Sako 85 .243 100gr loads

ABWD

Well-Known Member
I've just bought a Sako 85 Synthetic Stainless in .243 and looking for any help from the forum who use this rifle with loading data for 100 grain BTSP
Many thanks in advance.
 
1 in 8 will sort out most 243 bullets, 1 in 10 might just be ok. My 1 in 10 Sako is temperamental with 100g bullets and will only shoot short, flat-based bullets. It loves the 100g Sako Gameheads; it was in for some work recently & I asked the gunsmith (who also works up loads for people) to try & find a really good 100g bullet for me & he couldn't better the the accuracy of the Sako's (factory loads).
 
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I posted this to the thread about 100-gr bullets in the .243.

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The .243 Winchester and 6mm Remington (6x57mm) have come in a mix of rifling twist rates.

The Model 70 was 1:10, so most .243s are the same. The .244 Remington's were 1:12,and shot 75 and 85-gr bullets very well, but the Model 700 was changed to 1:10, then when the .244 Remington became the 6mm Remington, all Remingtons were change to 1:9 ( M700, M660, M788). When Remington started offering rifles in .243 ( which was far and away leading sales ), they made them 9 1/8" twist. Savage went with 1:9.25 in its .243s.

The Browning B78s were offered in 6mm Remington, with a 1:9 twist rate. I had one, and it shot everything into cloverleafs or bug holes. It has a longer barrel than most .243s or 6x57s, so it is steaming the bullets out faster than most. Stabilizing flat based 105-gr bullets or boattail 100-gr bullets was no problem for it, whereas a .243 Win with a 1:10 or 1:12 twist and a short barrel cannot muster the muzzle velocity necessary to impart the RPMs necessary to stabilize heavier bullets.
 
1 in 8 will sort out most 243 bullets, 1 in 10 might just be ok. My 1 in 10 Sako is temperamental with 100g bullets and will only shoot short, flat-based bullets. It loves the 100g Sako Gameheads; it was in for some work recently & I asked the gunsmith (who also works up loads for people) to try & find a really good 100g bullet for me & he couldn't better the the accuracy of the Sako's.


I have found this to be true of a number of Sako barrels in a variety of calibres now

100gr in most 1:10" barrels is usually fine but may be matched to a sweet MV or bullet style
I personally found flat base interlocks in both SP and RN format were very accurate from two different Parker Hales

Not pushed to the limit but two clear accuracy points
I chose the slower of the two as I was only shooting Roe in Scotland with it
 
According to the RFD and the Sako user guide it has a 10" rate of twist on a 20" barrel.
I am having little satisfaction using factory loads in 100gr but require this weight for Reds in Scotland.
 
As many .243 Win owners as there are on this forum, it would be interesting to hear from those who use a Remington M-700 or Model 7 with 20-inch barrels of 1:9 rifling. A lot of people I know use the Model 7 with 100-gr Core Lokt ammunition and swear by the accuracy and lethality on deer.
 
Thanks Southern, I've worked up a load to 39.0 gr of IMR4350 in Lapua brass and started to get respectable groups with 100 gr BTSP. Might try 95 gr. when I get back to see if they suit the barrel bettr.
 
Is the 85 significantly diferent to the Sako 75?

I am shooting 100g Federal Power Shock soft points and have no problems at all

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According to the RFD and the Sako user guide it has a 10" rate of twist on a 20" barrel.
I am having little satisfaction using factory loads in 100gr but require this weight for Reds in Scotland.

I have yet to find a rifle that likes Sako factory ammo....including my sakos!!
the .243 ammo was the worst of the lot and gave 5-6" groups in two different .243 I had
The same .243 would shoot Interlocks into ragged holes
.270 was OK,
.222 I was getting 3" groups at best
 
After some good groups on the target with 100gr Hornady Interlock, Lapua brass and 39gr IMR 4350 the Sako 85, with my son at the working end, took a good cull Stag today at 237 yards. Proud Dad!
 
I have yet to find a rifle that likes Sako factory ammo....including my sakos!!
the .243 ammo was the worst of the lot and gave 5-6" groups in two different .243 I had
The same .243 would shoot Interlocks into ragged holes
.270 was OK,
.222 I was getting 3" groups at best

My sako 85 in 223 and my tikka t3 in 308 both shoot less than half inch groups with factory sako ammo and have done from day one.

my mate owns a Sako 85 SS and it will not shoot a decent group with 100gr ammo.


regards Neil.
 
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My sako 85 in 223 and my tikka t3 in 308 both shoot less than half inch groups with factory sako ammo and have done from day one.

my mate owns a Sako 85 SS and it will not shoot a decent group with 100gr ammo.


regards Neil.


I agree. My T3 with Sako Hammerhead 308 shoots extreemly well

Not tried Sako in my 243 Sako 75 purley because I got a shead load of 100g Federal & 75g Nosler home loads to get through first
 
After some good groups on the target with 100gr Hornady Interlock, Lapua brass and 39gr IMR 4350 the Sako 85, with my son at the working end, took a good cull Stag today at 237 yards. Proud Dad!
Excellent! How old is your son?
Too often we obsess over sub-one-inch groups, when in reality, most of the shots will be under 200 yards, and the person behind the trigger counts for more than the rifle or ammunition.
 
The Sako 100gn factory rounds group at around 20mm in my Blaser R8 (1 in 10 ) but I can't obtain a decent group with 100gn Hornady softpoints or tbsp with IMR 4350, Hodgden 4350 or Ramshot Hunter despite lengthy testing. Conversely, the equivalent Speer bullet are capable of excellent grouping with the same powders.
 
Thanks Fallowfield 14,
I will test with Speer and see if they improve albeit the IMR4350 and Hornady 100gr SP grouped well enough to instill confidence for their intended work. Far better than the initial factory load experience.
 
+1 fallowfield14

I had exactly the same issue with my R8s and using Hornady, I switched to Sako Gamehead 100g factory loads and was grouping 3/4", I'm using sako in 223 & 308 with the same results now.
 
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