Sako 85 Hunter
- Thread starter Ferryman
- Start date
I've had one for ten years. Only rifle I've ever had, looked at others, Mauser, Sauer, S & L, RPA, Heym, you name it but never found a good enough reason to change. Accurate and well designed, excellent trigger and good value for money. IMHO they take some beating.
CH
CH
Triumph_Dave
Well-Known Member
Overall a nice rifle with just a few issues, mines a .270 and it did not like 130 Gr bullets, which was a bit of a surprise considering most .270 shoot 130 Gr very well, anyway found it was very happy with 140 Gr Sierra Game kings, barrel took a while to settle from new, but now very accurate. Cant say I like the standard recoil lug arrangement on the wood stock 85 very much, but once action was placed into a GRS stock with a different recoil lug arrangement it seems more sturdy.
If I was buying again not 100% sure I would go with the Sako 85 hunter, as think I would prefer a 22" barrel length, but that's just me.
If I was buying again not 100% sure I would go with the Sako 85 hunter, as think I would prefer a 22" barrel length, but that's just me.
Ferryman
Recently, in the last 2-3 months, I have spent more time talking to two (highly respected) gunsmiths here in NZ than probably the last 30 years put together, discussing a custom build and getting a bunch of small stuff done to several rifles. My mostly Sako 75 based opinion that Sako 85s must be lovely rifles has been shot to bits.
Some well known folk down this way are saying that Sako has lost its way with the 85. Problems with barrels and the recoil / bedding system have increased markedly over the 75. When I bought a new rifle recently I asked the dealer what his thoughts were and he said he’d had several 85s returned with poor accuracy based claims, and he’s a bit fed up with it. The opinion is clear: of the two, get a Tikka, the Sako brand has become overvalued.
Now of course I’m only hearing about a small sample of Sako’s market and of course bad reviews seem to be over represented as people often don’t review something they are very happy with. But if I were you I’d talk to gunsmiths, check out some more forums, dealers, etc. I got the Nathan Foster books about a month ago which have been updated this year and was pretty surprised how down on the Sako brand he has become.
I posted about this recently in the Carbonlight thread and wondered why Sako would be having perceived barrel problems when I thought they came out of the same building as the Tikka ones. The other new factor in my thinking is that in the last couple of weeks I’ve been looking at why my T3 Stainless Laminate .308 has lost its accuracy after a few months of banging away with the 178gr ELD-X and to my annoyance I have discovered that the floating aluminium recoil lug is absolutely munted, despite me being very careful with action screw torque settings. I am kicking myself that I didn’t take photos, I just cleaned it up and put it in the draw, am getting a stainless one to replace it. But the simple fact is, the floating lug system has let me down badly. I’m just bloody glad I picked it up practicing rather than hunting.
So yeah, just a little application of the handbrake I guess. I do not doubt they are lovely rifles to handle in the shop, the Sako 85s, but there is something amiss these days with the brand that will be worth checking out.
Recently, in the last 2-3 months, I have spent more time talking to two (highly respected) gunsmiths here in NZ than probably the last 30 years put together, discussing a custom build and getting a bunch of small stuff done to several rifles. My mostly Sako 75 based opinion that Sako 85s must be lovely rifles has been shot to bits.
Some well known folk down this way are saying that Sako has lost its way with the 85. Problems with barrels and the recoil / bedding system have increased markedly over the 75. When I bought a new rifle recently I asked the dealer what his thoughts were and he said he’d had several 85s returned with poor accuracy based claims, and he’s a bit fed up with it. The opinion is clear: of the two, get a Tikka, the Sako brand has become overvalued.
Now of course I’m only hearing about a small sample of Sako’s market and of course bad reviews seem to be over represented as people often don’t review something they are very happy with. But if I were you I’d talk to gunsmiths, check out some more forums, dealers, etc. I got the Nathan Foster books about a month ago which have been updated this year and was pretty surprised how down on the Sako brand he has become.
I posted about this recently in the Carbonlight thread and wondered why Sako would be having perceived barrel problems when I thought they came out of the same building as the Tikka ones. The other new factor in my thinking is that in the last couple of weeks I’ve been looking at why my T3 Stainless Laminate .308 has lost its accuracy after a few months of banging away with the 178gr ELD-X and to my annoyance I have discovered that the floating aluminium recoil lug is absolutely munted, despite me being very careful with action screw torque settings. I am kicking myself that I didn’t take photos, I just cleaned it up and put it in the draw, am getting a stainless one to replace it. But the simple fact is, the floating lug system has let me down badly. I’m just bloody glad I picked it up practicing rather than hunting.
So yeah, just a little application of the handbrake I guess. I do not doubt they are lovely rifles to handle in the shop, the Sako 85s, but there is something amiss these days with the brand that will be worth checking out.
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Every factory rifle has flaws or weaknesses. I had seen hammered T3 alu recoil lugs years ago and criticized them. Many on the forums said it was not true. Even Tikka believed the customers and changed the lug to steel.
We have bedded hundreds of T3's, I shoot T3's, shot three Sika today with my CTR. They work. I always said I prefer a T3 over a Sako 75 or 85. I have also worked with them and older Sako rifles.
Very often it is not the rifle at fault but more so the final assembly that is rushed or the manufacturer wants to save on that. Or wooden stocks that just change your POI according to the weather.
If a 75 or 85 or a T3 are bedded properly in similar stocks you probably won't see any difference in accuracy. Unless there is a problem with a rifle.
edi
We have bedded hundreds of T3's, I shoot T3's, shot three Sika today with my CTR. They work. I always said I prefer a T3 over a Sako 75 or 85. I have also worked with them and older Sako rifles.
Very often it is not the rifle at fault but more so the final assembly that is rushed or the manufacturer wants to save on that. Or wooden stocks that just change your POI according to the weather.
If a 75 or 85 or a T3 are bedded properly in similar stocks you probably won't see any difference in accuracy. Unless there is a problem with a rifle.
edi
Mine's a 308 with a 20 inch barrel and it's seems precise enough to me; 0.5 moa groups are the norm with Sako factory 123gr and home-loads, what more do you want? I'll have to try not to think too much about the recoil lug....
If you have a new Sako that doesn't group send it back; it's about the only rifle that comes with an accuracy guarantee.
I've seen a video from Nathan Foster on YouTube, looked like a synthetic stocked version where someone had played around with the recoil lug and botched it, barely resembled mine.
CH
If you have a new Sako that doesn't group send it back; it's about the only rifle that comes with an accuracy guarantee.
I've seen a video from Nathan Foster on YouTube, looked like a synthetic stocked version where someone had played around with the recoil lug and botched it, barely resembled mine.
CH
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Howa has a sub-MOA guarantee and a lifetime warranty now. And having experienced both recoil lug designs, I've stuck with Howa's and wouldn't go Sako/Tikka in a heavier recoiling cartridge again. But, FWIW, I place bugger all value on a sub-MOA guarantee anyway, as my own reloading failures have had far more influence on me not achieving sub-MOA with my Tikkas or Howas than the rifle design! I couldn't get my Howa .243 to group until I worked out what I was doing wrong. All my own fault, once I'd worked it out thanks to members here - boom! Lovely tight little groups. I think that's true for most brands of mass produced rifle? Takes a bit of work to sort them out?
Just yesterday I got my T3 Super Varmint to go from an ES of 50, SD of 20 and groups of 0.8" at 100m, to ES of 17, SD of 7 and one ragged hole of about 0.4". Not changes to the rifle at all, just fiddling with the load.
If I were you I'd check your recoil lug. There's a reason there are so many stainless steel ones on the market these days!
Foster's opinion is worth listening too. He takes a bit of getting used to, very opinionated! I've been to one of his talks and spent some time with him at his place in Urenui and its fair to say he's built up a vast body of work & knowledge. He knows his stuff.
There is one thing a T3 can do that neither Howa nor Sako/Remmy etc. can. The T3 action is so simple and in most cases so exact that any stock that is bedded properly can be swapped between T3 rifles and shoot accurately. Also an already bedded stock can be purchased which is unthinkable with other rifle makes because it just does not work reliably. This means if a shooter for example has several T3 rifles in say a foxing 223, light deer 243, heavy deer 30-06 maybe target varmint 308... he could swop the stocks around according to the season or use without any messing around.
I did some tests with stainless 308 CTR rifles. Two sister rifles were bought a few months apart. Both sat into aftermarket stocks that were factory bedded. Both were fired with the same batch of Hornady BTHP Match 168gr factory ammo. No load development needed here.
Apart from the stock there was nothing done to the rifles, not even run in.
CTR1
CTR2
Sold the first CTR to my friend who shot the hind. Bothe sister CTR in the pic.
edi
I did some tests with stainless 308 CTR rifles. Two sister rifles were bought a few months apart. Both sat into aftermarket stocks that were factory bedded. Both were fired with the same batch of Hornady BTHP Match 168gr factory ammo. No load development needed here.
Apart from the stock there was nothing done to the rifles, not even run in.
CTR1
CTR2
Sold the first CTR to my friend who shot the hind. Bothe sister CTR in the pic.
edi
antsa
Well-Known Member
The 85 has been out about 10 - 11 years now. I guess that quite a few have been sold during this time. A number of issues have been brought to light: case ejection problems, recoil "lug" design and sometimes accuracy (or lack off) come to mind. It seems that it sometimes has been a bit of a lottery what your 85 will be like. I have four (2x.223, .260 and .308) and feel that I've been lucky in the 85 lottery. All are unmodified and they all shoot less than 0.3 MOA @ 100m with my hand loads. I'll never sell these but, then, I'll never buy another one. I recently set up a Tikka T3 Hunter in .223 for a neighbour. It shot just as good as my Sako .223 Hunter. As we know Tikkas are often bedded into custom stocks and they shoot even better. What you don't see is a custom stocked and bedded 85 (I haven't anyway).
Has anyone done it and, if so, what was the result?
Cheers
Has anyone done it and, if so, what was the result?
Cheers
I am a Sako fan (2x75 and a M591)
However I have also heard of the problems mentioned with the 85.
I dont know your budget or calibre choice but if I was wanting a rifle to see me out for stalking/range use I would look at 308w with its excellent barrel life.
Schultz and Larsen, Sauer or Mauser would get my vote.
If I had to start from scratch I would buy a Blaser R93 Professional in 308 flavour. It's just SO wronc that at the moment I would have to sell 2-3 rifles to buy one Blaser........
However I have also heard of the problems mentioned with the 85.
I dont know your budget or calibre choice but if I was wanting a rifle to see me out for stalking/range use I would look at 308w with its excellent barrel life.
Schultz and Larsen, Sauer or Mauser would get my vote.
If I had to start from scratch I would buy a Blaser R93 Professional in 308 flavour. It's just SO wronc that at the moment I would have to sell 2-3 rifles to buy one Blaser........
Ferryman
Well-Known Member
Well calibre is going to be .308 Win
Just deciding on if I go and buy a new rifle or go all out and customise my Rem 700 SPS varmint.(it already has a Huber trigger) . If I go this route then aftermarket stock, pillar and glass bedded. (Not sure of make yet) Re barrel with shorter barrel more suited to woodland/high seat work.
Decisions Decisions decisions
Just deciding on if I go and buy a new rifle or go all out and customise my Rem 700 SPS varmint.(it already has a Huber trigger) . If I go this route then aftermarket stock, pillar and glass bedded. (Not sure of make yet) Re barrel with shorter barrel more suited to woodland/high seat work.
Decisions Decisions decisions
I'm a Sako fan, owning Sako 85 Varmint Stainless in .223 and .308 and a Stainless Laminate in .30-06. They are accurate, handle really well, well-finished and pleasing to look at. Don't get me wrong - I view them as tools... but very nice tools. I think that whilst a gun should be robust and accurate, it should also capture your imagination and be inspiring to take out.
My Sako have all been accurate (even with factory fodder) straight out of the box. The .223 has now had a couple of thousand rounds through it and still looks and shoots like new. I can't imagine much changing for the next cuppla thousand rounds. The 30-06 has travelled abroad a few times, shot plenty here and I have not had any of the problems described in this and similar threads. Like a previous poster, I am happy to accept that I have been lucky, but I would have no problem buying another.
I have setup a fair few Tikka for other people and some Howa to a lesser extent. You can't argue with the Tikka accuracy, but I much prefer the handling and finish of the Sako. Standard Howa rifles feel clunky. To the OP, if I was buying a 'keeper', I would be considering the stainless laminate combination as it is a very good looking gun and perhaps a bit more weatherproof. I do really like the classic deluxe, though. Just not sure I would want the fixed mag.
My Sako have all been accurate (even with factory fodder) straight out of the box. The .223 has now had a couple of thousand rounds through it and still looks and shoots like new. I can't imagine much changing for the next cuppla thousand rounds. The 30-06 has travelled abroad a few times, shot plenty here and I have not had any of the problems described in this and similar threads. Like a previous poster, I am happy to accept that I have been lucky, but I would have no problem buying another.
I have setup a fair few Tikka for other people and some Howa to a lesser extent. You can't argue with the Tikka accuracy, but I much prefer the handling and finish of the Sako. Standard Howa rifles feel clunky. To the OP, if I was buying a 'keeper', I would be considering the stainless laminate combination as it is a very good looking gun and perhaps a bit more weatherproof. I do really like the classic deluxe, though. Just not sure I would want the fixed mag.
If you have already started on Triggers broom you may as well carry on
I would get a McMillan/HS Presision/GRS/KKC that suits you and get the original barrel shortened.
You've already improved it with an aftermarket trigger.
antsa
Well-Known Member
+1
Yes, they are tools for me too. Have one with me everyday when I'm out on the property. On the Quad or in the 4WD. Well made, functional tools that look good as well. What's not to like about the flush-fitting double stack mag, the calibre-specific action length, the single-set trigger or the clean, crisp lines of the overall design? The stainless laminate Hunter is a great work horse.
If you haven't yet dabbled in the Sako 85 Sweepstakes then take a punt. It does come with a 1 MOA warranty. Go for it!
Cheers
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