realoading .with a fellow who had the Tikka in 308 that I mentioned above we used a micrometer to measure and compare our two rifles.

My barrel was fluted, his was not and mine had greater diameter.

Not saying that production might not have changed since then, but that was the info available back then.

I"m fan of Ruger #1. I remember article John Barnsness on #1 and Tikka.

Something Special | Sports Afield

sportsafield.com

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I"m fan of Ruger #1. I remember article John Barnsness on #1 and Tikka.

Something Special | Sports Afield

sportsafield.com

I have always enjoyed reading articles by John Barsness. I first came across him in the late 1980's or maybe the early 1990's when he wrote an article about the sweet and effective 7x57.

At that time he wrote for "Rifle" magazine when it focused on fine sporting rifles like your Ruger #1.

I subscribed to "Rifle" and read more articles written by him in it. Then, if I recall the magazine went out of publication but later returned with a semi auto high capacity military rifle on the cover,

I was done with it then.

I so disliked seeing big game country getting flooded with military assault rifles, semiauto handguns and sniper rifles.

 

[old roper 42]

I have always enjoyed reading articles by John Barsness. I first came across him in the late 1980's or maybe the early 1990's when he wrote an article about the sweet and effective 7x57.

At that time he wrote for "Rifle" magazine when it focused on fine sporting rifles like your Ruger #1.

I subscribed to "Rifle" and read more articles written by him in it. Then, if I recall the magazine went out of publication but later returned with a semi auto high capacity military rifle on the cover,

I was done with it then.

I so disliked seeing big game country getting flooded with military assault rifles, semiauto handguns and sniper rifles.

Well he nothing bad to say about about Tikka vs what you posted . You should be able to pull up article you posted about?

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Well he nothing bad to say about about Tikka vs what you posted . You should be able to pull up article you posted about?

You are right. Without my referencing the specific article what I said he said is worthless. Sorry.

 

[JPelkhound]

I have a soft spot for Sako’s myself. (I have a number of Sako’s with my fav being the finnlight 75 300 wsm)

It’s a “choice” as modifications/changes are not as simple like other rifles (Tikka’s have all the aftermarket goodies available just like Remington’s)

My Sako’s tend to be picky in regards to what ammo they like, but if you find the right stuff they are accurate.

I just like their look. Fell hard the first time I touched the 75 and much like a beautiful woman....I get as much joy as frustration with it.

If you want a dumb simple easy to shoot accurate gun day in/out buy a Tikka. (I have one of them too)

You want a beautiful gun (beauty is in the eyes of the beholder) that can be finicky and painful but accurate when treated well? Buy a Sako. (I have a weakness for that “type” in women too)

 

[BWALKER77]

Factory barrels are hammer forged. No real deal match barrel is hammer forged.
The whole match grade thing is a bunch of Marketing BS. Especially when Kimber uses the term..

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I have a soft spot for Sako’s myself. (I have a number of Sako’s with my fav being the finnlight 75 300 wsm)

It’s a “choice” as modifications/changes are not as simple like other rifles (Tikka’s have all the aftermarket goodies available just like Remington’s)

My Sako’s tend to be picky in regards to what ammo they like, but if you find the right stuff they are accurate.

I just like their look. Fell hard the first time I touched the 75 and much like a beautiful woman....I get as much joy as frustration with it.

If you want a dumb simple easy to shoot accurate gun day in/out buy a Tikka. (I have one of them too)

You want a beautiful gun (beauty is in the eyes of the beholder) that can be finicky and painful but accurate when treated well? Buy a Sako. (I have a weakness for that “type” in women too)

Thank you.

I can relate to almost every word you said. i too have a 75 Finnlight. I love the palm swell. Fits like a glove. I think the Sako 85 Finnlight stock looks awful. Like octopus skin.

In .308, my Finnlight is the most non fussy and accurate rifle/caliber combination I have ever owned in my life. I get unexpected high velocoty with the short tight barrel. I can adjust the trigger pull with an Allen wrench myself and can use ultra low vintage Sako mounts/rings which allows the fastest imaginable sight target acquisition with low power scopes.

Almost like iron sights

I bought the super silent Sako sling swivels. What a class act.

With the dovetail receiver mount I can switch scopes without change in POI with vintage Sako Optilock rings.

Then there are there are those hard to find Sako peep sites. I found one for $75

And what a reputation filled with integrity. Remington ran and hid leaving a dangerous product in the shooting world for so many decades. When Sako produced some Finnlights with dangerous receivers they went to hell and high water to replace those rifles.

The Sako safety is silent and the Sako stock LOP is 14.25 inches not the usual 13.5.

I have more $ in several sets of old Sako rings/mounts, Peep sites, Sako Sling swivels, and an extra magazine than it costs for a used Tikka. And they are worth every penny to me.

 

[nhenry]

the Sako stock LOP is 14.25 inches not the usual 13.5

because they sell em to those giant Swedes

 

[JPelkhound]

I have to agree. I love the 14” lop on all my Sako’s.

How you guys can shoot “short” rifles is beyond me...

 

[millerkiller77]

I own two kimber rifles and the term "match grade" has never crossed my mind .

 

[nhenry]

I have to agree. I love the 14” lop on all my Sako’s.

How you guys can shoot “short” rifles is beyond me...

My LOP is 13.25 because I'm rather short and stocky so I lopped off .75" from my Bavarian's stock and it was much more usable

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Out of curiosity i just checked and Sweden is # 15 globally for men's height world wide.

One of the things I really appreciate about the 14.25 " length of pull with all Sako stocks is safety from recoil and having the scope hit me between my eyes when shooting prone or curled forward when using the Whelen sling in a curled forward shooting position.

That has happened so many times already I have scar tissue there.

 

[JPelkhound]

One of the things I learned from competition shooting is your rifle/shotgun should be fitted to you. (By someone who is qualified)

Will do wonders for your accuracy.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I just learned many more details about this post topic from a bench rest competitor who only shoots Sako’s

First, all the barrel blanks are the same for Tikka and Sako.

Next however, the best blanks can be factory selected, and then milled for final chambering, threaded, and the rifle receivers too need to be threaded to receive these barrels.

These are all places where more attention to details pays off with the Sako.

Lastly, since about 1996 all Sako’s have three locking lugs and Tikkas have two. I just listened for 10 minutes to this bench rest competitor, explain how much extra work it takes to fit a third locking lug and the benefits there are to having three over two.


They include greater concentrically when bullets enter the bore, which equal more gnats ass accuracy, velocity and reduces wear and and increases barrel longevity.


Does all this make any difference to a hunter,,,not really, but to a target shooter like the man I just talked to, it is the cutting edge of winning or losing.


For me, sometimes I like taking off my lower power hunting scope and putting on a restored bigger brighter fixed 6 power scope and then I can really see how accurate my little light Sako carbine can be, even after many repeat shots when it goes to a 5 shot target rifle that seems just not foul at all.


As stated at the beginning of this post.


We get what we pay for

 

[JPelkhound]

Well, I do have the bigger power scopes on my Sako’s.

Shoot the first shot, dial up the power and aim for that hole. If it’s good ammo, you might be surprised on the outcome.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Well, I do have the bigger power scopes on my Sako’s.

Shoot the first shot, dial up the power and aim for that hole. If it’s good ammo, you might be surprised on the outcome.

Davy Crockett must have had a Sako