Here's a pristine Sako L461 that's been tempting me for a long time. Finally, Duane got around to making a run of bottom metal for these little actions and I could start day dreaming in earnest. Most of the production run is going overseas but I did call dibs on one of the few remaining.

Damn you Duane, just when I start running short (thankfully) on project ideas you find yet another way to feed my addiction.



I know exactly what I want to do with the action but I'm not settled on the cartridge yet. A 223 makes the most sense probably but I think I'd like one of the small 6MMs or even a 6.8 SPC if it would work with the mag box.

I'd like a walking around varmint gun that would still be capable of cleanly killing our small bodied whitetails. I'd love to hear the pros and cons of your favorite small rounds.

.7TCU .... had 1 in a contender, shot well... good selection of bulltets for just about anything, plentiful parent brass....

I did a 6x45 on my Sako 75 action. Turned out real nice

would a PPC or 7.62x39 work in that action?

or even a 6BR OR ... 35 rem?

I was always planning on a 6x45 or 6x47 but would think about the Whisper series, 6.5 would be good.

More importantly, does he have any of those bottom metal left?????

The 20 Tactical with a 1/12 twist barrel #1 or #2 weight at 22 inches would be a good choice. The Tactical uses the 223 case which is available for years to come. Use a small compact scope of 3X9 power and you will have a perfect little field rifle. Use these combinations: small action, small stock, #1 barrel. I have been playing around with a couple of 20 cal.'s this summer. These rifles will shoot the 32 grs factory loads under 1/2 in groups. The heavy 40 grs also shoot under 3/4 in. These small Texas whitetails would fall like you had shot them with your fine 7X57 Mann. A bullet placed in the lung area or neck would be an instance kill. Some one mentioned a bullet maker which was using a thicker jacket on their 40 gr bullet. I need some of these bullet to try out if anyone has a few extra's.

The 6mm TCU or 6.5x47 would both be great candidates for that action.

A friend of mine when I was stationed at Ft Hood built a 6mm TCU on a Rem 700 action and had great success on the TX whitetails with it. I was with him for at least half a dozen deer and a couple dozen pigs and they never needed a follow up shot. Great performance and no recoil to speak of. Plus the round is pretty cool looking.

quote:

Originally posted by SmallCal:
I was always planning on a 6x45 or 6x47 but would think about the Whisper series, 6.5 would be good.

More importantly, does he have any of those bottom metal left?????

I have a few...Demand seems to indicate another run..we'll see

What about a 250-3000? Way cool, capable, and classic.

I've always admired a 222 Remington as well.

Forrest
How about the 6.5 Grendel, with a full length stock ? I look forward to seeing the posted images.
Dean

And I just sold my L46 receiver!
Butch

Hey Forrest.

I shot a 6x45 built on a push-feed Model 70 action for quite a while, and it was by far the most accurate rifle I have owned. A friend talked me out of it in a moment of weakness. It was very easy to load for and shoot. Mine had a 1:12 twist barrel and would not stabilize bullets heavier than about 95-grains, but was deadly with the 85-grain Sierras. Mine liked loads with BLC-2, H322, H335, and IMR4895. I never tried anything else because those four worked so well.

I don't consider it a long range cartridge, with 300 yards being what I considered maximum. That said, it is great as a quiet, low-recoil coyote round and should serve well for small deer as well.

Anything else you want to know?

Not familiar with the Sako actions. What will the bolt face allow?

Duane, what's the max COAL for the mag box as built? What do you think is the maximum practical length you could accomdate if you had to modify it (and the action) a bit?

I'm almost certain this action would have a .384" bolt face (.222, .223 etc). What's your estimate of the max that this could be opened to accomodate a larger cartridge?

.222 Rem is the classic choice, but if building an all around rifle one of the wildcats on the 6.8 case would be a good choice. More steam than a 6x45 and the shorter case would allow more room in the magazine for bullet. Also the 6.8 case would likely have a better chance of feeding than anything on the PPC or Grendel case. Naturaly I'd go with the 6mm WOA, but the 6mm PDK or 6.3 MPC would be good choices also.

Of course, if you really wanted to go retro, you could make a .22 Lindahl Chucker.

John

Forrest, I've had 6 x 45 and 6.5 x 45 in Contender barrels and found the 6 x 45 to be more practical in the field. The 6.5 was OK for sillouettes but kinda slow for what and how I hunted.

Forrest I see an extended tang in your future

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ForrestB:
Duane, what's the max COAL for the mag box as built? What do you think is the maximum practical length you could accomdate if you had to modify it (and the action) a bit?

I'm almost certain this action would have a .384" bolt face (.222, .223 etc). What's your estimate of the max that this could be
opened to accomodate a larger cartridge?

Call it 2.3" and 2.4"

A fast twisted 223 shooting 52gr or heavier TSX's is a holy terror on small bodied deer.

For me, the 223 is the ultimate walking around chambering. If for no other reason, the physical size of the ammunition lends itself to carrying plenty of ammo in your pockets without sagging your drawers. Couple that with minuscule recoil, extremely long barrel life, excellent accuracy, plentiful high quality brass, a huge variety of bullets and it would be hard for me to pick another chambering for such a rifle.

Our state has a minimum caliber and bullet weight restriction. Over 22 cal. and bullet must weigh 85grs.

I went with a 6.8 SPC on the mini mauser.

The L461 factory magazine box limits the OAL to 2.280" + or -, in order for proper feeding without binding.

Case length choice and reamer throating will determine the bullet's ability to reach the lands. I recall that the 223 case is about the maximum length, for the L461/AI action.

I'm curious......this is the first custom bottom metal(very nice!) I've seen, for the L461 action. Since the factory bottom metal is pretty good.....is this a "need" or a "want"??

FWIW....Sako made some AI actions with a PPC boltface.

Hope this helps.

Kevin

quote:

I'd like a walking around varmint gun that would still be capable of cleanly killing our small bodied whitetails. I'd love to hear the pros and cons of your favorite small rounds.

I have a 6 X 45 on a Douglas #1 20" contour screwed on a mini Mauser and it does what you are describing quite well.

I would not consider anything other than the .222 or .223 case as the base cartridge and since I've had great success using a .222 on some of the smaller Texas deer, I'd think loading the 60 Grain partition in the .223 to be as good an option as you can get.

In retrospect the standard (and boring) .223 will do the task quite nicely. It's authority as a varmint round is unquestioned and from my own experience it'll put bambi in the freezer easily!

I would go with the .223 - the .223 is cheap to shoot, easy to reload for and there is always the 60gr Nosler Partiton option. I know a lot of guys kill deer with it, but I don't recommend it.

Besides you already have a safe full of "deer et al rifles".

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin Gullette:
The L461 factory magazine box limits the OAL to 2.280" + or -, in order for proper feeding without binding.

Case length choice and reamer throating will determine the bullet's ability to reach the lands. I recall that the 223 case is about the maximum length, for the L461/AI action.

I'm curious......this is the first custom bottom metal(very nice!) I've seen, for the L461 action. Since the factory bottom metal is pretty good.....is this a "need" or a "want"??

FWIW....Sako made some AI actions with a PPC boltface.

Hope this helps.

Kevin

Need...want ...? Same sentence? . Hell, if I did those things that people NEED, I'd have a pretty quiet shop. Ditto for the entire industry.

I am building a .250-300 on one, but it will have a blind magaizne.

Be forewarned-it is much easier to make a .505 Gibbs work in a military 98. Or maybe even a Gibbs in Mexican.

BTW-as far as I know, the PPC rifles were all single shots. I have never heard of one with a factory magazine and feed setup. Would require a fairly serious gutting of the action. Plus they wanted a solid bottom reciever for more stiffness, for however little it was in actuality.

Great bottom metal!

ForrestB, given that you are starting with that fine set up, you are in a "no lose" situation, no matter what cartridge you choose!

As long as it fits, of course!

Marc,

Sako actually did offer the AI PPC repeater action, for a while. It was available in the Lightweight Hunter series, in 22 and 6PPC. A Lightweight Hunter Deluxe series was also made. I think that Brownells even offered the action-only in-the-white.

Attached is a pic of a 6PPC that I had rebarrelled to 17PPC.

Kevin

Kev-

thanks for the info! Would be the perfect rifle for a Grendel project

I had a Sako L461 223 built by the late Wayne Baker. He took the magazine down about 1/4", greatly improved the stock profile. I did the same thing on my Mini Mauser.

Marc,

Grendel.....oh, yeah.

fla3006,

It's interesting that you mention the shortening of the magazine box.

The O'Brien Rifle Co. made some very trim/light rifles, on the L461 action, back in the 60's. On some rifles, in addition to the shortened mag box, it appears that the limit was reached with the trimming of the bottom of the trigger housing.

This is a pic of a Hultgren Grade rifle in 17 Mach IV.

Kevin

If I may suggest something a tad different than what I have seen so far. I would suggest a switch barrel rifle. A .223 barrel for varmiting or plinking. And a .300 whisper barrel for your deer. Loaded with a 150gr bullet the .300 is more than adequate to take down even larger corn fed deer. Allows a wide range of bullets for a large range of game. Brass is not difficult to purchase, and not very expensive.

Just... my thoughts. I considered that action for exactly what I mentioned.

how bout 222 rem mag 1:10/1:9 twist. almos 22-250 vel. with 60 gr. partitions or 70 gr V-max!