sako A7 308 Ammo Advice

bryn

Well-Known Member
Just bought a sako A7 in 308 and would like some advice please from anyone with experience of the rifle and suitable ammo.
I gave some Sako 150g super hammer heads a go this afternoon and was getting a 3 inch group which I feel sure can be bettered. However I will give the rifle a clean and try again with them.

I've got a box of Federal 150g soft points which I will try over the next few days and hope to buy a box of Sako 123g soft points which I understand shoot well (not sure about the meat damage though).

As always very much appreciated.

bryn
 
I've got a Sako 85 in.308 which I'm guessing has the same 20" barrel fitted with a moderator and I've always used Sako 123g without any problems. 1" groups are the norm. I've also tried Remington 150gr Core Lokt and Hornady 150gr SST and if anything they shot smaller groups. Although RWS 150gr cone points weren't quite so good in my rifle. Handloads will shoot groups the size of my thumbnail at 100m.

If you can't get better precision than 3 moa send it back. I believe Sako are the only manufacturer to offer an accuracy guarantee of 1 moa with factory ammo; take advantage of it.
CH
 
I bought an A7 last year. Shot it in a bit and first shot in anger with Leupold scope bought off this site was a 285 yard rook. Spot on. Finished off after two more shots at a 485 yard stone. Oh yes Norma 150 grain ballistic tips. I don't reload. They seem to do fine! Very accurate rifle.
 
You may have gotten a bad box of ammo. I once got some Hornady like that. Then read online where someone had the same result, pulled bullets from the rest of the ammo to salvage the components and found the charge weight varied. So he reloaded them all with the average powder charge, and they shot terrific groups.
 
H,i i have been using 150gn sako hammerheads in a .308 sauer 202, it shoots a nice tight group that could not be improved by reloading,

cheers Geoff
 
I tried the Sako 123g Gameheads in my Tikka T3, and my groups tightened a LOT compared to 150g Federals. So worth trying the lighter bullet, especially since, being so much lighter than the 150g bullets you have been shooting, the group size may well change significantly, one way or another. If it does not, then really worth checking everything associated with the rifle. Maybe even remove and re-fit the scope.
 
Looks like problem solved.
I stuck with the Sako Super Hammerheads 150g. However before I shot them again I gave the rifle a scrub with a nylon brush and some bore shine put some patches through until clean and then just to be sure I gave the barrel a soak with some forest foam. Then patched until clean and then made sure the mounts etc were all tight.
Took the rifle out and after a little scope adjustment it was thumb nail stuff.

Thanks for your help and comments,
bryn
 
Last edited:
Looks like problem solved.
I stuck with the Sako Super Hammerheads 150g. However before I shot them again I gave the rifle a scrub with a nylon brush and some bore shine put some patches through until clean and then just to be sure I gave the barrel a soak with some forest foam. Then patched until clean and then made sure the mounts etc were all tight.
Took the rifle out and after a little scope adjustment it was thumb nail stuff.

Thanks for your help and comments,
bryn


There you go, sorted with a little maintenance.
 
Glad to hear its worked out. Theres nothing worse than getting a new rifle for it to shoot badly! you can lose faith very quickly.

It must have been really dirty for it to go from 3" to thumb nail... scrub scrub scrub
 
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