Sako 85 Heavy Barrel Varmint Problems

[JCM]

HI All,

Just looking for a little knowledge on the sako 85 heavy barrel Varmint .223 as I'm having a problem with the set trigger.
When I set the trigger forward and pull the trigger its only lightly striking the bullet and not firing, but if I do not set the trigger it shoots fine.
What adjustment can be made to the SET trigger element ? Im using superperformance Hornady 53grn. All thoughts welcome

James

 

[Tim.243]

HI All,

Just looking for a little knowledge on the sako 85 heavy barrel Varmint .223 as I'm having a problem with the set trigger.
When I set the trigger forward and pull the trigger its only lightly striking the bullet and not firing, but if I do not set the trigger it shoots fine.
What adjustment can be made to the SET trigger element ? Im using superperformance Hornady 53grn. All thoughts welcome

James

Find a gun smith who will work on it get it breaking how you want.

 

[rusty53]

Hi pal had same problem same rifle and cal spoke to gmk they said make sure you are pulling the trigger back squire and not slightly to one side not saying this is the same but just try it

 

[Jelen]

Find a gun smith who will work on it get it breaking how you want.

Have you tried flushing out the trigger group with lighter fluid? It could be a tiny bit of crud in there. Not all gunsmiths know a lot about rifles. If you go down that route I suggest you use a reputable rifle smith. I speak from experience.

 

[long_range_rob]

Is the first stage (the in-set trigger) very light?
Have you stripped and cleaned the bolt?
As stated above clean (or get cleaned) the trigger group.

 

[JCM]

Hi pal had same problem same rifle and cal spoke to gmk they said make sure you are pulling the trigger back squire and not slightly to one side not saying this is the same but just try it

I do tend to roll off it but I pull the trigger the same all the time and some times it works sometimes not. Ill try again making sure to pull square.

 

[JCM]

Thanks ill have a look at the trigger group, what's to clean on the bolt ?

 

[JCM]

Is the first stage (the in-set trigger) very light?
Have you stripped and cleaned the bolt?
As stated above clean (or get cleaned) the trigger group.

yes lovely and light in the set position,

 

[JCM]

I Also think it has something to do with the ammo,

 

[topscots1]

HI All,

Just looking for a little knowledge on the sako 85 heavy barrel Varmint .223 as I'm having a problem with the set trigger.
When I set the trigger forward and pull the trigger its only lightly striking the bullet and not firing, but if I do not set the trigger it shoots fine.
What adjustment can be made to the SET trigger element ? Im using superperformance Hornady 53grn. All thoughts welcome

James

Go with a different brand of ammo, I bought two boxes of Hornady 53gr yesterday zeroed,of the 14 rounds I tried to fire 7 failed to fire spread across two boxes. I then switched to sako and PPU no issues.

 

[palo]

It can't be the ammo if your only getting light strikes when using the set trigger.
Get a gunsmith that knows about triggers to check it out.
I never liked those set triggers, I always shot better with a good single or two stage trigger.

 

[HonestJohn]

It’s the same sear whichever trigger release you opt for, the same sear that disengages from the cocking piece.

Clean the trigger unit as said, but tighten the set trigger spring to make it more crisp - you might have it set so light that it virtually doesn’t have enough ‘kick’ to release the sear surfaces at the rate required for full primer engagement, and it is causing a delayed ‘drag’ on the bearing surfaces between the set kicker piece and the release sears on the cocking piece.

 

[JCM]

Go with a different brand of ammo, I bought two boxes of Hornady 53gr yesterday zeroed,of the 14 rounds I tried to fire 7 failed to fire spread across two boxes. I then switched to sako and PPU no issues.

well I think it might be ammo, as I had an old box to get to a zero but only had 7 bullets left, all when off a treat, then opened the new box to check zero and finalise and they nearly all had light strike, so infuriating as I like the Hornady for foxing.
Any suggestions for a new foxing bullet in 233, its a 1.8 twist

 

[JCM]

It’s the same sear whichever trigger release you opt for, the same sear that disengages from the cocking piece.

Clean the trigger unit as said, but tighten the set trigger spring to make it more crisp - you might have it set so light that it virtually doesn’t have enough ‘kick’ to release the sear surfaces at the rate required for full primer engagement, and it is causing a delayed ‘drag’ on the bearing surfaces between the set kicker piece and the release sears on the cocking piece.

ill look into this thank you.

 

[HonestJohn]

well I think it might be ammo, as I had an old box to get to a zero but only had 7 bullets left, all when off a treat, then opened the new box to check zero and finalise and they nearly all had light strike, so infuriating as I like the Hornady for foxing.
Any suggestions for a new foxing bullet in 233, its a 1.8 twist

Hang on

“When I set the trigger forward and pull the trigger its only lightly striking the bullet and not firing, but if I do not set the trigger it shoots fine.”

The ammo can only be at fault if you tested one with using ONLY the set trigger, and another ammo using ONLY the non-set

 

[topscots1]

well I think it might be ammo, as I had an old box to get to a zero but only had 7 bullets left, all when off a treat, then opened the new box to check zero and finalise and they nearly all had light strike, so infuriating as I like the Hornady for foxing.
Any suggestions for a new foxing bullet in 233, its a 1.8 twist

I haven’t looked at a new foxing round yet, I bought the 53gr stuff to get back out foxing.

The had success in the past with the sako 40gr stuff. I can not find any locally. Winchester also do a 53 gr VMAX I am going to give them a try Monday. They worked well in a 1/8 tikka I used previously. Although the books would say they are on the light side for a 223.

I did a trawl online and found several others have had issues with the 53 gr Hornady. In your shoes I would go and buy the cheapest 223 you can find and give it a try to rule out the firing pin other trigger mechanism.

 

[JCM]

yes so I actually had one bullet not go off on standard trigger but that's the only one I have ever had. but yes if I don't set the trigger it works fine,
could it be the spring like you say in the set trigger ? I also sent the rifle back to GMK when I first got it and they said pull square.

 

[JCM]

I haven’t looked at a new foxing round yet, I bought the 53gr stuff to get back out foxing.

The had success in the past with the sako 40gr stuff. I can not find any locally. Winchester also do a 53 gr VMAX I am going to give them a try Monday. They worked well in a 1/8 tikka I used previously. Although the books would say they are on the light side for a 223.

I did a trawl online and found several others have had issues with the 53 gr Hornady. In your shoes I would go and buy the cheapest 223 you can find and give it a try to rule out the firing pin other trigger mechanism.

yes I saw a couple of people complaining of them, its done it from the day I bought it so I think its something in the set trigger ie spring, or just the ammo.

 

[JCM]

Hi pal had same problem same rifle and cal spoke to gmk they said make sure you are pulling the trigger back squire and not slightly to one side not saying this is the same but just try it

told the same by GMK

 

[scotch_egg]

Strip the bolt and give it a good clean. Quite often there are brass shavings ingress through the firing pin hole and extractor areas. The bolt can be stripped by hand and no need for tools on the 85. Flush the trigger with some lighter fluid and canned air to dry it off. This would save a trip to a gunsmith and potentially being without the rifle.

There have been quite a few reports of ammunition failing to fire. I wonder if it is linked to primer shortages and new primers possible military primers with thicker cups being used. But alas we won’t get a straight answer from the manufacturers.