info and opinions on a sako finnbear please

eddoakley

Well-Known Member
Just as the title.
I have been offer a finnbear in .270 which seems to be in good order.
It is apparently a deluxe model. Has the iron sights removed and now wears an old swaro 6x42.
Not had one before and can't find a great deal of info let alone price comparisons.
Any info or suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers

Edd
 
Its hard to be specific about a rifle sight unseen.

But in general terms that combo frankly represents 'everything a gentleman of taste might require of a sporting rifle' ( I so miss Handgunner Magazine! )

Its a rock solid design and arguably far better built than most anything churned out of the factory since and quite possibly include the scope in that too! The caveat is not having seen it and the actual condition of the rifle, mounts and scope. But the ingedients sound fine. Take usual precautions to check things over.

Sadly there'll be a plethora of alternate head scratching because its not stainless/alloy/ fluted and the scope isnt at least 30 x with a 8 foot objective and ballistic ranging nuclear powered turrets. So of course you stand no chance of hitting anything.... sorry, sorry - I REALLY just couldn't resist :D
 
I currently have 2 finnbear sakos, a 3006, and a 375, recently acquired. My 3006 ive had for 20 years, its what I compare all others too. Excellent fit and finish, and mine will keep an inch or a might less with its favorite handload. And its a swarovski, what could possibly be less than excellent with that choice. The 375, I acquired roughly a month or so ago, and do to work , I havent been able to try it out. In my opinion, they are excellent rifles, and on this side of the pond, they are roughly $750, and up, dependent on condition. I love the older sakos, I have a l57 in 243, and it and the 06 were my primary game rifles for quite some time now
 
I have one on 270 and it doesn't miss a beat. Very well made, as above not trendy/stainless etc but a solid proper piece of kit.
Finnbears are also sought out for custom rebuilds which is praise enough
 
My first rifle was a 270 finnbear, I just turned 18 and and had saved all my money as a ghillie for a year to buy it second hand with a shcmidt & bender 3-12x50. I got immense pleasure from using it and have some very fond memories stalking with it. I later sold it to get the must have stainless/ synthetic model that where at the time where just getting popular. A sale I now regret
 
Thanks guys.
Obviously having a proper inspection is the only way to judge condition so not expecting that. Scope speaks for itself in quality and value.
But can't anyone point me on the direction of others for sale so I can get a comparison? ?

Edd
 
For all the quality of design and fit and finish they still do not command a high price 2nd hand for some reason
even less so in 270 guise

solid action for a rebarreling project even if at a retail price for an otherwise serviceable rifle
whatsbit going for? £3-400?
 
Doesn't seem a lot for a classic of such quality. I can't find any for sale to compare it to. I guess that .270 isn't that fashionable and new rifles can be had so inexpensively that these have just lost their appeal???

Edd
 
.270 is more prolific than people realise, a reliable killer at respectable ranges, I sought out a Finnbear action for my .300 Winmag, my .270 Finnbear is on reprieve from re-barreling,as it seems to have recovered its old habits, I must have cleaned it out too harshly,:oops:
 
got a real nice one in 270 with excellent wood and Williams sights & apel swings offs taboot it had a Burris scope with the deal which went on my 22lr and I put a Schmidt on it originally it had a small Zeiss but someone snaffled that up arhh.
I gave good money for it but it had only shot a box of ammo in its life and I'd not part with it for less than the cost of a new rifle of that quality which would be ...... ?
norma
 
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Owning one and valuing it highly is one thing but putting a true market value or fair price on it is another matter.
I have some guns which, if offered twice the "going rate" for I would not part with. They are more valuable to me than that. But the price of them is fairly easy to establish with comparables available elsewhere.
With this finnbear I can't seem to find another.
I like the gun and am not adverse to paying the asking price. But I also have to consider it's potential resale value as it may not be a keeper for me. (Not sure .270 is the way forward but worth a try).

So what I'm really asking now is if someone was to offer one for sale in the condition that I describe this one, what would they reasonably expect to achieve for it?

I have had suggestions of anywhere between £200 and £1200 (extreme I know) but that's just been based on how people feel about their own rifle and not other examples for sale or bought and sold.

So, what's it really worth?

Edd
 
i paid £700 for a rare mint condition one in 270 I've spent a further £200 on it :doh:
nuts maybe I only use it in Scotland .would I get my money back ....if you were looking for one you'd buy it in an instant not rare but its been regulated and fettled by H/H
hope that helps
N
PS that did include the Burris and mounts ££?
 
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So what I'm really asking now is if someone was to offer one for sale in the condition that I describe this one, what would they reasonably expect to achieve for it?

I have had suggestions of anywhere between £200 and £1200 (extreme I know) but that's just been based on how people feel about their own rifle and not other examples for sale or bought and sold.

The swaro is worth more than the gun
I know of one first hand that was picked up recently for sub £200,

As much as I like classic sako actions I personally would not pay more than £500 for it with the scope (and less if the scope is not going to see a £300 return ) as I know the .270 is marmite and does not sell as quickly as others, the sako finnbear is not sought after unless it is for a rebarrelling project,

The wood may be of interest to those owners with a piece of turd on theirs

If I was approaching it from a purists point of view I would buy it for sub £500, sell the scope to recover most of the outlay and refinish it and reblue if required. Then keep it!

if I wanted to turn some margin on it then get your action spanner out
strip it sell the refinished stock to a finnbear owner, the action to someone who know, the scope and mounts separately
 
I've bought 2 in the last year (including the one referred to above). Both in .270.

One was in very good condition, and needed essentially no work beyond a trigger tune . It shoots better than I can with everything I give it. Got it for £300 with a scope and rings.

One was in poor external condition (some rust), and needed a lot of work done to the trigger unit. I got it for comfortably less than 200, and spent about that again getting it sorted. I have yet to shoot it, but the gunsmith reports respectable 1- 1.5 inch groups.

They are great working guns. Much heavier than current fashion prefers, but this means the recoil is far less of a bother. And .270 is not noticeably different to any of the other standard deer centrifuges. I certainly don't see any detectable difference between it and my .308, either at my end or the deer's end.
 
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One thing to watch out for, though, is the older ones (usually the ones with Bofors barrels and tangent sights) do not have free floated barrels. This can cause some problems with accuracy.
 
Its hard to be specific about a rifle sight unseen.

But in general terms that combo frankly represents 'everything a gentleman of taste might require of a sporting rifle' ( I so miss Handgunner Magazine! )

Sadly there'll be a plethora of alternate head scratching because its not stainless/alloy/ fluted and the scope isnt at least 30 x with a 8 foot objective and ballistic ranging nuclear powered turrets. So of course you stand no chance of hitting anything.... sorry, sorry - I REALLY just couldn't resist :D

ah but you forgot to mention the piece of cheap tig welded tubing that would nt look out of place on a building site stuck on the end and called a precision moderator.
 
I paid £200 on here for a Swarovski 6x42 a few months ago. They are lovely scopes no longer made. The old Sako rifles are solidly built, much more so than modern renditions. Perhaps not the prettiest. If it's clean, chances are it will shoot reasonably well. Perhaps not bughole groups at 1000yds, but well enough for any deer. If you can get it for £3 to £400 you are quids in if it shoots. If not then a rebarrel and tune, and you are probably still talking less money than a new T3.
 
I have Finnbear in .270. It was my first rifle and I put Swaro 6x42 on it. Needed a new trigger and I had it threaded and got a Lawrence precision mod. So from some posts I have been a ungodly heathen but I have a rifle that I will never sell and which is my go to gun. Brilliant groups when I work at it and the mod has tamed it so that I can fire 20 rounds on the range quite happily. Buy it you wont regret it.
 
One thing to watch out for, though, is the older ones (usually the ones with Bofors barrels and tangent sights) do not have free floated barrels. This can cause some problems with accuracy.


Usually cured, as was mine by having the pressure point taken out and the stock cleared right back to the barrel swell
 
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