I'm going to get a new rifle. Mainly it will be used to target shoot and practice. I practice positions a lot and the rifle will double as a back up on hunting trips for deer, bear, antelope, etc.

Here is what I've narrowed my favorites down to...

Blaser r8 either 308 Win or 6.5 x 55 Swede

Sako 85 Stainless Hunter 260 Rem or 6.5 x 55 Swede

Len Backus Custom 260 Rem or 6.5 x 55 Swede

Budget is 4k or less. Each rifle intrigues me for different reasons. I have not shot a Blaser but I am intrigued by its design, accuracy and portability while not looking like I have a rifle.

Sako is a beauty and I have a 75 Stainless in 270 Win already.

The Len Backus rifle is obviously going to be the best of the three but is also the most expensive but I love a good custom.

I want a rifle with a slick action, more vertical palm swell/grip and very accurate.

I want input from you guys on the choices. I am not opposed to other rifle brand suggestions but I have looked at the offerings of most manufacturers to this point.

Question:
Which rifle do you prefer?

Choices:
Sako 85 Stainless Hunter
Len Backus Custom
Blaser r8
Other...fill in response in thread

 

I am not you.....so I can only answer for me

I practice with what I use

I use a rusty old Remington 700 30-06

I am with Ted, I am not you, so only you can decide.

Handle all of the rifles and go with the one that you like. Rifles are not a one size fits all product, as much as the mass producers would like them to be.

As far as your cartridge choices, any of them are spot on.

You will probably get more response in the Medium Bore Rifle section of these forums.

Rem 700 XCR II (mine weighs 6 3/4 lbs unloaded without scope, sling or ammo). Take it out make sure it shoots then have Kevin Weaver accurize it (Benchrest true action, lapping lugs, squaring the bolt face & Truing, (re-cut) threads, reboring the receiver and squaring the receiver bolt bushing) for a bit of money and you're done ...

To me, it looks like going with the 6.5x55 since you listed for all 3 rifles would be your best option. Even though you listed the .260 Rem. twice I personally believe that the .260 is not going to fare all that well in the long term as it does not seem to offer anything performance wise over the 6.5x55/.270 or .308.

The particular model/brand/manufacture of rifle you get rests, in my opinion solely on your personal likes/dislikes/desires. What works for one person may be completely wrong for another.

Sako 85 Varmint model.

No Question. Custom.

quote:

Originally posted by chuck375:
Rem 700 XCR II (mine weighs 6 3/4 lbs unloaded without scope, sling or ammo). Take it out make sure it shoots then have Kevin Weaver accurize it (Benchrest true action, lapping lugs, squaring the bolt face & Truing, (re-cut) threads, reboring the receiver and squaring the receiver bolt bushing) for a bit of money and you're done ...

Or get a Blaser and go shoot.

I'd get a good donor action and assemble the rest of the parts around it (which might be the Len Backus route). The closest thing I have to that is a Remington 700, a 6x284 that was a heavy-barreled 243 when I got it.

The same shop that re-chambered the barrel lapped the lugs. I added the Leupold and mounts, later got a synthetic stock with an aluminum bedding block from a barrel of used ones in another rifle shop. The whole project started when I saw a set of used 6x284 reloading dies on a shelf, and snowballed from there.

Thank you for the replies.

I don't want to pay 4k for a rifle but I also hate buying a factory rifle and having to sort out accuracy issues or have to "accurize" it by spending money at a gunsmith.

Tikka T3 Tactical in .308. Shoots as well as any custom.

If you're not a handloader, I'd do the 308 as amongst the calibers you named. You can find the ammo a lot easier. It might even be cheaper.

I don't know where you'll find 260 or 6.5 except occasionally in big box outdoor stores or specialty gun shops mostly in large cities. I mean, I know it's out there, but you'd better stock up.

In the rifles themselves, get the one you "want" the most. You'll be glad later. You won't be like me and eventually get dissatisfied with it. When I was young I really wanted a Weatherby Mark V, but settled for the Vanguard model. I eventually traded up on a long sought after German Mark V in '06, my "go to" caliber for hunting.

Speaking of which, I do believe if you hunt with the 270, you should consider getting the same caliber for your target rifle. Fairly easy to find factory ammo for it, plus there are certain other advantages to having one caliber for both purposes. No confusion about maintaining, sorting and storing different calibers and no mistakes possible on which to take with you. And you can use the same bullet and they can be zeroed the same. Most important, you'll be used to how it shoots.

Yep get the one YOU want
No half stepping here
Rifles last a lifetime
In 20 yrs, price won't matter.

My 2 cents' = Browning takedown Lever Rifle in .308 or 7mm-08; very accurate & shootable. Plus you'll save $$ for more hunting trips!

I've never had a bad Blaser. They're more expensive than most, but the ability to later change calibers with another barrel is a big plus. Like the saying goes.."beware the man with only one rifle".

PS: Welcome to AR!

Any would work. Except the Blaser of course!

Don't make me dig through the archives and post the pic of you shooting the Blaser, Todd

Get a take down rifle. Easy transporting and no one will know. I prefer 280 or a 308.

Mike

All the Blasers I have shot have been exttemely accurate.
Their scope mount is one of the best, if not the best on the Planet.

On some of the target specific LR they have a long Picitanny rail mounted on the barrel.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...1078981/m/9561087491

Here you go spend the rest on ammo hunting or what ever you want.

If you were to cut this all down to the smoothest action possible...I've NEVER found one as slick and fast as my pre-64 Model 70 Winchester in '06.

And that's not just the working the bolt part. Cartridges pop right in the mag. Another more expensive gun I've got they are cranky loading. Sometimes it'll take only four. I can't get the fifth one in the mag. And on another the mag release requires a tool to push it. The Win's not like that.

Another .30-06 won't take soft points. They hang up going in. The Win's never like that.

And I like that 24" better than the 22"s on some others. It takes full advantage of the ballistic abilities of the '06 and maybe, just maybe, gives a little better stability at longer range (I know, many will differ with that). But it gives me more confidence, and that does matter.

And, the gun's not so fancy you can't hunt with it for fear of getting a scratch on it. And, it has terrific resale value. And it comes with a hooded front sight so you can shoot it with see-through scope mounts or no scope. Your more expensive other rifles typically omit that front sight. And, I've never heard of or experienced accidental discharge problems with the pre 64 Win. That can't be said of all guns.

And the trigger and safety function perfectly and as if designed for me. Just one for instance. I won't ever again own a slide type safety, as on a Browning I have. I muffed a shot at a nice buck because of pulling the trigger and nothing happens. That's because the safety was still on due to my being used to the easier to operate safeties on my Winchester and my Weatherby. On the Win the safety imo is the best in the business.

Anyhow, I don't see how that old Winchester could be improved on as a pure shooter. Not bad looking either. And it was popular at one time as the military's sniper rifle of choice.

My experience with a lot of rifles has brought me to say, when buying one, go ahead and make things easy on oneself. Even if it seems a dull, "unimaginative choice". Tens of thousands of hunters can't all be wrong...

If based in the US, my two choices would be a .338 Federal, or a .338-06 for the following reasons: you can use plenty of .338 lightweight bullets for antelope and deer at longer rangers, and heavier bullets for bears or moose at the closer ranges.

But that's me

As to calibre I would get the 308 over the 6.5x55. While the 6.5 is a good hunting calibre, I much prefer the 308 over any other non magnum hunting cartridge, in calibres under 35.

The wife and I have killed a lot of game with our R 93's in 308. Including African plains game.

Another vote for the 308. I bought a Sako 85 Bavarian in 308 for $1600 and love it. It shoots ragged little groups and looks and feels nice.

I believe every man should own a Sako. A Tikka works also. So I like my Sako of course, but as many have said-- pick the one you like and fits you. I enjoy my Rem 700 also. Unless you hand load, I'd stick to a different cartridge. I like a 280 for everything NA has to offer that I might ever hunt.

Ben

So refreshing to hear even though you are located in the US

Your only 2 calibers are 270 and 6.5x55 or 260

Good shooting my friend

Thank you for the additional replies.

I am pretty much set on a 6.5mm something....either 6.5 x 55 swede or 260 Rem because it is highly effective on medium sized game and has very gentle recoil.

At this point is really between spending the money on a Blaser R8 and a Sako Finnlight. Got to make some phone calls to see who will deal.

I'm with Chuck on the Rem 700 XCR II. I'm normally a M70 guy but after looking at one I had to get it. Light, accurate, easy handling. It's my new favorite mountain rifle.

I'd go with the 6.5 X 55. 85-160gr bullets should cover just about anything. Seems to be available, not easy to find always but available.
Very popular in Europe.
Blaser lets you interchange all manner of barrels.
Tikka T3 is just as good and a lot less money.

Thank you to everyone for the input and advice.

I have purchased a Sako 85 Classic in 260 Remington. It was a difficult decision between 6.5x55 and 260 rem and I had various reasons for both but they had the Classic in 260 so that made my choice easy... .

A lot of rifles were considered....

Not trying to step on anyone else's choice just my thoughts below.

I really wanted a 26 caliber rifle (260 Rem or 6.5 x 55 Swede) so that eliminated Remington, Winchester, Browning and Savage.

Liked Tikka but the plastic parts and an article by Chuck Hawks turned me off. Yes they appear to be very good shooting rifles.

Found some Howa 1500 6.5x55 owners complaining about the rifle being finicky so I decided against that.

Didn't care for the looks of the Ruger m77



Carefully considered the Blaser R8 but ultimately I just didn't want to spend $4k on it. Plus I like to dry fire practice a lot and I was concerned that switching back and forth between a straight pull bolt and lift/rotate bolt system might create some problems at the moment of truth or under the stress of a meaningful shot. By all accounts Blaser seems to be a very good rifle.

Backus custom I'm sure would be very nice but I did not want to drop 4k on it at this time.