Steyr SSG 04/08 and Sako TRG 22

K

Koshy

CGN Regular
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Location
BC
Anyone have any experience/insight/opinions on these rifles and how they compare? I have yet to see one up close.

The SSG 08 looks and sounds amazing from the one review I have read (would love more but have not found any), the only complaint was how fast it heated up, but from what the review said, that had no noticable impact on bullet location. FYI that one review I found was here: http://www.steyrarms.com/news/items/article/dead-eye-accurate/?tx_ttnews[backPid]=9&cHash=09382323b0

Any personal input or reviews would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
Last edited:
redman said:
BTW, I just read that review - seems highly biased in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Yea the only negative I read (SSG 08) was about barrel heat...

Lest we forget though Steyr and Sako put out good products...

I wish I could find MORE (many more) reviews... sadly though I haven't had any luck in that respect... let alone owners =/

If you know of any, or happen upon any, I would appreciate your input.
 
I bought a TRG recently from site sponsor Shooting Edge. I have a Near mount and brake and Harris bipod. I like the fit and finish and very much like the trigger which is user adjustable every which way. I am not so sold on the stock as I am on the MacMillan A5 on my Kimber Tactical but it is, nevertheless, a very good stock that is fully user adjustable ( if you buy the additional spacers etc ). Also, the ejector isn't the best in the World in that you have to smartly bring the bolt to the rear in order to get a clear ejection. Anyway, I have been working up loads for the TRG and up to now I was finding it grouping in the .6 -.7 range but really shining in rapid fire ( ie operating the bolt as fast as possible ). Yesterday, in very rainy conditions, I compared it to my Kimber using 6 different loads ( Kimber's favorite diet wasn't available so the test wasn't a totally fair comparision ) fired from bags at 100 meters and out of 6 five-shot groupings the TRG produced 3 groups that were easily covered by a dime.

In order of best to third the TRG produced the following:

175 SMK w/44g Varget COAL 2.84 = 0.231" centre to centre
FGMM = 0.328"
168 SMK w/45.5 Varget =0.521

The worst group was the last one shot ( 175 SMK w44 Varget COAL 2.80 ) which produced a group of 0.834"

All groups were shot single loading ( ie not using the magazine ) and one group was shot with Sako followed by a group with Kimber etc etc.

The Sako was scoped with a Bushnell Elite 4200 Tactical 6x24x50 for this exercise.

The excercise will be repeated next week using same methods and loads to see if I can have a statistically valid dataset.

Kimber's best group yesterday was 0.538" using the FGMM. It has previously produced a group of 0.288" using 168 SMK over 42.5 N150.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for your take, those are quite nice numbers :cheers:

I hope to hear from you next week for comparision to this week :p

Just one question, was that benchrest or all you :D

Also to anyone else with some knowledge/reviews of SSG or TRG, would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
Last edited:
Tomochan, that's a decent review. Make sure to get a few 10-shot groups for the TRG so that we get a clear idea of what to expect, accuracy wise.

Koshy,

The problem with reviews of these high-end rifles is that they often come from owners who've been idolizing them for years while saving up for them. Even if they don't live up to the owners' expectiations, they'll still find some excuse as to why their 5000$ rifle is still the best. You'll find stupid quotes like: "even though I spent the better part of the weekend troubleshooting why I couldn't group 5" @ 100yds, after determininig that the action screws were loose and torquing them, I got some amazing groups"... Uhhh - HELLO - you blew 5000$ on a rifle whose manufacturer's QC missed such a glaring error. Or "although my groups were in the 0.8's, I'm sure this was just because I:
- Drank too much coffee
- Didn't shoot in a while
- Shot right after getting head
etc. and there's no way it was the rifle's fault".

The barrel heating issue he brings up sounds like BS just so it appears that the author isn't totally in bed with the rifle. And, in such biased reviews, the "flaw" is always preceeded by "even though" followed by an excuse/justification. Guess what a hot barrel is going to do to your target image when using a high-magnification scope?

Your best bet is to get a review from someone trying someone ELSE's rifle (assuming they don't harbour a grudge lol). If I come across one, I'll put it here. Sorry for the rant :redface:
 
My weekend experiment was shot off sandbags with rear bag ( Koshy - I couldn't shoot like that without a rest if my life depended on it ! ). I didn't have my iron front rest with me and ( like many ) my bipods are for show if something more solid is available :)

So far my best 10 shot TRG group ( from magazine and fired quickly ) is 1.2" which is, to me, more impressive than tiny 5-shot groups fired very slowly.

A cautionary note to any new prospective owner would be not to expect too much from increased money spent. My R5 ( now sold ) cost $1200 and would consistently goup in and around .75, the Kimber at nearly $2K is on average a little bit better and the TRG at nearly $4K all in is a little bit better again but really you get very, very marginal improvements for the greatly increased cost. I knew this going in but I'm a sucker for new toys and so my expectations were managed accordingly, but I should hate to think of someone expecting to cut group sizes down to quarter MOA by simply buying a more expensive factoy rifle. Maybe ARTS or Obtunded can opine on this point.

Bob
 
redman said:
Tomochan, that's a decent review. Make sure to get a few 10-shot groups for the TRG so that we get a clear idea of what to expect, accuracy wise.

Koshy,

The problem with reviews of these high-end rifles is that they often come from owners who've been idolizing them for years while saving up for them. Even if they don't live up to the owners' expectiations, they'll still find some excuse as to why their 5000$ rifle is still the best. You'll find stupid quotes like: "even though I spent the better part of the weekend troubleshooting why I couldn't group 5" @ 100yds, after determininig that the action screws were loose and torquing them, I got some amazing groups"... Uhhh - HELLO - you blew 5000$ on a rifle whose manufacturer's QC missed such a glaring error. Or "although my groups were in the 0.8's, I'm sure this was just because I:
- Drank too much coffee
- Didn't shoot in a while
- Shot right after getting head
etc. and there's no way it was the rifle's fault".

The barrel heating issue he brings up sounds like BS just so it appears that the author isn't totally in bed with the rifle. And, in such biased reviews, the "flaw" is always preceeded by "even though" followed by an excuse/justification. Guess what a hot barrel is going to do to your target image when using a high-magnification scope?

Your best bet is to get a review from someone trying someone ELSE's rifle (assuming they don't harbour a grudge lol). If I come across one, I'll put it here. Sorry for the rant :redface:
Click to expand...

Well I don't think he is a fanboy :p
But he may not give fair review as he was supposedly, "1 of 50 getting to test the rifle".

Yea I would kill for multipul reviews, or an obviously unbias one.

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
Update:

I love the intertubes? :p

So I did some researching on this author: He appears to be an author for a magazine called Tactical-Life. He has had 4 postings, the first October, 2008.
Source: http://www.tactical-life.com/online/author/eduardo/

His name is Eduardo Abril de Fontcuberta, and supposedly a Sniping Instructor.

From my understanding the development was done with the Austrian COBRA unit, which can suggest it is not a crap rifle :p Also the Steyr .50 HS is used by the Canadian forces believe it or not (not a related fact :p)!

That's about all I could find on it... still his opinion... still he may be bias since (if true) he was only 1 of 50 to test... but at least he isn't some loon :p

Fun Facts: So just got off the phone with a guy named Jack (Steyr Arms in the USA), he is 73 years old and said he fired a group of 3 (first 3 and last 3 ever fired for him) with the SSG 08 at 100m with a little over an inch group. Not bad! I also asked him about the barrel heating, as well as the mirage effect that may appear. He mentioned due to the means in which the barrel is made (cold-forged), it causes the molecular structure to be much stronger, unlike the blue barrel counter-parts. Due to this, it should not have issues with miraging, he said maybe with an AUG firing 30 rounds in quick succession but not a bolt-action (should not be able to fire fast enough). Unfortunatly Jack said he didn't know of any other reviews out there on it =/

Not sure if you believe what Jack had to say, he sounded honest enough, I would love the input of all the of the above if you don't mind taking the time guys :)

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
Last edited:
Koshy,

The fact that the review came from steyrarms.com should give you the hint as to how biased it is ;):D

Koshy said:
He mentioned due to the means in which the barrel is made (cold-forged), it causes the molecular structure to be much stronger, unlike the blue barrel counter-parts. Due to this, it should not have issues with miraging
Click to expand...

From my year and a half experience with a cold-hammer forged barrel and a 16x scope, that sounds like utter nonsense. Expect the manufacturer to come up with anything to make their product sell. My advice: by patient and wait for better and more reliable feedback.
 
Koshy said:
Yea the only negative I read (SSG 08) was about barrel heat...

Lest we forget though Steyr and Sako put out good products...

I wish I could find MORE (many more) reviews... sadly though I haven't had any luck in that respect... let alone owners =/

If you know of any, or happen upon any, I would appreciate your input.
Click to expand...

I shoot one out Genesee in Edmonton several week back, the owner have styer ssg 04, and also SSG08, it an impressive gun, same action as the styer pro Hunter, but with heavy barrel, he was using ####ty ball ammo, and hitting small gong at 500 meter, I myself had some experience with Styer pro hunter, very accurate rifles, the action had a massive bolt, and the barrel are cold hammer forge, price is alittle high, Got a quote from Wolverine for $5500 for Styer ssg08, but instead on getting one, I would spend the money on a sako TRG22, plus 2 styer pro hunter rifles.

Sing
 
Ssg

x2
Its very comfortable to shoot and very accurate, even with crappy ball rounds. I didn't find the barrel to heat up fast at all. Matter of fact, we shot the same amount out of the ssg and the Rem, the Rem barrel was warmer.
 
I am not sure where they heard that the barrel for the STyer SSG 08 get heat up fast, but it din't seem to be, One thing I know of is that the rifles seem to be alittle heavy for it side, and he is shooting faster than I am. I think I am going to get another Styer pro hunter, but this time in 270winchester.
 
redman said:
Koshy,

The fact that the review came from steyrarms.com should give you the hint as to how biased it is ;):D

From my year and a half experience with a cold-hammer forged barrel and a 16x scope, that sounds like utter nonsense. Expect the manufacturer to come up with anything to make their product sell. My advice: by patient and wait for better and more reliable feedback.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your cold-hammer forged input, and yes manufacturer's love to sell :) Also the review was not by them, they just posted it as news on their site, it was actually an article from "tactical-life.com" which I believe have a monthly magazine (paper issue).

GunBoy said:
I shoot one out Genesee in Edmonton several week back, the owner have styer ssg 04, and also SSG08, it an impressive gun, same action as the styer pro Hunter, but with heavy barrel, he was using s**tty ball ammo, and hitting small gong at 500 meter, I myself had some experience with Styer pro hunter, very accurate rifles, the action had a massive bolt, and the barrel are cold hammer forge, price is alittle high, Got a quote from Wolverine for $5500 for Styer ssg08, but instead on getting one, I would spend the money on a sako TRG22, plus 2 styer pro hunter rifles.
Sing
Click to expand...

Hey man, thanks for input, but may I ask what is ball ammo? Also did he let you shoot it? If so what was your feeling about it? Besides wanting a TRG and 2 pro hunter's ;) Also did you like the whole pistol grip deal they have going on with it?

mightyhunter said:
x2
Its very comfortable to shoot and very accurate, even with crappy ball rounds. I didn't find the barrel to heat up fast at all. Matter of fact, we shot the same amount out of the ssg and the Rem, the Rem barrel was warmer.
Click to expand...

Very interesting, it might have had something to do with the very warm weather where he was shooting the rifle for the review, thank you. Did you like the whole pistol grip deal they have going on with it?


Again thank you so much for your input guys, if you or anyone else has anymore to add please do, it is greatly appreciated :)

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
Ball ammo, some cheap stuff from a box of 20 in brown paper cardboard, the pistol grip is very comfortable, I shot it on table, and love it, The guy own the SSG08, SSG 08 also go to the same range, very nice fellow, he a member here on GN, anyway If I had $5500 laying around, I get that rifles, is not one of those Rifles you see very often.
 
I am suprised to hear some of the comments on the TRG22 not ejecting well, as a matter of fact I have never heard that from anyone . I had a TRG21 and never any problems with it and the rifle shot all ammo and loads very well. I'll probably regret it and buy another one someday.
 
GunBoy said:
Ball ammo, some cheap stuff from a box of 20 in brown paper cardboard, the pistol grip is very comfortable, I shot it on table, and love it, The guy own the SSG08, SSG 08 also go to the same range, very nice fellow, he a member here on GN, anyway If I had $5500 laying around, I get that rifles, is not one of those Rifles you see very often.
Click to expand...

I have always been a fan of Steyr, and a long time fan of the SSG :) I just wish I could pronounce the SSG part properly =/

ivo said:
I am suprised to hear some of the comments on the TRG22 not ejecting well, as a matter of fact I have never heard that from anyone . I had a TRG21 and never any problems with it and the rifle shot all ammo and loads very well. I'll probably regret it and buy another one someday.
Click to expand...

Thank you, also you say You'll probably regret it and buy another one someday, does that mean you owned one and then sold it and will probably go back and buy another? Why did you sell it?

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
Koshy said:
Thanks for your cold-hammer forged input, and yes manufacturer's love to sell :) Also the review was not by them, they just posted it as news on their site, it was actually an article from "tactical-life.com" which I believe have a monthly magazine (paper issue).
Click to expand...

Careful - I've just been to that site and:
1. They're sponsored by firearms manufacturers (there's a Steyr banner on top), so don't expect them to be too critical of the hands that feed them.
2. I've read their reviews - if you can call them that. They really just showcase firearms (And other products) more than they review them...

I don't think there's anything magical about these high-end European rifles. They can probably all shoot sub-½MOA - just pick one with a stock that you like, a good North American distributor that can service it and a price that fits your budget. Be warned: there is a TRG owner here (forgot who) that reported a rather fragile stock with parts coming off, so that's some food for thought.
 
redman said:
Careful - I've just been to that site and:
1. They're sponsored by firearms manufacturers (there's a Steyr banner on top), so don't expect them to be too critical of the hands that feed them.
2. I've read their reviews - if you can call them that. They really just showcase firearms (And other products) more than they review them...

I don't think there's anything magical about these high-end European rifles. They can probably all shoot sub-½MOA - just pick one with a stock that you like, a good North American distributor that can service it and a price that fits your budget. Be warned: there is a TRG owner here (forgot who) that reported a rather fragile stock with parts coming off, so that's some food for thought.
Click to expand...


Thanks for keeping me grounded redman. I was happy to see a little feedback from the forum guys here on the SSG 08, makes me a little more confident :p

For the TRG owner you are talking about, was he talking about his TRG having the fragile stock?

Thanks,
- Koshy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom