TRG M10 Sako: Contract Contender

TRG M10 Sako: Contract Contender

The Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) program began in 2007 when SOCOM realized that it needed something capable of shooting beyond the capabilities of the M24. Our snipers didn’t have a precision instrument with enough ballistic horsepower to reach ridgeline-to-ridgeline in Afghanistan, so the search began.

The PSR solicitation calls for a multiple-caliber rifle that allows the shooter to change between .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum. 

Like the TRG-series that went before it, the M10 bolt has three lugs, a mammoth Sako extractor (that’s actually wider than the one on the TRG 42), dual ejectors and a 60-degree bolt throw throw . Each caliber has its own barrel, bolt and magazines, and each component in the caliber sets are marked accordingly. The .338 components feature three tactile rings on the barrel and bolt and three circles on the rubberized pad of the magazine. The .300 Win. Mag. is indicated by two rings on each part, and the .308 is marked by a single ring. Sako decided to go with separate bolts for each caliber, fearing that an interchangeable bolt head could be too fragile.

The magazines for each caliber all have the same external dimensions, but the .308 and .300 Win. Mag. feature an integral block at the rear of the magazine to fit the same funneled magazine well. Magazine capacity for the .308 is currently 11 rounds, .300 Win. Mag. is seven rounds and the .338 Lapua magazine offers eight rounds.

Video

I shot the TRG M10  in both .308 and .338 Lapua configurations. At 100 yards, five-shot groups measured around the 0.6-inch mark for both IMO’s SIP Editor Eric Poole and me, with the best coming in at 0.4 inch while shooting .338. We were shooting prone off a bipod with no sand sock to support the rear of the rifle, so I’m confident that we could have knocked off another 0 .1 inch had we been a little more thoughtfully prepared.

At 200 yards, I managed sub-MOA groups in both calibers, with the best measuring .7 with .308 Lapua-brand ammunition. Unfortunately, this is far from a complete test of a rifle and trio of calibers that are fully capable of reaching and exceeding 1,000 yards with repetitive sub-MOA accuracy. 

In a final test of the rifle’s ability to provide speed, function and accuracy, Eric timed a rapid-fire stage on a silhouette target at 200 yards. It took me 10 seconds to fire through one mag change and 14 shots. After retrieval of the target, the 14-shot rapid-fire group measured just 6.92 inches.

The M10 is as well executed a rifle as Sako has ever devised. The many adjustments are all intuitive and manufactured to high quality. The action is strong and smooth, the trigger adjustable and crisp.

The competition for the PSR contract just might be over with this one.