Is the sako 85 safari a good rifle?

[Jacques416]

Hi guys, does anyone have any info on the sako 85 safari. I know very little about them so hence why I’m posting this. What’s the good, the bad and the ugly with these rifles and what sort of price range are we looking at here? Thanks.

 

[IvW]

Calibre?

 

[Jacques416]

@IvW the 416 rigby interests me

 

[IvW]

I would stay well clear...google Sako 85 ejection issues...

 

[Jacques416]

I would stay well clear...google Sako 85 ejection issues...

Thanks bud

 

[wesheltonj]

Some have the issue other don't. SAKO's are excellent firearms, the safari is the most expensive "off the rack" version. I own 4 SAKO 85's, no issues, yet. I have would no problem buying one, other than my wife finding out about the price they are in excess of 10K. And if you did receive a gun with the ejection issues, it's a very easy fix.

 

[375Fox]

Sakos are my favorite rifles. I own 270, 300, and 375 in Sako 85. They have the best factory trigger if any rifle I’ve used and very smooth bolt. The ejection issue seems to only be documented in 375s with low rings from what I can tell, the fix is as simple as turning a duplex scope 90 degree counter clockwise. IvW constantly bashes sakos here but won’t provide details other than what he reads in other posts.

 

[375Fox]

Here are reports on a 416 I recently sold to another member

Further evaluations of the Sako Brown Bear

I have spoke with at least three members here who talked about walking with a piece of 2x4 with a pipe strapped to it to replicate carrying thier rifle in preparation for their elephant hunts. Living in a reasonably rural part of Kentucky has a few downsides, however one of those downsides is...

www.africahunting.com

Preliminary range report on the Sako 416 Rigby

I have finally gotten a chance to do some preliminary load work and function checking on the Sako Brown Bear in 416 rigby. As far as the rifle itself goes there is a lot of things I like. Barrel band, short bolt throw, very nice trigger, holds four rounds in the mag, I very much like the...

www.africahunting.com

 

[Phil Giordano]

The rifle itself is very well finished, but personally, my advice for a dangerous game rifle is to find one with a good Mauser tipe action.
Again, as IvW said, just google "Sako 85 ejection issue" and you'll answer your question by yourself.

 

[Labman]

"I would stay well clear...google Sako 85 ejection issues..."

+2 on that. It's a design flaw that Beretta won't acknowledge let alone do something to correct. Putting the ejector in the 6 o'clock position is not a good idea if you're going to scope the rifle.

 

[IvW]

Sakos are my favorite rifles. I own 270, 300, and 375 in Sako 85. They have the best factory trigger if any rifle I’ve used and very smooth bolt. The ejection issue seems to only be documented in 375s with low rings from what I can tell, the fix is as simple as turning a duplex scope 90 degree counter clockwise. IvW constantly bashes sakos here but won’t provide details other than what he reads in other posts.

Jaja...just because you own sako 85. ....yes I bash them because they have issues.

 

[IvW]

"I would stay well clear...google Sako 85 ejection issues..."

+2 on that. It's a design flaw that Beretta won't acknowledge let alone do something to correct. Putting the ejector in the 6 o'clock position is not a good idea if you're going to scope the rifle.

Yip.....Neither is rotating scopes to accommodate a rifle issue.. buy a proparly designed and functioning rifle to start with..

 

[375Fox]

Jaja...just because you own sako 85. ....yes I bash them because they have issues.

Yes I actually own one and hunt with one. You claim to be a highly experienced dangerous game PH who has shot hundreds(?) thousands(?) of dangerous game but can’t give an explanation more than what you’ve read on AH.

 

[IvW]

Yes I actually own one and hunt with one. You claim to be a highly experienced dangerous game PH who has shot hundreds(?) thousands(?) of dangerous game but can’t give an explanation more than what you’ve read on AH.

Haha sour grapes.

 

[Phil Giordano]

Yip.....Neither is rotating scopes to accommodate a rifle issue.. buy a proparly designed and functioning rifle to start with..

Yes, you know... I guess a riflescope is designed to work with the turrets in the normal position, and more than that, a rifle should work well with it - again, in a normal position, as every other rifle do.

 

[stk]

So, obviously Sako 85s have a mixed reputation. I love the smoothness and quality of the action, but I have encountered the ejection issue in a .30-06. It was fixed by rotating the scope and then later by increasing the height of the rings. It remains my favorite action but it wouldn't be my first choice for a dangerous game rifle if I was going to use a scope. Also, I wish they offered different front sights on their express models...the white bead they use is enormous. I'm sure it's great if you're trying to put down a charging animal but it's hard to shoot accurately at any sort of distance.

 

[pjaln]

the 85 custom shop at JD outfitters
are 9-12k too much money for a non mauser type actioned rifle , I did own a 243 forester pre Garcia. and a 222 vixen

 

[mark-hunter]

My 30-06 sako 85 is perfectly functional, but I dont have experience with calibers above 375 in sako.
I agree with @pjaln , over priced for non mauser action type.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

The Chief Examiner for Zimbabwe National Parks uses an unscoped .416Rigby model 85 Sako so far no problem. For me CRF only.

 

[Jacques416]

the 85 custom shop at JD outfitters
are 9-12k too much money for a non mauser type actioned rifle , I did own a 243 forester pre Garcia. and a 222 vixen

For sure, too much. At 10k it should be functioning perfectly but doesn’t, instead has unreliable ejection. We have a model 70 that’s a quarter of the price with CRF and buttery smooth bolt so will just stick to those.