Dakota rifles.

Sako308

Well-Known Member
Anyone here own a Dakota rifle, have always read about and admired them. Apparently they are owned by Remington now and can possibly be imported into the UK on special order. Maybe on the expensive side though.
 
Are you wanting one in a proprietary Dakota cartridge, or a standard cartridge?
Bolt action or single shot?

They are very nice rifles, started by an airline pilot and big game hunter, to fill the void when Winchester stopped making the claw extractor Model 70 for a while.

I had a Beretta Mato .270 Win, which was built on a Dakota action (clone of other Winchester Model 70) and a Walter Lothar barrel, in XX walnut. It was very nice, and would be far less expensive than a Dakota 97, but in a standard long action cartridge. Sold it to a collector.

I know a Dakota dealer here, for a long time. I could ask him about importing into the UK. If you find a used Dakota in the USA, I bet you could get it shipped through Westley Richards, which has a Bozeman, Montana store, and moves things back and forth - paying them a percentage for handling, of course. They could find you one in a skinny minute, too.
 
Would have to be a Model 76 Classic in a standard calibre, do you happen to know the cost of a new one in your part of the world? That usually equates to what it would cost in the UK in pounds.
 
The Dakota rifles can be ordered in all kinds of finish and woods, so there is a wide variety out there, both new on the shelves of stocking dealers, and in the second-hand market - so prices run the range, too. Because the Model 10 single shot lends itself to engraving and very high end wood ( being in two pieces instead of one large one), those prices have a wider range. Don Allen wanted to make a rifle like the Winchester Model 70 Custom Shop, but more choices and his cartridges, but manufactured for less cost than a hand-built custom rifle by one or two builders.

I think my Mato was actually a Model 97 action, which is a bit slimmer than the Model 76. They both take the same bases and rings. Mine came with Talley case-colored bases and rings, and actually said "Dakota" on the action, along with "Beretta" in large script. Mine was an early model, which appeared in the Beretta catalog, for about $2,400.00. Later models just said, "Dakota", and came in a nice Brown Precision synthetic stock, for about $1,100.00. At that time ( c2000), the Dakota 76 in really nice wood was about $3,300.00. I will check with this nearby dealer and get the current prices and check on some used ones.

Europtic is a stocking dealer with a website. Order a Dakota printed catalog, and get on their mailing list. Then e-mail EurooOtic for pricing of something they don't have in stock. Don used to put out a little hunting magazine with stories about his customers' adventures.
 
Thanks for the advice, I had a look at Euro optic, I hadn't quite realised just how expensive these rifles are. $6,280 for the Classic, might need a lottery win for that. I'll keep dreaming for now, besides I love my Winchester 70 in 270 WSM, which is basically the same thing and a hell of a lot cheaper.
 
Well, look for a Beretta Mato, which is unknown to most people. About 2001, Beretta started dropping the Mato, as too expensive for someone trying to break into the hunting rifle market, and cut a deal to have Sako build the 501 short action and 502 long action rifles for them, in standard walnut and Deluxe, for half the retail price of the Mato. Then, about a year later, they bought Sako and Tikka. Also, Don Allen, founder of Dakota, fell ill to cancer in 2002 and passed away in 2003, so all that was in the mix.

I replaced my Mato with a Beretta 501 Deluxe in .308 and it is very nice - again, at a closeout price.

And, yes, the Model 70 in Featherweight or even Supergrade is way cheaper than a Dakota. Even the M70 Custom Shop is half the price, and the current Model 70s are really well made.
 
11666120_1020970201255729_1131733672637968563_n.jpg11701102_1020970177922398_3904986882941014402_n.jpg

Fantastic Rifle this one is in .416 Rigby
This one was sent over to UK from Dekota, that was prior to Remington take over, know i which you all the luck.
As Remington struggle to send Ammo, god knows how long will a Rifle like that will take.
 
I have a Dakota Predator. It's a stunning rifle, a single shot with a smooth bolt, made even better by the fact that Neil Mckillop installed a Jewel trigger and made bases to accept Optilok rings. It's so accurate that I have so far not reloaded for it. It's a.223 and producing hundred yard groups in the .3"'s with RWS factory fodder. Federal goes just sub half inch.
You can forget the whole Remington importer route.
Mik at the Dolphin Gun Company is the UK agent for Dakota.
 
My Dakota ( under the name of Mato) shot groups of 0.8", 0.7", right out of the box with factory ammunition. I have run into several other owners in the area who have .280 Remingtons in the synthetic stocks, and they reported the same. Don Allen was a perfectionist, and that is what he set out to make in a hunting rifle.

Dave Talley, who used to only live about 20 miles from me back then, made for Dakota nice bases, even case colored ones like mine. They still make them.

Some prices of the various Dakota rifles, some in nice walnut as low as $2,400. The Classic Deluxe is like the original model, starts at $5,000 in XX wood.

Dakota Arms Rifles For Sale
 
Last edited:
I have only had hold of them but they appear to be way better than the run of the mill rifle at prices which are affordable.
 
Back
Top