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?

Yip I bet lots do that, dad owned one, the guys at work said they are cool etc. etc.

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.

I'm still peeved at young master @Toby's Howa in 6.5x55AI. Just divert your eyes up there young fella. After bagging it, as you have to, he got me to have a shot or five with it. The bottom two holes were me getting the feel of the trigger then the last three basically went through the same hole. Then came the difficult part of making up a story as to how that happened with a shitty old Howa and me being a shit shot.



Oi @Toby! No peeking!

Originally Posted by Gibo

And shoe size

I dont get it?

Originally Posted by Frosty

I dont get it?

That's ok. It was small of me anyway

That's alright I think I know what you mean,so FYI I'm a size 16. I've been trolling a fair bit in this thread so for the record Tikkas/Howas are a very nice rifle for their price but 270s are still gay as hell.

Yikes... you must struggle to find.. "shoes" that fit you...

Update - More than a year after I made this post I still haven't bought a rifle because I'm still being indecisive, but the old man rang me this morning while I'm away at uni to tell me when he was in at the local sports shop he spotted a rifle that he reckon might be good for me. It's a savage model 11 lightweight chambered in 7mm-08 and the shop owner let him take it home to have a go with it so hes put my scope on it (he keeps telling me that hes jealous of it and I haven't even had a chance to use it yet so hes getting to use it before I do, the cheeky bastard) and hes going to go have a shot with it this afternoon to see what he thinks. I was wondering what people could tell me about this rifle and whether or not people reckon I should just get this one and then buy the Sako in the future. I still want a Sako but I don't reckon I can justify spending the money on one.
Cheers

I reckon with the amount of opinions already posted that you should just make up your own mind about what you want.

I think your dad is going to make your mind up for you.

if you end up with a 270 mate, make sure they give you one of these 25 meter sighting in targets.

Originally Posted by Shanes215

Update - More than a year after I made this post I still haven't bought a rifle because I'm still being indecisive, but the old man rang me this morning while I'm away at uni to tell me when he was in at the local sports shop he spotted a rifle that he reckon might be good for me. It's a savage model 11 lightweight chambered in 7mm-08 and the shop owner let him take it home to have a go with it so hes put my scope on it (he keeps telling me that hes jealous of it and I haven't even had a chance to use it yet so hes getting to use it before I do, the cheeky bastard) and hes going to go have a shot with it this afternoon to see what he thinks. I was wondering what people could tell me about this rifle and whether or not people reckon I should just get this one and then buy the Sako in the future. I still want a Sako but I don't reckon I can justify spending the money on one.
Cheers

The Savage lightweights are good rifles. Practical, easy-carrying hunting rifle with a nice crisp trigger and 3-stage tang safety etc, like other lightweight rifles they can punish poor shooting technique and with a thin barrel it isn't the tool for shooting lots of rounds in quick succession. Personally from the Savages and Tikkas I've used, I'd buy one over a Tikka.

I probably will buy one myself at some stage actually.

Yeah nice rifles. Surprisingly snappy recoil on the 308 i shot though. Guess thats the trade off for a super light rifle.

Was very accurate, and lovely to carry though

Nothing wrong with a savage. The accutrigger and accubedded stocks they do now are good.
Just note like many rifles some of the plastic stocks will flex and make contact with the barrel.
And as stated above a light rifle makes you pay in other ways.
A later project could be a boyds thumb hole stock and a bedding job. (If it has a plastic stock on it.)
Z

Originally Posted by ZQLewis

Nothing wrong with a savage. The accutrigger and accubedded stocks they do now are good.
Just note like many rifles some of the plastic stocks will flex and make contact with the barrel.
And as stated above a light rifle makes you pay in other ways.
A later project could be a boyds thumb hole stock and a bedding job. (If it has a plastic stock on it.)
Z

If he's right about the Model 11 name above then its the wood/blued version, no need to replace that stock.

The stainless/synth version would be a Model 16.