Apples vs Oranges. Savage vs Sako. Worth 3x the cost?

[Scorch]

Yugo's were mechanically an old worn out Fiat and very poor quality. And barely functional!
The Savage is not flashy but is well made and far from poor quality.
It is every bit as functional as the Sako.

No, I think it is a fair comparison. When brand new, Yugos were purely functional. They got you from here to there without any luxuries (some may say without even the required luxuries). But they ran. Savages look like a toothache, big ole barrel nut holding the mousetrap together, trigger group made out of stamped sheet metal and a poor casting, and the rest of the metal looks like it was finished with a file. But they shoot.

It really is about how fine of a mechanism you want, though. Savages work fine and will last years, Sakos look good, work very well, and you will probably want to pass them down to your grandchildren. Is it worth 3X the price? That's a question you will have to answer for yourself.

[Blade37db]

Thanks for the replies guys.
I'm not looking for heirloom rifles. No kids/grandkids to leave 'em to.

[Guv]

Originally Posted by Scorch

No, I think it is a fair comparison. When brand new, Yugos were purely functional. They got you from here to there without any luxuries (some may say without even the required luxuries). But they ran. Savages look like a toothache, big ole barrel nut holding the mousetrap together, trigger group made out of stamped sheet metal and a poor casting, and the rest of the metal looks like it was finished with a file. But they shoot.

It really is about how fine of a mechanism you want, though. Savages work fine and will last years, Sakos look good, work very well, and you will probably want to pass them down to your grandchildren. Is it worth 3X the price? That's a question you will have to answer for yourself.

The engines burned oil, they had very poor crash safety and they were very unreliable.
They were a copy of an older outdated Fiat!

So what part of gun ownership involving a Savage corresponds with these downfalls in the actual product?
Other than esthetics and price (which I am not saying is not justified, depends on what you want) what functional problems does the Savage have?

Yugo's of the gun world would be Ravens and RG's, not Savages.

[konstan]

With Savage you can replace barrels by yourself. That's Yuuuge.

[konstan]

Originally Posted by Blade37db

Thanks for the replies guys.
I'm not looking for heirloom rifles. No kids/grandkids to leave 'em to.

Savage or Ruger American have your name all over them. I have a hard time justifying spending over 500 on a new rifle that I know cost them, what, 50-150 bucks to produce?

In fact all my over-$500 purchase some are M1 garands or carbines, with the occasional Henry Big Boy thrown in because I like them... sorry if this qualifies as a 'rant'...

[Don Fischer]

Go out and buy one of each. Shoot them both and keep the most accurate one, sell the other!

[2wheelwander]

A Shelby Mustang and Ferrari 458 will both run the 1/4 in about 11 seconds.

How good do you need to look at the finish line?

As they say, the devil is in the details. In one day I got to shoot a Ruger Precision, Barrett .50 in both semi and bolt actions, and an SSG3000 and a few others I can't remember the names of at a 600 yard range. Everything had Nightforce scopes on them minus the Ruger which had a Bushnell. Hands down that SSG was pure sex with a scope on it. Was it 3x more accurate than the Ruger? Nope. But the prom queen and the class nerd have the same equipment as well.

[fourbore]

I think the analogy of sexy vs pure performance hold true for the Tikka vs Sako comparison. If you toss in Savage you do not get the same performance.

Performance covers quite a lot. A good trigger, ergonomics of the stock and accuracy of the barrel, bedding. Even QC is a very real consideration.

The OP says he cannot find a Sako to examine. I guess he means he cannot find the exact model he is considering. He should have no problem to find something in an 85. I do understand there is no substitute for seeing the actual gun. I recently handled a carbon fiber sako 85. There is no analogy here. You got to get your hands on one. Now he comes here to ask and as far as I can tell nobody has this model either. Wrong forum?

If you need some one else to make up your mind. Then you may look for a forum where members actually shoot higher end rifles. I wish I could offer more. I am on a fixed income, if you follow that. All I can say is if I could afford my sako, I would have it. It is not like a bad marriage, you can always get out from under a bad gun decision.

The European buyers even have the option for a set trigger on the sako. I doubt you see that in the use. Maybe the 85 Bavarian. That option makes for a very versatile gun where unset you get a good field trigger and set it makes a great range trigger. I have this in several other rifles. I would call this an under appreciated option. That is being kind.

[fourbore]

From the sako web site.

The weight of pull of the single- stage Sako 85 trigger unit is adjustable from 1 to 2 kg (2–4 lbs). An optional single-set trigger is available for most Sako 85 models. All Sako 85 rifles have an extremely durable, all-steel trigger guard that protects the trigger. An exception to this are the Finnlight and Carbonlight models, which have a lightweight hard-anodized aluminium trigger guard.

I wonder if those making the replies are even looking at the specs & features on the gun in question?

[Guv]

So a sexy looking gun shoots better than a plain one??
And a Ferrari beats other manufactures in every racing contest??

Looks are not performance, ergonomics and smoothness of operation can be tied into performance though.

[Scorch]

The engines burned oil, they had very poor crash safety and they were very unreliable.
They were a copy of an older outdated Fiat!

So what part of gun ownership involving a Savage corresponds with these downfalls in the actual product?

Well, the barrels copper foul badly (Savage shooters love to talk about copper solvents), the sheet metal triggers wear and develop issues after about 1,000 rounds (so the manufacturer put a safety lever on the trigger so it won't fall off), and they are a 3rd generation copy of a 60 year old design that was never a good design to begin with. But other than that, I got nothing.

Oh, yeah, I know, all the Savage fans like them because they shoot well and they are cheap. So there's another similarity to a Yugo, cheap. I apologize if this offends anyone's sensibilities, but I don't own any plastic stocked rifles that have a nut to hold the barrel on and a screw to hold the bolt together.

[Husqvarna]

The mustang and the ferrari might do the same speed on a 1/4

But as soon as there is a turn the mustang is lost

Same with the savage and sako
Easily replaced barrels on the savage, ok good

Sako you dont have to change the barrel

Same accuracy when shooting prone or from a bench, Perhaps
Most my shooting is done freehand, none static targets, snapshots
Stuff like balance, swing and feel are important

[Bottom Gun]

I’ve had my share of Remingtons, Savages, Marlins, etc over the years and found them to be mostly good guns but I was never quite satisfied and always wanted to upgrade my collection. I also found that I enjoy shooting better quality firearms more than I like shooting WalMart grade guns.
I justify the extra cost of a quality firearm by planning to keep it long term, as in forever. I bought my first Sako rifle 41 yr ago. I still have it and I shoot it regularly. At the time it probably cost about $100-$150 more than a Remington 700 or a Savage. If you average that additional cost over the length of my ownership, it has cost me less than $4 per year to shoot Sako instead of a less expensive rifle.
These days most of the bolt actions in my safe are either Sako or Anschutz. They are some of the finest rifles I have ever used. They work best for me in both hunting and target shooting and I don’t mind paying a few dollars more for firearms that fit me better and I enjoy shooting more.
I would suggest that you buy what you really want even if you have to save for a while to get it. You’ll feel better about owning it and it’s nice to have a rifle you can be proud of.
A quality firearm is an investment. A high quality firearm will appreciate more than a run of the mill gun. They are similar to coins in that respect. The better the quality, the more valuable they will be later. Most of my Sako and Anschutz rifles are now worth twice or three times what I originally paid for them. Meanwhile, my Remingtons and other such less costly rifles have mostly flat-lined in value.
My two cents . . . . . . . . . .

[Guv]

1) A new GT 350 Mustang will hammer a New Ferrari in a straight line and around corners!
If your talking super rare exclusive Ferrari's Ford has a car for them to.

2)What Savage bolt rifle cost the same as a Remington 700 BDL 40 years ago, maybe a 99.

I have a junk Ruger 77/22 that I paid $300.00 for about 25 years back.
Price a nice used walnut 77/22 now, prices are crazy. Any reasonable gun will appreciate in value.

Sorry, didn't mean to say a Ruger was a reasonable gun.

[Dufus]

Even though a Savage will shoot super accurate out of the box, the bores look like a mill file with a bore scope. They are a night mare to clean properly.

I shot three rounds and it had copper streaks 10-11" long in the bore.

I sent it back to Savage and they put a barrel on it that was in worse shape the the original barrel. The trigger was 7 pounds. I got it down to just a tad under 4. Not even talking about the stock.

[Rifletom]

Dang, some pretty crazy replies comparing Sako's to Savage's regarding how well one might be built than the other or difference in cost. I bought my Sako from an older fella I knew for $400.00. At that price, I considered that way over a Savage. Or a Remington and some others for that matter. That was an opportunity I was not going to pass on.

[Bottom Gun]

It's good manners to wear a ski mask when you steal Sako rifles for $400.

[Rifletom]

LOL! When he talked to me about it, we were both hunters in the Bridgeport/Bodie area of Ca. Him waaay before me, but, that is how we came to know each other. He showed me that Sako; oh, how I liked that rifle. But, I had a Ruger MKII I was using, so, I was good. When he could no longer hunt, he gave me a call and made the offer. I was at his retirement home the next day. We talked about old hunts for a bit, then he brought out the Sako. The last deer I shot was with that rifle. In Bodie. I still take it to the range. It isn't going anywhere. RIP Chuck. And thanks for great memories and a great rifle.

[jackstrawIII]

In my opinion, both Sako and Savage are good guns that are worth buying. So how to decide? Ask yourself what you want. If you'll be 100% satisfied with the Savage, then buy it and be happy. If you really want the Sako and it will make you smile every time you use it, then buy it and be happy.

The comparison to luxury vs commuter car is a perfect analogy. Both get you from point A to point B. Some people just get more enjoyment out of doing it in style... others couldn't care less.

Both are right.

[Blade37db]

Thanks again for the replies.
I wasn't looking for a direct comparison between the two brands (hence the title "Apples vs. Oranges"). Was just asking what made a Sako 3x more and was it truly worth it.

Sounds like the net is Sako has better fit & finish, better barrels and maybe prettier (in the eye of the beholder). Accuracy at the distance I will shoot (sub 250 yards) will be comparable given my shooting skills. The Sako will probably hold its value a little better long term, but then again, you're only paying $500 or so for a Savage.

Thanks for the education!

[cje1980]

+1 on the Tikka. I don't think Sako is worth it. I think the Tikka T3 series rifles are the best rifle in their price range and are consistently well built and accurate rifles. I've had two Savage centerfire rifles (6.5x284 and 30-06) and they both had average at best accuracy. I've owned and currently own two Tikkas (6.5x55 and 300 WM) and they are scary accurate. Very smooth bolt travel. They are just well put together guns. I've been all over the place with rifles. Savage, Remington, Weatherby Vanguard. None of them really come close to the Tikkas that I've handled.

[cje1980]

Dufus, I agree. While I agree that most Savages out of the box are going to be pretty accurate the fit and finish leaves a lot to be desired. I've had a few that had very rough bores and chambers that left marks on spent casings. High volume shooters are going to notice these issues much more than the guy that fires 10 rounds a year. When you shoot several hundred rifle rounds a year you have to clean it frequently and thoroughly and a bore with a bunch of tooling marks doesn't clean out so well.

[stagpanther]

Cheapest rifle I ever bought was a savage axis in 308 Couldn't stand the thing--kept shooting sub MOA and one hole groups, had to get rid of it.