by Scott Smith

When one hears the name Sig Sauer or Sig Arms, most shooters think of handguns such as the P226, P239, P210, and the big bore P220 in .45 ACP. Many have seen ads or read blurbs on the Sig 550 series assault rifles, but most will never encounter them, thanks to government regulations like the importation ban and the Crime Bill of '94 and its nebulous subjective prohibiting standards.

A Sig rifle that you may run across-though not being carried into the fields unless you are big and green when you get angry or play the line for the Raiders, but possibly while hunting varmints or in a long-range match-is the Sig SSG3000. This is as fine a rifle as money can buy and rivals its much better known competitors like the Sako TRG, an Accuracy International bolt rifle, or several custom shop rifles.

The Sig SSG3000, like its competition, is built from the ground up as a tactical rifle, which lends it well to long-range varmint or big game hunting. Since it is designed for a worldwide role, it is chambered in 7.62x51 NATO or as it is more commonly known here in the United States, .308 Winchester.

The SSG3000 is built around the .308 Win. round since it is generally accepted and available worldwide. Aside from its availability and number of loadings, the round-in capable hands-is lethal out to distances of 800+ meters, and very accurate. The only drawback of the round-at least in my opinion-is that it suffers from age, and does not get the play in the mainstream firearms media that the hot new whiz-bang calibers do. In reality, it is still in the top five of rifle ammunition sold every year, so the .308 Win. must be doing something right.

Like a Model T Ford, you can have the SSG3000 in any color you like as long as it is black; but black is cool, look at the popularity of ARs and-until recently-they came in black only, too.

This is a working rifle, not a show piece. It is meant to be hidden from big game since at long range the camo pattern won't matter, nor is it a piece of artwork. Well then again, the groups that this fine firearm produces with several loadings suggest it can be considered a work of art in steel.

Standard features for the SSG3000 are a stock fully-adjustable for length and comb height. The tapered barrel is cold hammer-forged and is 23.4-inches long with its attached flash suppressor. The flash suppressor is a technical design, too, with no bottom cuts that would produce a dust signature-be it in the field hunting or in a tactical situation. For ease of reloads, the five-shot magazine drops free at the touch of its button release.

Sig Arms uses a McMillan fiberglass stock for a stable platform for the SSG. As previously mentioned, the stock is adjustable to fit the individual user. Another feature not found on many factory tactical rifles is the two-stage adjustable trigger, again to fit the shooter's desires. All in all, this is a tool designed with the operator in mind.

Other notable features of the Sig SSG3000 are the short-throw 60-degree bolt with its large head. This makes reloads smooth and swift. The bolt itself has six locking lugs so that it will stand up to the stoutest loads safely, although standard factory loads are recommended. Something not found on many production rifles is a heat shield that also aids in long-range shooting by deflecting the heat mirage. This is something that is most noticeable in the summer, during sustained shooting, and/or when using high-magnification optics on a sunny day. Of course any barrel reflects some heat even on a cold day.

Performance of the SSG3000 was nothing less than outstanding. Factory loadings from Federal, Winchester, PMC, Hornady, and Remington were used. Out of the box, with Federal Gold Medal Match 168-grain ammo, this rifle shot clover leaves of five rounds. Although at first not all to point-of-aim (POA), that was easily corrected. After some quick adjustments, the SSG point-of-impact (POI) was POA with Federal, PMC and Remington 168-grain Match JHPs. Unfortunately, all we had in Winchester loadings were hunting rounds, but surprisingly it shot the 150-grain SilverTips to within 2mm of POA of the match loads.

Hornady was represented by its fine 168-grain TAP round and like other 168-grainers it shot POA/POI, not surprisingly. Thanks to the SSG3000's, 11-pound weight, follow-up shots are quick, since the rifle hardly moves when a solid cheek weld and firing grip are taken on the rifle.

All of the shooting with the SSG3000 was done from the supplied Harris Bi-pod, not bags or a heavy duty shooting rest. I doubt that many a varmint shooter is going to go out in the field with a robo-rest, nor are they likely to carry a 20-pound wrap around bag rest. So the rifle was tested as it would be used in operation.

Shooting conditions ranged from sunny and in the 80s to snowing, with 4 inches of the white stuff on the ground and temperatures in the 20s. Shooting varied from a cold bore to being too hot to touch. To further test the mettle of the SSG, it was not cleaned during the session although over 500 rounds were shot through it (don't gasp or fall over).

Some of the best shooting was done near the end of the evaluation, with 5-shot groups averaging just over 3/8-inch. After a quick bore brushing and patch, the rifle did shoot one-hole groups, so how much better is a .40-inch group to a .30. To this beat up old soldier not very much, but to a PPC shooter I suppose that makes a world of difference. In reality this rifle is capable of doing everything a sniper/countersniper, varmint or big game hunter will ever need.

Sig offers the SSG3000 in three packages: Level I is the rifle and a hard case at a MSRP of $2,732; Level II is the same with a Leupold VariX III 3-10x40 duplex and a Harris bi-pod at $3,731, and Level III is similar with a Leupold Mark IV Tactical Mil-Dot Scope at $4,812. The case shipped with the rifle does protect its contents as we found out when it slid out of the back of my Rodeo and down the mountainside known as my driveway (some 60 feet); no damage to rifle, but the case was scratched (however, this was not part of our planned evaluation).

High Marks
After shooting the SSG in all weather conditions that western Pennsylvania can throw at it, with several ammo brands and .308 loadings; I can give an unbiased opinion that the SSG3000 is a superior rifle. It is not hard to pay double its MSRP, and not have gained anything in performance. Considering the rifles employed worldwide for tactical operations and the price many lay out for a custom varmint/long-range big-game rifle, the SSG could be considered a bargain.

The Sig SSG3000 delivers sub-MOA performance on demand in any conditions. It is well made and robust enough to survive the worst conditions and scenarios, even military demands. Unlike many of its contemporaries, the Sig is not ammunition sensitive. The overly constructed large bolt handle allows for ease of operation in the worst conditions, as does the safety which is located in the trigger guard (push it up to disengage). And bolt, trigger and safety are easily manipulated with gloved hands; a plus if you live/work in cold climates.

If you are looking for a superior rifle and price is not a consideration, the Sig SSG3000 is a must look, particularly if you are in law enforcement as a sniper/countersniper, or are looking for a great .30-caliber hunting rifle. For more information on the Sig SSG3000 and the rest of the fine hunting, sporting, and duty firearms in the Sig Arms line, contact them at: 18 Industrial Dr., Dept. GWK, Exeter, NH 03833; phone: 603-772-2302; on-line: www.sigarms.com.