So last year i bought a used SAKO 85 Bavarian on a whim (staggering deal that i could not pass up). I normally wouldn't chase a "euro" styled gun, and would prefer a Weatherby or fancy grade Model 70. But when I got this thing home a really fell for it, and at the range you could really feel the quality. And this started my infatuation with the germanic styled rifles.
I recently started hunting for a new Steyr -- and found 2 on line here in Canada. I bought one and it just came in (30.06). I was blown away by how light it is (and drasticaly smaller than my SAKO ((which, to be fair, is chambered in a Magnum cartridge))). It feels like a real "mountain gun", you could easily carry this all day long.
In the "light is right" spirit, i decided to put a Swaro Z3 on top. This i researched to death, and listened a little closer to the experienced fur droppers, and read between the lines. I am dead guilty of "overbuying" glass -- always thinking that more magnification can only be better, that a huge objective must transmit more light and be easier to see, ditto for a 30mm tube, and i need a fancy reticle. Well, here's the truth-- i don't hunt or shoot in low light situations, so a big clunky scope is not needed. Furthermore, i am not a competitive target shooter, so i am not slinging lead out beyond 3 or 400 yards, and even then i am slamming big red plates that are clear as a bell at 10x. So 10 or 12 (at the most) magnification would suffice. A smaller objective gets me down on the barrel, and a 1" tube drastically drops the weight.
On paper the Z3 looks the part, but when i held one in my hand it was simply jaw dropping. It feels light like the whole thing is plastic, but the controls and finish look like a solid piece of titanium. The glass itslef is beautiful. And since this is a just a silhouette gun, (with maybe a trip into the woods this fall) a simple plex reticle served me right.
Holding the completed rifle /glass in my right hand the package is still noticeable lighter than my SAKO without a scope on it! And the compact feel -- wow!
At the range the gun shoots brilliantly. Chambered and shouldered, it is much easier to keep an eye on the target after firing. The fit and finish is beautiful, although the wood isn't crazy figured (the europeans do have more understated furniture, i find) the inletting is as sharp as anything else in my safe. Mine came without the set trigger, but i can change this out down the road if i so desire.
So two happy thumbs up!
Here are a few shots:
I recently started hunting for a new Steyr -- and found 2 on line here in Canada. I bought one and it just came in (30.06). I was blown away by how light it is (and drasticaly smaller than my SAKO ((which, to be fair, is chambered in a Magnum cartridge))). It feels like a real "mountain gun", you could easily carry this all day long.
In the "light is right" spirit, i decided to put a Swaro Z3 on top. This i researched to death, and listened a little closer to the experienced fur droppers, and read between the lines. I am dead guilty of "overbuying" glass -- always thinking that more magnification can only be better, that a huge objective must transmit more light and be easier to see, ditto for a 30mm tube, and i need a fancy reticle. Well, here's the truth-- i don't hunt or shoot in low light situations, so a big clunky scope is not needed. Furthermore, i am not a competitive target shooter, so i am not slinging lead out beyond 3 or 400 yards, and even then i am slamming big red plates that are clear as a bell at 10x. So 10 or 12 (at the most) magnification would suffice. A smaller objective gets me down on the barrel, and a 1" tube drastically drops the weight.
On paper the Z3 looks the part, but when i held one in my hand it was simply jaw dropping. It feels light like the whole thing is plastic, but the controls and finish look like a solid piece of titanium. The glass itslef is beautiful. And since this is a just a silhouette gun, (with maybe a trip into the woods this fall) a simple plex reticle served me right.
Holding the completed rifle /glass in my right hand the package is still noticeable lighter than my SAKO without a scope on it! And the compact feel -- wow!
At the range the gun shoots brilliantly. Chambered and shouldered, it is much easier to keep an eye on the target after firing. The fit and finish is beautiful, although the wood isn't crazy figured (the europeans do have more understated furniture, i find) the inletting is as sharp as anything else in my safe. Mine came without the set trigger, but i can change this out down the road if i so desire.
So two happy thumbs up!
Here are a few shots:
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