Am I nuts??????

[jimsbriar]

The reason I say this is because I want to build a long range hunting rifle using a sako finnlight 85. my plan would be to buy a long action sako and convert the barrel to a 6.5x284.

is this nuts? would i be better off just getting a custom? please give me some pros/cons and if this seems feasible, who would you recommend to perform this work?

thanks guys!!

 

[Korhil78]

If you were going to get that gun, then I would have to say to just go the custom route. If you buy it new, they are anywhere from $1400 to $1500 for just the factory gun. Then you send it to the gunsmith to get it blueprinted, cost of the custom barrel, new trigger (if you are getting one), and the cost of the smiths work. You are already looking at the cost of a whole custom gun by then.

 

[royinidaho]

Yep...u'r nuts. But hey, its fun!!

However your thinkin' isn't very cost effective. To purchase a complete new rifle simply for the donor action seems a waste of resources.

Call Jewel trigger and ask what one costs for a Remmy clone action. It'll surprise you.

Price a barrel from any of the manufacturers. Gonna spend that anyway to replace the bbl from the donor action.

Price a custom action and consider delivery time. It'll surprise you too.

The only "extra" thing you'll need is a stock. That'll make the big difference in cost of the custom. Smith charges will be about the same for either the donor approach of custom approach.

Chew the fat with Jim See and see what comes out.

 

[sp6x6]

My hunting buddy is shooting a Finnlight 300 win.Worked on his loads and has a Swaro? 5-25 w/dial. He shot a Whitey 5x5 this year @758 yrd.22 degree.4SHOTS 4 hits.The gun shoots well

 

[thehulk]

My hunting buddy is shooting a Finnlight 300 win.Worked on his loads and has a Swaro? 5-25 w/dial. He shot a Whitey 5x5 this year @758 yrd.22 degree.4SHOTS 4 hits.The gun shoots well

Am I missing something? He shot a 5x5, got that part....

but 4 shots... 4hits? What the heck.... If you need 3 follow up shots, I wouldnt say that the gun shoots well, but thats just me. I dunno...

 

[.284]

Nope. Not nuts. I do believe that the recoil lug is a better set up in the sako 75 model but I don't actually have a 85. I am a bit of sako 75 nut though and I have 3 customs on 75 actions and they all shoot. None were trued at all. Just barreled and bedded in mcmillians. Instead of 6.5-284 I went with the 6.5-06. Very close in performance

 

[WildRose]

The reason I say this is because I want to build a long range hunting rifle using a sako finnlight 85. my plan would be to buy a long action sako and convert the barrel to a 6.5x284.

is this nuts? would i be better off just getting a custom? please give me some pros/cons and if this seems feasible, who would you recommend to perform this work?

thanks guys!!

If you are asking this question and hanging out with us, yes, you are nuts.

Welcome.

 

[roninflag]

Korhil -why blue print a sako?? why replace the trigger? jim- if you want a sako 85 6.5-284 . i like it. roninflag

 

[RMulhern]

My hunting buddy is shooting a Finnlight 300 win.Worked on his loads and has a Swaro? 5-25 w/dial. He shot a Whitey 5x5 this year @758 yrd.22 degree.4SHOTS 4 hits.The gun shoots well

Statements like the above....make me wonder WHY I visit this site!!

 

[Korhil78]

Korhil -why blue print a sako?? why replace the trigger? jim- if you want a sako 85 6.5-284 . i like it. roninflag

It sounded like he wanted to customize it to me. It just wouldn't make much sense to me to buy a $1500 dollar gun and then take the barrel off of it and spend another 300 to 500 on a custom barrel. That amount is so close to getting a custom gun that I would just go custom because even a sako as nice as they are, is not close to custom. It's his money so I know e can do whatever he wants but he asked.

 

[jimsbriar]

I just want to start off by saying thanks for all the great feedback. you guys are great!!!!! and yeah, I am nuts. But I like me

I have two sako 85's and just love them. If I thought that I could cost effectively buy a sako 85, perform the barrel conversion and have a 600-800 yard tack driver, I would do it. but, it just can't be that easy and you guys have given me somthing to think about. I guess when you think about what it takes to take a typical off the shelf 200 yard hunting rifle and turn it into a 600 yard tack driver, maybe its not so easy, and not very cost effective.

If you guys have any additional things I need to consider, I would love to hear them before I plunge over the nutty edge. one way or another I want a 6.5 x 284

 

[Korhil78]

Well I would be willing to bet that you could take your Sakos as are right now and find a load to make them around a 1/2 MOA tack driver at 600 yds any day.

 

[roninflag]

JIMS- i have a couple 6.5-284s. one is a short action 700 single shot 17 pounds i use to compete in f-class competition. the other is a long action remington 700 sendero i hunt with. also i have several sakos. i assume you reload. i do not see what you are going to do with the new 6.5-284. bighorns? coyotes? targets?? what the other posters are saying, i believe is, a remington action is less. and it has a lot of aftermarket stuff. mine easily shoot .4 . my gunsmith does not blue print them he puts a krieger barrel on . ( side note i used my 6ppc sako repeater the last coyote hunting trip ; 4 shots - 65 yards, 3.2 yards, 18 yards and 169 yards ; 4 coyotes) roninflag

 

[jimsbriar]

To address some additional things you guys have brought up which may help with your advice: I do reload, my plan was to use the 6.5x284 with 130-140 gr. vld to hunt muleys, antelope and bighorn at medium range (600-800 yd). that being said, i want to keep the rifle light enough that it won't beat me up on those all day hunts.

I have a lot of trust in the sakos. i feel they are made well. both of my 85's (270 wsm, 300 wsm) shoot 1/4-1/2 MOA consistantly with reloads. that is so long as I am having a good day

I guess what i am saying is that I believe sako has done a lot of homework to produce a nice factory rifle that may not take a lot of additional work to give me what I want. But, that being said, if I was that confident, I would not be here asking for your advice. many of you guys have been down this road time and time again and are experts. i truly appreciate your thoughts.