thinkin bout TRG in 308

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anyone actually have this rifle and have experience with it? i heard its sub MOA and a Very good target rifle, but the only write ups i could find were short and sweet and written by company's just trying to sell it. i would like it in 338 but with my studies i couldnt afford it every weekend. is this one of the rifles thats worth its price tag? another thing i've seen more then a few of these for sale is it coincidence or is there a reason?
 
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This really boils down to what you want it for... There is no question it is a very cool looking rifle, and accuracy is typically very good. Sako and Tikka make (in my reproachable opinion) some of the most accurate factory firearms of their type. Make no mistake, this is a well-made rifle.

If it is the look you are after, there are few like it and it is definitely cool-looking.

If you are after the most accurate 308 tactical rifle, then for the money, you can hedge your bets and invest in a more austere chassis and put a match grade barrel on it and you will end up with pretty much a guaranteed good shooter.

If it were me (and I have considered just such a rifle, but not in .308) I would buy a Remington 700 SPS, put it in an Accuracy International Chassis System and put a custom barrel on it. For a little over 2 grand I have the action used by more "sniper systems" than anyone else, one of the best magazine systems, and most importantly, a match-grade barrel.

If you would like to do some serious research, I would suggest you speak with Ed Begg from V-Bull Precision. Ed knows more about tactical rifle systems than just about anyone, and he either owns one or has-owned just about every sniper system out there. I absolutely trust Ed's judgment
Also, Rick at Alberta Tactical makes his living dealing with Tactical Rifles as well. These guys can give you the straight goods, but hey, if you really want a Corvette, then buy a Corvette. You have to be happy with it. The only thing you will lose by buying a TRG is cash up front when you buy it.
 
I seen one at P&D. While I'm sure it is a great shooter, I thought the stock felt cheap and was not very well balanced. And then for another $500 on top of the $3000 you just spent on the rifle in the first place, you get to have a bipod too!
Give me a break.
I say your money would be far better spent on a custom build.
 
droesse4 said:
While I'm sure it is a great shooter, I thought the stock felt cheap and was not very well balanced. And then for another $500 on top of the $3000 you just spent on the rifle in the first place, you get to have a bipod too!
Click to expand...
Actually, I'm in a position at the moment to compare one up against both a r700 mcmillan a2 and an a5. The stock feels no cheaper than either of those two (they all have that composite feel), and if anything the trg feels more balanced than the a5. The TRG is definitely a lot lighter for positional shooting, and adjusts like an olympic rifle to mold it to your body. (Of course, I've got a heavy krieger barrel on my a5 and a 26" rock on my a2, which throws the weight forward quite a bit).

Even though the mag is a ten rounder it still sits flush with the body, due to the staggered seating. An AICS 10 rounder hangs out the bottom, to the detriment of those wanting to get in the 'Hathcock seated position' ;)

The bipod is pricy yes (I think I paid more like $600, not $500 for it), but it's one of the nicer bipods out there for this style of rifle. It gets lower than the others, and the swivel point is designed to be as close to the barrel as possible. The result, a rifle that easily stays canted as you like, without flopping to one side or the other like with a harris, versa, etc. It's also got spiky feet, sort of like mini pod-claws. The notched legs feel very solid, much more so than a harris. It folds either forwards or back, another cool feature. Worth 600 bucks? Up to the buyer I guess.
 
The TRG wasn't built to shoot benchrest or F-class, it was designed from the ground up as a sniping rifle. There is more into the design based on multiple requirements of that craft that some may notice and appreciate, and others may not care.
If all you want to do is flop on your jellybelly and put rounds into paper from a mound or (shudder) da bench, you may want to consider going the custom route.
 
TRG22 report

A couple of years ago I bought a FN SPR A3G, and a while later a Sako TRG22. Both rifles in 308. With Federal Gold medal match, both rifles shoot .5moa pretty easily, they will usually do better but I don't shoot little groups very well. I have about 2000 rounds through each rifle so far, and the Sako hasn't had any problems at all. It has a chrome bore and chamber so it cleans up easily.

Other than the Federal ammo, three handloads have given really good accuracy.
1: 175 SMK, 43 grains of varget
2. 168 SMK, 42.5 Reloader 15
3. 150 Lapua Lock base, 44.5 Reloader 15

Both rifles have about the same inherent accuracy (around .3-.4 moa) but the Lapua seems to be a bit easier to shoot well. I think the reason is that the Lapua has so much personalized adjustment available in it. I really like how I was able to adjust not only trigger pull weight, but the angle, and other types of presentation the trigger has for my trigger finger.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not getting rid of the FN any time soon. I have won sniper matches with either rifle, and it just depends on wierd things like the phase of the moon for which rifle I'll shoot better on any given day.

All that said, for what you pay for either rifle, you won't be disappointed. They are both wonderful rifles and probably cheaper than many custom rigs, and a few factory rigs. I try to ask myself, if I spend 4k for a rifle, will it shoot twice as good as a 2k rifle?

If I had a range long enough to justify it, I would be looking at the Sako TRG42. But the 308 shoots great at 1000 yards as it is..

The only gripe I have about the SAKO is the price of accessories. So I went with an aftermarket scope base from WARN, and a Harris Bi-pod. The two extra magazines were $140US each because the dealer sold them to me at cost...that hurt! So there are ways around the accessory prices. You won't be sorry if you buy a SAKO...or the FN.
 
I have the 308 version. If you are considering the 338, please make sure your range allows that calibre.
I bought my 3rd hand with a 2nd hand NF scope. After matching the rifle with ammo, the rifle shoots 1/2 MOA at 100 yd - no problem. I am now practising at 200 yd. After 2 tries (each 5 rd group), I got 1/2 MOA at 200 yd. I am new to target shooting so shooting this accurately in such short time was very surprising for me. I think the rifle has a lot to do with it.
Is the rifle expensive? Depend on each person, some say no and some will say yes. Are parts expensive? Yes and usually you have to wait a month to get it. Is Stoeger hard to deal with? Not in my case - I have to claim a part under warranty claim (just waiting for the part was the hard part).
Do I like my rifle? Every bit of it.
Just one thing, becasue the rifle has many adjustments to fit different shooters, I will check all the screws for tightness once in a while. The recoil has a tendency to knock the screws loose.
 
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