Sako Powerhead Blade X

[nun_hunter]

I've used the Sako Blade 2 in both Creedmoor 120 grain and 308 162 grain and they work very well on fallow and accuracy is good.

I've just got a couple of boxes of the 120 grain Powerhead Blade X for my 308 and was after any feedback from users.

Two sight hurdles I've discovered are that the Sako "target species" image on the ammo box are a gopher and coyote so is this copper bullet a different design/construction to the Blade 2 bullet? It has the same Sako Tri blade plastic tip but I'm not sure if it's the same bullet.

Secondly (a minor inconvenience) this bullet isn't listed in Strelok Pro as irher a bullet or loaded ammo so I don't have some to the info such as bullet length to input and give me a starting point for expected drops before testing.

 

[Rural Management Services]

There doesn’t seem to be allot written on the internet about the blade x 120gr. Lots about the 162gr. It’s listed on the Sako app for use against fox and prairie dogs but it doesn’t list against deer. The old Sako 123gr game head does get listed against deer by contrast.

Probably needs an email to Sako for clarity as there is allot in stock in the UK at the moment and as a result people are going to start using it on deer. It certainly seems to be marketed as a varmit option and it’s certainly moving with a box MV of 3100 but this could be something to do with Scandinavia regulations.

 

[Rural Management Services]

I have emailed Sako to ask

 

[monarman]

As a user..
Sako have basically created the holy grail of lead free factory ammo!...
It is extremely well suited to uk species of deer as it expands well and does alot of internal damage and leaves a good blood trail on the chance your animal runs more than 5m...
They were trialled extensively over my way by fc (which is where I heard of them) and the ranger I liase with uses them on roe and reds and reckons they are the best ammo he's used (sent all his barnes ammo back)....
They shoot flat and hit hard.... and in my tikka and his Sako shoot well within an inch at 100, often half inch!..

There are only three things on box that you need to take notice of.... the caliber, weight and price... all the rest is irrelevant... they are a new thing and won't be listed on strelok and tbh your velocity at tour muzzle likely won't match what's on the box anyway! (I may get round to chronographing some later today .. 20 inch tikka ..but I don't shoot more than 200m so it's not that important)


It's still early days but I have a feeling this ammo may become a very popular round...

IF you headshoot reds as I have to do in my park, be aware they still exit like any other lead free bullet... I have headshot a roe and yes it behaves like a 'normal bullet'

If you were sceptical about switching from lead to copper due to the expansion/internal performance compared to lead.. these may be the ammo to change your mind.
If on the other hand, you like minimum damage.. then these may not be your ideal..
they kill extremely well simple as that.

 

[Rural Management Services]

As a user..
Sako have basically created the holy grail of lead free factory ammo!...
It is extremely well suited to uk species of deer as it expands well and does alot of internal damage and leaves a good blood trail on the chance your animal runs more than 5m...
They were trialled extensively over my way by fc (which is where I heard of them) and the ranger I liase with uses them on roe and reds and reckons they are the best ammo he's used (sent all his barnes ammo back)....
They shoot flat and hit hard.... and in my tikka and his Sako shoot well within an inch at 100, often half inch!..

There are only three things on box that you need to take notice of.... the caliber, weight and price... all the rest is irrelevant... they are a new thing and won't be listed on strelok and tbh your velocity at tour muzzle likely won't match what's on the box anyway! (I may get round to chronographing some later today .. 20 inch tikka ..but I don't shoot more than 200m so it's not that important)


It's still early days but I have a feeling this ammo may become a very popular round...

IF you headshoot reds as I have to do in my park, be aware they still exit like any other lead free bullet... I have headshot a roe and yes it behaves like a 'normal bullet'

If you were sceptical about switching from lead to copper due to the expansion/internal performance compared to lead.. these may be the ammo to change your mind.
If on the other hand, you like minimum damage.. then these may not be your ideal..
they kill extremely well simple as that.

That’s really good to know user feedback.

The concern was that it was a varmit style bullet in some way and although it would kill deer but would cause excess meat damage.

 

[nun_hunter]

That’s really good to know user feedback.

The concern was that it was a varmit style bullet in some way and although it would kill deer but would cause excess meat damage.

I've emailed Sako too so hopefully one of us will hear back. The limited Sako info just talks about the Powerhead Blade bullet as being non fragmenting and high retention so I can't see that it is only suited to varmints.

 

[nun_hunter]

As a user..
Sako have basically created the holy grail of lead free factory ammo!...
It is extremely well suited to uk species of deer as it expands well and does alot of internal damage and leaves a good blood trail on the chance your animal runs more than 5m...
They were trialled extensively over my way by fc (which is where I heard of them) and the ranger I liase with uses them on roe and reds and reckons they are the best ammo he's used (sent all his barnes ammo back)....
They shoot flat and hit hard.... and in my tikka and his Sako shoot well within an inch at 100, often half inch!..

There are only three things on box that you need to take notice of.... the caliber, weight and price... all the rest is irrelevant... they are a new thing and won't be listed on strelok and tbh your velocity at tour muzzle likely won't match what's on the box anyway! (I may get round to chronographing some later today .. 20 inch tikka ..but I don't shoot more than 200m so it's not that important)


It's still early days but I have a feeling this ammo may become a very popular round...

IF you headshoot reds as I have to do in my park, be aware they still exit like any other lead free bullet... I have headshot a roe and yes it behaves like a 'normal bullet'

If you were sceptical about switching from lead to copper due to the expansion/internal performance compared to lead.. these may be the ammo to change your mind.
If on the other hand, you like minimum damage.. then these may not be your ideal..
they kill extremely well simple as that.

Thanks for such a detailed reply. Sounds like they'll be ideal once I've got through the last of some Yew Tree home loads.

 

[monarman]

As I said... ignore the whole "varmints" thing on the box or app or website.... they've no doubt added that to make it appealing to the American Market (the word varmints is theirs)...as they are a better expanding bullet than most other lead free ones out there....
Between the lines I think they've done ot as a lead free alternative to the 123 grain gamehead ammo... which in its own right is a super deer round! But also light enough for use on "varmints" (sako do a specific round called the RX designed for rapid expansion on light game in 130 grain 308 and 30-06)...

I'll be skinning a roe I shot last week shortly using the 120 blade x.... ill add a pic of damage... she was only 60m away and ran 5m (was aware i was there for a couple of minutes).leaving a good blood trail, and it destroyed the heart lungs and part of the liver ..

 

[nun_hunter]

As I said... ignore the whole "varmints" thing on the box or app or website.... they've no doubt added that to make it appealing to the American Market (the word varmints is theirs)...as they are a better expanding bullet than most other lead free ones out there....
Between the lines I think they've done ot as a lead free alternative to the 123 grain gamehead ammo... which in its own right is a super deer round! But also light enough for use on "varmints" (sako do a specific round called the RX designed for rapid expansion on light game in 130 grain 308 and 30-06)...

I'll be skinning a roe I shot last week shortly using the 120 blade x.... ill add a pic of damage... she was only 60m away and ran 5m (was aware i was there for a couple of minutes).leaving a good blood trail, and it destroyed the heart lungs and part of the liver ..

Thanks I appreciate that. Hopefully they're as accurate in my Bergara BA-13 as the 162 grain Blades.

 

[cjs66]

As a user..
Sako have basically created the holy grail of lead free factory ammo!...
It is extremely well suited to uk species of deer as it expands well and does alot of internal damage and leaves a good blood trail on the chance your animal runs more than 5m...
They were trialled extensively over my way by fc (which is where I heard of them) and the ranger I liase with uses them on roe and reds and reckons they are the best ammo he's used (sent all his barnes ammo back)....
They shoot flat and hit hard.... and in my tikka and his Sako shoot well within an inch at 100, often half inch!..

There are only three things on box that you need to take notice of.... the caliber, weight and price... all the rest is irrelevant... they are a new thing and won't be listed on strelok and tbh your velocity at tour muzzle likely won't match what's on the box anyway! (I may get round to chronographing some later today .. 20 inch tikka ..but I don't shoot more than 200m so it's not that important)


It's still early days but I have a feeling this ammo may become a very popular round...

IF you headshoot reds as I have to do in my park, be aware they still exit like any other lead free bullet... I have headshot a roe and yes it behaves like a 'normal bullet'

If you were sceptical about switching from lead to copper due to the expansion/internal performance compared to lead.. these may be the ammo to change your mind.
If on the other hand, you like minimum damage.. then these may not be your ideal..
they kill extremely well simple as that.

Can I ask where you're buying these 120g Blade X, please?

cjs

 

[monarman]

 

[monarman]

 

[monarman]

They do less damage at longer range.... but dead is dead!!

 

[monarman]

They do less damage at longer range.... but dead is dead!!

 

[nun_hunter]

Not too bad considering it's a 120 grain bullet from a 308. I'd expect and have seen way more damage from heavier lead bullets and if it's killing quick then sounds like a pretty good all rounder.

 

[HonestJohn]

I have been impressed with the powerhead blade performance in my 6.5x55, but not the 162g offering in .308 / explosive at short range taking shoulders off basically, and at 175-250 lacks expansion and leaves very slow bleed and dead runs, deer falling over, getting up again, etc.

Very sad and disappointed in performance of the .308 162g offering. I believe the 120g was an earlier version as was discontinued before they moved away from using the barnes bullets

 

[Picky]

I’ve been using Sako power blade x 120gr in .308 for over a year for Roe control for FE.
They shoot flatter than lead 3” drop at 200m if zero is 100m. The KE does considerable internal damage including rupturing the stomach when passing within an inch. They don’t ricochet as much as some say but be ultra cautious on frozen ground. I use em on fallow too. I limit my shots 300m max. Exit shoulder damage is considerable usually the meat is wasted. Accuracy is 0.75 inch at 100m (I’m not a good target shooter). I would use these in red and sika up to 200m
Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[Border]

Anyone used the 150 grain offering yet?

 

[Martes]

The 120gr is an excellent deer round. 3100fps out of a 20" barrel, 0.5moa or better. Expands very well; 0.8" mushroom from a 0.3" round at 100m. Can be aggressive at very short distance due to the MV but dead is dead as said before and I've not had runners from chest shots.
Picture was roe doe about 150m.

 

[tom308w]

Here you go