Quality lefty factory rifle - any factory rifle better than a Sauer 202 Synchro XT

[lambic]

Apologies if done to death.

I am limited to a single 270 deer rifle. Cannot justify the cost of a custom, but not overly keen on the T3 Lite, despite excellent value for money and reviews.

As a lefty looking for a left handed thumbhole stock with a left handed bolt, the options are extremely limited.

Is there a better left handed 270 rifle than the Sauer for the money (I appreciate T3 is probably far better value but there is something about the stock and action I did not like after handling a Sauer 101)

Many thanks

 

[takbok]

There's a lefty tikka M65 with a very tidy wood stock in Grahams, Inverness. Barrel looked a bit rough but it is only £395, so you could get rebarreled? I've got a lefty t3 lite stainless synthetic if you wanted a 2nd look/try - it's very accurate with super smooth action, but can appreciate it if you just don't like them. Cheers, Rory

 

[takbok]

http://www.rmacleod.co.uk/RIFLE PRICE LIST.pdf

They've got a sako 85 and Mauser 2000 in left hand - well worth a look.

They're meant to be a good dealer.

Here's the link to the tikka mentioned earlier:

http://www.grahamsofinverness.co.uk/product/m65-270-centrefire-rifle

 

[BIG DADDY]

I am also a lefty and was faced with the same problem albeit I wanted a synthetic stock which resulted in the purchase of a T3. The Tikka is a good functional piece of kit but I still prefer the look/feel of the Sako. I contacted gmk and they suggested that sako might​ start producing their synthetic stocks for us lefties in the future.

 

[JasonH]

Go with a wooden stocked 202 then you get the LH palm swell which the Synthetic does not have. People get overly paranoid about wood stocked rifles in my opinion. You can always steam out scratches and refinish them when the time comes. Yes they are known to warp but unless you are off to Alaska or a rainforest not so much of an issue. I own a couple of 202's and a T3 lite stainless all LH the Tikka shoots just as well as the Sauer but yes does not have the feel of a Sauer. Contact Steve at Ivythorn and egg him to find you a nice SH 202.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

It depends what constitutes "better" for you. I have heard the 202 critisised for being "heavy". I expect I could happily live with one though.

What about a new Remington 700 with a Boyds LH thumbhole? You'd be money in on Sauer, you'd have a spare stock, and a rifle you could upgrade for any future desire or whim.

Yes are options as lefties are limited, but a little imagination can go a long way!

 

[gixer1]

No is the simple answer, you'll struggle to find anything that tops the Sauer, that's the reason they are a top end production rifle, if all you base the decision on is accuracy though then you will get something that's just as accurate as any other rifle for half the price of a T3 even!

My opinion is there are plenty of good rifles (its pretty rare to find any rifle that is inaccurate) but as a nice object to own there is so much more to a rifle and the Sauer has the accuracy, ergonomics, engineering prowess and the reputation.

And my opinion is based on owning both a Tikka and Sauer at the moment - the Tikka is great but not in the same league as the Sauer.

Regards,

Gixer

 

[caorach]

Do Blaser do a thumbhole in left handed as well?

Truth is you'll not get a nicer rifle that will shoot any better than the sauer, especially if you go the custom route, but the Blaser might be worth looking at as well.

 

[lambic]

Thanks Gents.

I generally positive response which is as good as could be hoped for on the SD

I have been in touch with Ivythorn. I guess if Sauer are a little heavy that is not necessarily a bad thing for a 270, plus I am fairly weighty myself. There is apparently a 202 Supreme for the UK market which has a fluted barrel and wooden stock for less money than the Synchro (2500 for supreme and 2800 for synchro xt).

Blaser do an R8 Professional Success, which is a synthetic thumbhole. Looks like another 1k more than the Sauers.

Will have a drive to Mcleod's and see what they have once I get back home from work

Cheers

 

[bri 243]

If you like the 202 , but can't find lh , why not think about a grs stock , they are a great addition to any 202 , hope this is of intrest , atb in your search Brian

 

[BIG DADDY]

Does sauer do a left handed synthetic model?

 

[Heym SR20]

Sako 85 worth a look as they now do left handed version

or have a good look at the old Mauser 2000 / Heym sr20 (differently badged but pretty much the same) or the current Heym sr21.

Sauer 202 is nice if you like it - I don't because they don't fit me.

 

[BIG DADDY]

Thanks for that, was after a synthetic stock preferably.

 

[Muir]

And my opinion is based on owning both a Tikka and Sauer at the moment - the Tikka is great but not in the same league as the Sauer.

Regards,

Gixer

The Tikka is a shooting and killing machine. I have bought four of them in the last 4 years. (I regret not buying the left handed, stainless T-3 lite that came through last January. I thought that a left handed rifle fired by a right handed person could be operated very quickly.) Sauers are nice rifles but for that kind of coinage, you tend to worry about them. The Tikkas I can drag over rocks and across barbed wire and not give a whit. Less than 7 pounds loaded, consistent sub MOA accuracy. I love 'em.

A thumb hole on a big game rifle??? Never.~Muir

 

[lambic]

Thanks for input gents.

Muir - do you not approve of a thumb hole stock on a 270 for practical reasons or just not to your taste?

Tikka T3 are obviously excellent value. Many people have told me to go down the synthetic and stainless Lite route. People who know 100 x more than me.....I probably should take heed of that really.

Looking on the web, is the Sauer 202 production being ended and the new 404 is being launched in March for a few hundred quid more......?? Could be wrong of course.

The Sako and Heym look like nice rifles as well.

Wood does look and feel so much better than synthetic

Cheers

James

 

[gixer1]

The Tikka is a shooting and killing machine. I have bought four of them in the last 4 years. (I regret not buying the left handed, stainless T-3 lite that came through last January. I thought that a left handed rifle fired by a right handed person could be operated very quickly.) Sauers are nice rifles but for that kind of coinage, you tend to worry about them. The Tikkas I can drag over rocks and across barbed wire and not give a whit. Less than 7 pounds loaded, consistent sub MOA accuracy. I love 'em.

A thumb hole on a big game rifle??? Never.~Muir

that really depends how you look at it - some people might say why spend the extra money on a tikka whe you can go get a Howa or Mossberg that can be just as accurate and you don't need to worry about.

its a balance, and the Sauers for me are worthy every penny - the stocks are the same synthetic as all othe rifles so they too can be dragged over rocks and the ilaflon coating would mostly stand up to it better than the Tikka's finish...

and bs you don't have to listen to that hollow cheap sound when you knock something against a Sauer stock...which can't be said for the Tikka I'm afraid.

Regards
Gixer

 

[Muir]

that really depends how you look at it - some people might say why spend the extra money on a tikka whe you can go get a Howa or Mossberg that can be just as accurate and you don't need to worry about.

its a balance, and the Sauers for me are worthy every penny - the stocks are the same synthetic as all othe rifles so they too can be dragged over rocks and the ilaflon coating would mostly stand up to it better than the Tikka's finish...

and bs you don't have to listen to that hollow cheap sound when you knock something against a Sauer stock...which can't be said for the Tikka I'm afraid.

Regards
Gixer

And there's the difference: I don't worry about such things. I like reliable accuracy from a rifle I can let the environment abuse. I don't care how well the finish stands up; a rifle that isn't scarred from long hunts was just taken for walks in the woods. ~Muir

PS: FWIW. Mossbergs are nasty rifles and Howas cost more than Tikka T-3's here in my neck of the woods....

 

[gixer1]

And there's the difference: I don't worry about such things. I like reliable accuracy from a rifle I can let the environment abuse. I don't care how well the finish stands up; a rifle that isn't scarred from long hunts was just taken for walks in the woods. ~Muir

PS: FWIW. Mossbergs are nasty rifles and Howas cost more than Tikka T-3's here in my neck of the woods....

Thats is just my point - you say mossbergs are nasty rifles - but they will perform the task all day long, you could say that it's the same looking at a tikka when compared to a Sauer - they are "nasty" but the fact is they all will do the job.

most rifles will shoot adequatly and provide long reliability - it's the small details
that make us like a particular make and model.

I guess what im saying is they will do the job but some just do a range of things better - and that's the reason some are priced higher. I'd be really disappointed if my tikka cost the same as my Sauer, but I don't expect the same level of smooth function from the tikka that I do from the Sauer.

regards,
Gixer

 

[Muir]

Thats is just my point - you say mossbergs are nasty rifles - but they will perform the task all day long, you could say that it's the same looking at a tikka when compared to a Sauer - they are "nasty" but the fact is they all will do the job.

most rifles will shoot adequatly and provide long reliability - it's the small details
that make us like a particular make and model.

I guess what im saying is they will do the job but some just do a range of things better - and that's the reason some are priced higher. I'd be really disappointed if my tikka cost the same as my Sauer, but I don't expect the same level of smooth function from the tikka that I do from the Sauer.

regards,
Gixer

No. I didn't make myself clear. Mossbergs are"nasty" because they don't shoot worth a hoot, not for their other detractions. I've shot a few of the most recent Mossbergs and they have been minute + at best. They sell for about $500 here: Tikkas $549. That's $50 well spent for a gun noted for accuracy and durability.

I truly can't comment on the Sauer. My only Sauer is from before WWI and I appreciate the quality and workmanship in it. That said, I don't believe new Sauers will do anything a Tikka can't do. As to level of smooth function, I shoot many rifles based on the likes of '03 Springfields and '98 Mausers. Fine rifles. The Tikka is smooth as glass compared to these, if the Sauer is smoother yet, that's great, but it doesn't make a spits worth of difference when preparing to squeeze the trigger.

I'm not trying to be contentious. We all like what we like and you may be right about the handling of the Sauer. But the argument is like two woodsman discussing their axes. Both made of good steel and razor sharp: one made in town, the other a blacksmith's forge. None of the talk matters when the metal bites into the wood. And even then, it's usually the man behind the blade that makes the deepest cut. ~Muir

 

[Sinistral]

There's no need for a spat because the reality is that neither Howa's or the Mossberg Patriot series are made in Lefthand, so not even an option. This is like arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin .... to quote Frank Barnes of C.O.W., I think.

There are no lefthand thumbhole stocks available on LH .270's, or righthand thumbhole stocks either on RH .270's as it's a hunting calibre. It was last time I looked anyway, so this is a restocking job.

To get a new lefthand Sako 85 in .270 will entail a long wait. The S/H .270 on McLeods is a better prospect than a T3 Lite LH or a Sauer LH, and desperate or not I wouldn't touch either of these.

The LH Mauser 2000 is a 2-lug modified Mauser (same as the old Tikka M65) & quite like a Heym SR20 .... but the Heym SR21 is a significantly more expensive 3-lug luxury job c. £1800.