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What's this rifle worth?

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

Someguy

Member
I have a 2004 Sako 75 Hunter in 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum that recently made its way into my safe, and I'm curious about what it's worth. I have done some shopping online and haven't found any in this particular caliber currently for sale. Any help is greatly appreciated. The rifle is unfired, NIB, and very clean. 20191027_192404.jpg 20191027_192418.jpg 20191027_192332.jpg 20191027_192356.jpg
 
Unfortunately the 75 series rifles were not produced for a long period of time, so therefore, you won’t see many to compare it to, especially in the Ultra Mag caliber. There’s not a collector market unless it’s a Deluxe rifle in a sought after caliber.

The quality of the 75 is very good. The rifle appears to be in very nice condition. My friend currently has the same rifle in .338 Win Mag. He recently paid $1000., and it is in very similar condition to yours.

What yours is worth depends on a host of factors, like-region, time of year, caliber, condition, and so on. The detractor which I personally see is the caliber. The Ultra Mag is not going to turn a lot of heads - that is in the secondary market - because the following is low in comparison to more standard calibers.
 
The Ultra Mag is not going to turn a lot of heads - that is in the secondary market - because the following is low in comparison to more standard calibers.
I agree. But since it is a somewhat scarce caliber there is a market among those with which it does have a following. This rifle falls into the categories of both "slow mover" and "valuable to the right buyer". In other words, to realize its potential worth you might have to wait a long time to sell it for more than a bargain price.
 
I agree. But since it is a somewhat scarce caliber there is a market among those with which it does have a following. This rifle falls into the categories of both "slow mover" and "valuable to the right buyer". In other words, to realize its potential worth you might have to wait a long time to sell it for more than a bargain price.
Completely agree 100%. Valuable scarce caliber vs. slow mover for sure.

There certainly is a following within the long range shooing/hunting community. Most all these folks are dedicated hand loaders. Unfortunately because of other cartridges rising popularity this cartridge is beginning to die off, so brass and ammo can be difficult to consistently locate. Also, most are aware of the shorter barrel life because of the obvious.

High volume shooters of this caliber (as well as other hyper velocity calibers) have baked in the cost of a re-barrel (or two, or three) as it’s a necessity.

In a perfect world, if I was attracted to this rifle (and it was actually for sale) I’d develop an all around hand load for it, then probably shoot/hunt with it more sparingly, just to preserve originality. Once re barreled, then it all sort of goes out the window, at least from my perspective.
 
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I appreciate your comments so far, but I will admit I was hoping for something more definitive. And just to clarify, I have been asked to store this rifle for someone and ultimately want to make them an offer to buy it, but wanted to make it a fair offer. My hopes are to figure out a handload closer to a 7mm Mag to help it last longer while practicing/plinking. I do want to shoot it full power occasionally for hunting and or a "check this out" gun. Eventually after it's shot out a rebarrel up to a 338 RUM is also in the plan.
 
Unless you plan to shoot prairie dogs and ground squirrels with it, with the relatively small volume of shots involved with a hunting rifle that barrel will still be good when your grandkids are too old to hunt: Let's say that you use 20 shots to work up a load you like; or the rifle is fussy so it takes 40 shots. Each year you shoot 5 shots from the bench to check the zero. You are a particularly bad shot, so it takes you four shots for the elk and three shots for the deer you kill each year. At the end of year one you have put 40 + 5 + 8 shots down the barrel, which equals 53 shots. Each succeeding year you put another 13 shots through it. At the end of 20 years that's 53 + (13 x 19) = 300 shots. If you never shoot more than four shots in rapid succession then the barrel of the worst "overbore" rifle should last for 900 shots, which in this case equals 60 years (more, actually) of shooting.

But even then you're not necessarily done. I have a Sako .264 which I've had for over 50 years and which was my only centerfire rifle for the first 20 years I owned it. The .264 is at least as bad a barrel burner as the 7mm RUM. As a young guy I used it promiscuously, shooting everything from rattlesnakes and ground squirrels to elk with it. I figure the round count is somewhere north of 3,000 rounds. The first inch of the throat looks like scorched alligator hide, but it still shoots one-inch groups and puts the first round from a cold barrel exactly where you aimed it the last time it was fired.

So, if you really want a .338 RUM any time soon, don't plan on waiting until the 7mm barrel is burned up.
 
Wow, 3000+ rounds out of a .264 WM and still going, that is pretty incredible. The things we did when we were young. I do agree with your math regarding the life of the Sako Ultra Mag, if it were utilized purely as a hunting rifle, as I suggested.

Some of my long range friends have stated for the purpose of 1000yds plus competition style shooting, or just for fun, 700 rounds is about max. But again that’s a lot of shooting in a more compressed amount of time. Take care.
 
Wow, 3000+ rounds out of a .264 WM and still going, that is pretty incredible. The things we did when we were young. I do agree with your math regarding the life of the Sako Ultra Mag, if it were utilized purely as a hunting rifle, as I suggested.

Some of my long range friends have stated for the purpose of 1000yds plus competition style shooting, or just for fun, 700 rounds is about max. But again that’s a lot of shooting in a more compressed amount of time. Take care.
Depends on the cartridge. In the big magnum rounds life can be short, as you stated. However, in the more common rounds used for the long range target game, like the 308 Win & 6.5 Creedmoor barrel life can exceed 3000 rounds & still provide competitive accuracy. Serious competitors can exceed that in a year or less, so shooting a cartridge that only gives you a 700 shot barrel life can get expensive. The "way" you shoot & how you clean your bore also are contributing factors. Bottom line is one would be hard pressed to wear out a hunting rifle barrel in a lifetime of use.
 
Depends on the cartridge. In the big magnum rounds life can be short, as you stated. However, in the more common rounds used for the long range target game, like the 308 Win & 6.5 Creedmoor barrel life can exceed 3000 rounds & still provide competitive accuracy. Serious competitors can exceed that in a year or less, so shooting a cartridge that only gives you a 700 shot barrel life can get expensive. The "way" you shoot & how you clean your bore also are contributing factors. Bottom line is one would be hard pressed to wear out a hunting rifle barrel in a lifetime of use.
Agree with you 100%, completely.

Careful maintenance, cooling, along with other factors certainly can extend any barrel life. 20+ years ago I bought a 700 Remington LTR in .308. I’ve cataloged 3285 rounds exactly through this rifle. I am beginning to see some minor throat erosion. However, it still covers a dime @100yds, and a quarter @200yds, all day everyday. Of course most of the match loads are under 2700 fps, which helps with longevity.

I’ve tried very hard to not be abusive, but Id did shoot 300 rounds in two days at Thunder Ranch during an urban tactical event a few years back. The training did not allow for typical in between cleaning and cooling, but I could thoroughly clean in the evening. I was worried, but the event really did no noticeable harm.
 
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