SAKO vs Remington....

[polishshooter]

Help me decide guys...

I want to buy a really accurate .222 Remington, and have found two at two different shops I am considering....

One is a SAKO AI (A1?) light barrel with a Leupold M8 fixed 12x in almost unfired condition, mirror bluing, $1000 out the door, consignment for an estate, so no sales tax....

The other is as Remington BDL in excellent condition, afew scratches on the wood but metal and bluing great, Leupold 6x M8, (but willing to switch to a 12x M8 he just got in trade) that is listed at $899 but he offered to me at $850 plus 7% sales tax with a box of Hornady ammo thrown in....

When the horse trading is done, I beileve the outlay will be about the same for either....


Which would YOU buy and why??

[hardluk1]

Buy the sock-o if you cost does not shy you off.

[woolleyworm]

Originally Posted by hardluk1

Buy the sock-o if you cost does not shy you off.

I agree, Sock-o fit and finish is worth the extra $$.

Btw - I get the feeling that you agree with me that a Seiko is a watch, not a rifle

[hstout1143]

I have a Tikka and several Remingtons and a buddy has a Sako. The fit on the Tikka and Sako are far superior to the Remington. But my favorite is my Remington and I say you can't go wrong with any of them, so pick the one you like the most and enjoy.

[cpt-t]

polishshooter: I bought my first SAKO in 1970, a 223 I still have it and and shoot it a lot. The little rifle shoots just as good as when I bought it under an inch at a 100 yds with just about any reload I have tried. Since then I have bought a modest colection of SAKO`S, and every one of them shoots very well. But I have a 700 Remington Varminter that shoots as good or better. I think you should get what fits best and the one you like. But I would lean toward the SAKO, if it were me. Good Luck On Your Choice. ken

[polishshooter]

Thanks for the input guys.

As for Sako or Socko you are probably right there too, but I don't speak Finn so I can't be sure....

I DO know in my Mosin Nagant collecting days ("MoSEEN NagAHN" for you pronunciation purists... I AM Polish so the Eastern European languages I know a little about) The Sako M39s always brought a premium, but I preferred the VKTs (Valmets) which shot just as well.

Then again it could have been I was cheap (thrifty?) and there were so many more VKTs around than Sakos so were always much cheaper...

[polishshooter]

By the way, can anybody tell me anything about the AI model from Sako?

Like when or how long they made it, whether anybody has shot one of those models, some of the features compared to other Sakos....etc.

t's funny that on the Sako website they list just about all their older models for parts or manuals but they do not list the "AI" for some reason.

[hardluk1]

woolyworm Yea , I got a seiko too . It will stop working if I wear it too. HA. The smith that built my hunting rifle loved to use the sako actions for a fine custom .

[gun runner]

Why a .222 caliber? Why not a .223? Small difference but .223 ammo is more available.

[polishshooter]

Gun Runner, I guess the reasons I like the .222 is the fact I have always liked that round, it is SO inherently accurate that it was the benchrest round of choice for maybe 25 years or so, STILL owns a few records from the 60s and 70s, my wife's Grandpa had one as his "Turkey Rifle" that he let my wife hunt deer with him with so I am having a LOT less trouble convincing the "CFO" to let me spend the money(), the fact I like different and older rounds (if the Hornet was more inherently accurate I would have the oldest centerfire .22 complimenting the SECOND oldest, the SWIFT, but to bore one out to K -Hornet to get the accuracy would set me back even more)....plus I like to be different and both my buddies have NICE varmint .223s that I don't think I could beat....and if I merely matched theirs on the bench it would just be "another nice .223..."

....plus THIS one is available and is in .222 I have held it in my hands three times....

SO I guess THAT is why .222 vs .223.

Plus I have my wife's Grandpa's small diameter Lyman .222 dies AND his .222 Lee Loader kit still in the original box...I need to find a Lyman "Ideal" tool to fit them...would look good in the case next to the rifle I would bet...


Yeah, I know there is nothing really the .222 will do that I couldn't as well or do slightly better with a .223, and considering I ALREADY load for the .223 for my AR which makes it even more illogical...

I guess that in a nutshell is why I want a really accurate .222 instead of a .223...

(Although a "tactical" sniper .223 and .308 are not too far behind on the "must have" list...just don't tell my wife yet) As well as a HORNET someday too....

[polishshooter]

Now I am confused in my research...

Is it "AI" or "A1?"

I have seen "A-1" (A-one) actions being used to build custom rifles and I see Sako is now making "A7" rifles so I think it may be a one....

But I am still having trouble figuring out when they were made and what Sako action they are closest to...

[Ledslnger]

I wouldn't buy any NEW Remington. Quality has been going down the tubes. Just talked to a guy that got rid of his NEW Remington...think it was .300 Win Mag. He had to use a 2x4 to open the bolt after each and every shot.

If it is an old Remington it wouldn't be too bad. Sako is hard to beat though, they make quality stuff.

I would go with Sako.

[Twicepop]

Get the one you are the most comfortable with, they both have features that are top recomendations to have in any rifle. The SAKO has a much better extraction system than the Remington. The Remington has a better gas containment feature in the event of a case failure. I don't think you can go wrong with either choice.

those who beat their guns into plowshares, will plow for those who didn't

[polishshooter]

Well I figured it out, from an unexpected source! A 1980 NRA firearms assembly/ disassembly book I bought at an auction years ago!

Seems at least around 1980 or probably a few years prior since they used the term "recently" in 1980, Sako quit naming their centerfire rifles like they had been doing, the Vixen, Forester, etc., which indicated the cartridges they were built for, specifically length of the action....

And went to AI, AII, and AIII to indicate the length of the cartridges they were designed to fit.

In other words, the smaller varmint rounds were AI, the mid length cartridges like .243, .308 etc were the mid-length ones, and the .30-06 length cartridges and longer were the AIIIs....




Hey, they say if you don't learn at least ONE thing every day you just aren't trying....