Sako vs Browning vs Ruger

The Hermit

The Hermit

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I "need" a new rifle for deer and black bear mostly on Vancouver Island where the deer are tiny and the bears a BIG!! I have a really nice .308 Model 70 that I inherited from dad and have taken care to refinish it, got some trigger work done, had it bedded, and a new recoil pad installed. It shoots great BUT I don't want to beat it up hunting in the never ending wet coast rain, bashing it around on the quad etc.

So I'd like a stainless synthetic in .308 or .270. In order of preference, I'd really like a Sako Finnlight or A-Bolt Mountain Ti but just got the Wholesale Sports 2008 Hunting Catalogue and saw the Ruger KM77RLFP MK11 All-Weather Ultra Light. It is only $669 vs $1450 for the Sako and the Mountain Ti seems impossible to find. Also I have champagne tastes and currently on a beer budget!

So long preamble to the question... does anyone have any experience with the Ruger. Is it good value for the money or a POS shooter?
 
Controlled round feed, reasonably accurate, integral rings, and if it is a new Hawkeye, a decent trigger. If it's an old MKII you'll need to budget in a Timney trigger, and you're good to go. Another .308 would keep the ammo simple. I'm a .270 man myself though. I'd get a Kimber over a Sako or Browning for the price. A new Montana goes 1300ish. Very nice rifles.
 
And take a look at the Tikka's too, their bolts are slick as snot, they have an accuracy guarantee, and they are light as sh*t. At least look at everything before you buy. Make sure whatever it is, that you pick one up first. I liked an awful lot of rifles ..... until I picked one up for the first time. If it don't fit, it'll shoot like S*it is my motto.
Then with the money you save on a more expensive rifle, get way better glass than you'd normally be able to buy. And thats where you really need your value, if you ask me.
 
Choices

I have a friend with a Stainless Sako Finnlight in 270 that would like to trade it for a Sako with walnut stocks in 270 or one of the WSSM's in 270. He has been thinking about it since last year, as he only weighs 95 lbs and is 5' tall.
 
If my pal's Ruger Alaskan is representative of the entire Hawkeye series, I would buy the Ruger without hesitation. The trigger is as advertised, and the rifle produces varmint rifle accuracy with handloads. IMHO, and for my purposes, the CRF gives it a leg up on the others regardless of price.
 
Quote:
Did you guys know that the 30-30 has killed more big game than every other calibre combined since the beginning of time....?????

It has killed more game than forest fires and cars and disease and yes, even the big flood. And if Noah hadn't saved two of each animal, the 30-30 would have killed them animals too........

-Huntinstuff where did you get that??
I love it :D:D:D
 
First of all, it's really hard to compare a 700.00 $ rifle against one wich is twice the amount. Almost because of the finishing and material involved.

My advice; the best rifle is the one you like the most period. Try them, touch them, handle them. Then, if the price is a concern take the one you like the most in your price bracket (wich won't hurt you).

Being a almost-CRF-only user myself, I was really reluctant with the new Sako M-85 CRF claim. Then I tried it. I must admit that I was all wrong; it works flawlessly, even with the fatter Mugnum rounds. The engagement push is smooth with all the caliber I could have tried (short magnums, 30-06 lenght and full magnums (7 mm Rem). The set-trigger is also one of the smoothest I tried. To my point of view, their total quality have progressed alot since the introduction of their M-85 with CRF.
 
I would consider the new Winchester Mod70 Extreme Weather over all the others. Stainless, better stock than the Ruger, fluted barrel, comes in the calibers you're looking for, plus it's just like the old mans!
 
I bought a new Ruger Compact Mag. in 338 RCM, mainly out of curiosity to see how it would compare to my 338 Win Mag.....and I'm quite impressed.
It handles well, is reasonably light to pack ( 7 1/2 lbs. scoped ) and shoots most bullet weights with more than acceptable accuracy.
As for performance when comparing to the 338 Win Mag., it seems fairly close.
Another plus is the fact that it wears a nice set of iron sights.
No doubt there are many prettier, smoother, and more expensive rifles on the market, but for a good durable working rifle, I'm happy with it.
 
I have been using my Ruger stainless 308win for quite a few years and it has never let me down. I have the 22" barrel as opposed to the 20" ultra light. Once I found the load for it, it has all the accuracy I'll ever need.

Last year's mulie:
IM002092.jpg
 
Excellent forum. I am right about to buy my first real (and expensive..) deer/bear bolt-action gun, as oppose to my sks. In all likelihood, my only gun for a long time. Everybody around me owns Browning or Savages but I want more options. After reading this forum, I have already added Ruger, Kimber and Tikka to my list.

Any chance you guys be more specific and actually compare these guns as oppose to …”nice”…or “this ” or “that”…you know …kind of compare handling, accuracy, trigger, durability and so on and so fort. That would be great.
 
Home3 said:
Any chance you guys be more specific and actually compare these guns as oppose to …”nice”…or “this ” or “that”…you know …kind of compare handling, accuracy, trigger, durability and so on and so fort. That would be great.
Click to expand...

The advantage that the Sako has over the other two rifles that the original poster mentioned is a better, easily adjustable trigger. The fit and finish is also better, but the price of the rifle is quite a bit higher. Ruger Mark II triggers aren't that good and aren't easy to adjust. I think the Browning trigger is better than the Ruger M II, but it too can not be easily adjusted. I wouldn't have a problem owning any of the rifles, but in my opinion the Sako is the better rifle.
 
Forget all of it and get a Remington!!

I looove Sako, beauty rifles in every way, but you pay for them. As one other nut said, look at the Tikka's.
I'd buy a Ruger in a heartbeat for your application. It's like buying a really tough, reliable vehicle. Won't let you down and the price is reasonable.

Browning...N'ah. Just shotty's...and that White Gold Medallion...but you'd feel really bad about smashing that one around..

My 2 cents.
 
There are three mechanical features that can make the whole difference;

First of all, you must draw a line between the push feed and the controlled round feeding. The difference between both principles are that with a push feed, by closing the bolt, you set a fresh round free. Means it is now loose between the bolt face and the chamber.
The CRF (a Mauser original feature) takes in charge the fresh round as soon as you start pushing it; it is now firmly held between the bolt face and the extractor and will make it's way straight into the chamber.
This means that with a CRF if you're "into the fire" in a hurry to load a new round, there is no possiblity that you try entering two and the time (like it can happen with a push feed), one behind the other (don't laugh, that happens; and when it happens, you can empty a full magazine before you're able to fire the round already chambered).
This is one major reason why the africans PH like the Mausers so much (second one being the price, but it's no more true).

As for trigger, a set trigger is really the best hunting trigger - you can use it even if not "set" and setting it is really fast anyways (just a finger push).
A double set trigger, you don't really need that (and it usually makes the pitol grip to trigger distance longer, means your finger will have to reach further front, wich is a unusual movement for most of us).
An adjustable trigger is also a really desirable feature. Usually, you'll find easy to adjust triggers on Euro made guns and a little more complicated triggers in America.
A standard trigger, not adjustable, is the less desirable feature (if you buy such a rifle with the intent of swaping it with a commercial adjustable one, you better look for what can be done first).

There is also one other mechanical point to look at; the safety. The best ones are those wich can block both the bolt and the trigger. Some rifles, like the Remies, don't block the bolt when the safe is engaged and are prone to open in branches and brushes. Then, if you have a loaded round, you loose it and your action stays open (it happened to me and I got rid of the rifle).
The best safety is as follow; it is a three position safety where; the first position is "fire", the second position allows you to open and close the bolt for loading / unloading the rifle while the trigger is inoperative and the third position being the one blocking the bolt and trigger.
 
I have some money down on a Sako bavarian but I was almost thinking of getting a Ruger and getting a better scope, I dunno. In a 30 06
 
Thanks guys. Excellent info. Please keep it coming. I think these info is going to serve a lot of people here.

I did some internet search on Tikkas and I read somewhere that Tikka is a subsidiary of Sako now and it is made of different parts made by cheapest sub-contractors all over the world. Is it true? ..and if it is, does it mean that Tikkas are “low end” Sakos? Although, it doesn’t mean they are not good values.

Also, I know very little about Kimbers and Weatherbys. What is their reputation?
 
I don't think Sako sub-contacts any machining.... they have the facility to do it. The Tikka trigger is one of the easiest commercial trigger to adjust and can be set very low pressure and will still be crisp. The Tikka barrels are the Sako barrels (made from the same blanks).
The may be sub-contracting some of the plastic and stamped parts, that I don't know.
If you have a link (serious source) about them sub-contracting, post it here.

The Sako Bavarian, with the set trigger is one of the ###iest rifle I saw in current production. I don't think one can be disapointed with such a babe.

Kimbers Mfg (or Kimber of America, Kimber of Oregon) are very good for the price actions/rifles, they are from the Mauser design, mixed between a M96/M98 and pre-64 Winchester M70. This company was founded by Jack and Greg Warne.
Another Kimber (International) owned by Leslie Edelman used to sell revamped and rebarreled/restocked M94/96 actions in the past.
They now are out of business.

Regarding Weatherby, you have to specify wich models you are looking for, because there were many over the time. They started by customizing rifles for each individual clients (back in the '40s) then started making their production rifles with FN M98 (H-Type) sold to them by Sako. They used both the standard ans the Magnum FN M98 actions. Then they designed their own action, called Mk V. These rifles were manufactured in Germany and after in Japan (at Howa's facilities). They are now manufactured in the States. These are the high-end of American rifles commercial production (kind of Sako of the U.S.A.).
The Vangard made by and the same as the Howa of Japan. Good rifle for the price.

Hope this helps.
 
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