Sako S20 ... will this be a winner?

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MCMXI said:
Sako has announced the arrival of the S20 which comes in Precision and Hunter forms. These rifles have a lot of features that I like. I'm not sure about compatibility with pre-fit barrels but that would surely be desirable for the Precision model if not the Hunter.

https://www.sako.fi/rifles/sako-s20/s20
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Awfully impressive roll-out in terms of offering a complete package. They really seem to have thought this through.
 
Hmm.... I guess it's kind of aimed at the same market as the Sig Cross, precision adjustable hunting rifle? Is it lightweight? From the website, I'm not sure what sets it aside from their other offerings besides the modular stock and a new magazine that supposedly offers longer OALs. With Sako type pricing, I'm guessing it will come in at $2k or more IF Beretta elects to import them. If I had to make a prediction, I would say that's probably not the formula for a big winner.
 
Poper said:
I do like the "hunter" configuration. I would really be tempted if it was offered in a 6.5x55 Swede! The 6.5 PRC is interesting, too.
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The one I'd be interested in is the Hunter in .300 Win Mag. Probably the closest thing to an Accuracy International hunting rifle that I could find. Of course, I would have the stock painted or dipped ... maybe an olive drab.
 
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Nice rifle. I'd sure like it D&T'd for a front sight with a comparable rear to mouth to the rail.

Galad to see that factory muzzle-threads are really catching on.

Todd.
 
jmr40 said:
I don't like thumb hole stocks, but that is probably the only negative from my perspective. I'd just as soon have the Precision rifle.
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Is your objection based on function or aesthetics or both? If someone handed you both rifles when your eyes were closed, other than the weight difference you might not know which one your holding since the grip geometry is very similar. I have three rifles with thumbhole stocks and I find that I like them a lot. In this case though I will say that aesthetically I prefer the look of the Precision stock since the Hunter stock is a bit too European looking for my tastes.
 
Poper said:
Like any Sako rifle, they ain't cheap! $1600 - $1700. https://www.eurooptic.com/Sako-S20-Rifles.aspx

I do like the "hunter" configuration. I would really be tempted if it was offered in a 6.5x55 Swede! The 6.5 PRC is interesting, too.
The entry level market is not their target, that's for sure.
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Huh, I didn't realize they had already been imported, I guess that answers the question of stateside availability.

jmr40 said:
I don't like thumb hole stocks, but that is probably the only negative from my perspective. I'd just as soon have the Precision rifle.
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I'm really not big on guns needing to be pretty, but I have to agree, that hunter stock is fugly... Maybe it would work well in practice, but it hurts my eyes. It's also heavier than I like for a naked hunting rifle.

I do think the precision version looks like a more interesting setup, but for a slightly smaller stack of bills, you could put a Tikka CTR in a KRG Bravo and have a much larger aftermarket to play with down the road.

I've read that with restrictions on buying multiple weapons, multipurpose firearms tend to be more popular in Europe then they are over here, perhaps that was the main market for the modular stock idea.
 
Gtscotty said:
I do think the precision version looks like a more interesting setup, but for a slightly smaller stack of bills, you could put a Tikka CTR in a KRG Bravo and have a much larger aftermarket to play with down the road.
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You make an excellent point there re building/assembling something better/cheaper using a Tikka and chassis. Proof isn't the only game in town but they offer pre-fit Tikka barrels too.

https://proofresearch.com/barrels/tikka-pre-fit/

So far this is looking like a bit of a fail if the response here is anything to go by.
 
It occurred to me that the new Hunter stock is very similar to Blaser's R8 Ultimate model that's at least three years old. On a trip to England in September of 2017 I took the photo below at Spartan Precision Equipment's office in Sussex. Interestingly, the top rifle is a Sako.

sako&blaser_r8.jpg
 
Nature Boy said:
accuracy makes up for a lot of ugly.

not saying it’s an ugly rifle at all by the way
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I have no dog in this race, just interested in how these rifles will be received. Honestly, I have no use for the Precision model since I have other rifles that serve a similar purpose and that I'm happy with. The Hunter version holds my interest a little, probably not enough to buy one but I'd like to handle one. I'm not thrilled by the look of the Hunter stock, or the Blaser R8 Ultimate in the photo above. It's a little too "spacy" for my tastes. I do like thumb hole stocks in some applications and find them comfortable and natural to shoot so I tend to shoot them well. I bet the S20 action is super smooth though ... typical Tikka, Sako stuff.

I do wonder why some folks object to thumb hole stocks and am genuinely interested in why.
 
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Not to pile on but another weird aspect of these rifles is that they specifically advertise that their mag boxes allow longer OALs to give reloaders leeway, but then saddle pretty much all their chamberings with relatively slow twists (1:10 for .243, 1:11 for the .30 cals and 1:9.5 for the 7mm Mag. It's like they heard that long range shooters and reloaders like long mag boxes but didn't manage to piece together why. Sometimes with the big gun companies you wonder if they have any real shooters involved in the product development process.

MCMXI said:
I do wonder why some folks object to thumb hole stocks and am genuinely interested in why.
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Not sure. I like some thumbhole stocks better than others, but there is something off-putting about the proportions of lighter weight hunting type thumbhole stocks in general, and that Sako in particular.
 
Gtscotty said:
Not to pile on but another weird aspect of these rifles is that they specifically advertise that their mag boxes allow longer OALs to give reloaders leeway, but then saddle pretty much all their chamberings with relatively slow twists (1:10 for .243, 1:11 for the .30 cals and 1:9.5 for the 7mm Mag. It's like they heard that long range shooters and reloaders like long mag boxes but didn't manage to piece together why. Sometimes with the big gun companies you wonder if they have any real shooters involved in the product development process.
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The twist rates are consistent with that of Tikka so that might have something to do with it. I don't know much about the cost of the mandrels that are used for hammer forged barrels but perhaps given the current market it wasn't an option to update the twist rates. There are many passionate shooters and reloaders at firearms companies that don't have a say in the final product or whose input it summarily dismissed. Sometimes the direction of a company comes down to one loud-mouthed, arrogant, ignorant, blowhard of a bully who makes the decisions. I know of a company just like that. ;)
 
MCMXI said:
It occurred to me that the new Hunter stock is very similar to Blaser's R8 Ultimate model that's at least three years old. On a trip to England in September of 2017 I took the photo below at Spartan Precision Equipment's office in Sussex. Interestingly, the top rifle is a Sako.

View attachment 893891
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OK do you happen to know what that ball protruding from the bottom of the Sako in the picture stock is for !! Help , I have a rifle with one and don't know what it fits !
 
Gordon said:
OK do you happen to know what that ball protruding from the bottom of the Sako in the picture stock is for !! Help , I have a rifle with one and don't know what it fits !
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That particular ball is made by Spartan Precision Equipment in England and typically would be inside the head that accepts tripod legs etc. It slips into a "cup" that's mounted to the forend and is held in place with a rare earth magnet. The website below will explain it all.

https://javelinbipod.com/
 
MCMXI said:
The twist rates are consistent with that of Tikka so that might have something to do with it. I don't know much about the cost of the mandrels that are used for hammer forged barrels but perhaps given the current market it wasn't an option to update the twist rates. There are many passionate shooters and reloaders at firearms companies that don't have a say in the final product or whose input it summarily dismissed. Sometimes the direction of a company comes down to one loud-mouthed, arrogant, ignorant, blowhard of a bully who makes the decisions. I know of a company just like that. ;)
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Lol....

Yeah I'm sure that there is a reason with some financial gravity that they stuck with the old Tikka/Sako twist rates (or alternatively some clueless a-hole who happens to be in charge). I've heard that mandrels are pricey as well, but don't really know. There are other mainstream companies like Kimber, Ruger, and Browning that have made whatever investments they needed to in order to speed up their twists to accommodate modern bullets and tastes though.

Whatever the cause, it just comes off as a half effort, more focused on style than substance. If they had come out with faster twists and appropriate throats to accompany those big mag boxes, say 1:7.7 in 6mm, 1:9 in .30 cal, and 1:8.5 in 7mm (perhaps even 1:8.5 in .277 like the new Fury and Nosler cartridges) the whole package would have been much more interesting.
 
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Gtscotty said:
Whatever the cause, it just comes off as a half effort, more focused on style than substance. If they had come out with faster twists to accompany those big mag boxes, say 1:7.7 in 6mm, 1:9 in .30 cal, and 1:8.5 in 7mm (perhaps even 1:8.5 in .277 like the new Fury and Nosler cartridges) the whole package would have been much more interesting.
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You'll get no argument from me on that. With long for caliber monolithic copper bullets becoming more popular for hunting, every rifle company should be looking at increasing twist rates. 1:10 for a .308 Win is the absolute minimum twist I'd want these days, and if I had a .280 AI or 7mm-08 Rem I'd want 1:8 rather than the standard 1:9. Proof uses a 1:7.5 for their 6.5 PRC barrels even though 1:8 seems to be the norm.
 
I fondled another S20 Precision Rifle today, watched a bunch of Sako videos, listened to the S20 project manager go over the myriad features and even watched some androgynous type take the entire rifle down to the aluminum chassis to swap stocks and forends. I'm convinced that the S20 is the most innovative rifle to come along in years. I don't know if they'll ever offer a folding stock option but these are amazing rifles and I want one. I'd prefer a two-stage trigger which is an option and would most likely buy the Hunter version since it's more than a pound lighter and I might use it for hunting.

The S20 is about as close to an Accuracy International in a hunting weight rifle as can be found. Hard to resist.
 
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