I'm thinking a 7mm-08 will be my next rifle. I'm left handed and have limited options. If you have $2000 to spend, would you rather have a Sako 85 Hunter or a custom gun built off of a Remington action?

Buy a Ruger LH American Rifle SS in 7-08 at Davidsons around $470. 2nd one I have owned both have shot better than 3/4 ". More accurate than my 3K custom rifles.

What he said, I have a Ruger No.1 in .243 and .270, a M77 in 22/250 and .300 Win Mag. all with 3X9 Nikon scopes. They all shoot lights out without breaking the bank! I'm in the process of building a high dollar Sako 7MM/08 so I know the difference.It's just a matter of what you want. Dollar for Dollar Ruger is the best bang for your buck in todays market IMOP..

I would not build a custom rifle on a 700 or Sako unless I had the action in hand.

I would use a Pierce, Defiance, Bighorn, Surgeon, BAT or a whole host of other custom 700 clones. If you like detachable magazines I would order the HS Precision system and install that on a 700 clone or on your 700 action.

If you have the action in hand I'd order a barrel from Bug Holes and send it to Chad Dixon in Sturgis, South Dakota, he'll have it back to you ceracoted, trued, chambered and installed within two weeks. He doesn't work on Sakos as he uses a CNC machine and Sakos aren't programmed in yet.

Bug Holes stocks barrels from about 8 or 9 different manufacturers.

$2000 isn't much in the way of custom rifles, even with plastic stocks.

You could save a bit by shopping around for a stock, Stockys often has stocks for quite a bit of discount.

Take a look at a wood stocked and blue 7mm-08 Kimber 84-M for less than a grand..Hard to compete with those rifles. I mean its a small ring pre 64 mod. 70 for all practical purposes!! How can you beat that for the price.