Steyr SSG08 A1

One 5 shot group doesn't really say much I am afraid. It is a killer grouping but a 10 rd would be better.

The math on that target looks funny as well unless you shot it at something other than 300M.

Assuming the 1.25" is outside measurements we get 1.25"-.308=.942 .942/3.3=~.28MOA (the 3.3 is my 300M to yards number).

If the 1.25" is CTC the group is now ~.38MOA, still solid shooting of course.

It is Monday though so I could be way off base too haha.
 
You can take, let’s say 10 AI’s of the same make and caliber, take them all apart, put the parts in a big bag, give a shake, dump parts on the floor and assemble in no particular order. Viola all the guns will be with-in spec. Try that with other makes. You can’t. On another note I owned a SSG PII .308 with a some 5 rounders and 10 round mags. Gun shot lights out. I didn’t like the plastic trigger guard, it broke and the stock had a hairline crack. I guess I could of bought a McMillian stock for it and an aftermarket mag housing but they cost more than I paid for the gun.

The Styer SSG69 PII are not the same level as the AI, yes it does have a plastic mag , is an old design, if you have shoot the styer ssg08 in either the 308win or 338lapua you know the quality.
 
Did you shoot that group yourself? At 300? By "Like this or better" you mean anyone you know can shoot "like this" any time, never been worse and by "better" you mean like how much better? .1MOA?

I do kinda get that some people are very attached to brand they happen to choose. But, hammer forged steyr barrel is worse than single cut stainless custom barrels. Proof? - Not a single factory steyr competes and wins against custom rifles. If Steyrs are so good why bother with Bartlein etc? Or all these ppl who spend half of their lives competing never saw Steyrs, just happen to be.

SSG 08 is practically Pro Hunter with a different profile barrel and chasis. A1 is just a variation on a 08 chassis. At $10k it is nuts.


Surgeon 591
Hawk Hills MTU Barrel
Jewel Trigger
Cadex Light Comp. Chassis
Heathen Brake
Cerakote – FDE

$6299, custom build or SSG08 A1, factory build, $10k. You gotta love marketing, it makes wonders.

It true that the styer pro hunter action look very similar to the Styer ssg08, but it is a different beast. better trigger, heavy barrel, and Chassy. how ever I do agree that AI would be a more robust system to have, and the market is kind of nut, look at the new styer pro hunter in 6.5creedmoor 2499 CAD compare to a older styer pro hunter in 308 right around 1100CAD.
 
The Styer SSG69 PII are not the same level as the AI, yes it does have a plastic mag , is an old design, if you have shoot the styer ssg08 in either the 308win or 338lapua you know the quality.

Personally I dont think the SSG is an 'old' design... but there are several things about the SSG69 that are odd... some it turns out maybe very clever choices to achieve the desired goal. For example the rear locking arrangement does allow the SSG69 to maintain fairly tight tolerances wrt to position of bolt face to cartridge and chamber... and it can reduce overall action length. Not a bad thing if you have decided that you intend to use a longer - and unthreaded - action tenon - to secure the barrel. Does this sort of barrel to action connection make a difference? Anschutz seems to think so. I dont like the plastic either but it contributes to a manageable weight. And from a military perspective (and in any practical civilian pursuit) less weight is ALWAYS a good thing. Every firearm is a compromise ... and for sure a more stable platform for launching bullets can be designed if weight is NOT a factor. But eventually if you want a portable system, weight is an issue. So the compromises start. I like the way Steyr (with the SSG69) have balanced their compromises... not to say I wouldnt also be pretty happy owning an AI axmc :)
 
I had SSG69 recently, won't recommend it to anyone. "tight tolerances", "reduce overall action length" it is all bs good on paper. What you get a rifle with machining marks inside the action, press fit barrel you won't swap ever, not so smooth action, amazingly rare and expensive bottom metals or HORRID factory magazines, outdated plastic stock which melts with trigger bottom plastic in some cleaning solutions and practically unobtainable aftermarket stocks. Yeah, full of compromises.
 
SSG 69- good, AI/AT good, different beasts though!

I've had my SSG69 since 1976. I have been quite happy with it. Light, handy, great practical accuracy. 5 round magazines are fine, the 10 round magazines are flimsy. My AI/AT is a much different beast. I hunt deer with my SSG 69. I would not dream of packing my AI/AT in the bush to hunt with, maybe you young guys would relish that, not this old guy. First round hits out to 600yds the SSG69 holds it on with my AI for snap shots on steel. Grouping at long range hard to compare given the differences in scopes etc. AI/AT is a whole other level of durability and intrinsic quality,like $1800 vs $6,000+ cost, gotta be some difference.

Summary: Show a little love for the old SSG69 !;)
 
Personally I dont think the SSG is an 'old' design... but there are several things about the SSG69 that are odd... some it turns out maybe very clever choices to achieve the desired goal. For example the rear locking arrangement does allow the SSG69 to maintain fairly tight tolerances wrt to position of bolt face to cartridge and chamber... and it can reduce overall action length. Not a bad thing if you have decided that you intend to use a longer - and unthreaded - action tenon - to secure the barrel. Does this sort of barrel to action connection make a difference? Anschutz seems to think so. I dont like the plastic either but it contributes to a manageable weight. And from a military perspective (and in any practical civilian pursuit) less weight is ALWAYS a good thing. Every firearm is a compromise ... and for sure a more stable platform for launching bullets can be designed if weight is NOT a factor. But eventually if you want a portable system, weight is an issue. So the compromises start. I like the way Steyr (with the SSG69) have balanced their compromises... not to say I wouldnt also be pretty happy owning an AI axmc :)

The weight is not bad, but the problem with the styer ssg69 I think is the stock and magazine. doesn't alway work.
 
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I had SSG69 recently, won't recommend it to anyone. "tight tolerances", "reduce overall action length" it is all bs good on paper. What you get a rifle with machining marks inside the action, press fit barrel you won't swap ever, not so smooth action, amazingly rare and expensive bottom metals or HORRID factory magazines, outdated plastic stock which melts with trigger bottom plastic in some cleaning solutions and practically unobtainable aftermarket stocks. Yeah, full of compromises.

OwlOwl -- I would appreciate it if you dont call my comments and first hand observations "all bs good on paper". If you got a bad rifle - deal with Steyr - I am sorry your experience has been bad -- but that is YOUR experience and NOT mine and do not malign me by implying I am falsifying my experience. I have 5 Steyr rifles from a 1950 to SBS Match300 -- none of them seem to suffer the problems that you have experienced OwlOwl ... curious - are you sure you havent 'shorted' on Steyr stock??


BTW- The pressed in place barrel concern is old old old news repeated by many self styled experts that solemnly condemn all rear locking Steyrs of that design (L, SL, M, and S) as being no good' because the barrels cant be changed.... the FACT is ONLY the SSG (excepting one model of SSG) has a pressed in barrel AND these SSG's so constructed have a significantly longer barrel tenon than the other action types accordingly ie S, SL, M, S - all of which have THREADED barrels and actions. So if Steyr obviously could have threaded the barrels on the SSG (and listed factory replacement barrels - as they do for the S, SL, M and S) --- why do you think they didnt??

You dont like Steyr's -- thats fine. You have have your reasons - and thats your business. But dont presume to denigrate my observations as BS!
 
There is some true to what OWLOWL is saying.
But I wouldn't compare Steyr SSG69 to AI level, maybe Rem700PSS.
 
There is some true to what OWLOWL is saying.
But I wouldn't compare Steyr SSG69 to AI level, maybe Rem700PSS.

Not particularly. The ssg69 was a rifle ahead of its time that still performs admirably today. Naturally as with times the rifles of today will match or beat the old girl out of the box for a comparable or lesser cost (t3 ctr is the first rifle that comes to mind) but for the rifles of its time it beat them out of the gate consistantly and till around the ai introduction there was nothing that was markedly better as far as a mil sniper rifle.
 
There is some true to what OWLOWL is saying.
But I wouldn't compare Steyr SSG69 to AI level, maybe Rem700PSS.

No argument - Remington can make excellent rifles that shoot well 'out of the box' -- 7600's 'can' be amazing. But it is always informative to examine each example carefully first. I have seen brand new remington rifles with recoil lugs not properly 'timed' and muzzles that were not perpendicular to the bore.... I guarantee this latter issue - when you accidentally discover it for the first time - will raise your eyebrows a little even though it might not effect they way they shoot!!!. Personally I would put ZKK's or Sako's ahead of Remingtons ... I guess we are in agreement that there are a lot of excellent rifles

AI vs SSG 69 .. well suffice to say I would really like to own an AI AXMC ... BUT 'IF" there was a timed, 10 mile forced march with two guys in 'FFO' that had to engage (and hit) various Fig 11 targets from 150 - 600m during the 10 miler .... and one man had an AI and the other had an SSG .... my money for first home (with all the hits) would be on the guy with the SSG. Now I wouldnt bet on the group sizes - but with issue ammo that might be a wash and on a figure 11 - a hit is a hit.

Now one of the reasons I would (also) like to own an AI .. is because I get to drive to the range and unload the rifle from my trunk. The weight is a non issue
 
Amen!

No argument - Remington can make excellent rifles that shoot well 'out of the box' -- 7600's 'can' be amazing. But it is always informative to examine each example carefully first. I have seen brand new remington rifles with recoil lugs not properly 'timed' and muzzles that were not perpendicular to the bore.... I guarantee this latter issue - when you accidentally discover it for the first time - will raise your eyebrows a little even though it might not effect they way they shoot!!!. Personally I would put ZKK's or Sako's ahead of Remingtons ... I guess we are in agreement that there are a lot of excellent rifles

AI vs SSG 69 .. well suffice to say I would really like to own an AI AXMC ... BUT 'IF" there was a timed, 10 mile forced march with two guys in 'FFO' that had to engage (and hit) various Fig 11 targets from 150 - 600m during the 10 miler .... and one man had an AI and the other had an SSG .... my money for first home (with all the hits) would be on the guy with the SSG. Now I wouldnt bet on the group sizes - but with issue ammo that might be a wash and on a figure 11 - a hit is a hit.

Now one of the reasons I would (also) like to own an AI .. is because I get to drive to the range and unload the rifle from my trunk. The weight is a non issue

Exactamundo!:cheers:
 
OwlOwl -- I would appreciate it if you dont call my comments and first hand observations "all bs good on paper".

First, I'll comment on reality as I see fit. Thank you. If my view of reality is somehow misaligned with some one else's - it is called a different opinion. Has nothing to do with any name calling or who has experienced what and when. I'm surprised you can take an opinion of someone else as an offense.

Second, I never said you were wrong or in fact I never commented on any of your experience. I said, and I can repeat, that claimed "advantages" of SSG 69 design (which are repeated over and over again from some marketing material from 40 years ago) are so negligible that they are not even worth considering in 2018. No, SSG 69 does not have any significantly tighter tolerances, no, locking on back of the bolt does not mean a thing to overall length realistically speaking. SSG 69 is not, and probably never was a magic rifle way above competition at any point in time. Even right at the year 1969 one could do better with just plain custom build pre 64 Win M70, or if you would want an engineering ahead of its time - Mauser M66.

None of SSG69 amazing technology - press fit barrel, locking on rear, rotary magazine, type of plastics, safety, type and material of bottom plastic, was picked up by neither anyone else doing high precision rifles, NOR Steyr itself kept any of it. It is an obsolete design, "curiosity and relic". Unless you are collector buying SSG69 now is a pain no one should take.

This topic was about SSG 08 A1. 69 should not even be here.
 
The Styer SSG69 is a Money Pit, eventually the mag won't work for you, the barrel wear out, the stock crack, then What you going to do. Well, you can try to sell it on CanadianGunnutz .
 
The Styer SSG69 is a Money Pit, eventually the mag won't work for you, the barrel wear out, the stock crack, then What you going to do. Well, you can try to sell it on CanadianGunnutz .

Pfffft, I see its good enough for Chuck!
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