Stalking Rifle

ronboy

Hi all
I was wondering can anybody recommend a good stalking rifle.
I'm shooting a sako 75 deluxe 6.5x55 at the mo and I'm thinking of changing to something lighter as it's a very heavy rifle

Would like something on a par with the sako as I think it's an excellent rifle

Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance

Ron

DR6.5

Im currently using a Sauer Outback 202 in 6.5 lovely light rifle, i was using a Sako 75 stainless synthetic again a great rifle.

Im waiting for licence for a Sako Finnlight .308, lovely neat and light rifle.

Id recomend any of the above rifles.

dr6.5

jwshooter

sako 75 finnlites in the short action should be shot before you but them as there is a problem with some them especally in 308.

im a big tikka t3 fan i like every thing about the rifle.

if your going to stick bipods a huge scope and a mod it will add 5 pounds to it .

do you have all of the above on your rifle or a 6x42 and a sling.

ronboy

I have 3-12x50 s&b with bipod and a mod. What ever about the bipod I can't do without the mod as the hearing is'nt great and I want to hang on to what I have..

BUACHAILL

I changed from a sako deluxe 75 6.5x55 to the new sako 85 deluxe .308 and find it a much sweeter rifle to use. I found once I went sako I found it hard to move away from them.
That said the Tikka is pretty much its twin but for half the money and would be a great buy also

I think you should settle on your calibre first then decide which gun from there.

jwshooter

ronboy wrote: »

I have 3-12x50 s&b with bipod and a mod. What ever about the bipod I can't do without the mod as the hearing is'nt great and I want to hang on to what I have..

its not the rifle then .
you could chop 4 inch's off the barrel, loose the bipod,buy a mac millan ultra lite stock, use a swaro 4-12x42 AV .and a titanium mod .
that would take about 4 pounds off.

or join a gym.

deerhunter1

ronboy wrote: »

Hi all
I was wondering can anybody recommend a good stalking rifle.
I'm shooting a sako 75 deluxe 6.5x55 at the mo and I'm thinking of changing to something lighter as it's a very heavy rifle

Would like something on a par with the sako as I think it's an excellent rifle

Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance

Ron

Go 308 cant go wrong,never mind those 6.5's steyr pro hunter .308

JDBLASER

deerhunter1 wrote: »

Go 308 cant go wrong,never mind those 6.5's steyr pro hunter .308

Steyr pro hunters have very flexible fore ends which can be a major prob when using a bipod.. Had one in 7mm mag and bipod used to press fore end against barrel which changed point of impact. Have a blaser r93 professional now and cant fault it in any way, light and well balanced even with scope, pod and mod..

jwshooter

lite is grand when your walking but when you get down to take the shot you cant beat having a bit of weight in the gun.

arrowloopboy

JDBLASER wrote: »

Steyr pro hunters have very flexible fore ends which can be a major prob when using a bipod.. Had one in 7mm mag and bipod used to press fore end against barrel which changed point of impact. Have a blaser r93 professional now and cant fault it in any way, light and well balanced even with scope, pod and mod..

My brother had the same problem with the steyr,but it dose have a great trigger.

It wasn't me!

Was handling a nice lefty Sauer 202 recently, and thought that with no optics, no bipod and no mod, it would be a driven game gun you could never forgive your misses with. Reading Green Hills of Africa at the moment and Hemmingway killed an awful lot of game with an open-sighted Springfield, from awfully long distances. We hang a lot of shooting aids on rifles, like bipods, massive scopes and moderators (and I'm utterly guilty of this as well) but that Sauer I was looking at, and the Springfield Hemmingway hunted with, would have been ruined by all those additions. It's food for thought I think.

CJhaughey

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Was handling a nice lefty Sauer 202 recently, and thought that with no optics, no bipod and no mod, it would be a driven game gun you could never forgive your misses with. Reading Green Hills of Africa at the moment and Hemmingway killed an awful lot of game with an open-sighted Springfield, from awfully long distances. We hang a lot of shooting aids on rifles, like bipods, massive scopes and moderators (and I'm utterly guilty of this as well) but that Sauer I was looking at, and the Springfield Hemmingway hunted with, would have been ruined by all those additions. It's food for thought I think.

I agree, however if the technology had been there in the form it is now, for Hemingway to use, do you think he would have passed it by?

It wasn't me!

CJhaughey wrote: »

I agree, however if the technology had been there in the form it is now, for Hemingway to use, do you think he would have passed it by?

It's about context really. I mean, I wouldn't have a mod or a bipod on a driven game rifle, or a big scope. I'd be keeping it very light and handy. Same with a safari rifle. The kit needs to suit how you shoot. If a lot of your shots are going to be standing or taken quickly, then all those little add-ons are too fiddly and heavy.

jwshooter

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Was handling a nice lefty Sauer 202 recently, and thought that with no optics, no bipod and no mod, it would be a driven game gun you could never forgive your misses with. Reading Green Hills of Africa at the moment and Hemmingway killed an awful lot of game with an open-sighted Springfield, from awfully long distances. We hang a lot of shooting aids on rifles, like bipods, massive scopes and moderators (and I'm utterly guilty of this as well) but that Sauer I was looking at, and the Springfield Hemmingway hunted with, would have been ruined by all those additions. It's food for thought I think.

Hemmingway missed ,wounded, an awful lot of game also with his open sights also .

i killed 4 animals this eve with 4 neck shots ,with my sako 75 custom .

i knew setting the trigger the animals were dead ,granted the gun is heavy .this i like about it ,it has a power full scope ,shooting 110gr v max its like a laser beam.

my job it to read the shot and hold the rifle steady ,some of the best engineers in the world have done the rest.

if i was shooting 10 or so animals a year for the pot i would use a 243 tikka t3 with a 6x42 zeiss on it no mod no bipods and use peltor tactical ear muffs,just put them on before the shot it takes a second.

It wasn't me!

jwshooter wrote: »

Hemmingway missed ,wounded, an awful lot of game also with his open sights also .

i killed 4 animals this eve with 4 neck shots ,with my sako 75 custom .

i knew setting the trigger the animals were dead ,granted the gun is heavy .this i like about it ,it has a power full scope ,shooting 110gr v max its like a laser beam.

my job it to read the shot and hold the rifle steady ,some of the best engineers in the world have done the rest.

if i was shooting 10 or so animals a year for the pot i would use a 243 tikka t3 with a 6x42 zeiss on it no mod no bipods and use peltor tactical ear muffs,just put them on before the shot it takes a second.

I don't doubt it, and my own stalking setup consists of a very large Schmidt and Bender, a mod and bipod, because I'm happy enough with the weight and that they won't adversely affect my opportunities in the conditions in which I'll shoot.

Jonty

jwshooter wrote: »

if i was shooting 10 or so animals a year for the pot i would use a 243 tikka t3 with a 6x42 zeiss on it no mod no bipods and use peltor tactical ear muffs,just put them on before the shot it takes a second.

JW you've summed up a setup which is often overlooked. I'd say it would suit a good majority of lads.