anyone have/had this discontinued model from Sako?

Curious what the feedback is on this rifle, action, stock--everything

I've got one in .338 Win with a stainless steel barrel. I have been quite happy with it, shoots great (sub-MOA 100 meters) and feels good too. Mine feels even better now that I've added some grip tape to the stock, since it originally was far too slippery to shoot with any kind of gloves on.

I also added a T8 silencer to it, which has taken away most of the noise, 2/3 of recoil and all of the muzzle flash. At the moment it has a Zeiss 7x50 scope with illuminated reticle on Sako Optilock mounts on it. Doesn't get much better from that, I think.

Although it shoots great, I don't really trust the stock. It is not stiff enough, you can bend it from the fore-end with one hand so much, that it touches the barrel easily. Good laminated stock would be my choice, but it works fine even now, though.

But it has worked very well everytime that I've done my part.

I'm at work but I'm 99% sure that's what I have in my gunsafe at home in a 30-378. I got it pretty cheap at about $595 new on a closeout. I'm kind of neutral on it. It has some nice features like the slick short travel bolt and and good trigger. But, mine is pretty fussy in the accuracy dept. From what I've read and my gunsmith has said it has virtually no recoil lug on it. And the stock is pretty flimsy like the other poster said. For the price I paid I probably shouldn't complain but I think it might be good someday for me to have someone go through it and see if they can get things "anchored" better through some sort of modification or bedding process. AS crazy as it sounds mine likes the 150 barnes xbt bullet and I haven't had good luck with 165's or 180's.

what do you think of a new in the box for 499$?

Well, here in Finland that would be a real bargain. I am planning to sell mine for about 1000 € with the silencer and a Burris variable scope. Not that I would like to depart from it, but I need the money since I have just bought the gun of my dreams (a Ferlacher combo gun)

What caliber is the one you think? The .30-378 and .338 lapua Mag models are a bit more expensive than others, at least here in Finland.

What kraky said about the accuracy troubles he's had with his TRG-S, I have heard the same also, but concerning only the .30-378 and .338 Lapua models. The recoil lug in TRG-S looks really like next to nothing, but obviously it can handle lesser calibers without trouble (at least when you remember to tighten the screws enough).

My .338 Win has handled the recoil quite well, but I think it handles the recoil even better when it's cold (- degrees C). I think the stock gets stiffer then, and is not so sensitive for your grip, as it is on warm weather. You can shoot well with it anytime, if you can hold the gun right, but when it is warm or hot weather, it seems to be easier to make flies with this gun.

Interestingly, I talked about these troubles with a very experienced Sako professional, who has worked for Sako for decades and knows everything there is to know about Sako guns, and he said that you shouldn't try to bedd the TRG-S, since it is very difficult. That is because the recoil lug is so small and bedding may just as well make the contact surface of the lug even lesser or unbalanced.

For 499$ or even €, I would still take the gun without hesitation. It has many good features, especially the action, which is the smoothiest that I've ever seen, even amongst Sako rifles.

Hey P76

I bought one new in about the year 2000. It was a 300 win mag TRG-S. Seems like as heavy as that gun is and being Sako and all, it would be a tack driver. Far from it. Back then I did not reload, so I tried every factory round I could find, still had problems. Finally sold it to a friend even after advising him that it was not an accurate gun. He still has it and I now reload for it. It is still a 1 1/2" to 2" shooter. I also did not like the feeding, not as smooth as a regular Sako. The safety would not unlock unless you held the bolt handle down. Seems like a very cheap version of Sako.

Every gun is different though. You might get lucky.

I have one in 338 lapua and think it is a great rifle. Have shot groundhogs and white tails afar with it. I shoot barnes x bullet reloads. Nice trigger. My stock does not seem flimsy. Steyr synthetics are flimsy, not my Sako. Mine is a solid 1" rifle at 100 yards, or at least that is all I can do with that cartridge off the bench. That round will work you over real hard. I would love to have another one in a different caliber.

I shoot a 995 in .338 Lapua. It is one of my most accurate rifles. A buddy bought the rifle and had a muzzle brake put on it at considerable expense. He put a cheap scope on it and had me shoot it for a month. I didn't like the scope and I never could get a one hole group with it but the inch groups were acceptable to him, thus I returned it to him. Approximately one year later he said would I be interested in buying the rifle and when he priced it at a price I couldn't turn down I bought it. The best he could do were two inch groups, actually I think he was afraid of it. I then put a 4.5X14 Ziess Conquest scope on it and now it is one of my best performers. With 225 and 240 grain North Forks, 225 grain Swift A-Frame, 225 grain Barnes TSX and RL-22 powder it is awesome indeed, doing one holers when I have a good day pulling the trigger. My 14 year old grandson got his first Elk with it and now claims it whenever the game hunted calls for large flat shooting bullets from a rifle. I can highly reccomend the rifle. Good shooting.

I have an early TRG-S 338 Lapua with the 24" barrel and a 25-06 model. The Lapua recoil "pad" was replaced after one range session with a deccelorator. I shot 250gr Partitions for years and between me and a friend it took 5 elk. The accuracy was okay, about 1.25". This year I tried Barnes TSX 210s over IMR 4350 (this was a last minute thing) and my first loading brought 1/2-5/8 3 shot groups and very good performance on a cow elk and a mulie buck. The 25-06 shows under 1" groups and has taken a couple of deer but I am a bigger bore type of guy and the 25-06 hasn't seen much use lately. My Lapua has seen much more field duty.

I like the stock much better than most "stock" synthetics and don't find it wimpy. I do take issue with a couple of things about the rifle, some of which I must rectify. First, the TRG-S rifles are rust magnets. I am pretty good about taking care of my firearms, and these Sakos just need more TLC (in this area) than my other rifles. I am going to Tef coat my Lapua before next season.

Next, my Lapua needs a little feeding work. It feeds virgin Noslers okay but hangs up on bullets that the noses have been beat up a little from recoil. The Barnes TSX 210s feed from the mag for the first round but hang up on the second and third. Although one shot kills are desired, sometimes a second are called for. A smith will address this issue, hopefully to my satisfaction!

Lastly, and this is just plain my opinion, I do not like detatchable mags. I know they are popular but I really wish my rifles had floorplates instead of the mags, but as I said this is MHO and others may differ. The mags may be lost and they are spendy too!

Good rifles, but if Sako made a 338 Lapua in a 75 series with a floorplate I would grab it in an instant. AND hopefully it would shoot as well as my TRG-S!

John

I had a TRG-S in 300 Win. It shot Federal Premium 180g Trophy Bonded Bear Claws very well. Sometimes three shots touching each other!

TRG-S's never had flimsy stocks. Pretty sure they were made under contract by McMillan. Heavy, yes, flimsy NO.

Of course any rifle can NOT be a shooter, and when someone like WOODS says he had a dog, I know there are some dogs out there. Having said that, I talked to Charlie Sisk about building me a custom rifle once and--

He asked me what were some of the key features I wanted, I told him I like the short bolt throw of my Sako 75's and even my A-bolts, and really wanted that feature, so maybe we needed a donor Sako action to do the build, and that on this particular rifle I wanted a McMillan stock. His last question was 'what are your accuracy goals?' I told him I wanted a half minute rifle as a minimum, so Charlie--to his credit--talked me out of buying a custom from him, and advised, 'just by a TRG-S, it will do what you want, has the stock you want, and is simply a fine rifle.'

I bought a 270 TRG-S and it is great. It shot 1/2 minute from day one with no break in with Win Supreme 130 gr NBT ammo. The action is rock solid, and has the integral dovetails which Talley's work great on, and I like the setup. Mine cycles VERY smoothly, and I have a ton of Sako's and Sauer 202's to compare it to.

I never liked the black stock, so I ordered another McMillan in grey and white marble--McMillan got the order wrong, and it came in as GRAPE and White marble---it is BRIGHT---I hunt with it from time to time anyways, often just to start the BS with my hunting friends!

It has earned the nickname 'the Purple People Eater' and it wreaks havoc on game or the target, I have a load with Barnes XXX's that will do 1/4 minute if I have a decent rest to shoot off of.

I'd buy one for that price quickly.

Good Luck--
Don

PS, John is right, opinions are all over the place, but I love detachable box mags. Much simpler and safer for me. The military seems to think so too.......

I have three: 7mm STW, .338 Win, 375 H&H. All are very accurate. In fact, the .338 is amazingly accurate, so much so that it was my choice for an African plains game hunt. All three guns have been trouble-free.

The magazines interchange and I have two spares (five total). So, when I hunt with one of the TRG-s, I carry two spare magazines with four rounds each. While I generally prefer a fixed Mauser-type magazine, the detachable models offer quick extra ammunition. The detachables are also are handy for hunting in jurisdictions in which the gun may not be carried in vehicle with the magazine loaded -- pop it out and put it in your pocket where it is quickly accessible for putting your gun into action if needed.

i did not know sako chambered the rifle in 375. what a nice ride. i might have to keep checking the boards for a used one in that caliber. i remember that sako did a pretty through run in the lazerroni cartridges, but did not know about the 375. never had a hiccup with mine in 338 lapua.

My friend has one that he had rebarreled to 257 STW. His shoots sub moa at 3800 with 110 accubonds. The stock is McMillan. He slipped on the ice last year and broke his and now has to order one from them. Not cheap. If anyone has one laying around he would buy it in a heartbeat.

I have one in 338 Lapua. Haven't had any problems with it so far, and I've had it for 8 or 9 years, I think. I don't care for the stock or the recoil lug, but there is a fix. You can buy new bottom metal for it (which you'll need to convert to a wood or McMillan stock anyway, if you order from McMillan they include the metal, one of the reasons the stock is so expensive). And you can modify the recoil lug system with a plug that gives you a much better surface area to work with. I've also seen a couple that have been re-barreled with a Remington style recoil lug. I've been thinking of changing mine to a switch barrel system, if I find the time. - dan