Barrett, Steyr, or Sako

Good Morning, Hamer,

Your choice of cartridge for both applications is excellent. The .308 Win will reliably kill all North American big game. It's an inherently accurate cartridge that's entirely suitable for target shooting. However, a rifle for one application is not always suitable for the other.

You might want to consider buying two rifles. I can tell you from experience that a granola bar is heavy at Rocky Mountain altitude. Hence, I'd go with a lighter weight rifle. The first shot at a big game animal almost always determines outcome. Put your first bullet in equipment necessary for topside oxygenated blood flow, and all living big game will hit dirt.

Dedicated target rifles tend to be on the heavy side. I wouldn't want to carry a heavy rifle up & down high ridges of the Rockies.

I have no experience Barrett or Steyr. I do have experience with Sako. I own two that'll shoot .25" at a hundred all day long, often better, with hunting loads I've loaded using standard dies. I've never used tricked out target dies and ticked out target bullets. Hence, I'd recommend a Sako. However, an accurate lighter weight rifle will work if you can count on its first shot as destroying necessary vitals; e.g, heart and/or lungs. Nothing living remains in that condition without topside oxygenated blood flow.
 
5-20 x 56 is too much scope for a .308 hunting rifle. The Night Force SHV 5-20x56 weighs nearly 2 pounds and is 15" long too. Too big and heavy. 3x9x40 or 2.5x8x40 is enough.
Commercial hunting rifles are all pretty much the same thing. You can buy strictly on the price of which one appeals to you.
"...Iowa doesn't allow..." Silly buggers do allow the .41 AE. The .41 AE is absolutely not a deer cartridge. Sounds like they twits based the rule on the bullet diameter only. S'ok though. There's no ammo available anyway.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. You've given me much to think about. I'm starting to lean pretty hard towards the Sako. And I may just bite the bullet and get two different scopes. Then I'll already have a scope when it comes time to get a serious long range rifle and I can keep the lower power one on the hunting rifle.
 
Yeah, the cartridges they're allowing for hunting here Iowa now are mostly ridiculous. They claim to have allowed them so that younger and older hunters didn't have to use a high recoil 12 gauge, but if that's the case then why the hell did .308 not make the cut? Apparently 400 inches of drop at 1000 yards isn't enough...
 
I have three Sakos at the moment. A 75 Hunter in 7mm08, an 85 FinnBear in 7mm RM and an 85 Finnlight in .300WM. All three have excellent triggers. I've never done anything to them out of the box but shoot them and make very small groups. There is zero creep, the break is like a glass rod and there's zero grit.

By comparison, I order a new trigger as soon as I buy a Remington 700 because the X-Pro is junk. I replaced the trigger in my Savage 10 PC with a Timney because I cannot stand the blade. My M70 had to be polished and lightened about 2# to get right.

IMO, Sako has one of the best factory triggers out there.

I have heard good things about the Styer but I think it's a butt ugly gun for a big price. And I've never handled or shot the Barrett so I couldn't comment on them. I just prefer Sako.
 
Have to look back but Savage in the mix?

I have 3 of them with the Varmint trigger (1.5 lb) and I love them. No issues with the blade. Acts a bit like a two stage for me which I prefer.

Sounds like the Sako is still what they were with the Finnbears and (forget short action, Forester?)

I don't like the triggers for target, excellent hunting . I might get used to it for target, possibly with adjustment. It does break like glass, no grit and no creep.

Mostly I like a bit of creep before it goes boom for target.
 
All I know is this thread prompted me to go to the Proof Research site and build out a Tac II in black canopy, and now I can't stop lusting after one. Thanks for nothing.
 
If it was me, i’d go for the Sako, but that’s probably because I like mine so much. Other than that my random thoughts are:

- If the OP wants a heavy high magnification scope and he’s man enough to carry it, good for him.
- I think his idea of two scopes (target and hunting) is a good one.
- Taylorce1 has an excellent point on lighter rifles being a good thing as we age, and Sako makes a lightweight rifle.
- whatever he buys, i’d have a top notch gunsmith work it over (trigger, action, etc.). That’s what I did with my Sako 270 when it was new (and all my other rifles).
 
OP already post which rifles likes and handled then in store and one was
Sako 85 Finnlight.

Tikka and Sako use same barrels
 
What’s a target die?

Hunting bullets are the ones that are tricked out and come in a thousand flavors. Target bullets have a shape and that’s about it. They’re cheaper too.
 
Calmerthanyou - I did the same exact thing lol. Now, if I only had a $7000+ budget!

603country - what exactly did your gunsmith do to your Sako?
 
I've held all three of the models you are looking at and shot both the Sako and Steyr. Both gun shot very well and were sub MOA. They each have nice triggers that break clean and have lighter pulls. I don't recall what caliber they were off hand. I like the Steyr SM and CL series more than the Pro Hunter. Mostly because of their feel and a little better quality. The are also priced closer to the Sako. A regular Pro Hunter is around $700.00 or so. I've also shot a Steyr SM in .300 win mag.. It too was a very good shooter. I like the feel of the Sako followed by the Steyr and then the Barrett. The Barrett is a nice gun but, it has a pretty long bolt throw and feel more like a high end Remington 700.

A few others to consider that are priced close to the Sako would be the Sauer 201 or a Weatherby Mark V. They too have great triggers, very accurate, and are built with quality. The Browning A-Bolt/Xbolt are fine rifles as well.

Scope wise, I would look at something like a Swarovski Z5 3.5x18x44mm or Zeiss HD5 3x15x42mm. Both would work for deer hunting and target shooting.

As to the target shooting. You may find that your thin barrel hunting guns won't hold their accuracy has the barrel heats up while sending round after round down range. You may fin you end up with a whole different target gun with a bigger scope for that down the road.

I also own a Sako 75 Finlight with a custom 24" SS Douglas Air Gauged barrel. I have a Zeiss Conquest 4.5x14x44mm on it as well as one on my Weatherby Accumark .300 Wby mag. These scopes have worked get on every thing from deer, pronghorn to elk for me.
 
Hamer, I took my Sako to Bill Wiseman in Bryan, TX. He gave it a trigger job, bedded the action, and squared up the action, lapped the lugs. I stayed with the factory Sako barrel. It’s a wonderful shooter, and by that I mean the trigger is right, it feels good in the hands, and points perfectly. And, it has lovely wood. When I went to buy it, I asked to see their entire stock of Sako 270’s (big gun store) so I could pick the prettiest one.

It’s a Lightweight Hunter model, though it isn’t really that light, and the barrel is a bit heavier than a standard sporter barrel.

The first scope on it was a Leupold 4.5-14 Vari-X III. Second scope was/is a Leupold 4.5-14 with the Varmint Hunter reticle. I’ve grown fond of that magnification range over the years. And, for what it’s worth, I have a one hand adjustable sling on it from Murray Leather in Aledo, Tx. My other rifles have that sling also.
 
In my humble option, you can’t beat a Sako. Mine has a fantastic trigger, The is bolt is butter smooth and it shoots much, much better than I can.
Scope? Sometimes price doesn’t translate in useable. I see where you are pretty fit, take some advice from one who thought he was, that was until i went to CO
You get above 10,000 feet and you begin to understand what the guide was trying emphasize.
Every once of weight at the start equals a pound and the higher you go, the more that pound becomes two pounds. A scope that comes in over 18 ounces is already heavy and add the rings, well I hope you are getting the picture.
There are plenty of options in that weight class and 2x7x40 is usually plenty. If you are taking shots longer than 2-300 yards, you need to get closer.
Sorry, this wasn’t meant to be a lecture, but think about weight, weight and weight.
 
Worc - any idea how that swaro and Zeiss stack up against a Leupold vx-6hd 3-18 x 44? Handled one of those vx6's in store and was pretty damn impressed with it. Was thinking it might work in multiple applications. And yeah, I realize that Barrell isn't the best for target shooting. But I will probably shoot it the same way I shoot my AR10, 3 shot groups only, each shot spaced long enough apart that vibration isn't an issue, and then a quick ride to the target on the ATV after the 3 shots to give the Barrell a minute to cool down. This method has worked really well to give me much tighter groups on my AR10.
 
Batmann - I actually lived at 8500' in Colorado (coal Creek canyon) for about 5 years. So I know exactly what you mean. I am beginning to consider something smaller or possibly just two completely different scopes.
 
As far as weight is concerned only you can determine what is too much. I live at at 1900’ and hunt at elevations between 7500 and 10500. I train with the philosophy of “if it is too heavy your too week.” At 45 when I hit the mountain I don’t have an issue and typically leave my hunting party behind and that is while carrying a 50 plus pound pack on my way to spike camp at that 10500’.

So when it comes to weight get what you are comfortable with and know you can handle.

FYI When I rifle hunt, my hunting rifle weighs in at 12+ pounds. Which is a Tikka T3 tactical in 308 topped with a Nightforce NXS 3.5X15X56.

I say by all means get what you want and know you can handle in the field.

The SHV is a good scope and all the rifles mentioned are good to go.
 
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