Looking for a good Synthetic/Stainless Deer Rifle for use mainly in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I think that I have narrowed-down the caliber to .270, possibly WSM. Now for the tough part, what's the best of the three - Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker (~$800), Weatherby Mark V Stainless (~$900), or Sako 75 Stainless (~$800)? I have shouldered and worked the Browning and it feels very nice, better than a Remington or Winchester or Tikka t3 for that matter, haven't felt the other two.
I'm pretty new to this sport so would like the advise of some of you experts. I nailed a nice 8 pointer in Wisconsin last year with a borrowed Custom Montana Rifleman 7mm Rem Mag (Nosler Partition). I think that this caliber is probably a little too hard hitting to practice with and most likely overkill for Whitetails.
All of the three listed are very good rifles and will certainly do the job. Not knowing how you'll hunt or your needs it sounds like you're taking some longer shots from a blind or stand across open field. Up here where I hunt deer shots are very short, in dense bush and small rifles (Marlin, Winchester or Browning levers) are favored.
The main features I would look for in a bolt action is a detachable magazine and the ability to open the bolt with the safety engaged. I've never owned an A-Bolt but do own both the Mark V SS and Sako 75 SS. If I had to make the choice it would be the Sako for the features previously mentioned, second the browning for the detachable mag, not sure if the bolt is operative with the tang safey on and the Weatherby last (still a great rifle but not my first choice for my needs).
Good luck with your choice, best thing is to shoulder them all and see which one fits best and buy it.
Well, I lean heavily in favor of the Sako. I currently own two of them (7mm mag and .300 Weatherby) and hopefully I'll be adding more in the future). I just think they're very well made rifles. They have an excellent trigger for a factory rifle and have a solid reputation for being accurate. I have also owned two Browning A Bolts in the past and they were decent rifles too, but they weren't my cup of tea. I didn't particularly like the stock design, it didn't feel comfortable to me. I've never owned a Weatherby rifle, so I can't comment on them.
Basically, they're all good rifles I think. You need to handle each one and decide which one fits you best. I do think the Sako might be the best of the three, though, from a pure design and functionality standpoint.
BTW, the 7mm mag is a *****cat. I do most of my whitetail hunting with that .300 Weatherby Sako. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm not trying to talk you into anything. I think the .270 Win or WSM would serve you really well. Either is really is all you need. I just tend to like my cartridges a little bigger.
Find a Sako dealer and handle the rifle as much as a person can in a store, working the bolt etc.
Your mind will probably be made up.
Weatherby would be my second choice.
Of those rifles listed, I'd buy the Sako. However, I'd strongly recommend you first take a good hard look at a Tikka T3 Hunter. It's a beauty of a rifle in design, manufacturing quality, accuracy and features you normally would only see in some of the more expensive rifles including Sako and Weatherby.
I bought my T3 Hunter last summer .300 WM for $400, put a Nikon Monarch 3x9 - 40 on it and with Premium ammo on a solid rest put groups of 3 in 1" at 100 and 200 yards consistently. I don't know what else you're looking for. But for me it's all the rifle I want or need and don't have to send $1100 + on some of others and can spend extra on a quality scope.
__________________
MinnFinn
"Now there you go again..." "I'm not going to hold your youth and inexperience against you." -- Ronald Reagan
If you have the money, then I'd suggest the Sako. Next would be the Browning. Those two rifles are among the best made. I love Tikka, but they just aren't the rifle that the Sako is. Especially the T-3 with it's plastic parts, and somewhat spotty accuracy. I personally think Tikka made a mistake in replacing the Whitetail Hunter with the T-3, but, they are trying to keep costs down below the level of Sako (Tikka's are made in the Sako foundry). If you can find a Whitetail Hunter, it would be a tie between it and the Browning, and they run around $600.00.
As far as cartridge goes, you can't do wrong with the .270 Winchester. You don't need the Short Mags, and the ammo will be more expensive, and harder to find.
__________________
Danny
Life Member, North American Hunting Club
Life Member, National Rifle Association
Life Member, Buckmasters
Oklahoma Hunter Education Instructor
My vote would go to the Sako of the three you listed. However, since you are looking at higher end factory rifles I am going to throw another gun into the mix for you just to make the decision a little bit harder.
Kimber 8400. It is available in all three WSM cartridges. Very nice rifle.
It is an easy decision between the three you listed but, for me at least, it would be a toss up between the Sako and the Kimber. Both are very well made rifles.
__________________
"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency........... Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."
If the rifle was a Weatherby Mark V Fibermark or Fibermark Stainless, I would choose Weatherby, but since they are not, I would go for the Sako 75 Stainless Syntehtic. Good luck with your new rifle!!
__________________
PROUD HUNTERS KILL THEIR GAME THEY DON'T HARVRST THEM!!
I just went through the same decision. I now own a Sako 75 Hunter in 7mm-08 I just thought the mag.s were overkill for whitetail and with the cost of mag. ammo I can shot a non-mag. twice as much. I went with the 7mm-08 but think a decision of .270, .308, or 30-06 would have been just as good. I like calibers that have off the shelf ammo readily available.
Sako vs. Weatherby vs. Browning
