Sako 6PPC rifle

D

DaveT

Member
I have an old Sako varminter in 6PPC, it is a single shot rifle and I would stick my neck out there and say it is one of the if not the most accurate factory rifles ever made. I've had this gun since the 80's and have shot many many rounds through it and it still shoots in the 3's consistently and even better. I believe Sako was the first manufacturer to come out with a 6PPC and 22PPC chambered rifles and others followed. My question is, why did Sako stop producing this fine rifle? I would assume it just didn't catch on and any idea what the value of this gun might be.
Dave T
 
DaveT, I also have one in a 22ppcUSA which I suspect the USA is on yours also unless the barrel has been replaced. Sako had the patent rights (not sure if that is the proper terminology) to produce them. At the time the average Joe knew next to nothing about what these cartridges were capable of. They certainly were listed in any hunting magazines. The last list price was around $1500 which is steep back in the 80's, early 90's. I am sure they stopped producing them because they didn't sell enough. They also changed the design of the rifle in general going to the model 75. Sako has also changed hands company wise and different corporate decision makers have different agenda. Evidently, the ppcUSA cartridge was not profitable enough to keep in their line-up. They sure are a sweet shooting rifle though with a factory trigger adjustable to 1 lb. Mine led me to consider getting a custom accuracy rifle (spelled benchrest type rifle and Jim Borden) and then I discovered clubs shooting Benchrest. What a costly mistake that was. Now it is an addiction with no relieve in site. Randy J.
 
Yes Randy, it is a 6PPC USA and I have won many local stock varmint rifle matches with my gun. So many that I had to quit using it because of complaints and I felt I had too big of an advantage. I feel we have a truely classic, scarce and just a terrific rifle to pass on to my grandkids. Have you considered having yours rebarreled? I have and am still considering doing this, do you think it is a good idea to change this gun. I would love to have a tighter neck chamber and a custom barrel. One other thing, do you have any problems with gases blowing back on the shoulder?
Dave T
 
Dave,
I too own Sako PPC Varmint rifles. One has a 22PPC stamped receiver, but a Hart 6PPC chambered barrel.
That rifle I have to shoot in the modified class, and I have no complaints except that puts me shooting with the guys with benchrest rifles (spelled Borden and Kelby)
Two of the other Sako rifles of mine are 6PPC standard issue. The fourth one is a 22PPC standard issue.

I recently shot a match for hunting rifles only and was allowed to shoot one of the standard 6PPC Sakos I own.
I won first place easily.
Now the same place is having a match coming up and I am now told that I cannot shoot this same rifle in Production Class because it is a single shot.
It makes me wonder a bit about what is going on.
I consider the 6PPC superior to any other caliber but this is a standard rifle from the factory. I do wonder why it was allowed to be used in that Hunting Rifle match?
Perry
 
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Besides the 22ppc that I have in the benchrest/varmint style, I also have a hunter model in a 6ppc. I don't think they sold many of these at all and for maybe only a couple of years (anyone is free to correct me if I am mistaken, no offense taken). It has a magazine, hinged floorplate, and weighs about 5.75 lbs. I think the barrel is 22 in. but maybe it is a little shorter. It doesn't seem terrible long and I haven't had it out of the safe for some years. The rifle looks like any of their standard rifles of the era. I bought it used with a 6x Burris, dies, and all kinds of brass (not the Sako USA brass) for $600. It is mint. The last retail price for this rifle was $1500 also. I think the original owner bought it for IBS Hunter class but it didn't shoot for crap. It wouldn't shoot a 2 in 5 shot group, when I got it which surprised me as I already had the other one mentioned. Once I skim bedded the action I got sub half inch 5 shot groups with it, but I have to hold on to it and not free recoil. The forend is very narrow and with the rifle being so light, my guess is the torque is the culprit. It is very fun to shoot off-hand. I have shot probably 300 rounds but the muzzle still has all the blueing. Randy J.
 
When I shoot the 6PPCs the rifles remain firmly sitting on the rest. Just recoil back a small amount.
When I shoot the 22PPC the barrel jumps two inches off the front bag.
That made me notice how light the 22PPC barrel is the first time I shot it.
All my 6PPCs have heavy barrels fromt he factory.
I have never seen a PPC from Sako with a magazine. All mine are single shots.
Perry
 
Know a guy in Monroe, MI with the 22PPC USA. He said they were sold in sets. Yes he wins a lot. 500 were made......
 
Try 27 gr - AA-2015 with 68 Gr Bergers and CCI match primers -Sako 6 PPC USA brass in those Sako 6PPC rifles.

Jumping .101 to the lands Keith put 5 @ 100 into under .210 .

Just remember that this ISN'T a benchrest rifle action and do not load this with the same data.


Glenn:)
 
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I own both a 6PPC and 22 PPC sako with the heavy barrel and single shot varmint/target models. I have to agree with you ,in that they have to be THE most accurate factory rifle you could buy off the rack.
I have shot some unbelieveable groups with both of these rifles , that when other shooters see the targets ,they cannot believe that they were factory stock rifles.
 
Dave, for what it's worth, I also have a Sako 6PPC-USA single shot, solid bottom rifle. I traded a Remington 700 BDL Varmint in 22-250 + $400 for it. Boy howdy, did I get the better end of that deal! The safety is inop, but the sucker shoots lights out. I'd never dream of shooting it in a factory/sporter competition...simply not fair. I imagine I could simply fill the case to the base of the neck with N133, seat a Berger 68g on top, and shoot sub .400 if I paid half attention...

It's not accident that I made the trade...
 
I bought one of the single shot 6PPC Sakos out of an estate a few years ago; it's NIB, and came with adjustable trigger & scope rings. Still haven't gotten around to shooting it, even though I was able to purchase a few hundred once-fired Sako PPC brass.

I've recently seen photos of one of the Hunter models, and it appears not to have the adjustable trigger, but does have a cheekpiece, where my single shot doesn't. Anyone have any more information on these and/or other differences between the two models of the PPC?
 
+1 on Sako 6PPC. I shot mine in Factory class 6 times with 4 firsts and 2 seconds. Acquired a Cooper 6PPC and beat my Sako on the first competition. Most aggs were in the low .4's.
 
I don't remember the exact years but these rifles were made during a period of two years and part of a third year. They were built on the little L461 action with a longer bolt handle and a streamlined cocking piece. The first year the serial numbers started with A followed by three digits then B the second year and the first part of the third year was C. I never saw one with more than three numbers which would indicate not many were ever made. They were offered in the following cartridges. 6ppc-22ppc-.222-.223-.17 rem. They had what looked like american walnut stocks with a monte carlo and no cheek piece. They were all heavy barreled single shots with a very nice sako target trigger. Mine is set at 6 oz. The gun I have is a 6ppc and after taking a chamber cast I found it to have a .272 neck. The only thing I don't like about it is it has a rather long throat.Nice accurate rife for a club shoot but certainly no threat to a well tuned 10.5 # bench gun.
 
A 6PPC Sako was my first bench rilfe...

.... back in 1994. I bought it from Accuflite Sports outside of Pittsburgh. They skim bedded it and mounted a 24X Leupold BR scope on it. I shot my first score match with it and had a 250 with 7 X's. I was told after that match that I couldn't shoot it in factory class any more.

I hadn't seen them new in the US much past 1998 or so, but I think those rifles were imported into Canada into the the early 2000's. I have seen a few of them with stainless barrels in Canada, while mine and all of the other ones I've seen in the US have chrome moly barrels. Sako made a model 75 with a stainless barrel and receiver and a magazine in the early to mid 2000's of which I owned (meaning no longer own) with a laminated stock and a thinner barrel than the A1;. It didn't shoot anywhere near where the Model A1 single-shot can.

I have bought a few benchrest rifles after that, but I still have that little Sako. It sure shoots well, but I have a Cooper 6PPC that actually shoots a little better. I once "lucked out" a .115 five-shot group with that Cooper in practice (but there certainly was significant luck in that group). It would most likely agg. slightly larger than.300 or so at 100 yards. You have to hold onto both of them when you shoot them or they tend to jump around a little; there is no front bag that works well with the rounded-bottom stocks so that you could shoot them free recoil.

I still have some Sako USA PPC brass that I shot with the little Sako, but I now have a set of 50 Lapua for both rifles. The Sako USA brass holds about 1.5 grains less powder than the Lapua. The post above is correct in that you can't load these things to the same level as you can a competition chamber or the bolt lift gets untenable. And the freebores are made longer so that you basically can't engage the lands with a flatbase bullet (lawyer's chamber).

Sako made loaded rounds in the 1990's for both .22 and 6 PPC. They were in USA brass and loaded with VV130. I still have a box of the .22 PPC unfired at home. I load the 6 PPC with Lapua brass and 27.5 grains of VV 133 and a 65 grain flatbase Watson 7 ogive bullet on an .825 jacket. I load that with about .125 of the bullet in the neck and still can't reach the lands. At 27.5 grains with that bullet the bolt lift can get sticky. To compare, I load 29.5 to 30.1 grains of VV133 with a 68 grain boattail bullet in my competition chambers (Hendricksen reamer with .035 leade) with no bolt lift issues.

Neat rifles and certainly the most accurate factory rifles I have ever shot. I wonder if anyone would get upset if I brought one to a factory match today.
 
Joe Krupa said:
The post above is correct in that you can't load these things to the same level as you can a competition chamber or the bolt lift gets untenable....

I load the 6 PPC with Lapua brass and 27.5 grains of VV 133 and a 65 grain flatbase Watson 7 ogive bullet on an .825 jacket. I load that with about .125 of the bullet in the neck and still can't reach the lands. At 27.5 grains with that bullet the bolt lift can get sticky. To compare, I load 29.5 to 30.1 grains of VV133 with a 68 grain boattail bullet in my competition chambers (Hendricksen reamer with .035 leade) with no bolt lift issues.
Click to expand...

Maybe that's why I'm getting "sticky" bolt lift -- I thought it must be a resizing problem. Thanks for the information.
 
I have two of the Sako PPC rifles. The 22PPC-BR rifle, with target trigger, is very good on PD's......shooting the 40BT at 3900 fps.

The second rifle, a Lightweight Hunter 6PPC.....I re-barrelled. It's now a 17PPC.....and is a great calling rifle. Pic below. Note that the factory rifle is a repeater, with standard Sako trigger, and monte carlo cheekpiece stock.

Friend Of The 17
Kevin
11mfegw.jpg
 
6 ppc

flatlander said:
I bought one of the single shot 6PPC Sakos out of an estate a few years ago; it's NIB, and came with adjustable trigger & scope rings. Still haven't gotten around to shooting it, even though I was able to purchase a few hundred once-fired Sako PPC brass.

I've recently seen photos of one of the Hunter models, and it appears not to have the adjustable trigger, but does have a cheekpiece, where my single shot doesn't. Anyone have any more information on these and/or other differences between the two models of the PPC?
Click to expand...

Your 6 ppc,does it have the 2 holes in the trigger guard to adjust the trigger.Does the action have 6 ppc stamped on it with numbers after it.If it's still new in the box would you consider selling it.
 
Yes, it has the features you described, and it's still unfired. No, it's not currently for sale.

One of these days, I'm going to get the SAKO USA brass out and load up some Estes 65gr FB HPs, then take it out and find out how it shoots.
 
How does the two holes work to adjust the trigger

refjr said:
Your 6 ppc,does it have the 2 holes in the trigger guard to adjust the trigger.Does the action have 6 ppc stamped on it with numbers after it.If it's still new in the box would you consider selling it.
Click to expand...

I was searching the Internet to learn about my Sako 6 PPC USA and ran across your discussion. Can you tell me how the two holes facilitate a trigger adjustment and what tools are required.

Thanks a million,
 
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