I own 3 HS Precision rifles and 11 or so Sako's. I love them both. Here's a little rundown of what I see and the strengths and weaknesses of the two...

Stock, I prefer a straight classic stock so probably HS
Trigger, The HS is more adjustable so it probably wins here, but the Sako's are good too
Magazine, The Sako is far Superior here
Bolt, I like the lower bolt lift of the Sako, both take down easily
Safety, I prefer the Winchester type on the HS
Performance, Both shoot superbly
Cost, Sako is much less expensive
Scope Mounting, I like the Optilocks though expensive, some don't so many would prefer the HS style. I'll call it a tie.
Smoothness, Sako's are smoother than almost anything.
Ejector, I much prefer Sako's blade ejector
Availability, Sako here, you may have to wait on the right HS

All in all, I think that I prefer the HS in a Tactical style rifle and the Sako for a hunting rifle. The HS Takedown model is the best of the Bunch but quite expensive. Both are excellent but I own more Sako's...........DJ

Well, I don't believe factory claims and guarantees until I can shoot the gun.

For me, the Sako 75s are not as 'well-made' as the Sako FinnBears that preceded them (I owned three), they are not available in LH, or controlled-round feed, and are not made in the U.S.

You sound like you've already made up your mind.

George

I guess that the question ultimately comes down to money. Is the HS Precision rifle worth appoximately $1000 more than the Sako? Sako says all of their rifles will group 5 shots with factory ammo inside one inch while the HS Precision is 3 shots in 1/2 inch with selected loads. So which is better? With that kind of accuracy, for a hunting rifle, it probably really doesn't make a difference. So, are there other reasons to choose one over the other?

A friend has a .308 HS. It will even shoot military ball ammo into very small groups. Just about any handload he runs through it shoots. If you like the style of the rifle, then it would liekly make you happy