Greetings! I'm a longtime lurker on this forum, and new to Sakos, but I am familiar with their reputation. I was hoping the experienced members of this group could give me some advice and information regarding a rifle I have stumbled upon. I currently own a Browning A-Bolt II Composite Stalker 30-06 that has been my go-to rifle for deer and elk. Given that I will be doing more elk hunting, I was considering stepping up to a magnum, namely a Tikka T3 Lite in 7mm RM. However, today I walked into a local gun shop and found what I believe is a Sako 75 Finnlight that is in good shape in 300WSM. The action was stamped "Sako SM" and it was a fluted SS barrel/action with a black synthetic stock with gray grip panels. I had not considered a Sako since they are frankly out of my budget. However, I was shocked to see that this rifle was marked down from $899 to $500!! This got my attention to say the least...
I did not purchase this rifle because I did not know what I was getting myself into (not an impulse buyer), but I am now kicking myself now that I have seen that these rifles easily go $800-$1000 or more USED. My biggest concern is buying a lemon. Is this too good to be true? Are there any known problems with this model? I figure the action and parts are worth that much if it is a functioning rifle that may have some accuracy issues.
What can I expect from this rifle if I do my part? What kind of accuracy are you achieveing with the Sakos? What kind of long range potential do you see in this lightweight rifle (in my world this means 500 yards and beyond)? Obviously, my marksmanship skills are the biggest factor, along with quality ammo that is suited to this rifle.
Are there any issues I should be concerned with this model rifle before purchasing? I am a little concerned about the punishing recoil of a 300WSM in such a light rifle. I did not plan to put a muzzlebrake on this rifle, but I may have to take this into consideration. That said, I have shot Brownings in 300WM and found them manageable for short strings of fire, although not comfortable (I am not particularly recoil sensitive). Since I reload, I figure that I could "download" the 300WSM or use lighter projectiles to tame the recoil. Or just flip the rifle and sell it if it doesn't work out for me, since it seems like a deal I should not pass up.
Are there any other considerations I should make with this rifle, such as reloading for it or buying rings/mounts, or restocking, etc.? Is this action a good host for rebarreling to another caliber? If so, what calibers?
I am thinking of showing up at the shop 1st thing in the morning to buy this rifle, so this is a spur-of-the moment purchase. I am hoping you all could cut down on my research time. Thank you for any information that you could give me before purchasing this rifle.
I did not purchase this rifle because I did not know what I was getting myself into (not an impulse buyer), but I am now kicking myself now that I have seen that these rifles easily go $800-$1000 or more USED. My biggest concern is buying a lemon. Is this too good to be true? Are there any known problems with this model? I figure the action and parts are worth that much if it is a functioning rifle that may have some accuracy issues.
What can I expect from this rifle if I do my part? What kind of accuracy are you achieveing with the Sakos? What kind of long range potential do you see in this lightweight rifle (in my world this means 500 yards and beyond)? Obviously, my marksmanship skills are the biggest factor, along with quality ammo that is suited to this rifle.
Are there any issues I should be concerned with this model rifle before purchasing? I am a little concerned about the punishing recoil of a 300WSM in such a light rifle. I did not plan to put a muzzlebrake on this rifle, but I may have to take this into consideration. That said, I have shot Brownings in 300WM and found them manageable for short strings of fire, although not comfortable (I am not particularly recoil sensitive). Since I reload, I figure that I could "download" the 300WSM or use lighter projectiles to tame the recoil. Or just flip the rifle and sell it if it doesn't work out for me, since it seems like a deal I should not pass up.
Are there any other considerations I should make with this rifle, such as reloading for it or buying rings/mounts, or restocking, etc.? Is this action a good host for rebarreling to another caliber? If so, what calibers?
I am thinking of showing up at the shop 1st thing in the morning to buy this rifle, so this is a spur-of-the moment purchase. I am hoping you all could cut down on my research time. Thank you for any information that you could give me before purchasing this rifle.
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