Thread: First hunting rifle

Originally Posted by GravelBen

On the flipside, if you haven't handled/used a Sako and a few other options you won't know if a Sako is actually what you want or not, and being set on a certain brand without having tried it or its competition is just being a sucker for marketing.

I'm not suggesting they aren't good, but personal fit and feel is a big factor in rifle choice (if the OP has used a few rifles to know what he likes then all good).

To use a car analogy - would you buy an Audi because a salesman told you its nice, without having driven or even sat in one yourself? or trying the Subaru on its left and the BMW on its right for a comparison?

I'll admit that the centrefire I wanted was not the one I bought for the above reasons. I went into a number of shops and tried heaps of different makes and models for fit/feel/features. One just kept calling me back. It isn't the lightest. It isn't the prettiest. It isn't the flashest. But I like it and it works for and with me.

Guts of it is get what you like. By the sounds of it a Sako is it, but be prepared to go in with an open and honest mind and you too may be pleasantly surprised. Variety is the spice of life and it would be very boring if everyone had and liked the same things.