Custom or off the shelf?

[wildfowler.250]

Folks, here’s what I hope is a straightforward question..

I like the look of the sako 90 quest. The rrp seems quite high at £3.5k .


Are you 1) cheaper and 2) end up with a better end product getting a smith to put a PSE stock, action and barrel together from scratch? Stock about £1k? Barrel about £1k? Action £300? + time presumably.

Or do they come out pretty similar? Obviously there’s a time factor to off the shelf vs custom as well.

I’m sure some folk have done both and will have opinions. Cheers!

 

[Scuffy]

If you go the semi custom route you get the rifle you want.

 

[alun1960]

Rebarreled a tikka 243 1.8 twist in a pse stock with lop to fit and love it more than when it was standard , just fits better and feels right .

 

[geoshot]

Semi-custom is unlikely to be cheaper
You'll probably get closer to what you want with a semi-custom

I got rid of my semi-custom 30-06
Have kept a modified Parker-Hale .375H&H
My current go to rifle is a bog standard Sako S20

But I love(d) all of them in their own way, despite none of them being exactly the rifle I want(ed)
To build, or even to find someone who could/would build exactly to customer's specifications is likely to be difficult-impossible, prohibitively expensive to all but a few plus the lead time would likely hurt too

 

[NickJ]

I have a factory Sako and a custom rifle in the cupboard, they are both great rifles

I think for similar money to the new Sako you could just about get something built - upsides is A. it would be to your exact spec B. probably more accurate C. unique. Downsides are A. would not hold it's value as well as factory B. the wait

I too would go for older Sako action into a PSE

 

[wytonpjs]

@BE Precision

 

[wytonpjs]

I like the look of the sako 90 quest. The rrp seems quite high at £3.5k .

Are you 1) cheaper and 2) end up with a better end product getting a smith to put a PSE stock, action and barrel together from scratch? Stock about £1k? Barrel about £1k? Action £300? + time presumably.

I liked the look of them too but baulked at the price, even though it's probably the last rifle I'll buy! I went with a Tikka T3X Cerakote in .270 20" and popped it into my spare ex-308 Wideland Veil stock (to which I'd fitted a Kalix cheek rest). That stock weighs less than the MDT HNT26 stock that the .308 went into! Result, I have a superbly lightweight and extremely capable replacement .270 for half the price of the Sako 90 and I won't be upset as much if it gets scratched in use!

 

[enfieldspares]

If you go the semi custom route you get the rifle you want.

And that, when it comes to move it on, nobody else does want. So when that time comes its residual value can be shockingly low.

 

[Border]

Bottom line.
Will it do anything your current rifle doesn't

 

[Scuffy]

And that, when it comes to move it on, nobody else does want. So when that time comes its residual value can be shockingly low.

Why would you want to move on a rifle that has been made to your spec ?
I have a custom rifle that over the years has been 3 different calibres, it has 2 stocks for target and hunting. You could offer me double what I paid for it and I’d not sell!

 

[paulbshooting]

Custom rifle is great but resale not so.
Been there with an RPA a few years ago now. Bought an R8 and never looked back. Fits me well and shoots great.

 

[BE Precision]

T3 actions in stock, barrels in stock, mdt stocks in stock, PSE order shipping tomorrow, a couple not allocated…wouldn’t take long.

And “D”, you’d have someone to look after you if there was ever an issue.

 

[JohnM70]

I have a custom rifle that over the years has been 3 different calibres, it has 2 stocks for target and hunting.

Sounds like Trigger’s broom…

 

[Tim.243]

Folks, here’s what I hope is a straightforward question..

I like the look of the sako 90 quest. The rrp seems quite high at £3.5k .


Are you 1) cheaper and 2) end up with a better end product getting a smith to put a PSE stock, action and barrel together from scratch? Stock about £1k? Barrel about £1k? Action £300? + time presumably.

Or do they come out pretty similar? Obviously there’s a time factor to off the shelf vs custom as well.

I’m sure some folk have done both and will have opinions. Cheers!

look at sales stats of std to custom then the s/hand stats of both. You can miss (and will) with both types just the custom miss is more £££

 

[pablo.222]

Having the same thoughts myself.
Have a .243 Tikka M595 fitted in a GRS
1, Re-barrel in .22-250 or 22creed with fast twist.
2, sell the .243 and buy a new rifle in calibre i want. Sako is crazy money i think.

Looking at costs i could get alot more for my money with a new barrel than a new rifle?
Would it please me more? Would it shoot better?

Choices choices.

 

[kenbro]

Why would you want to move on a rifle that has been made to your spec ?
I have a custom rifle that over the years has been 3 different calibres, it has 2 stocks for target and hunting. You could offer me double what I paid for it and I’d not sell!

I’m always surprised at how many custom made rifles appear for sale after a short time and having had not much use.
Ken.

 

[tackb]

i'd go the semi custom route (and did do decades ago) you can have what you like just make sure you pick a base that is well supported in the aftermarket

 

[Ronin]

You make your own choices

Factory will be functional, but not exactly what you want

3.5k seems a lot for a factory Sako unless it has graded wood or a carbon stock ?

You could build on a used action such as T3 or Remington clone custom (used) put into a pse quality barrel and mag system and have quite a bit of change left

 

[Ronin]

I’m always surprised at how many custom made rifles appear for sale after a short time and having had not much use.
Ken.

Yup

Never ever understood why that is

You see them coming up all the time

It also astounds me how much people get charged by “insert name here “ rifle builder (s)

 

[JohnM70]

Yup

Never ever understood why that is

You see them coming up all the time

It also astounds me how much people get charged by “insert name here “ rifle builder

There is so little money in the game people charge far too much for bolting a few off the shelf bits together.