Any Sako rifle fans on AH? Let's see them

Any rumors that Sako stopped making great rifles in the 1980's are ill founded. Of my most accurate rifles, four of the best are all Sako or Sako based rifles.

• Sako Quad in 22lr - This is a custom rifle built by GA Precision and was one of only 49 built in a series for Euro-Optik. It has a Lija bbl and McMillain A5 stock.
• Sako S20 in 243 - A factory rifle that shoots like a custom. The best shooting centerfire in my possession.
• FF CT Edge built on a Titanium upgraded version of the Sako 85 action with carbon wrapped match bbl in 7mm/08. Super light.
• FF CT Edge also on a Titanium Saako 85 action in 7mm RM. Another tack driver.

• I have one more Sako, a Model 85 in 338wm. This one has proven to be very ammo picky but does shoot a couple of factory loads to about 1 moa which is not bad for a hunting rifle. It is the only one in my collection that is not a tack driving lights out shooter. Would likely benefit from reloading.

One comment about the Sako 85's - Much has been written about the so-called design flaws of the fixed ejector employed in the Sako 85 action design. It is not as terrible and the gun writers would have you believe. Unlike a Remington 700 push feed style action the Sako requires you to pull the bolt back with enough speed to punch the empty brass out with authority. If you just ease it back slowly, it will not always eject as it should. This requires the shooter to adapt to the design of the rifle. It is not an issue. The original 85 has the ejector blade striking from the bottom of the bolt which can toss the brass out at a more upward pointed angle. Some say this can cause the brass to impact a scope with larger windage turrets? I cannot comment other than to say, it has not been an issue in my rifle. What I have noticed is that the ejector blade is very short and requires one to yank the bolt back hard so that it kicks the brass out. If you fail to cycle the bolt all the way back to it's stop, you will also fail to eject the brass. It is that simple and not that different from any Mauser 98 style ejection.

The CT Edge rifles are clones of the Sako 85 and I do know that the ejector blades on those are angled more to the left which punches the brass out angled more to the right in effort to make it function better. It function well and also has a slightly longer blade. The edge rifles are somewhat more accurate by virtue of the hand lapped match bbls.

375 H&H

I have 2 AVs; both lefties.

Top rifle is .375H&H, bottom rifle is .35 Whelen.

I’m not sure what’s going on with the thumbnail. I see it upside down but clicking on it to view the image, it becomes right side up. But to avoid any confusion, the .375 has sights.

A few years ago I went to Cabela’s to look at a Ruger M77 RSI. Didn’t like the finish in the metal, but this Sako A III (late 1970s) in 270 Winchester was next to the Ruger.

I found an old Redfield Widefield scope with the TV screen ocular for it.


Last summer, I put in a “throw away” bid on this L61R Finnbear in 7mm Rem Mag and to my surprise won. $1,000 to my door!


I bid on a beautiful Vixen Deluxe last weekend but dropped out after a point. I love the older Sako rifles.

The 85 Grizzly siblings ...



^ in 9.3x62


^ in 8x57

MaineMan2 said:

A few years ago I went to Cabela’s to look at a Ruger M77 RSI. Didn’t like the finish in the metal, but this Sako A III (late 1970s) in 270 Winchester was next to the Ruger.
View attachment 790179
I found an old Redfield Widefield scope with the TV screen ocular for it.
View attachment 790180

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I have a fixed 4X Widefield (or is it Widetrack? I’d have to check to be sure) on a Remington 7600 pump in .35 Whelen. Does yours also have the post and cross wire reticle?

I just purchased another Sako from @JD Noblin. Probably my 4th rifle or so from him.
It’s an 85 Finnlight in 300 win that we are doing a little work too. Cutting the barrel to 20 inches, threading the barrel with a matching protector.

I wanted an all weather, handy rifle to box blind hunt with.

Also this is my 2000th post!

From what I understand Sako has a custom shop but for the life of me I can't find how to contact them ????

85 Bavarian in .243, it now has a Zeiss on top.

AV in 30-06

Chuckbuster said:

I have a fixed 4X Widefield (or is it Widetrack? I’d have to check to be sure) on a Remington 7600 pump in .35 Whelen. Does yours also have the post and cross wire reticle?

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I like post-cross hair reticles and have several but not in that Redfield. It has a nice duplex reticle.

My first centerfire rifle is a sporterized Mauser 98 with a Lyman Alaskan sporting a German No. 1 reticle.

Gday going through some old videos & deleting some to free up some space on my phone for which I thought some might find this interesting

It was easily fixed & love my sakos but man straight from the factory this shouldn’t have occurred imo
500 Jeffery is caliber
Cheers

Fordy said:

Gday going through some old videos & deleting some to free up some space on my phone for which I thought some might find this interesting
View attachment 790793
It was easily fixed & love my sakos but man straight from the factory this shouldn’t have occurred imo
500 Jeffery is caliber
Cheers

Click to expand...

Jesus

Fordy said:

Gday going through some old videos & deleting some to free up some space on my phone for which I thought some might find this interesting
View attachment 790793
It was easily fixed & love my sakos but man straight from the factory this shouldn’t have occurred imo
500 Jeffery is caliber
Cheers

Click to expand...

I couldn’t imagine looking down and seeing this..

Gday Andrew

Andrew Short said:

I couldn’t imagine looking down and seeing this..

Click to expand...

Definitely not good but worse is when your cycling the bolt for next shot & squeeze off & the dreaded click
Just lucky we weren’t on a DG cull or hunt only getting the feel of it to create muscle memory although that’s pretty easy for me these days as I only run sakos these days

For note if we used reduced loads no issues but full loads or sako /Norma factory ammo it was every shot with full mag , only one in mag it was a erratic outcome

Which makes me wonder if sako test these types of things with full mags or not ??
Or I just had a lemon of a spring ??

Never a issue since with it & that is with over 2000 full loads

Cheers

Fordy said:

Gday Andrew

Definitely not good but worse is when your cycling the bolt for next shot & squeeze off & the dreaded click
Just lucky we weren’t on a DG cull or hunt only getting the feel of it to create muscle memory although that’s pretty easy for me these days as I only run sakos these days

For note if we used reduced loads no issues but full loads or sako /Norma factory ammo it was every shot with full mag , only one in mag it was a erratic outcome

Which makes me wonder if sako test these types of things with full mags or not ??
Or I just had a lemon of a spring ??

Never a issue since with it & that is with over 2000 full loads

Cheers

Click to expand...

Oh I’m sure that’s an “oh crap” moment! Especially with dangerous game!

Glad it wasn’t in that type of situation!

I bought a Sako M74 chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum back in 1974 at a local hardware store in Odessa, Tx. The store went out of business, but the gun still shoots great.

450 Rigby, Trust her with my life!