After playing with 3 different rifles in 338 Federal, and deciding that I want something more in a left handed bolt action than I am finding the Tikka T3 is providing, I sold my Ruger Hawkeye All Weather and have the Tikka up for sale. I was originally planning on a lh Cooper Classic with New Zealand walnut and open sights. But I just haven't been that enamoured by the Cooper action so far. Beautiful rifles to be sure! I just think that what I really want is in another direction.
Finally found a Sako Finnlight II LH in 308 Win at a decent enough sale price. Should have it here soon. And today I have verified that the factory stock will accept a Proof Research Sendero Light contour carbon fibre barrel with some minor modification to the barrel channel. (If this would have turned out to not be an option, I was going to go with a stainless fluted Benchmark barrel.) The barrel will be 22" long, with a clean muzzle (no threaded cap or muzzle brake) with target crown, and 1:10 twist. Hope to find a great load with the 200 gr AB at approx. 2600 fps. With just over 2000 ft-lbs of energy at 200 yards, it will handle big game up to and including bison at that range! And approx. 1500 ft-lbs of energy out to 400 yards. Should be a heckuva moose rifle!
Already have a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 B&C gray scope and Optilock rings for it.
Have to admit that I have been desiring a lh bolt action rifle with a carbon fibre barrel for a while now...but Christenson Arms went Titanium this year instead of offering their left hand Ridgeline rifle in the 6.5 PRC.
Love the smoothness of the Sako actions, and the 5 round steel magazines in the Model 85.
Will see how I like the Finnlight II synthetic stock with the adjustable cheekpiece after I get it built and out shooting and hunting. At the end of the day, I may just order a lh sa Hunter stock so that I have a nice wood stock for it, and use the synthetic stock for wet weather or rough mountain hunts to keep the wooden stock in nicer condition. Both would get glass and pillar bedded so that there is no shift in poi when switching stocks (as I did with my 280 Rem).
Finally found a Sako Finnlight II LH in 308 Win at a decent enough sale price. Should have it here soon. And today I have verified that the factory stock will accept a Proof Research Sendero Light contour carbon fibre barrel with some minor modification to the barrel channel. (If this would have turned out to not be an option, I was going to go with a stainless fluted Benchmark barrel.) The barrel will be 22" long, with a clean muzzle (no threaded cap or muzzle brake) with target crown, and 1:10 twist. Hope to find a great load with the 200 gr AB at approx. 2600 fps. With just over 2000 ft-lbs of energy at 200 yards, it will handle big game up to and including bison at that range! And approx. 1500 ft-lbs of energy out to 400 yards. Should be a heckuva moose rifle!
Already have a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 B&C gray scope and Optilock rings for it.
Have to admit that I have been desiring a lh bolt action rifle with a carbon fibre barrel for a while now...but Christenson Arms went Titanium this year instead of offering their left hand Ridgeline rifle in the 6.5 PRC.
Love the smoothness of the Sako actions, and the 5 round steel magazines in the Model 85.
Will see how I like the Finnlight II synthetic stock with the adjustable cheekpiece after I get it built and out shooting and hunting. At the end of the day, I may just order a lh sa Hunter stock so that I have a nice wood stock for it, and use the synthetic stock for wet weather or rough mountain hunts to keep the wooden stock in nicer condition. Both would get glass and pillar bedded so that there is no shift in poi when switching stocks (as I did with my 280 Rem).
