sako A-7
- Thread starter Mauser8
- Start date
shotgunjoe
CGN Regular
- Location
- winnipeg mb
The a7 is a hybrid tikka/sako that is worth the money, smooth action, crisp trigger, metal feed lips on the mag, 5 shot accuracy guarantee.
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
I like mine, ive owned the T3 and sakos before. Its only piled 3 deer but I think its coming into its own.
I had a Tikka T3 and upgraded to an A7. Very similar, but not the same. The A7 has a thicker receiver and more open ejection port, different safety that allows you to lock the bolt or open the bolt while safe, it has steel feed lips on the mag, different mag release, and comes with weaver scope mounts. The T3 is a better value, but the A7 is a better gun if you don't mind spending a bit more. Mine's in 300WSM and I'm liking the way its shooting.
A7 also is a 3 lug so shorter bolt lift. They were or still are selling the A7 with a Burris 3-9 scope. Depending on how much you sell the scope for if you don't need it the A7 stainless comes out the same or cheaper than a T3 stainless. That's what I did. I bought the A7 scope package and sold the scope. A7 stainless came out less than just a t3 stainless.
Rocket Surgery
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I spent a lot of time at WSS looking at an A7 in 300wsm and comparing it to the other offerings like: Savage, Tikka T3, Rem700 SPS DM, Savage Axis, Sako 85 Finnlight.
I came to the conclusion that the rifle is better than the Axis, Remington 700, Tied with the T3, a little inferior to the Savage 16fcss, but not as nice as the Sako 85 Finnlight.
Here's why:
1) The magazine is retarded, you have to click it in to release release it? The amount of play involved to make it work is out of control. The Savage 16 by far had the nicest mag.
2) The bolt was gritty and not as nice as the T3. It was on par with the Savage 16, but with more wobble. It had the same pull as the 25-06 Savage, but it was in 300wsm.
3) The trigger on the A7 was no better than the T3 and worse than the Savage. The Remington 700 and Axis triggers were way worse than the A7.
4) The A7 was $1000.00 vs $800 for the Tikka and $700 for the Savage. The Finnlight was $1629.00 and I didn't bother checking the price on the Remington or Axis, I'm guessing they were $400 and $500 respectively.
5) The stock on the A7 was decent, better than the Axis and Remington. The Savage 16 stock was good, but I was concerned with how the recoil pad was attached. The fore end of the Savage stock was touching the barrel. The Tikka T3 stock was about the same as the A7 and the Finnlight was better than all of them. Out of all the stocks I tried, the Axis fit me the best.
In the end I figured that the Finnlight was the nicest, followed by the Savage 16fcss, then the Tikka T3 and A7 were tied, lastly the Remington beating out the Axis because of its crap trigger and cheap DM.
If you don't like Savage rifles, get the T3. If you can afford an 85, get that instead. I'm personally getting a Savage 16fcss simply because the DM is better than all the rifles I tried, and the trigger is second only to the Finnlight, barely. I was also assuming the accuracy of all the rifles to be about the same, .5-1.0 MOA.
One right that I really wish I could have looked at was the TC Icon. I didn't bother with the Vanguard or Mossberg rifles as I couldn't find them with a DM. The guy at the shop was really trying to push the Marlin rifles.
I came to the conclusion that the rifle is better than the Axis, Remington 700, Tied with the T3, a little inferior to the Savage 16fcss, but not as nice as the Sako 85 Finnlight.
Here's why:
1) The magazine is retarded, you have to click it in to release release it? The amount of play involved to make it work is out of control. The Savage 16 by far had the nicest mag.
2) The bolt was gritty and not as nice as the T3. It was on par with the Savage 16, but with more wobble. It had the same pull as the 25-06 Savage, but it was in 300wsm.
3) The trigger on the A7 was no better than the T3 and worse than the Savage. The Remington 700 and Axis triggers were way worse than the A7.
4) The A7 was $1000.00 vs $800 for the Tikka and $700 for the Savage. The Finnlight was $1629.00 and I didn't bother checking the price on the Remington or Axis, I'm guessing they were $400 and $500 respectively.
5) The stock on the A7 was decent, better than the Axis and Remington. The Savage 16 stock was good, but I was concerned with how the recoil pad was attached. The fore end of the Savage stock was touching the barrel. The Tikka T3 stock was about the same as the A7 and the Finnlight was better than all of them. Out of all the stocks I tried, the Axis fit me the best.
In the end I figured that the Finnlight was the nicest, followed by the Savage 16fcss, then the Tikka T3 and A7 were tied, lastly the Remington beating out the Axis because of its crap trigger and cheap DM.
If you don't like Savage rifles, get the T3. If you can afford an 85, get that instead. I'm personally getting a Savage 16fcss simply because the DM is better than all the rifles I tried, and the trigger is second only to the Finnlight, barely. I was also assuming the accuracy of all the rifles to be about the same, .5-1.0 MOA.
One right that I really wish I could have looked at was the TC Icon. I didn't bother with the Vanguard or Mossberg rifles as I couldn't find them with a DM. The guy at the shop was really trying to push the Marlin rifles.
I find your comments interesting. Here is why.
You compared the rifles based on price, stock feel, bolt feel and trigger feel. You also commented on the magazines. You didn't mention design features of the rifles such as 60 degree bolt lift vs 90, safety features etc.
I do not find the magazine release on the A7 "retarded". As someone who has lost a Sako 75 in the bush I appreciate the A7 feature of having to press the magazine in before pushing the latch to drop it. I used duct tape on my 75 to keep the magazine from dropping out while bush busting. The defeated the purpose of having a DM. No branch is going to make my A7 mag drop. I use hinged floor plate guns other than the A7.
I find your observation on the gritty A7 bolt very odd. Mine is rediculously smooth and I frankly havn't ever hear anyone say a Sako bolt was gritty. It does take more force to #### the bolt as the spring is depressed in a 60 degree motion vs a 90 degree one but all you have to do is put a drop of oil on the cocking ramp and you are good to go.
Sako triggers are some of the best around and you can adjust them to your needs. Worse than a Savage trigger? Accutriggers are nice but I wouldn't say they are better than the Sako/Tikka ones.
Was the A7 stock the new "soft touch" or the older one? The older one was much more like the Tikka stocks.
The Finnlight should be the nicest as it is almost twice as much money.
Rocket Surgery
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I find your comments interesting. Here is why.
You compared the rifles based on price, stock feel, bolt feel and trigger feel. You also commented on the magazines. You didn't mention design features of the rifles such as 60 degree bolt lift vs 90, safety features etc.
I do not find the magazine release on the A7 "retarded". As someone who has lost a Sako 75 in the bush I appreciate the A7 feature of having to press the magazine in before pushing the latch to drop it. I used duct tape on my 75 to keep the magazine from dropping out while bush busting. The defeated the purpose of having a DM. No branch is going to make my A7 mag drop. I use hinged floor plate guns other than the A7.
I find your observation on the gritty A7 bolt very odd. Mine is rediculously smooth and I frankly havn't ever hear anyone say a Sako bolt was gritty. It does take more force to #### the bolt as the spring is depressed in a 60 degree motion vs a 90 degree one but all you have to do is put a drop of oil on the cocking ramp and you are good to go.
Sako triggers are some of the best around and you can adjust them to your needs. Worse than a Savage trigger? Accutriggers are nice but I wouldn't say they are better than the Sako/Tikka ones.
Was the A7 stock the new "soft touch" or the older one? The older one was much more like the Tikka stocks.
The Finnlight should be the nicest as it is almost twice as much money.
Cool story bro, I'm glad you took the time to sit down with all the rifles and compare them like I did.
I have never had a DM fall out of me in the bush, and if I did, I always have a backup and spare ammo in my vest. I only rate the DM based on how it feeds in the rifle. I've never used a rifle in the bush without a DM, other than a Model 94 Winchester, which I took hunting once, and will never take again. That rifle contributed to me losing a deer while driving to my usual stalking grounds because i was dicking around with a tube mag, so I'm giving it away.
I never, ever, judge a gun by its safety. The type of terrain I hunt in is so rugged that the rifle can fall at times and be pointed right at me, so nothing ever goes in the chamber unless I'm walking along a trail. My finger never touches the trigger, so I don't bother with the safety.
For the bolt, I cycled all of the rifles many times, while shouldered and dry fired them. This is how I judged them, by how naturally they cycled. The Savage 16 and Finnlight were all business, much like an Enfield. The A7 wasn't junk, it just didn't agree with me as much as the Savage 16. It was leaps and bounds ahead of the Remington 700, which a lot of people on this forum tend to worship. The Axis did have a silky bolt as advertised, but the cocking mechanism caused it to be stiff halfway on the up stroke, making it awkward. My 90 degree JW-25a bolt cycles way nicer than my Savage MKII, which I believe to be 60 degrees.
I do agree that the Finnlight was the nicest, but I completely disagree about price having any relevance on the quality of firearms in Canada. Because of the ridiculous export laws in the USA, surplus guns, Canadian firearms laws, and soon to be available non-registered guns, all prices are set based on things that have little to do with quality. Why are Kel-Tec guns almost twice the price in Canada? Why does a new SKS cost $800 less than a Mini-30, is it really that much worse? Why would you buy a mini-30 when the 858 exists, other than personal preference. Is a Savage 11 really 1/3rd as good as a Sako 85? They're both on the same playing field for accuracy and they both have synthetic stocks. Why do magazines in Canada cost 2x as much? This is why I have to disagree with you, quality is only one factor in firearms pricing. It's the most sane factor, but where we live, you can buy an M305 Norinco, swap out everything but the receiver and have a better gun than the Springfield for less money.
I'm not your "bro" and not sure what "cool story" you are refering too. I have owned or currently own every gun you played with in WSS, with the exception of the Axis. So yes I have compared them all by hunting and shooting them at the range. Not just playing with them at WSS.
I'm glad you've never lost a mag in the woods and I'm glad you have a spare with extra ammo in it. That doesn't change the fact that you now have to buy a new magazine for $100.
The ability of the A7 to unload a live round with the saftey on is valued by some. This has nothing to do with walking around with one in the chamber and relying on the safety.
Cocking resistance on a .22 will be very different than on a hunting rifle. Springs are stiffer as more mass needs to be accelerated. The cocking action on a 3 lug requires more force than on a 2 lug. One can certainly improve this by oiling the cocking ramp or having someone polish it if this really bugs someone. You are trading 60 degrees for more resistance. People will have to choose which they prefer.
Regarding your price and quality blurb, in Europe a Sako 85 stainless costs 2100 Euro (~3000 canadian) and a Tikka T3 lite stainless costs 1200 Euro (~1700 canadian). Tikka/Sako are made right there and cost more than they do here. The ratio in price between the 85 and the T3 is roughly the same as it here (but we pay much less for the same gun, and we are in Canada, not in Europe right next door to where they are made) so it would seem to me that this ratio is set in Finnland at head office and has nothing to do with US prices and crazy import laws from there. We also pay very close to US prices on many US manufactured guns. I can't answer your question on how Canadian vs US prices are set.
There is alot more to comparing firearms (85 and 11) than both being accurate and having synthetic stocks. If being accurate is all that matters then all you probably ever have to buy are cheap Savage guns. They sure do shoot.
Rocket Surgery
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
lol
You completely just failed to internet. It's cool if you're like 45 or something, but I can't believe you fell for that one.
lol
You completely just failed to internet. It's cool if you're like 45 or something, but I can't believe you fell for that one.
I suppose that well thought out and intelligent reply, combined with your "tacticool" (is that the right interweb word?) list of guns in your sig line tell me everything I need to know about you.
Cheers
Rocket Surgery
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
cool story bro
My ultra tacticlol lever gun, mosin, break action .357magnum, 28 inch barrel pump action shotgun, 10/22, #4 Enfield and #1 Enfield.
I'm a real tacticloler alright. I actually own about 25 guns, and the only ones that could be considered current military or para-military would be the m305, 858, and SP-01.
My ultra tacticlol lever gun, mosin, break action .357magnum, 28 inch barrel pump action shotgun, 10/22, #4 Enfield and #1 Enfield.
I'm a real tacticloler alright. I actually own about 25 guns, and the only ones that could be considered current military or para-military would be the m305, 858, and SP-01.
- Location
- Dah Soo,ON
Is this Rocket guy for real or is he just playing us?
Goddamn you're stupid.
Goddamn you're stupid.
Looking forward to the range report and the reloading data.
Well Mauser I got my A7 in 25-06 brought home tonight. Spending my lunch hour at the range.
Sure wish I could have read some more posts by the sages......
The Tikka's are decent guns but that stock never feels right, neither do the W-bee stocks. Just a preference thing for me. I never did feel all that giddy about the New Savages....
There is one Savage near and dear to my heart though and that is my 99 in .300 Savage.
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- Location
- AB foothills
