• Hey All! Lately there has been more and more scammers on the forum board. They register and replies to members requests for guns and/or parts or other things. The reply contains a gmail or hotmail address or similar ”anonymous” email addresses which they want you to reply to. DO NOT ANSWER ANY STRANGE MESSAGES! They often state something like this: ”Hello! Saw your post about purchasing a stock for a Safari. KnuckleheadBob has one. Email him at: [email protected]” If you receive any strange messages: Check the status of whoever message you. If they have no posts and signed up the same day or very recently, stay away. Same goes for other members they might refer to. Check them too and if they are long standing members, PM them and ask if the message is legit. Most likely it’s not. Then use the report function in each message or post so I can kick them out! Beware of anything that might seem fishy! And again, for all of you who registered your personal name as username, please contact me so I can change it to a more anonymous username. You’d be surprised of how much one can find out about a person from just a username on a forum such ad our! All the best! And be safe! Jim

7x33 sako build

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

J
-- Total amt of 7x33's produced (btn 1946 & 1959) was 6337

That's a somewhat larger total number of 7x33's than I would have guessed, but my perspective is skewed since the 7x33, like the .25-20, was never commercially imported to the U.S.

Due to population, economics, and gun regulation, more Sakos of nearly every type and caliber are typically found in the U.S. than in the rest of the world combined. But not so with the 7x33! From what I've seen over the last 30 years or so, the 7x33 must be the very rarest Sako caliber in the U.S., with the .25-20 close to it in scarcity. Although I had to dig a pretty deep hole in the old hip pocket to get it (and that was a few years back!), I feel very lucky to own one.
 
I've had a chance now to shoot a fair few animals with the 7x33 sako using the Tom Turton projectiles I mentioned at the start of this thread. So I thought I'd give a bit of an update on there performance on game.

I've so far been using the Hollow point version of the Turton projectiles. I've found so far I get about 50% of projectiles break apart when shot at larger game like goats and the like, particularly when they hit bone. Of the couple I have got back that aren't totally in pieces below is pretty typical of what they look like. This one shows a 84% weight retention. They have been effective and I haven't lost anything with them. I'm hoping the soft point versions will be a little harder and will try these soon. They show good accuracy out of my old rifle. Its a pity Tom is not making them anymore really.
Tom Turton 1.JPG

Tom Turton 2.JPG

All in all I've been very impressed with the 7x33 round and these old L46 riihimaki's. Considering it was designed and the rifle built before 1950 and my rifle shot MOA as original nearly 70 years after production its a pretty impressive story. I can see why the L46 set Sako up as a leader in fine accurate rifles.
 
I have been working up a load for the 7x33's using lilgun and the sako gamehead projectiles we got a while back. These ones I haven't had a chance to chronograph yet but they seem to be on the money in the accuracy stakes. Its just on a max. load according to quickload. I took them out today and fired a few through the old fullwood 7x33 and they seem to be pretty capable:D Now looking forward to shooting something with them!
I know a few others have mentioned having problems with Lilgun powder but I've found it great in the .25-20's and 7x33's so far.
lilgun7x33.JPG
quickloadlilgun.JPG
 
I have been working up a load for the 7x33's using lilgun and the sako gamehead projectiles we got a while back. These ones I haven't had a chance to chronograph yet but they seem to be on the money in the accuracy stakes. Its just on a max. load according to quickload. I took them out today and fired a few through the old fullwood 7x33 and they seem to be pretty capable:D Now looking forward to shooting something with them!
I know a few others have mentioned having problems with Lilgun powder but I've found it great in the .25-20's and 7x33's so far.
View attachment 11430
View attachment 11431
Thats very impressive. Good post. I have been following all things L46 and 7x33, especially with reference from posts from you gentlemen down here in oz as you only have access to the same components as me.
Could you elaborate briefly on your quick load program, I assume it is some sort of computer model that enables you to enter the components you wish to use that are for some reason not published elsewhere?? Can you enter other powders for the 7x33?? Would love to know what else people are using with 86n and 100n pills? All I have used is 2205 and while capable it is not spectacular??
Also ELKS in albury has 7x33 86gn pills, both solids and SP. They don't necessarily shoot any better for me than my crushed down 30cal pistol pills but they sure look a whole lot better ha ha!
 
Yes Quickload is a PC based program that gives estimates of pressures, velocity etc from a range of projectiles and powders. I find it very useful compared to a reloading manual which usually only focuses on one brand of projectile or powder. I've found it to be pretty good in getting ballpark estimates for what different load configurations will do in terms of velocity etc. You can see more of it here and a better explanation of what it can do http://www.neconos.com/details3.htm

I've posted some loads with 100 grn projectiles and 2205 from memory in this thread or one of the other 7x33 threads from memory so if you go back and have a look you should be able to find some useful info.

Also ELKS in albury has 7x33 86gn pills, both solids and SP
I'm assuming your meaning the factory 78 grn projectiles?

I've found the 78 grn projectiles to be much flatter shooting than the 100 grn projectiles. Also as I have most of my 7x33's with the short magazines they fit the magazine size so don't have to be single loaded like the long 100 grain projectiles.

Are you swagging the .30 projectiles down yourself?
 
Awesome, thank you very much for that info.
Whoops my bad. yes I did mean 78gn not 86 gn???
I got a PM asking me about those yesterday, apparently when he rang ELKS they didn't have any left and said they were a special order, well I was that special order. I got soft nose and solids, they came in about $520/1000 and took about 1-2months to arrive. Sorry for the bum steer I assumed they ordered more than just what I was after???
Yes mine is on the short magazine so they definitely suit me better.

Yes I am swaging my own 30cal pistol pills, I have a set of Dies that screw into my RCBS rockchucker press that I bought off a gentleman who "surprisingly" is also a sako fan and on this site...what are the chances ha ha ha. They come out looking exactly like a sako factory pill with a small flat top "pimple" protruding about 1-2mm where the soft point tip has been squeezed up out of the jacket. The average shooter probably wouldn't even notice this if it wasn't pointed out once they are loaded.

I have a sneaking suspicion that bigger 7mm pills with a BT inserted into length jig with the nose cut off so as to give a more desirable weight may be more accurate than swaged down 30 cal pistol pills but I am not really a good enough bench shot to measure this, just seems better average. Either way is just as fiddly. I have only tried cutting the nose off with some Sierra or Speers think maybe 100/110 or 120, can't remember now.

Much easier to order the sako pills now, but lots of fun to play around, to be fair when I started with my 7x33 there was lots of brass and some loaded ammo but no projectiles so had to play around. Like all things if you wait long enough something comes up...speaking of which there seems to be lots of really nice old L46 in good nick for sale at present???
 
Hi Guys

Well the reamer arrived on Friday. Just opened the post today and now have a nice shiny new PTG 7x33 reamer. I haven't done anything in regards to a barrel yet, but will have to get working on it now and make a decision soon!

A quick pic attached. Very good service from PTG http://www.pacifictoolandgauge.com/ They were great to deal with and delivered as promised!

Cheers John
I just got my new PTG 7x33 reamer as well now I am looking at wilson barrels in a #2 contour 24" long to go on my new build(gasp a savage axis build!!)
 
I am having a hard time finding .284 diameter 78gr bullets. as a matter of fact I can only find .285 78gr bullets and there in either Australia at Rebel gun works or from Steve Schroeder in San Diego.. the problem is my barrel is .284 not .285 .... can that 1 thou be a problem in the pressure department or am I overly cautious?
 
I am having a hard time finding .284 diameter 78gr bullets. as a matter of fact I can only find .285 78gr bullets and there in either Australia at Rebel gun works or from Steve Schroeder in San Diego.. the problem is my barrel is .284 not .285 .... can that 1 thou be a problem in the pressure department or am I overly cautious?
by the way has anybody done any Quick Load data for the 7X33 Sako using the 100gr seirra hp and the 110gr speer TNT ? I am making new brass out of 350 legend cases and these are rated at 55,000psi so I would imagine a working pressure of 45,000 would be just about right
 
I am having a hard time finding .284 diameter 78gr bullets. as a matter of fact I can only find .285 78gr bullets and there in either Australia at Rebel gun works or from Steve Schroeder in San Diego.. the problem is my barrel is .284 not .285 .... can that 1 thou be a problem in the pressure department or am I overly cautious?
No, .285" conventional cup and core bullets will be just fine in a nominally .284" barrel. In truth, your ".284-inch" barrel will vary down its length by more than .001". Original Sako bullets for the 7x33 were .286".
 
No, .285" conventional cup and core bullets will be just fine in a nominally .284" barrel. In truth, your ".284-inch" barrel will vary down its length by more than .001". Original Sako bullets for the 7x33 were .286".
boy thats good to know because it was bothering me that i was worried about pressure and accuracy potential from being oversized.. to the point i was going to use 100gr and 110gr bullets instead of the 78gr that it calls for
 
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