What Sako Caliber is Least in Demand?

[Spaher]

As to 7mm Rem Mag, the one I’d make an exception to add to a Fiberclass & Super Deluxe would be a Safari 7mm RM. I’ve never seen one to date. It should command a good price.

 

[bloorooster]

What about the .244 / 6mm Rem?
Same as the .243 in almost every respect. Until it comes to the lesser known, lesser used .244 designation. Yes I know the .244 wasn’t offered in the AII, but I think the 6mm rem was.
Much the same as the 7mm-08 in comparison to the .308 win…basically identical ballistics, but the 7mm-08 raises more eyebrows.
Long action cartridges like the 30-06 , 270 win and .280 Rem , same boat, similar performance aspects with far ranging popularity interests leaning towards the lesser known .280 . Yes .. the 270 may shoot a bit flatter @ 130 g weights but it doesn’t really kill any better than 165 g pills from the Springfield.
Demand is a loaded question.
Collectors demand rare and seldom seen calibers and configurations were as Hunters demand functional and readily available choices.
Wait for a few years…maybe decades…when the market floods with Creedmoors and 50 BMGs

 

[misako50]

Kind of sad to see a great round like the 7 rem mag get so much disrespect. I bought my 15 yr old son a Ruger #1 chambered in that rd. and he loved it. I found I could load it down to 7.08Rem. performance and pushing a 145 Grn. pill, the recoil was real mild. In a few yrs, he didn't require any special downloads. Another nice "download" for it was the .280Rem performance. All of the downloads were real easy on the brass and there remains nearly 90% of all the original brass to this day and it is all in great shape.

 

[Spaher]

Misako, I don’t feel it is disrespectful to grade the 7mm Rem Mag even though I’ve had great field results in a Fiberclass having taken plenty of WT & mule deer with it. It is just not currently popular and I’ve previously said it is too much gun for the infrequent users as most magnums at the range tend to “spook” many because of the report & recoil. Thus making them flinch in the field in anticipation of the recoil. Of course this is just a generalization as the other side are those who are comfortable with some magnums and can shoot them well. Nothing beats results as accuracy in virtually any caliber gets you field consistency. There is also the marketing trends of say, 6.5 Creedmore when there is the classic 6.6x55, but hyping & promoting the “new” super caliber means more rifles being sold by the “gotta have” the new answer to accuracy, then that splinters into slight variations & 10,000’s more rifles sold. Another example may be the short magnum novelty that has seemed to have worn off. 7mm Rem Mag is a good caliber, just so many of them made a few years ago & its popularity waned when little is written about it over time.
Having said that now I’ve got to use mine next season as it was always a dependable companion in the field topped off with a 2.5-8x36 Leupold which was popular in the 1980’s as a lightweight mid-range hunting scope, but now discontinued.
…. Another marketing casualty.
My 2 cents

 

[South Pender]

Kind of sad to see a great round like the 7 rem mag get so much disrespect. I bought my 15 yr old son a Ruger #1 chambered in that rd. and he loved it. I found I could load it down to 7.08Rem. performance and pushing a 145 Grn. pill, the recoil was real mild. In a few yrs, he didn't require any special downloads. Another nice "download" for it was the .280Rem performance. All of the downloads were real easy on the brass and there remains nearly 90% of all the original brass to this day and it is all in great shape.

Yes, I can see that a Sako rifle in 7 Rem Mag may not be in great demand because of the large numbers made (not because of any deficiencies with it), but I've never understood the opposition to the round by some. I've done a lot of my hunting over several decades with a 7 mag of some kind (7x61 S&H and 7 Rem Mag), and have found it to be a great all-around cartridge. I've hunted pronghorn with the lighter bullets—120 to 140-gr--and larger game, caribou, elk, and moose, with the heavier bullets, mostly 160-gr. It is as inherently accurate as just about any cartridge, is easy to handload for, and I've never found the recoil that bad at all. Recoil in an 8.5-lb. rig with a 140-grain bullet is around 21 ft.-lbs., about the same as a 30-06 of the same weight with a 165-gr. bullet. In my opinion, a 7 mag is a better all-around cartridge than the ’06, particularly when really long shots are the norm.

 

[bigcountry4me]

It’s somewhat humorous to go back to the original post and read how a discussion evolves, and how it can get somewhat misunderstood. My read on this thread is simply a discussion of what the market has already sort determined of any given caliber, rifle configuration and perhaps hunting scenarios. Both of the calibers (.243 and 7MM RM) have already been given the classic definition many years ago.

Spaher has instinctively pointed out “the market” and the trends we are all aware of. When Sako was producing the rifles in question - Sako was most likely conforming to demand, as the .243 and the big 7 were the hot ticket.

 

[South Pender]

It’s somewhat humorous to go back to the original post and read how a discussion evolves, and how it can get somewhat misunderstood. My read on this thread is simply a discussion of what the market has already sort determined of any given caliber or hunting scenario. Both of the calibers (.243 and 7MM RM) have already been given the classic definition many years ago.

Spaher has instinctively pointed out “the market” and the trends we are all aware of. When Sako was producing the rifles in question - Sako was most likely conforming to demand, as the .243 and the big 7 was the hot ticket.

Bigcountry4me, often discussions go off in many directions during the course of a thread not because the forumers posting have misunderstood the original theme or premise, but rather because some interesting additional issues are raised along the way that can lead to informative posts. This is often what keeps threads interesting and should not, in my opinion, be discouraged.

 

[bigcountry4me]

Bigcountry4me, often discussions go off in many directions during the course of a thread not because the forumers posting have misunderstood the original theme or premise, but rather because some interesting additional issues are raised along the way that can lead to informative posts. This is often what keeps threads interesting and should not, in my opinion, be discouraged.

It only took a moment for my post to be misunderstood….lol.

 

[misako50]

Guys- I wasn't misunderstanding or pointing fingers at the membership. Just giving my opinion on life of the 7RM in general in the "gun world". Now if we need a real dust up, just start bad mouthing a .308W. LOL

 

[South Pender]

It only took a moment for my post to be misunderstood….lol.

LOL!! It wasn't misunderstood at all--just elaborated upon with a new point of view!

 

[bigcountry4me]

South Pender - I’ve always had respect for your knowledge and input. In this case I’m not sure how “humorous” and “evolves” leads to “discouraging”. I value everyone here and their opinions - as I know you do. So I’m officially done with this particular thread. Take care.

 

[South Pender]

South Pender - I’ve always had respect for your knowledge and input. In this case I’m not sure how “humorous” and “evolves” leads to “discouraging”. I value everyone here and their opinions - as I know you do. So I’m officially done with this particular thread. Take care.

You have my respect too. Perhaps "discouraging" was the wrong word, and no offence was intended. We're all good!

 

[gowyo]

I should have used discounted instead of disparaged. I was being introspective, as I felt a bit guilty in my selection. For many Sako buyers, it could be a one and done scenario, in which case an AII or an AV in .243 or 7mmRm would be an excellent selection.

 

[icebear]

When Sako was producing the rifles in question - Sako was most likely conforming to demand, as the .243 and the big 7 were the hot ticket.

Exactly.

 

[Jeffy1]

While evolving this thread, how about this: how many of you are in possession of an L61r sako deluxe, bofors marked rifle?

 

[Jeffy1]

I am an idiot. Left out the caliber: 375

 

[douglastwo]

...... topped off with a 2.5-8x36 Leupold which was popular in the 1980’s as a lightweight mid-range hunting scope, but now discontinued.
…. Another marketing casualty.
My 2 cents

Spaher, I hate to say, but I think Covid was the opportunity Leupold needed to get out from under their fantastic and rare, send us your broken leupold (even if you're not the original buyer) and we'll fix or replace it free with like or similar kind guarantee. When they scaled back for Covid, they shut down their custom shop, and to my knowledge, they still haven't opened it. I called them as recently as a couple months ago to see if they would work on a Leupold I had picked up and they said the shop wasn't running and they have no idea when or if they'll open it. And their current line of scopes, well I'm not sure what market they're chasing. I think their goal is a variable 2 to 20x or maybe 7 to 50 power. And they might have one gloss scope in their line, I'm not sure. I guess, I'm an old fart holding onto the out dated stuff that has worked so good for me. Forgive me for bitchin.

 

[wombat]

Yep, Leupold have been “sucked in” and have “ lost the plot”, that’s why whenever an older Leupold comes up on the used gun sites for sale, you have got to be quick to get it it!!!!
Some marketeer has infiltrated them !!!! N the Bean counters have been sucked in........
As for the title of this thread, I owned an L61R in 7 RM for about 2 years, and I took 22 Sambar with it, using 160 and 175 Hornady and Nosler Partitions, no complaints, and the Deer did not complain, great hunting round, short and long range ( for me up to 300 yards) only reason I moved it on was the weight, 10lbs. Plus all up loaded! I am now having a Winchester Featherweight rebarrelled to 280 AI, identical ballistics with the 160gn projectile with the L61R 7RM but,,,,, over 1.5 lbs. Lighter, and less recoil. For my walking hunting rifle, ,,,,,but my go to Sambar rifle will remain my Sako AV in 30/06 with 180 Nosler Partition.
I’ve also had a L579 in .243W, hard to beat as an all rounder for most game over here.
Jay

 

[clovis]

While evolving this thread, how about this: how many of you are in possession of an L61r sako deluxe, bofors marked rifle?

Have one beauty in 30-06 shipped October 1964. No box or hood but never used. Still hunting for period Sako rings and scope. Use my 270 standard grade in the field. Tend to only buy Bofors marked guns. I know there are other worthy candidates but " a man has to know his limitations".

 

[douglastwo]

As to 7mm Rem Mag, the one I’d make an exception to add to a Fiberclass & Super Deluxe would be a Safari 7mm RM. I’ve never seen one to date. It should command a good price.

I too like the small caliber Safari rifles. When I picked up my 1980 Stoeger catalog and saw the new Sako Safari grade rifle, I immediately wanted one in 7 mag. That first year or so, I saw a couple of Sako 300 Win. Mag in Safari grade and it made me look harder for one in 7 mag. But I never found one. The 7 mag Safari was shown in the Stoeger catalogs for about 3-4 years. Later on I was sorry I didn't buy one of the 300 Win Mags I saw, and I'm still looking for one in 7 mag. A few years later, I did purchase a 1978 Manchester made Whitworth Express African Series rifle in 7 mag. Then in 1992 Ruger introduced their Express Rifle and I was lucky enough to buy one in 25-06. I found out after I purchased the 25-06, that Ruger made a large number of Express Rifles in 270 Win, 7mm Rem. Mag, 30-06, 300 Win. Mag and 338 Win. Mag. Ruger made 12 in 25-06 and 1 or 2 in 300 H&H. Of course Ruger also made an express style rifle for several large calibers that they named the Magnum Rifle. The quarter rib on the Rugers are integral with the barrel. My 25-06 Ruger Express and my 7mag Whitworth Express are rifles number 3 and 4 from the left.