400-Dollar Hunting Rifle VS 2,000-Dollar Hunting Rifle 

I like how Hickock when (if) he misses, never blames the gun, and when he doesnt miss he compliments the gun

I’m not gonna lie this is actually one of the most wholesome channels ever. It’s a man doing the thing he loves

I bought one of those $400 model 700s nearly twenty years ago because it was what I could afford at the time. Many deer have been brought home with it since then and I stick with it today even though I have other choices because that rifle shoots as good as others at the range and it has no problems. It's sentimental to me because I struggled at the time to get it and I've spent many wonderful days hunting with it.

This is a great channel. Deer and hogs don't know how much the gun cost! Meat on the table is the common denominator!!! Love how he always laughs while he's shooting. Demonstrates the pure joy of wholesome safe shooting!! Thank you Hickock

Hickok has had to have shot thousands of 2-liters in his lifetime, but every time he hits one he still giggles like it's the first time. lol

A good Polish polish will bring out that Finnish finish. I’ll show myself out.

Love these videos. As a kid, my dad bought us 'budget' Remington 788's in 208 and 243. 40 years later, they are still putting bench shot groups under an inch at 100 yards. $200 rifles, wood stock, basic Redfield 3x9 scopes. They've taken deer at 150 yards every year, have never misfired, and function as well or better than any higher priced rifles we've ever owned.

It always comes down to this when the question is functionality and accuracy: Is there enough of a difference... to make a difference? There's no doubt, the Sako is a trophy piece of artistry. There's no comparison there. But, the Ruger American isn't competing for that. Sako made the Tikka to compete with the Rugers; just like Weatherby created the Vanguard.

Fun story. My father bought a Mossberg bolt action 12 gauge shotgun with a one piece wooden stock when he was a young man. My great-uncle who was at the time working for Sako doing those nice hand engravings, saw my dad shoot it and said 'gimme that ugly piece of s**t'. Couple of weeks later my dad got the gun back with engravings and the stock extended by about an inch. So now my dad is the proud owner of propably the only Mossberg shotgun in the world with a Sako made finnish finish :)

I work at Sako here in Finland. Sako is a relatively small company, now owned by beretta. What Beretta did, they really came in with their 'big company' benefits for Sako, and still they do respect the history and quality of SAKO. Sako is a Finnish brand of quality. Btw, Sako's (and Tikka) polymer stocks comes from Beretta. All wooden stocks are made in Finland by handwork.

I'm not a gun or rifle guy but "holy crap" this was an excellent video. The guy is a shooting artist and explaining the differences in the rifles was mesmerizing for me as he explained everything in layman's terms.I have a pistol and hunting rifle willed over to me from FatherInLaw and I haven't fired them yet, but when I do I'll be watching these videos for sure. I'm glad he's on our side! Kudos to you Mr. Hickok 👍😎

My goodness that Sako is beautiful. I'd LOVE to have one, but I would be terrified to drag that into the woods hunting and get it scratched lol. What an incredible work of art

My Remington 700 was 300 bucks and it will drop anything in North America and drive tacks. Works just fine.

This didn’t help at all. Now I want both rifles.

Your last bit about owning a nice gun rang true for me. Last month I treated myself and dropped 3 grand on an O/U. I already had three perfectly good shotguns, but I had always wanted a "fancy" gun, and I had the money, so I went for it.

Sir you are a very good teacher and come across as a very honest well grounded guy. Thanks for the video!

This guy is the Bob Ross of guns ❤️

I'm a German who hasn't fired a rifle in his life. This video made me consider getting my firearms license.

Just because its more expensive does not mean its better. You have to match your skill and your budget with a firearm. I love this guys experience, its like listening to a uncle or grandpa.

This is the best, most educational, safest shooting channels on RU-vid. I've watched Him and his son for over ten years. He is like myself doing what I love to do safely. Testing three rifles from different manufacturers. And comparing what they'll do. Keep it up!

First, I know, I do get a little "gabby" getting to the point in this video. Sometimes I'm bad about that, although I've gotten much better over the years. :-) Additionally, the terms "expensive" and "inexpensive" are relative terms. Basically, they are relative to a person's income. Rather than talking so much about "price" of a firearm, or any luxury item, we should probably think of the "cost." For example, a 2,000 dollar rifle might actually "cost" less to one person than a 200 dollar rifle might cost to another. For some people that 2,000 dollar rifle is a smaller percentage of their monthly income than the 200 dollar rifle is of another person's income. Percentage of income is actually the issue, more so than "price." So, it might actually be "crazier" for a person of low income to purchase a Ruger than it is for somebody with a high income to purchase a Sako or Weatherby, etc. It all comes down to percentage of income. Just a thought.

Great comparison. You're paying for craftsmanship. Both will take deer. Both can be passed down to the next generation if well cared for by the owner.

I agree with your assessment. I would like to have a really nice wood stock hunting rifle that fits me perfectly, but my Mossberg ATR 100 in .270 Win is a tack driver and I got that for $200 at Wal-Mart in 2003.

I have two Weatherby Vanguards, both with nice walnut wood grain stocks. One in .270 and the other 7mm rem mag. The .270 was gifted to me by my papaw when I was 12 and I’ve had it ever since. The 7mm was also gifted to me by the same man, years later. Both rifles are gems.

I wouldn't enjoy hunting with a $2000 gun - I would be concerned about damaging it. The Ruger is more my style.

The finish on that Sako is so nice that I would feel really bad if I ever dinged it up.

I just started bench shooting, I picked up a CZ 457 with Boyds stock and a Bushnell match pro optic. This video helped me make these choices, thank you.

From a woodworker and a machinist ...I will always go with beauty with equal performance. It's art with function. Thank for the great video!

Those Sako Rifles are actually made in my hometown in Riihimäki, Finland ;)

How could you not like this guy? I’ve learned more from him over the years so much and I now work at a gun store. Thanks for all the great content Hickok

im just getting into collecting and absolutely love watching your vids. You are my only source now for gun knowlodge. thank you.

I would be scared to carry a 2K rifle for fear of damage. The Ruger would attract me more just because I wouldn't vomit if I dinged it.

Imagine if all of this was just hickocks elaborate plan to start a watermelon farm.

I swear hickok doesn’t age I’ve been watching since like 2010

Anytime I look up a new gun, I see if Hickok made a video for it. Your awesome, keep the videos coming!

The best gun channel on RU-vid, not only because Mr. Hickok knows what he is talking about with his deep knowledge base and infinite wisdom, but there is no click-bait here, no machismo or bravado, no dishonesty, no embellishment, just good old fashioned humble presentation of information in an unassuming and friendly way. Both new and veteran shooters can benefit from his knowledge, and this man is a superb ambassador for the firearms community. A proud subscriber from Canada here! Well done, sir!

And he's standing too! Unlike almost every channels featuring bolt action rifles that I've watched, despite being old, this lovely grandpa has amazing accuracy and stability in his arms

I have expensive guns and cheap ones. There’s no shame in cheaper stuff if you know how to use and take care of it

Depends on your budget. I carried a second hand Savage for quite a few years when I was in, and just out of college. These days, with very rare exception, my Christiansen or Sako don't offer anything more from a hunting perspective.

Another great video, always a pleasure to watch. I agree with you on many points and I am a hunter. The Sako is a fantastic brand and worth every penny. The Ruger is a wonderful rifle as well at a lower price point. Quality is not a measure of cost but rather conformance to a standard. I have taught quality and done so for 50 plus years. My issue as a hunter is the accidental scratches, dings and marks that a rifle picks up along the way if you use them and they are not safe queens! My model 70 over many years has lots of marks from the transport as well as the hunts. The bolt through on the Ruger is also excellent because of the consideration of a scope being used on most of them. Nothing better than to rub some fine finish oil in the Sako as I sip a fine scotch. I drink a Coke while cleaning my Ruger simply a different scene. As an aside I had a Ruger American in 243 that had an issue with the chamber. It was cut short and the bolt would crush a number of brands of ammunition. I returned it (great customer service) and they replaced it. My 243 now is a Weatherby. Ruger is a fantastic company and they addressed the need in the market for an entry rifle so you can’t go wrong with one. Something to be said beating it up a bit on a hunt is not as painful to see at cleaning time. PS: Buds rocks as well as does Fusion by Federal. Thanks for the vids. Once again quality is not a price issue it is a conformance issue. I have written curriculum used in thousands of schools on this very issue. Don’t feel bad buying a Ruger, be glad that a company like Ruger rose to the need, the 10-22 tell the story very well. ⚖️🥃🥤

Love this format: $500 rifle vs $2000 rifle! Please make more like this! Great job Hickok and John!

It’s like the choice between a Rolex and a Casio. Both tell the time.

Good for you Hickok! Great job! I’ve learned a lot !!!

I could never spend that on a rifle but wow, that Sako does look beautiful.

I just love to picture hickok driving home from the store with 20 or 30 watermelons in the bed of a pickup truck.

I don’t even care about the guns this guy just seems really genuine.

Thanks for this video, Mr. Hickok. We have a 'coyote problem' by us... I've been using a Remington 870, 12g, but the older I get, the heavy it seems to be getting, too. I just want a practical tool that will get the job done, so for me, the Ruger makes the most sense. $1500 can buy a lot of ammo! lol

Fantastic video, it’s been at least 10 years since I went hunting I’m getting back into the game as my kids are grown up and I have a lot more time on my hands these days . I’ve been looking at so many 30-06 bolt actions I feel it’s a good all around gun for the big game . Keep up the great work . Cheers 🇨🇦

I'm reminded of an old Brian Regan joke about refrigerators: This one, keeps your food cold, $300. This next one, keeps your food cold, $500...

I'm surprised there aren't any 2-liter plants growing on the range.

Sights ON THE BARREL... I am SO glad he said that. thank you Hickock for making sure to point that out.

I am new to to his youtube channel and loving this guy , wealth of knowledge and information. and he makes it look so easy to shoot even the long shots.

Two anecdotes. When I got out of the suck, I bought a used Remington 270 BDL + scope package to start deer hunting a lifetime ago. It was a lot of money for me when I started college. If the deer are there, it has never failed to do the job. Maybe 2 that I have had to use two shots with in 20 some odd years. Has been lent to friends for their hunts. Many, many deer have been harvested with it, and still is the go to now. Last year I got my daughter a Savage 243 youth,, + scope package. 3rd group of 3, two shots, same hole just off bull, third shot ~ 3/8" (me shooting). She took her first deer with it, 50 yards, one shot, perfect placement, ran 2-3 yards. Black Friday pickup when was just cruising through the sporting goods store, $350 all in. More often than not, once dialed in, fed the right diet, and taken care of, most decent, even low end rifles are better than their shooters. The two guns above are not safe queens and consistently get the job done. Are they Sakos, no. Will they do the same job? Day in and day out. YMMV.

For two grand I want the rifle to come running when I whistle.

Very informative! I find it odd that you can buy a rifle with no sights. Also thank you for explaining that 4x price does not mean 4x quality (they scale differently)

This man is a legend, appreciate the knowledge

I’ll start by disclaiming that this is entirely my own opinion and experience. (sad that I have to actually even put that these days) Since you asked for comments from the Benchrest community, here is mine: I am not a fan of Sako. Maybe I just bought one that made it past QC, or maybe their reputation of accuracy is some marketing ploy, or maybe they went the same route as Kimber (had a good real reputation, but quality lowered over time and now you’re just paying for the name). Too many speculations and maybes out there, but my experience with Sako has been, to put it politely, very underwhelming. Here’s my 2 part explanation: Bought a Sako a while back to build a long distance target rifle off of because I had of course heard of their accuracy reputation. The rifle was NIB. From the beginning I had always planned to tear it down, blueprint, and rebuild it from the ground up. However if I buy a rifle I’m not just going to pull it apart without first shooting it. So I brought it out to the range. I doubt I could have hit the broadside of a barn from inside the barn with this rifle (for those wondering, this includes both during and after proper break-in procedure). The rifle did not give me any form of consistent groupings This rifle clearly did not living up to “Sako” levels of expectations. I wouldn’t say I was overly enthusiastic about the results. If I hadn’t planned on rebuilding the rifle from the start I would have gotten rid of it at my earliest convenience, but I kept it and did exactly what I had planned on doing. So that was the shooting in factory condition part, here’s the rebuild part. Tear down enlightened me to a number of factors that contributed to its accuracy, or lack there of. The recoil lug isn’t built directly into the receiver, this is fine on other rifle designs where the recoil lug is fit properly to the receiver but the amount of play in the slot for the lug to sit in was enough to allow the lug to not sit tightly and not give any form of proper consistency under recoil. The receiver itself is considerably thinner than other standard bolt action receivers. While this may save a bit of weight, it also means there is going to be the potential for more flex in the receiver. Blueprinting might have been the most telling. The receiver threads were so far out of concentricity that when I recut them I had to open them up so much to achieve proper concentricity that I was about .005” away from having too little meat in the receiver walls to be considered safe and would’ve had to scrap the entire project. Lapping the bolt lugs was also pretty telling. I had decent contact on one of the three lugs, about half contact on the second, and barely touching the third at all. IMO There’s no way the action should have been able to make it past QC. This rifle ended up being one of the most frustrating builds I’ve ever done. Between dealing with all the inconsistencies in the rifle that cropped up both before and during the rebuild, I don’t think a single other gun has ever given me this many headaches. In the end all my work paid off. The very first time I brought it out to the range to test fire after I had finally finished the rebuild, I was rewarded with a sub 3/8” MOA grouping with Factory ammo! This Sako is now one of my most accurate rifles. I’m glad I put the work in to see it perform so well, but there is just no way in hell that I could find myself recommending Sako to anyone else, regardless of but also especially considering the price they go for. To reiterate: this is my personal experience and opinion, but I’d take the “cheap” rifle that I can expect maybe not ultra amazing custom quality but still very good quality that costs 1/5 the price over another Sako. For those who actually read this entire essay of a long RU-vid comment, thanks for taking the time. I hope this was useful not only to the benchrest community, but also to anyone out there who may be in the market for a new rifle.

Speaking of Finnish finish, your channel's subscribe amount is nearly equal to the population of Finland. Love your stuff my man.

I have been watching the channel for 10+ years. Helped me make a lot of educated decisions on what gun to buy to fit me best. Thank you for all the info an awesome videos. I I have a Savage .308 thats similar to the Ruger in the video. Its suprised me and a lot of people out to 400 yards. Nice trigger and more accurate than i expected. I own ruger firearms as well. I would expect good things from the Ruger American.

I agree 100% with you sir. I happen to own a weatherby mark V, made in west Germany, 300 weatherby magnum. I’m not kidding when I say I’ve sat for hours upon hours for years just admiring the beauty of the gun. Almost makes you tear up at how well made and well crafted some guns are.

My advice would be to buy what you want, avoid buying what is "almost" what you want. If you get it in your head that you want a Sako, wait till you can buy a Sako. I can be sure that if I settle for almost, I won't be happy with it.

A few years ago a gunsmith I know owed me a cpl thousand $, that he didn’t have, but he had a beautiful block of Claro Walnut. In trade I had him “build” me a gun using the barrel and action of a Savage Axis 30-06 that I had laying around. He custom carved the stock to my body and arm length, added a Timney trigger, and hand hammered an oversized trigger guard so a gloved finger fits nicely. The gun turned out beautiful and has become one of my favorite shooting guns, even over some high dollar rifles that I have. I kind of felt like we were putting lipstick in a pig at the time, but that cheap Savage action is surprisingly accurate once it’s fitted with a decent trigger. (The Axis is in the same market as the American).

Thanks for an unbiased and honest review. It was great listening to what you have to say.

wow... I just learned so much! Thank you so much for this review.

"That's a watermelon plant growing there, by the way. I don't know who planted it or how it got there." ...having just broadcast watermelon seeds in a 20 foot radius...

While Hickok was drooling over the wooden Finnish stock, he left out that the cheaper Ruger stock made of polymer composite will never warp, never absorb moisture, and is impervious to oil and other chemicals.

My Husqvarna 1600 Lightweight (30-06) was made in the 1960s, I bought it mint for $500. It's every bit as good as a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 (which nowadays runs about $3000 or so) and I'd put it up against any modern rifle that is factory bedded, with a floating barrel. Husqvarna is primarily known for chainsaws now, but their rifles were top notch Swedish steel.

"That's a watermelon plant growing right there I dunno how it got there." LOL

The Sako is for when you drive to a hunting blind and sit in it, the Ruger is for when you are hoofing miles through the bush actively looking for things.

I wanna see hickok shoot a “inaccurate gun” whatever that might be. The guy never misses lol

loved the comparison! Wish the weight of the two were compared as well for those who need to haul it around on a hunting trip. Enjoyed this video.

I have a Savage .30-06 (lefty) and a Weatherby Mark V. Being a lefty, I can sometimes get good values. My Savage cost me $150 used, and the Weatherby $1000 or so. I can tell the difference in fit and finish, but not in accuracy.

A friend of mine has a older Sako in 270 he got from his dad. I bought a Ruger American 4 years ago . We shoot together quite often and i have shot both . Off bench in a lead sled and there both accurate. Very accurate. Granted we use reloads but they are both shooters. For someone who can not justify $1,000 or $2,000 on a rifle, the Ruger is a freezer filling machine. Shoot what you can afford and enjoy it. Thank you for another great video.

Three rifles on the table, and I heard you talking about the Sako and the Ruger, but the entire time my focus was on that gorgeous model 70.

Guns are like anything else in life. I’m a professional guitarist…a $4000 American made PRS and a $600 Korean made PRS are going to do the same thing. They’ll both sound good, they’ll both play nice and they’ll both get the job done. But the American made PRS is going to be stable as hell. It’s going to stay in tune, stay intonated, hold its setup for months…maybe years. You can pick it up and examine every little detail, noticing that someone *really* cared for this guitar as they made it. Same goes for firearms. A $400 rifle is going to safely send lead downrange, at deer, etc. A $4000 rifle is going to make you happy every time you touch it. The tolerances will be spot on and it’ll stay reliable for decades with maintenance. That’s the difference you pay for…

My first rifle was a Mosin Nagant “garbage stick” I traded a rod and reel and a $50 bill for. I carried that old 7.62x54R for about 30 years, and god knows how many deer, coyotes, pronghorn, and prairie dogs before I finally retired it. I miss it, because the guy who sporterized it made it one of a kind. This fella reminds me of that old man.

Reminds me of the golfer that buys the $2000 golf clubs but his score doesn’t change.

I was literally looking at grabbing a cheap bolt rifle just yesterday... Wasn't going to buy anything THAT expensive, but hey, this is still helpful.

Hickok love the videos always have. Please do a video on 22-250 we would greatly enjoy it. Thanks early Merry Christmas to you and the family

like many other items, the last 5% of performance is 95% of the cost. you decide if you need that 5%.

One of the only reasons I would buy Sako is because Finland is my homeland and I feel immense pride for our national firearms industry

I remember I used to watch hickok45 years ago when I was in high-school. I'm now graduated from college and am still happy to see him uploading content!

Nice shooting ❗ I totally agree . I bought a slightly used 1990 Remington model 700 .270 with a 3x9 Scope at a gun shop before going on a Walk hunt. The guy that bought it in had to have a Browning SS stalker at twice the price . When our group purchased their guns they all went high end Weatherby rifles . My gun was about 475 there's were above 2,000. My gun was synthetic . Theirs were beautiful wood,but not free floated and when we got out west all of them were affected by the change , mine didn't move. I took my bull at the longest range. I did have an All American 22mag bolt . Very nice rifle . 😎

The SEKO bolt actually has a twist on it that doesnt freeze/lock in the extreme cold.

I just picked up a $2000 rifle a few weeks ago. M1 Garand, built in 1944 or 1945. It's definitely a beauty.

Feed my family with my "cheap" Savage .308. Would love the expensive guns but I'll work with what I can afford.

Great video! I'll take the Ruger. High quality rifle, and yes, it works. Built like a tank, and is actually affordable! Is a $2K rifle worth it? Of course, if you can afford it and are willing to pay that much. I'm not willing.

This guy is the guy, organic, inforamtional, genuine! Good Man

I'm still angry that ALL rifles don't come with iron sights anymore.

Good thing it doesn’t have a Polish polish

I bought a Ruger M77 bolt action rifle in 30-06 in 1977, with a beautiful wood stock and no iron sights. I don't remember what i paid for it but it has been my go to rifle ever since. It's very accurate and I love this gun. It has it's share of memories engraved into the stock if you know what I mean. I've hunted some very tough terrain in weather that no one in their right mind would have been out doors in. I have never purchased a polymer stocked rifle so I can't vouch for their accuracy so the point of all of this is, wood stock or polymer? I see the purpose in both rifles. Thanks Hickok45 for giving us a view of some really nice firearms. I appreciate what you do and I hope you continue what you love to do.

He has So much knowledge and honesty About rifles and hand guns And he explain everything vary well

It’s crazy to believe I’ve been watching this man for going on 7 years.

"Expensive and inexpensive are relative terms" Amen to that, even $400 is expensive for some people .

Good job. Appreciate the benefit of your knowledge and experience.

I've got a Ruger American in 30-06 (a VERY American caliber) topped with a Redfield Revolution (got both before they offered the American Revolution package). Solid, but lightweight, rifle and it gets the job done in the accuracy department

The Bavarian is a work of art while the Ruger is a tool.

I’m so jealous of this backyard...

“We have another round in this, it holds five, thats why it costs more”

JUST A GREAT UNBIASED VIDEO . Thank you !