Sako A7 review

Huntin' Gun

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Hello all,
I thought some people may benefit from a review of the rifle I recently bought, the Sako A7.

First a bit about myself, since I haven't been very active on this site lately: I've been hunting and shooting from a young age. I'm now more middle-aged than young-aged. I have a collection of about 20 hunting rifles. I like light rifles and I reload my own shells rather hot. I don't mind the recoil.

I decided that I needed another stainless and synthetic rifle to hunt deer in bad weather. After some looking around and deliberating I bought the A7 in .270win from Cabela's in Edmonton. I got the package with the silver scope, but only because they didn't have an A7 that wasn't part of a package. The salesperson and Sako's website said the rifle alone weighs 6 3/8 pounds. So, that would be 6lbs 6oz. Seems like a reasonably light rifle. The scope was listed online to be 14oz, so with bases and rings it would be just under 7.5lbs. Not an ultralight, but seemed good, so I bought it.

I liked the rubberized finish on the stock, and the palm swell. The bolt felt good, and the trigger is nicely adjustable. I was happy, but it felt a little bit heavier than I thought it should. So I weighed it on a quite accurate digital scale. It was 6oz heavier than it was supposed to be. I took off the scope and weighed it again. 6lb 12oz. That's 6 oz too heavy. I tried a different scale. No change. 6 oz too heavy. I called Cabelas and said this rifle is too heavy, I want an exchange. Not happening. All firearms sales are final unless they are defective. I said this rifle is defective because it's half a pound heavier than I was told and was advertised.
Not happening.
So I called Stoeger Canada, but all I've managed to do is leave several messages. No response back.

So I put on a Leupold vxII 3-9x33 ultralight. This has made the rifle-scope combo weigh 7.5 lbs exactly. Just what I was expecting. I'm sacrificing a bit with light capture with this scope, but oh well.

I took the rifle to the range, and after trying 3 different types of ammunition I've yet to shoot a 3 shot 1moa group at 100 yards. I haven't given up yet, but I am a little curious about the 5 shot moa guarantee that is advertised. After all, they lied about the weight. Perhaps they lied about the accuracy too.

So, like I said, I've not given up on this rifle yet. I've loaded up a couple different loads, and hope to test them soon. The rifle could still be a shooter. But it's not proving to be an "out of the box tack driver" like I hoped.

Overall, I wish I didn't buy it. I recommend against it. It's half a pound heavier than advertised and so far is not as accurate as advertised.

Just thought others may be interested in this information.

Huntin' Gun
 
If you go to the Sako website and download the PDF of specs, all long action A7s weigh 6 5/8 of a pound not 6 3/8 like the short actions. So Sako didn't lie, you just didn't bother to look up the specs.
 
Thank you for the link.

That link is exactly what I did look up previous to my purchase. It states that S,M /2.9kg (6 3/8 lbs). That would be short and medium actions. .270win is a medium action.

The it states S,M Mag 3.0kg (6 5/8 lbs). That would be for short and medium magnums. Like 7mm WSM and .300 win mag.

So the PDF you provided from Sako states that the medium action rifles will weigh 6 3/8 lbs. but they do not in fact weight that. They do in fact weigh 6 5/8 lbs, but the PDF you provided does not state that.

Thank you for helping me prove my point
 
That's not really a review, it's more of a rant. How was the action, the fit and finish? How did it function? How did it feel in your hands? Those are the some of the questions you need to answer to do a review. You basically just let us know that you purchased a rifle that wasn't up to your expectations and that the weight wasn't as advertised.
 
Pretty sure your just reading the table wrong. All actions like 270, 30-06 are listed under the same column as the magnums like the 300 and 7 mag as for weight. That's how I would interpret the table, no matter how they are designated (S, M, etc).
 
They also list it as featuring a "fully free floated barrel".

Remove the barrel pillars to improve your accuracy (my experience anyways)

It shoots 5 into 1moa at the factory with the action strapped to a vise, not in the stock.
 
Pretty sure your just reading the table wrong. All actions like 270, 30-06 are listed under the same column as the magnums like the 300 and 7 mag as for weight. That's how I would interpret the table, no matter how they are designated (S, M, etc).

Well, that may very well be. However, the people at Cabelas then also read it wrong. The inventory screen the sales person pulled up also said the rifle in .270 should be 6 3/8 lbs.
 
They also list it as featuring a "fully free floated barrel".

Remove the barrel pillars to improve your accuracy (my experience anyways)

It shoots 5 into 1moa at the factory with the action strapped to a vise, not in the stock.

I was wondering about that. I found the little plastic barrel pillars, and was wondering if I should leave them or remove them.

Thanks
 
That's not really a review, it's more of a rant. How was the action, the fit and finish? How did it function? How did it feel in your hands? Those are the some of the questions you need to answer to do a review. You basically just let us know that you purchased a rifle that wasn't up to your expectations and that the weight wasn't as advertised.

I addressed that, although briefly.

Thank you for reminding me WHY I haven't posted on this site for a couple years.
 
Well, that may very well be. However, the people at Cabelas then also read it wrong. The inventory screen the sales person pulled up also said the rifle in .270 should be 6 3/8 lbs.

Well considering that it's actual weight is closer to 6 5/8 than 3/8 it probably is right. And you can't exactly take the word of a salesman at a gun counter at one of the big stores. They generally know very little.
 
Well considering that it's actual weight is closer to 6 5/8 than 3/8 it probably is right. And you can't exactly take the word of a salesman at a gun counter at one of the big stores. They generally know very little.

Agreed. Which is why I looked right at the inventory page on the computer. They turned the screen so I could check it out, and not just take the sales person's word for it.

But, with a literal interpretation of Sako's own PDF, the info is incorrect.
 
270, 30-06 etc are long action calibres. 308, 243, wsm etc are short action. Thanks for the review here's hoping you can get it to shoot well. I have a friend who had a bit of dicking around to get his finnlight to shoot well, different animal but... but shoot well it sure does now with his handloads.
 
I don't think anyone meant to be rude or jump on your review, but it was a bit more of a rant than anything. I was just trying to offer a explanation as to why it weighed more than you thought. I just hate to see you make a stink over it with Cabelas or Stoeger when it was likely just a minor misunderstanding of their literature. Not sure what to say about the accuracy. I would probably try a few more kinds of ammo before I write it off as a dud. I know a few guys with A7s and they all say they're quite accurate. Maybe you just haven't found the right load yet.
 
My son-in-law bought an A-7 .270 WSM couple years back, loves it! And last fall I sighted in one in .270 Win for a friend, brand new out of the box with a new Minox variable scope. Used Hornady Superperformance 130 GMX. Shots number 5, 6 and 7 went into 3/4".

FWIW
 
I've owned three of them over the years and all were wonderful shooters. If it won't shoot MOA send it back.....simple as that.
 
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