Dose of the quiver lip!!

[SmokyBaer]

For a few days now, my lower lip been quiverin like a kid whose ice cream fell off the cone.  Now that a tear is forming, i figured it best to ventilate to those who can understand.  Ain't no pity party at the house.

The story begins with a trip to the range then a boondoggle around middle TN countryside.  Found that we was real close to Outpost Armory's new store soooo, why not.  Went to check it out.  WHOA!!!!  A 2020 Waypoint in .308 even. I have been looking for one of these in stock for two years now and here it is.  Yahoo, right?

Not so fast... Asked for help and the fella was on it answering questions.  The feel of this masterpiece was spot on what i expected.  Looking over the shelves trying not to let wifey know i was in buying mode. Umph, too late, she saw my glazed over look already.  Next, that magical enlightenment was wiped off my face when i opened the bolt.  WTH?!?  It stuck!

Unbelievably, the bolt was not like the fine piece of engineering smoothness i had envisioned.  After repeated attempts to finaggle the bolt to and fro, there was most definitely a zone of no-go.  No eazing or sliding.  Had to hold vertical and jiggle it to open.  Handed the rifle back to the guy helping me and with a heavy snatch it opened first time.  I don't run my rifles like that.  What a turn off to see such a rifle having to be man yanked to function.  Going into battery position was no diffrent.  

For the kind of money they be asking, a guy should not have to get out the rubbing compound to slick up the action.  Needless to say, i done got the pout lip real bad.  Any of you ever come across an issue like this one?  It's like they gobbed extra Cerakote in there or something.

Input on a Tikka T3X A1 welcome.... I'm off the Waypoint.
Smoky

 

[gregintenn]

I'm a glass half full  kind of guy most of the time, but I'd be very happy I hadn't bought this rifle on line somewhere and it got shipped to my FFL in that condition. That could be a pain in the keester. All you had to do was walk away.

Anyway, I'll bet they all aren't like that.

[SmokyBaer]

Absolutely!  If i'd have received it from an online purchase, pout-lip would have been redefined, fer sure.  It's just i had been waiting so long for the .308 and got pumped quick then the shine got knocked off instantly.  

Yeah, the others out there are probly not hangups.  Honestly, that's the whole purpose of speaking up... check out the weapon before dropping the cash on the table.  

[Handsome Rob]

I couldn't comment on the A1, per se, but since it's justa gussied up T3x & I actually do have a ton of trigger time on the T3x, I feel comfy giving my opinion. 

It's a Sako on a budget & that's no bad thing. The action glides. It doesn't snick open. It doesn't make cool Hollywood noises. It sashays open like a dancer on a polished floor. It feels like you're pulling a glass rod through warm oil. The trigger, personal preferences on weight aside, is glorious. Zero creep. Near as dammit zero over travel. I left mine as it came at 3lb because it's a hunting gun & I'd rather err on the side of safety in the woods. It can happily come down to almost half that.

Accuracy is what you'd expect from a Sako barrel. Honest 10 round groups into 1.5" (165gn Partitions in .30-06) & that's a good as any factory rifle made & better than 80%. If you're into the '3 round groups'll do' brigade you can call it 3, 1/2" groups with one right in the middle. Whatever gives you the warm fuzziness. I did zero barrel break in & the only mod I've made is replacing the sporter grip module with the vertical. It just fits my hand better.

I haven't even cleaned it. Not even from the factory. 

A good friend has the Sako 85 in .30-06 (in an aftermarket stock, at that) wearing a Swaro Z5 3.5-18x44. My Tikka has a SWFA SS 6x42. My rifle shoots exactly as well as his for a total cost of about half his scope's value. 

I really, really love this gun. If I had the time & money, I'd honest replace every rifle I own with Tikkas (if they made them in my preferred, oddball chamberings & short barrel lengths )

Edited March 19, 2022 by Handsome Rob