Sako vs. DTA vs. AI 338, advice appreciated.

[Sako man]

I'm sure I'm missing a lot of options here as far as rifle selection goes, that said it would be nice to have a good understanding or consensus for preferred (out of box) make for a .338 Lapua bolt gun. Ergonomic adjustability, recoil characteristics, trigger adjustability, and accuracy are my defining requirements.

I have my sweet ass SnB25x and now would like to put a .338 under it. So all opinions appreciated and the more the better.

Secondary question is on average how many loads are people getting out of their .338 Lapua brass?

Many thanks!

 

[AvsFan]

Here's an excellent comparison write up on the AI vs. Sako at least...just missing the DTA.

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/175801-accuracy-international-aiaw-vs-sako-trg-22-my-experience-both.html

 

[Randoman5]

I don't know how many rifles you already have or what your budget is like, but most people would probably get more use out of the DTA because they could shoot other less expensive rounds through it. The other two would be limited to occasions you had a bunch of 5 dollar bills to hurl downrange.

 

[Dogtown]

Yeah, once you get an SRS, lots of your other rifles become redundant and start getting sold off. DTA puts out 7 conversions that fit the full length SRS and another 3 if you have the shorter Covert (or you just swap the handguards) and 3rd party gunsmiths like SAC can do custom conversions so it's a very versatile platform. That said, you can't go wrong with an AI .338, either the AWSM or the AX - they pretty much set the standard for that cartridge years ago. The price is what scares off most people these days as you're looking at upwards of $7000+ for a new one. And lastly, I think the Sako TRG-42 is THE best value on the market for a .338LM. Sure, the Savage and others are cheaper, but nowhere near as good in my opinion. It's a solid platform, accurate and affordable for the most part. I usually recommend the TRG-42 for folks who're moving up to magnums for the first time. It's a very forgiving rifle and not as big of a financial commitment than the others.

I know you didn't mention the Barrett MRAD, but I'll just say it since it comes up often in these kinds of threads: it's a great .338LM rifle but 2+ years on Barrett still hasn't delivered any caliber conversions. So it's basically an expensive version of the 98B with a folding stock at this point. Overrated and overpriced, in my opinion.

 

[Sako man]

I know you didn't mention the Barrett MRAD, but I'll just say it since it comes up often in these kinds of threads: it's a great .338LM rifle but 2+ years on Barrett still hasn't delivered any caliber conversions. So it's basically an expensive version of the 98B with a folding stock at this point. Overrated and overpriced, in my opinion.

There is a DTA on the market here that I am considering. The prospect of shooting multiple calibers in one gun is appealing. I have a few friends who have DTA's and it's either love it or not due to the bull pup configuration. But most rave about it's accuracy and characteristics.

The reason I didn't mention the MRAD was that it's a fairly new rifle, and frankly I am not sure how much support there is for it yet? Now though Barrett is a renowned name with deep history of providing quality arms to the military, the MRAD as of yet has not proven popular amongst the civilian crowd, now I could be wrong.

So to mirror what you have said to a degree. I have a TRG 22 and it has proven insanely reliable and accurate, so it's a contender. Not to mention you can get one for around 4k with all the thingys you need on it to make it work.

I have taken a savage BA 110 apart and I was not impressed with the imperfections in the machining, burs and loose tolerances, not tight. It reminded me of a stock Remington 700. So not bad by any means, but not a precision instrument. Once again perhaps my skewed perception. I know that may piss of some people here, oops.

 

[chariotdriver]

I went with the TRG42 and never looked back......took the savings and bought an NXS 5X22 scope and Titan can. Couldn't be happier, consistently smacks the 30" gong we have set up at 1600m with me pulling the trigger, couple others have done better with it and it still makes me happy. Easily getting 10+ reloads out of Lapua or the NT brass from Graff/sons when they have it. Not running it too hard, 91gr Retumbo behind 300gr Scenar bullets at 2750'/s. Cases get annealed after every shot.

 

[sib1948]

I love my Barrett MRAD, but as mentioned no barrel conversions. Great platform though and accurate and rugged with no issues after more than 1500 rounds. Plan to keep my MRAD, but have DTA SRS A1 on order just for it's unbeatable flexibility. Got to fire a Gen 2 and loved it. Besides the bullpup design and all the available conversions, you only need one scope and can practice with cheaper calibers.

No one rifle will please everyone, but I think this platform will be perfect for me for years to come! No other precision rifle can come close.

 

[andyman]

When did you order it? I've had mine on order since February. I'm a little sick of the wait. May end up with 2 DTA's now (couldn't wait and bought a used one here.)


andy

I love my Barrett MRAD, but as mentioned no barrel conversions. Great platform though and accurate and rugged with no issues after more than 1500 rounds. Plan to keep my MRAD, but have DTA SRS A1 on order just for it's unbeatable flexibility. Got to fire a Gen 2 and loved it. Besides the bullpup design and all the available conversions, you only need one scope and can practice with cheaper calibers.

No one rifle will please everyone, but I think this platform will be perfect for me for years to come! No other precision rifle can come close.

 

[sib1948]

Ordered the DTA March 1st along with a BEAST from Eurooptic. Plan to switch my March FX 5-40 56mm scope from my MRAD to the DTA and mount the BEAST on the MRAD. Much better aesthetics for the platforms. Getting DTA in 22" 308 and 338 LM conversion. Good optics necessary for my crappy 65 year old eyes.