Thread: Custom actions vs sako / tikka

Originally Posted by Tentman

Just lift the bolt handle, it's very smooth, doesn't torque the rifle over against your left hand or bipod, if firing heavy loads the extraction is still smooth and easy (no double click). The bolt runs back with no sear drag and is impossible to bind, ejection is completely controllable. The firing assembly is highly polished with no spring bind resulting in very very consistent ignition.

Generally I run cheap rifles, I have more Savages than anything else, I like Bergara's and Tikkas (none of either just now) and also several Mausers. Plus others. They all work well but there is "sometimes" a benefit from spending a bit more money! Not always!

It was 1 degree tonight and dropping as we*were hunting at 9pm. My mate smoked a huge spiker with his 308 Bergara[ using my shoulder as a rest]and the other member of the posse dropped a hind with my Sako 75. The chilly wind destroyed any notion of skiting. Not sure an expensive rig was required or would have made any difference. 2C.

I bought a Sako 85 with intent to modify it into a 7mm SAUM. By the time I looked at how much I would spend doing that I was knocking on the door of spending a bit more and owning a full custom. I have since handled a couple of Defiance actions in my pursuit of deciding what I want to use for my build. I have loved my Tikkas and grew up with Sakos so they have a soft spot for me but the custom Defiance action is just another level of good. Realistically it makes no tangible difference hunting but if we applied that logic to everything in our lives then there’s a lot of nice things we wouldn’t have. Nice things are nice sometimes. Hell it’s what I go to work for.

Originally Posted by Longrun

I'm going to pimp up a Tikka. Not fussed about the action length. Doesn't need trueing and has a good trigger. Looking at glacier stocks.
Like 6gt but don't know if it's worth the effort with expensive brass and dies. 6 creed seems more available.

When stuff goes to shit, which occasionally it does thru reloading misadventure, how well does a Tikka handle a case head failure or a case rupture ...... I'd rather use a Ruger 77 or a Howa, not sure if NZ S&H has pop corn icons...

Originally Posted by Jt89

In my mind you gotta spend the value of a Sako to make a remington 700 as slick and reliable as a Tikka so you may as well scratch that option straight away. Get the Sako if the budget fits, or go the Tikka if you want a special chambering or will be changing the barrel to scratch the itch

The bolt knob on a remmy definitely needs replacing with something bigger but other than that you screw a barrel on and away you go

You will be more likely to get uniformly better precision with the right custom barrel than with a factory (Sako) barrel. The action will make no difference to this.

The 3-lugged Sako bolt & it's mag setup (DSDF) has issues with some cases with sharper shoulder angles.

A good approach to comparing differences in precision between rifles is to look at the relative percentages of how many ammunition types tried will achieve certain levels of precision. What's clear with this approach is that while good factory barrels may shoot some loads that they "like" to a good level of precision, a good match barrel will shoot almost anything to that level.

This of course may be irrelevant; the level of precision required for hunting can easily be achieved by a good factory barrel with a selected bullet that works. (I hesitate to say "load" because it's becoming clear that "load development" does not actually do anything in terms of precision.)

I'd consider defining your requirements and then selecting an option against them. Without deciding what characteristics you want, a list of pros&cons just makes choice harder

Originally Posted by gimp

You will be more likely to get uniformly better precision with the right custom barrel than with a factory (Sako) barrel. The action will make no difference to this.

The 3-lugged Sako bolt & it's mag setup (DSDF) has issues with some cases with sharper shoulder angles.

A good approach to comparing differences in precision between rifles is to look at the relative percentages of how many ammunition types tried will achieve certain levels of precision. What's clear with this approach is that while good factory barrels may shoot some loads that they "like" to a good level of precision, a good match barrel will shoot almost anything to that level.

For example here is a selection of factory rifles tested with factory ammo compared to a rifle with a custom barrel (also factory ammo). 95% of ammo produced better than 0.15mrad (1.5cm at 100) mr with the custom barrel. One factory rifle achieved about 60%. The rest struggled to make 30%.

1.5cm mean radius equates to about a 2moa system. It's perfectly good for most hunting out to moderate ranges with a high mechanical hit probability.

Cut rifled barrel put over 50% of factory loads into 0.5-1 cm mean radius. Most factory rifles could not achieve that with even 10% of ammunition tested.


This is the format in which I reckon anyone testing rifle precision should present results, with a standardized sample size per ammunition and a standardized sample size of ammunitions tested.



So - all that to say - if you decide you require a consistently high level of precision with a wide range of bullets for whatever reason, you may wish to exclude factory barrels from your options.

You can get your weight down with out going Ti both my steal actions have being as light or lighter than 85 carbon light in .223 with the merit of running bigger barrels like bartliens 2B my anti is lighter than my Ti razor was

I had a wood blued sako 85 that I put a kroseg carbon stock on and a hardy featherweight stainless barrel for a poor man’s carbon lite. I love it. I got to choose the calibre (7-08) the twist (1-8) the contour without fluting, had it bedded really well and to top it off it shoots extremely well. Consistently 1/2 Moa 3 shot groups and cycles flawlessly. Would be really hard to justify a custom action, but if you want one cause you want one why not?

Originally Posted by Billo

When stuff goes to shit, which occasionally it does thru reloading misadventure, how well does a Tikka handle a case head failure or a case rupture ...... I'd rather use a Ruger 77 or a Howa, not sure if NZ S&H has pop corn icons...

Dunno about relative strength of actions.
Remmy and tikka are the ones for aftermarket support though. Try getting a chassis or tactical stock for a ruger

Originally Posted by Mararoa

I had a wood blued sako 85 that I put a kroseg carbon stock on and a hardy featherweight stainless barrel for a poor man’s carbon lite. I love it. I got to choose the calibre (7-08) the twist (1-8) the contour without fluting, had it bedded really well and to top it off it shoots extremely well. Consistently 1/2 Moa 3 shot groups and cycles flawlessly. Would be really hard to justify a custom action, but if you want one cause you want one why not?

Some of the actions available are a cheaper start point than a sako when all you end up keeping is the action and trigger

Sako 90 in a Kroseg sako hunter stock. I've always been a Sako fan and after looking & feeling the Kroseg stocks at the Sika Show couple of years ago I was hooked.
I now have 3 rifles set up like this, two Sako 90's & an 85.
I don't think no matter how much money I through at a full custom build that I could build me a hunting rifle that shot any better than what my 3 sako's do.

Its a fun process and a scratch worth itching , I am on my third full custom , sometimes I wonder about the money I could of saved if I just brought a tikka though as you do loose some cash on resale , I’m running a Defiance anti now , it is super slick .

If it’s what you want to do then there’s no need to throw logic at it, just go do it and be happy

There are no regrets till resale. Nah they make normal actions like ewwww. Ruined for life

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

If it’s what you want to do then there’s no need to throw logic at it, just go do it and be happy

I think this is where I’m landing.

This will be the classic car sitting in the garage not the minivan doing the school run every morning.