Well Dan, sorry you ended up with somebody's bogus Sako barrel. Look at it this way......you paid $147 for a Sako Vixen action and stock....now all you need is a new Pac-Nor 9 or 10-twist barrel, and you're good to go for cheap, maybe some pillar bedding to solve the crushed wood issue.
My Sako 17 Mach IV has a Shilen 10-twist on it, and it stabilizes any of the 25 grainers just fine, shoots the 25gr V-Max in the .3's. But don't be too bummed out.....any time you can buy a L-461 Sako Vixen for $147, it's a very good day indeed! I'll give you $200 for it right now, sight unseen!
Just for fun, my Sako Vixen .17 Mach IV on the bench during a rat shoot here (25gr V-Max's with H322 for 3,860 fps):
The little puppy now has right at 2,500 rounds downrange, still shoots in the .3's. Yours just needs a good new barrel there, Dan.
I decided to go for it.Got it all home and did an inventory of all the components.WOW.berger varmint match bullets .primers , powder, over 700 rounds of brass 90 % new all resized ,neck turner, annealed,mostly primed.80 loaded rounds and competition die set .went on midway and priced it all out 
That means I just purchased a sako vixen L461 17 mach 4, shilen barrel, built by a smith in Bend Or.for $147.00.His range records showed that between 1999 and 2011 he fired 582 rounds . Thanks Rick for the inspiration.Dan
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