G'day everyone,
Just introducing myself to everyone, my name is Ed and I live on the beaut Sunshine Coast in QLD. I'm 28y.o and have always been interested in sporting shooting as well as recreational shooting as a 'side' hobby but as of recently I have decided that I would really like to have shooting as a more active pass time in my life. I am really interested in in learning more about the SSAA's farmer assist program to get away with other friends that shoot also. I thought what better way to get more active then to get down to the range more often and join a forum and share my story (and hopefully future stories)
My old man owned a Sako L579 Forester in .243, beautiful piece of kit especially for its age! and my first rifle was a synthetic stocked Mauser also in .243 but it really was chalk and cheese when comparing the two, although heavy, cumbersome and topped with very average glass the Mauser did the trick and kept my interest alive.
My friend and I recently decided to bite the bullet (hehehe) and invest in some real quality gear and get a package deal from our local dealer in Maroochydore. He opted for a Winchester Model 700 SPS Tactical AAC in .308 topped with a Leupold VX3... but as you might have guessed, that childhood desire to own something absolutely stunning and for life made me go all out (as much as a humble Building Certifiers wallet allows anyway). I went for the Sako... had to be done.
Specifically it is a Sako 85 Varmint with the lovely walnut timber stock and a blued barrell, chambered in .243. I thought about going for the fluted stainless steel but in my opinion the more traditional look was more appealing to my taste. As for the scope, I elected for a Leupold VX6 3-18x44. It is my first time purchasing this sort of costing gear and I certainly put a lot of research into it, however due to my locality and the lack of scopes of this price range being on hand to look thru and compare, I just pulled the pin and decided to go with the Leupy. I must say I am completely blown away by it and coming from my old mans 30yr old setup, my old Mauser setup... there is just no comparison at all.
Unfortunately the rings I purchased (Leupolds) are slightly to short and the objective ring fouls on the barrell, hopefully by tomorrow a slightly higher set will be in for me to swap for and I can get down to the range and see what this sucker can do!
Couple of pics attached anyway to give you an idea of the gear. I look forward to sharing stories with you, learning heaps and hopefully just making some new mates with similar interests!
Cheers
