Hey Guys,
I picked up a gun this week in trade that I'm just not sure what to do with.

It's a Sako L61 or AV in 338WinMag.
It's a nice action, in a workable stock, with decent open sights.

The issue is that it's only about 18" of barrel. He made a 'brush' gun.

So, I was hoping to figure out a way to keep this barrel and rechamber it to something that would be more useable. Or, maybe I'd be better off just rebarrelling.

What are you ideas?

I have a bunch of barrels like that in the shop. Tomato stakes.

Put a good barrel on that all star action and hunt till your legs cramp.

Great action to start with.

I would put a 22-24" barrel on it.

Why not just put a good scope on it and take it hunting. Sounds like a good rough country rifle to me.

I would at least see how it shoots as is.

I really like my 19 3/4" 375 H&H.

Mmmm. River bottom and dark timber rifle.

Stoke it up with 300 grain Woodleighs (designed for 1800 to 2400 ft/sec expansion) and head into the deep holes.

My first Roosevelt Elk was with a 30-06, 20 inch barrel, 180 grain Partition lumbering at around 2400 ft/sec. Around 40 yards in heavy timber, bull took a couple of steps and hit the ground. You can get closer when chasing the rosies in the timber, my last archery kill was in old growth. Grabbed a tape measure from the truck when I went back for the pack frame, distance from where I was with the bow to the small fir the 5 point was in front of when I released the arrow was 21 feet.


If you are going to rebarrel, my 338 Win Mag has a no. 3 Shilen, 25 inches long.

Shilen, Pac Nor, Lilja, good barrels.

Pac Nor is in Brookings Oregon, not too far from you, they will rebarrel your rifle. Hit their web site and take a look.

Load it down to 338 Federal levels and enjoy a low recoil elk and bear rifle. You know you don't have to shoot max loads just because it's a magnum...

quote:

Originally posted by Chubs:
Load it down to 338 Federal levels and enjoy a low recoil elk and bear rifle. You know you don't have to shoot max loads just because it's a magnum...

Very true.

use h335 and forget about the barrel length -- till it flashes

Stokes
Great gun for Alaska bush.
Easy getting into bush planes, in and out of boats and walking in the bush.
I use a 20" 375HH Blaser for just that same thing.
Keep it, hunt with it you will like it.
Larry

New Tube. Not that big of a problem.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Why not just put a good scope on it and take it hunting. Sounds like a good rough country rifle to me.

I would at least see how it shoots as is.

I really like my 19 3/4" 375 H&H.

I'm on this side

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Why not just put a good scope on it and take it hunting. Sounds like a good rough country rifle to me.

I would at least see how it shoots as is.

I really like my 19 3/4" 375 H&H.

I'm on this side

+1.

Would filler help?
I like the idea of heavy bullets with the right powder for short barrels.
Slap a red dot sight on it!

Or you could sell it

(hint hint)



SSR

Awesome action.

You won't settle the barrel length question here, you'd be better off asking your wife if size matters and go with what she says.

I'd buy a nice .308 tube and make a nice rifle out of it.

Terry

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:
I'd buy a nice .308 tube and make a nice rifle out of it.

Terry

A 308 Norma.

Well, changing the magnum action to accomodate the 308 would be a lot bigger chore than just rebarreling it. I think I might just consider finding a handload that utilizes this barrel length as efficiently as possible.

Thanks for your guys' insights.

Drop it into a nice mannlicher stock built for iron sights and go hunting on the north side in the dark timber.

i'm with the "shoot it and see if it is as accurate as you need and go forth and kill things with it."

That may be the Sako Handy rifle that came stock with 18" barrel. I think they made an 06 version as well.

Go shoot it and report back.

The gun is perfectly suited for your neck of the woods. It's obviously built as a hunting gun and not a target or long range gun. If it fits you and balances well you can manipulate the powder and bullets to suit your needs. Due to its caliber it is still effective past most shooting distances. You just have to do your home work on ballistic elevation adjustments. As long as you hit the target The animals will expire and the loss of velocity due to the shorter barrel won't affect anything. Sakos are quality factory built guns and they are known to be exceptionally accurate. If you feel you want a different barrel length expect to spend some money which negates the good deal you got by trade. If you want to change chambering it creates a new problem with barrel contour dimensions to fit the stock if its a bigger caliber and contour you can have the barrel channel enlarged meaning more labor and money and if you choose a smaller caliber you will have too large of a barrel channel which you cant add material to . If you get a custom contoured barrel to match the old contour expect to pay more money and you will have a heavier rifle for caliber and possibly lose balance. The cheapest fix is to find a Sako take off barrel from an internet search. If you want to customize, there is a custom shop that specializes in Sakos called Accuflite in PA. they are not cheap. Sakos have excellent attributes but like every thing else they too have their weaknesses. From personal experience the two position safety moves too easily from safe to fire. Have a gunsmith stiffen it up adequately and its your choice if you want it audible or not but it is fixable. The second and only issue but it is major in my book is DOUBLE FEEDING. Load up some dummy rounds and cycle the action as fast as you can without short stroking and you could get some nasty jams! not ok in my book especially for a brush gun with potential for dangerous game. If it is a long range open country or target you have an ace of a gun but that is not what this gun is built for. It is something to ponder.

I'm dumb.... looks like this is really a 20" barrel. The stock is some sort of fiberglass. Does it look like something Sako would of put on this from the factory?

Thats a nice setup. I would shoot it and carry it for a bit to see how it is to pack around. You might like it enough to keep it the way it is. Don't they make one of these now, new. Black bear or some kind of bear. Similar setup but yours was first.HAHA

That looks like the Mcmillian stock SAKO put on their HANDY rifle.

I had a SAKO Handy rifle in 375 H&H. It was one of the best shooting, handling rifles I have ever owned. I really liked it.

However, after I got into Blaser R 93's, and got a 375 H&H Tracker barrel [50cm/19 3/4"], I let my brother have the SAKO Handy...

Stokes, that looks like a most excellent hunting rifle to me. I would load it up with some 250 Nosler Partitions, and take it hunting...

If it shoots good, there is NO WAY I would rebarrel that rifle.

The loss in velocity from a 24" 338 Win Mag to your 20" will make NO DIFFERENCE in the field.

A load of 4831 and 225 bullest will excite the joy in that rifle...leave it alone!
If not,I've got a .338 on a Mk X I'll trade,before I cut the barrel on it..I love carbines

Have it rebored to a larger caliber for more efficiency out of the short barrel. A 338/375 would be nice . . .

That looks very similar, except wrong handed, to my Sako Fiberclass in 338 WM. Mine has a 23" barrel without the iron sights. But that stock is great. I love mine.