An old friend made me an offer I couldn't refuse recently. Even though I gave him time to reconsider I still feel a bit guilty, well only a tiny bit! 
He's a lefty and he decided he would rather shoot a Savage lefty than a Sako righty, so he sold me a .223 Sako A1 Deluxe for $300 with a 4x12 never heard of scope.
I'm thinking about a Grendel conversion. A Sako loving buddy says that would be sacrilege. I sold my last .223 bolt gun awhile back so technically I'm .223 poor LOL!
I'm curious to hear what the horde thinks. Step up and cast your ballot.
-Will-
If you already have all the Grendel equipment,sure go for it.
The Grendel really shines in an AR platform due to mag length restrictions.
In a bolt gun,there are other cartridges that outshine it just due to the fact you can seat long/longer cartridge.
I would go with some kind of 6mm if it were me.
Just my .02!
Overwatcher I was ready to pull the trigger on a CZ Custom Shop Grendel recently. The price at the time certainly got my attention but it was some long conversations with Arne Brennan that got me to reconsider and pull that project off the burner. I have 18" and 28" barrel AR Grendels and neither is exactly what I consider an ideal carry rifle, especially my near 18# long gun. This Sako compared to either AR is a featherweight. Things being what they are these days I'm hesitant to adopt a new caliber, I own no 6mm and four 6.5mm's.
What is holding me back now, and I'm hoping a Sako ace will chime in, is the Sako PPC bolt conversion/availability?
Thanks, Will
I say if its possible go for it, I would much rather have a grendel over .223 in a bolt gun
Yeah shoot why not if you have the Grendel already going.Sounds like your mind is/was already made up...:-)
Dang not sure what you have on your AR's ,but I have an 18" Grendel, and it packs great.
Good luck on the build.
OW
i have grendels in both ar and bolt. I like my bolt actions better than the ARs. I say (1) You can hunt with either, but most hunters who have both choose the bolt action grendels. (2) Grendel has always been a pretty much hand load propesation; so if you dont hand load dont get either for a while. (3) If you like to shoot your gun, you can shoot all day and still burn through LESS ammo with a bolt action than using an AR for an hour.
I think the Grendel is an excellent round, probably the best all-round cartridge for the AR-15 platform. I would also like a Grendel barrel for my Contender but as good as the Grendel is, it is limited and doesn't get the full potential out of many 6.5 bullets. For a 6.5 in a bolt gun I'd be looking at a .260 or a 6.5 Creedmore. With either of these cartridges you could take the 6.5 bullets up to the next level. But hey, that's just me.
I would consider Whelenon's advice unless your Sako action is designed for the .223 cartridge length.
I know that my circa 1965 Browning .222 Rem Mag is way too short for the .260 since it is barely long enough for the .222 Mag!
In any event, a Grendel Bolt gun will be a lot of fun!
Good morning guys,
Overwatcher IMO a bolt gun carrys better than a scoped AR. My question is more related to using the Sako as a donor for the project.
hm2 clark I agree I have many more bolt guns than AR's and I've been reloading since the early 70's.
Whelenon I hear you, I already have .260 and 6.5x55. My wife is 4' 11", I have a 13 year old Goddaughter already shooting in competition, my youngest nephew 14 next month just got his first rifle Ruger 10/22, and he has a sister right behind who wants to shoot. I see a Grendel bolt gun as a great family affair.
JASmith my Sako is a .223. That and the price were my primary motivators for the purchase. I've never been terribly fond of the .223 since they took away my M-14 and handed me an AR. My last .223 was a Rem 700 VSSF but I can shoot varmints with bigger calibers just as dead.
I should probably edit my original post as I'm really looking from a more technical viewpoint as to the feasability of using the Sako. I know I can basically do a swap barrel with either CZ or Savage. What I'm unsure of is what sort of shenanigans I'll have to go through with the Sako bolt to make it work.
All good responses, thanks everyone!
-Will-
Thanks guys
I think we can close this post unless someone disagrees with what I found on Saubier.com
"That is a pretty hard conversion to make, the mag box of the PPC is wider, bolt head bigger and the follower different. Only option I can think of is to find someone that will trade you the PPC bolt for the 222 bolt. There was a guy on GB that had a couple of them, I think he was a Gunsmith as I bought 78 and 94 Finnfire bolts from him off his auction. His PPC bolts were new factory parts and went for around 2-250.00. You would be better off selling your 222 and buying the PPC version especially from a function viewpoint."
I guess I need to decide to sell or bequeath the Sako.
Thanks again, Will
WillD, what were the downsides to the CZ 527 that Arne mentioned? Why not a CZ Grendel?
Oh, and I'm about to post about some found Sako 75 PPC actions that I have located. Pricey, but if you really want a Sako 75 in 6.5 Grendel without messing with the bolt or mag box, it would work.
Arne had nothing bad to say about CZ and the CZ Custom Shop was willing to build a CZ Varmint Target for me in 6.5 Grendel for about $1400. If I remember correctly that was with a McGowan barrel.
-Will-
WillD Wrote:Thanks guys
I think we can close this post unless someone disagrees with what I found on Saubier.com
"That is a pretty hard conversion to make, the mag box of the PPC is wider, bolt head bigger and the follower different. Only option I can think of is to find someone that will trade you the PPC bolt for the 222 bolt. There was a guy on GB that had a couple of them, I think he was a Gunsmith as I bought 78 and 94 Finnfire bolts from him off his auction. His PPC bolts were new factory parts and went for around 2-250.00. You would be better off selling your 222 and buying the PPC version especially from a function viewpoint."
I guess I need to decide to sell or bequeath the Sako.
Thanks again, Will Will, don't be silly. That person on Saubier has NFI.
Cutting the Sako boltface to PPC spec is a simple operation for anyone competent on a lathe. Sako still sell PPC size extractors for the A1 action, they are $60 to buy here in Australia, probably about the same price in the US. So that is dead simple.
If you move over to the Sako Collectors Forum you will find someone who may have a PPC box/follower, if not, try Sako USA.
The follower will need to be modified slightly to make the Grendel feed perfectly, but it is a simple job with a file and you may find it works like a charm straight away.
The 461 or A1 action is great for a Grendel, plenty of length as it was designed to take the 222 Rem Mag (just) and gives you everything you could want for a Grendel rifle. If you are looking for a nice lightweight stock for one, consider the stock done by Wildcat Composites in Canada. It is a quality piece and weighs stuff all.
Whelenon Wrote:I think the Grendel is an excellent round, probably the best all-round cartridge for the AR-15 platform. I would also like a Grendel barrel for my Contender but as good as the Grendel is, it is limited and doesn't get the full potential out of many 6.5 bullets. For a 6.5 in a bolt gun I'd be looking at a .260 or a 6.5 Creedmore. With either of these cartridges you could take the 6.5 bullets up to the next level. But hey, that's just me.
In such a case, might as well get a DTA SRS (or Covert) in 6.5x47 Lapua or one of Mark Gordon's SAC custom 6.5 Creedmoor barrels.
With my younger children I am thinking about Christmas presents. I rather like my 6.5 Grendel falling block idea, but also was musing about a CZ 527 Carbine conversion. When you were talking to the CZ Custom Shop, was there a reason they focused on the Varmint Target model? Was there a stated reason that a Carbine might not be feasible?
On the subject of Sakos, Christmas presents, and long waits (on the Ammo, Ammo, Ammo thread)... I am still waiting for one son's 2012 Christmas present ordered in July 2012.
No the Varmint Target was my choice for longer barrel and stock design. I'm sure they would build on whatever 527 variation you desired/
-Will-
After much gnashing of the teeth and conversations with people much wiser than myself I'm shelving my Sako Grendel project. I would like to thank those helpful and interested parties who volunteeered their decades of experience when I needed it. Thanks to Bill Alexander, Arne Brennan, Speedy Gonzalez, adamjp, and the rest of the 6.5 Grendel forumites who commented and tried to spur me on. The reason is: parts for this little Sako action are too few and far between and although the project was doable from a technical standpoint, it would have been short lived since the primary reason for a bolt action Grendel IMHO is to be able to handload the cartridge to extract it's maximum potential. This would have eventually caused a failure of the Sako.
I'm not giving up, I'm simply redirecting my efforts. I've decided to let Speedy rebarrel a Hall single shot action in .260 Remington. I probably would have preferred a 6.5x47 Lapua or one of Robert Whitley's 6.5 Super LR's but with the times being what they are and my being already stocked and set up for the .260 Rem I decided not to take on an additional 6.5 chambering. I was able to cancel my order with MGW for the part to do the Sako in time and I hope to pull the trigger on either a Bartlein or Krieger barrel tonight or tomorrow for the Hall. With Speedy's expertise, the Hall action, and either barrel it should shoot bugholes, which was my original intention.
Pictures will follow!
-Will-
WillD Wrote:After much gnashing of the teeth and conversations with people much wiser than myself I'm shelving my Sako Grendel project. I would like to thank those helpful and interested parties who volunteeered their decades of experience when I needed it. Thanks to Bill Alexander, Arne Brennan, Speedy Gonzalez, adamjp, and the rest of the 6.5 Grendel forumites who commented and tried to spur me on. The reason is: parts for this little Sako action are too few and far between and although the project was doable from a technical standpoint, it would have been short lived since the primary reason for a bolt action Grendel IMHO is to be able to handload the cartridge to extract it's maximum potential. This would have eventually caused a failure of the Sako.
I'm not giving up, I'm simply redirecting my efforts. I've decided to let Speedy rebarrel a Hall single shot action in .260 Remington. I probably would have preferred a 6.5x47 Lapua or one of Robert Whitley's 6.5 Super LR's but with the times being what they are and my being already stocked and set up for the .260 Rem I decided not to take on an additional 6.5 chambering. I was able to cancel my order with MGW for the part to do the Sako in time and I hope to pull the trigger on either a Bartlein or Krieger barrel tonight or tomorrow for the Hall. With Speedy's expertise, the Hall action, and either barrel it should shoot bugholes, which was my original intention.
Pictures will follow!
-Will-
How about a New Ultra-Light Arms, Model 20 short (4.75 lbs) by Melvin Forbes?
review of a .223 chambered one:
http://www.americanhunter.org/articles/n...-20-short/
He does 7.62x39mm, 6 PPC etc too in that action.
http://www.newultralight.com/
Sooooo, If your not interested in converting that Sako to a Grendel...Would you be willing so sell it?
LOL I was wondering how long it would take before someone asked me that. I bought the Sako A1 Deluxe with scope for $300, to me it's money in the bank. I have a wife, a god-daughter, a niece, and a nephew, one of who will probably end up with it. My Sako guru and longtime friend says it's probably the best rifle deal I'll ever make. He probably would have disowned me if I had gone ahead and "bubbaized" it. He also insists that with some 62gr. Noslers it would be an adequate deer and hog rifle. I might shoot a hog with it, but until I see how it shoots I'll hold off shooting any deer. I was headed for the ranch last Friday to shoot it when I was held up by some tire changing clowns at NTB and was unable to make the trip.
hm2 clark if you're seriously interested PM me an offer. I bought a $355 Brux barrel yesterday for my new project and I'm not sure how much the gunsmith is going to nick me for?
Cheers, Will
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