30 06 SAKO85 OR WIN 70 SG.

[jaz]

Hi,
Advice needed on buying 30 rifle as my brother in US going to buy new 30 06 rifle . He shortlisted sako 85 and winchester 70 super grade .
Which one is better option ? + - .......

rp

[grewal]

as my brother in US going to buy new 30 06 rifle

Yaar kyon Zakhmon par Namak Chirak Rahay Ho

Sako all the way
. One-piece bolt. Dovetail mounting system. 5 action lengths. Slick-ass action & feeding . 60 degree bolt lift. Trigger-guard made from a solid billet of steel. "EVERY rifle that comes off the assembly line is proof tested with two proof loads. These are about 25% above normal factory pressures. Each rifle is then checked with a go-no-go headspace gauge to ensure integrity has not been compromised.

[cottage cheese]

Hi,
Advice needed on buying 30 rifle as my brother in US going to buy new 30 06 rifle . He shortlisted sako 85 and winchester 70 super grade .
Which one is better option ? + - .......

rp

He's going to the US to buy and bring back....er...import?

[grewal]

He's going to the US to buy and bring back....er...import?

CG I think he wants to suggest his brother who is in USA and will keep the rifle in USA itself.

[jaz]

NO no cottage cheese , he lives there in north Carolina from 96' onwards.

[cottage cheese]

NO no cottage cheese , he lives there in north Carolina from 96' onwards.

...accha...for a moment I though someone was not thinking right...

well since he's there, he'll probably be spoilt for choice unlike us here....so I should think its hardly a dilemma

regards,
cc

[jaz]

C C ,
We all are poor & helpless gun lovers . we even do not have excess to .22 air rifles .


On my last visit to usa , I used .22 magnum for fun shooting and some targets with
Heckler & Koch 40 cal, with 4.25 Inch barrel length.


here even for .177 airgun import they see you like you are importing secret missile technology.

[hks2056]

winchester 70 supergrade is a custom quality weapon so naturally the first choice.

[sat]

I emailed a friend in the US who is very knowledgeable, this is what he had to say..

I have limited experience with the new Winchesters and while they are good rifles, there is nothing special about them. The receivers, as you may be aware, are made in Pakistan and the whole rifle is put together in S Carolina. The new Sakos are a premium product in comparison, but I test drove one with a laminated stock and did not like it much. Plus, there have been cases of the 85s blowing up especially with stainless and fluted barrels. This is probably not a risk with a 30-06, but if someone wants to be particularly careful, then it would be best to buy a Sako 85 with the full round barrel in chrome moly steel and not stainless.

The main thing that I would look at would be what budget he wants to buy a rifle within. At the lower end of the scale, you have the various Savage models which are amazingly accurate and the ones that come with their patented Accutrigger and their Accubedded stock are benchrest quality at a much lower price than the Winchesters and Sakos of the world. Go between the Winchester and the Sakos and you have the new Kimber rifles which have the same Model 70 design action as used in the pre 64 Winchesters (the new Winchesters are somewhat modified over the pre 64s even though they are controlled feed) and if you want to go higher, you can get a basic custom made rifle from $ 2800 to 3000 and go up to as much as $ 10,000 to 12000 depending upon what you select. I can suggest some gunmakers who I have used and who can make rifles for very reasonable prices if your friend wants to take the custom route. If your friend prefers classic guns, I know where he can get mint older Brnos in various calibers for $ 900 to 1600. He would also be able to find original pre 64 Winchesters - superb rifles for use as is or customization - and also classic FN or Browning Mausers from $ 750 to 1600. You have a very wide choice over here as far as guns are concerned.

jaz,

I suggest your brother contact my friend of mine in the US. He will be happy to be of help. He is not a gun dealer & does not profit from these transactions.

sat

[xl_target]

For what most hunters in N America use a rifle, most of the popular bolt actions are adequate, especially in 30-06. Today there are a lot of good rifles out there.

What no one has mentioned is how this rifle is going to be used.
Will it languish in the gun cabinet? Then you might want the prettiest rifle.
Will it spend a significant amount of time in the field in different weather conditions? Then you might want a synthetic stock. and a stainless finish.
Will it only leave the house during deer season? Your choice would be influenced by where you hunt. Is it -20F or 70F outside? Does it rain/snow a lot during this time?

Obviously you don't need a Ferrari to commute to work everyday when a Chevrolet would do? Do you need something that will shoot a gnat of a fly's behind? Do you need something that will only be used for shooting at 100 yards or less or do you need to shoot across the valley?
The average hunter takes his gun out before deer season, checks the zero with a few shots and then is in the field for a weekend or two after which the gun lives in the back of the closet till next year. Do you need a $3000 gun for that or will a $1000 gun do? So budget constraints must be observed too as Sat's friend said. Often that is the deciding factor for a lot of people.

Ultimately if the shooter is happy with the firearm that was purchased, then that is all that matters because he/she is the one that is going to use it and not anyone else. All the experts telling him what he should choose won't mean that he will end up with the perfect fit for him.



Here is more info on the model 70 Winchester. Some of the comments are actually quite interesting.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... ntent;col1
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... cra.2.a.11
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... cra.2.a.44

[hvj1]

Please PM Z375 and or Amit357 for good advice on the subject. I personally would go for the SAKO.

[captrakshitsharma]

Bring a Sako for me toooo .Just kidding bro.. my vote goes to sako..

[TwoRivers]

jaz: M70 receivers made in Pakistan? (Darra Adam Khel, out of pilfered railroad rail, no doubt.) Wonder how these rumors get started.
There is no best choice, fitting every one. They all have good points, and some shortcomings. Though not everyone is in agreement on either. Whichever fits and feels best, without objectionable features, is the one for you. And as XL has pointed out, the use the rifle is going to be put to should be a definite consideration.
As long as your brother is not going for the lower priced rifles, has he looked at the TC Icon Classic, the Kimber, or the Cooper? Both the Sako M85 and Winchester M70 are good choices. Some people like the shorter bolt lift of the three-lug bolt, others don't. But the Sako A7, for instance, has an incredible hard bolt lift, despite the highly regarded name. Name recognition alone is not a guarantee.
Do NOT listen to your "friends' cousins' knowledgeable friends". Nor to the salesperson in the sporting goods store. Their "knowledge" usually comes from magazine articles. GI-GO. Cheers

[jaz]

hi,
Some really good advice from sat , xl target and tworivers, rifle is definitely not for gun cabinet .
but as per recent discussions he is making mind for Sako 85( Bavarian) model.

rp,

[sat]

sako 85 Bavarian - $2000




sako 85 classic




Not trying to change the topic but which stock do you all prefer, the bavarian or the classic? .