Sauer 101 XT Classic

Evillemon

Well-Known Member
Just wondered if anyone has shot or owns one of the Sauer 101's, am currently considering either one of these or a SAKO 85.. My RFD can offer me them within a £150 of each other which im not overly fussed about...

i would apprecaite any advice anyone can give, opinions on their performance and suitability as a stalking rifle

thanks

Tim
 
Hi Tim

I'm a big Sauer fan and went down to the Ivythorn's open day and tried one out. There a very capable rifle, proper Sauer quality. Mate there was a thread about the 101 back along, do a search and it should pop up.
 
I spoke with someone last week who was using a 101, he told me that the trigger was non adjustable, which I find hard to believe, however I would look Into that one before I bought one...I like Sauer and use a 202 myself, but looking at the 101 personally I would be going down the Sako route...HTH
 
I spoke with someone last week who was using a 101, he told me that the trigger was non adjustable, which I find hard to believe, however I would look Into that one before I bought one...I like Sauer and use a 202 myself, but looking at the 101 personally I would be going down the Sako route...HTH

From what ive read it is fixed at 2lbs pressure and its supposedly creep free and properly crisp - "one of the best factory triggers" (cant remember where i read that)

Im not closer to making a decision. Another thing thats got me confused is that in some pictures the SAKO 85 hunter (wood stock) has two metal bits, i assume the block cut into the stock where as in other pics the two circles arent there at all?? ..additionally i really dont like the red butt pad either which is pictured in most SAKO 85 pics but not all, sometimes its shown with a black butt pad ???? apparently the butt pads are fixed and not changeable.

The Sauer sounds like its a great gun, not many people have bad thing to say about it, and at £150 more its not going to break the bank. However the forwards QD stud is not fixed in a position which will allow bipod so if you want to fix one at any time then youd have to drill the stock or get a gunsmith to fit it for you if you wanted it done to a professional standard (have messed it up before so id have to do that doh !)954b55ebb9dcd431238127951.jpg2277851_01_sako_85_hunter_338winmag_640.jpg
 

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From what ive read it is fixed at 2lbs pressure and its supposedly creed creep and properly crisp - "one of the best factory triggers" (cant remember where i read that)

Im not closer to making a decision. Another thing thats got me stuped is that in some pictures the SAKO 85 hunter (wood stock) has two metal bits, i assume the block cut into the stock where as in other pics the two circles are there ?? .. really dont like the red butt pad either which is pictured in most SAKO 85 pics but not all ???? apparently the butt pads are fixed and not changeable.

The Sauer sounds like its a great gun, not many people have bad thing to say about it, and at £150 more its not going to break the bank. However the forwards QD stuff is not fixed in a position which will allow bipod so if you want to fix one at any time then youd have to drill the stock or get a gunsmith to fit it for you if you wanted it done to a professional standard (have messed it up before so id have to do that doh !)View attachment 34863View attachment 34864

Hi, like most things there are pros and cons, one of the attractions of the sauer is the 6 lug bolt which locks Into the barrel, a reassuring point... Best to get out there and try them both for fit, performance and whichever appeals to you most...exciting times!...Enjoy
 
I see your problem, there both very nice and capable bits of kit. As Sparko says the only way to tell is try them... But that's not that easy! I've shot both and it's not an easy call..... The engineering in the Sauer is excellent but the Sako had more options for alterations down the line....
 
Go with whichever feels the most natural to you. Probably six of one and two threes in terms of which is the better.
 
I have an admittedly irrational hatred of Sauers based on several encounters with deeply irksome Sauer owners.

There's a category of rifles that appears to almost exclusively be bought in the heady flush of conspicuous consumption following the first big bonus of a career in the financial services industry - and Sauers seem to be firmly in that category.
 
From what ive read it is fixed at 2lbs pressure and its supposedly creep free and properly crisp - "one of the best factory triggers" (cant remember where i read that)

Im not closer to making a decision. Another thing thats got me confused is that in some pictures the SAKO 85 hunter (wood stock) has two metal bits, i assume the block cut into the stock where as in other pics the two circles arent there at all?? ..additionally i really dont like the red butt pad either which is pictured in most SAKO 85 pics but not all, sometimes its shown with a black butt pad ???? apparently the butt pads are fixed and not changeable.

The Sauer sounds like its a great gun, not many people have bad thing to say about it, and at £150 more its not going to break the bank. However the forwards QD stud is not fixed in a position which will allow bipod so if you want to fix one at any time then youd have to drill the stock or get a gunsmith to fit it for you if you wanted it done to a professional standard (have messed it up before so id have to do that doh !)View attachment 34863View attachment 34864


The two bolts are on the magnum calibers only, buy the Sako and you won't be disappointed buy the sauer and you will, I have an 85 varmint in 223 and was looking for something a bit nicer in 308 and ordered a sauer 202 elegance and when it arrived I was so ****ed off I sent it back due to the really bad wood to metal finish you could see daylight around the whole action and the wood touching the forend was a joke, I'm ordering another sako instead.

 
My preference would be for the Sauer. When I shot one (at Ivythorn - Thanks, Steve) I found it both handy and accurate. The non-adjustable trigger is a non-issue as it really leaves nothing to be desired out of the box. The rest of the rifle is the same. It's not a gun for tinkerers: it's a gun for unpacking, zeroing and shooting.

The Sako is far from being a bad rifle, of course, and is offered in a much wider range of chamberings, styles and finishes, but if it's a basic Hunter model in a common calibre you have in mind I think the Sauer has the edge on account of being almost half-a-pound lighter and having a stock design that seems to be better suited to scope use, quicker into the aim, and better at directing recoil along the axis of the rifle.

But... +1 on trying both before you decide!
 
The two bolts are on the magnum calibers only, buy the Sako and you won't be disappointed buy the sauer and you will, I have an 85 varmint in 223 and was looking for something a bit nicer in 308 and ordered a sauer 202 elegance and when it arrived I was so ****ed off I sent it back due to the really bad wood to metal finish you could see daylight around the whole action and the wood touching the forend was a joke, I'm ordering another sako instead.


Thats the complete opposite of what I experienced, I looked at both Sako and Sauer and the sauer felt WAY better built, although I was looking at synthetic stocked rifles, the grey finish on the sako also put me off as i saw a couple of older ones and the stocks do not wear well.

The best idea is to try both.

Regards,
Gixer
 
Bought myself a new Sauer 101xt in May. .243 flavour, fit's me a treat. Took me 10 minutes with an allen key to set the trigger weight to 20 ozs (1.2 lbs) can be adjusted lighter still but that's where I like all my triggers. just a little lock tight on the threads, moves quite easy. Took a little longer to fit a stud for a bipod as I made a stainless 3mm plate to fit inside the forend for extra support, although the correct hole position is marked inside allready. Shoots lovely 1/2" groups with 80gr speer home loads. No regrets what so ever.
 
Again, thank you all very much for taking the time to give me your input. I do really appreciate it.. i am however still totally stuck - its really neck and neck for me. There are clearly pros and cons to both models. I think i really wont know until i can get the chance to hold both, doubtful ill be able to shoot them before i buy bold holding will be good enough.. Shame none of my local RFDs have either in stock so looks like ill soon be doing a bit of driving if i want to get any closer to the answer !!! hahahahah

will keep you all posted
tim
 
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2013/03/new-sauer-101-hunting-rifle-from-j-p-sauer-sohn/ is worth a read. I wouldn't buy either of your current picks. If you look at my Gallery you can see where I've ended up after 20 years of buying and selling rifles.
​Regards
JCS

Hi JCS, point made, but as you know there's a difference between the rifles that aficionados like to tinker with to get just right, and rifles that simply do the job they need to do straight out of the box.

Accurate Shooter readers -and I'm a regular one- tend to think everything should fit the first category and want to replace everything on a production rifle with some after-market upgrade.

To my mind, the appeal of the S101 is that you get a handy rifle that will hit what you point it at a sensible ranges with no need to do anything more than fit a scope and add ammunition.

It helps that it has a famous name behind it, but I suspect I would like it for what it does even if it said, I don't know... Mossberg... or GSG (!) on the box.

Tim,

you're choosing a rifle, not a bride, and changing your mind later -should you want to- will be commensurately easier. Either way -Sako or Sauer- you won't go wrong.

Drew,

I'm interested and pleased to hear the trigger is adjustable after all -though personally I wouldn't have wanted it any lighter than the factory setting. But then my "just-right" is your "too-heavy" and your "just-right" is my "woah-there!". So hurrah for adjustability: everyone can get what they want!
 
Well said Mr Gain. A few good friends shoot Sako's equally as well as my 101 or mates 202. I think it really is down to which ever you find more pleasing when actually handling. Evillemon, if you can wait till the shooting show at Stoneleigh (14th, 15th and 16th of Feb) you can handle both. Take your fac and credit card and have fun. If not, Garlands is well worth a trip up from Watford, they have a 110yrd range and 101's in stock.
 
Sadly i will be on a stag do in poland of all places ...needless to say id rather be in stoneleigh shooting guns..it would probably be much cheaper for me as well - #sigh
 
I have one in 0.243, I find it incredibly accurate. Using Federal 100g softpoints, it keyholes at 100m. I am really pleased with it. Trigger is very crisp, I fired a few rounds just before I meant to when I first zeroed it, but they only missed the bull by about 2cm. Feels really good in the hands. First fallow, the round went through both ventricles at 110m! Love it.
 
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