![]() Having said that, I am aware of a few people who had trouble getting the early Sako 75s to shoot well, but for some bizarre reason this only seemed to be with a few rifles chambered for. They are still cold hammer forged and made, as far as I can tell, to the same high standards Sako has always maintained, with close attention to finish and crowning. The barrels haven’t changed a great deal over the generations. Functionally it was good, and one of my preferred off-the-shelf synthetic stocks. ![]() ![]() It seems this has been rectified, with a different material and raised finish. One fault on the 75 equivalent was that the rubber did tend to wear and perish in the hands of professionals who put the rifle to work every day. As to be expected from Sako, the synthetic material was rigid and robust, covered with a soft-touch finish and rubberised grips where chequering would traditionally be found. However, this synthetic offering felt nice in the shoulder, even if the pull length was a little too long for me. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the 75’s wooden stock shape, much preferring the Finnbear era. Like all other Sako rifles I have picked up, it felt good. I had the Finnlight model on test, which is the lightest of the range with a fluted 20in barrel and synthetic stock. I never had a chance to see the early 85s, although I believe nothing functionally has changed apart from alterations to the synthetic stocks. Now, of course, the model 85 is the flagship Sako rifle, which, as with all the other model updates, has changed yet again. All of them great rifles, which, for better and worse, have evolved as time has passed. Since then I have also briefly owned the much-acclaimed forerunner to the L591: the Sako Forrester. Two years later I had a thirst for a 7×57 to take to Africa, and found a very tidy Sako L691, which found its way north of the border. It wasn’t in g reat nick, but shot well enough, and as far as the rifle design was concerned, I was most certainly a fan. 243, which couldn’t hit a barn door at 10 yards, and instead a second-hand Sako 75 found its way into our gun cabinet. ![]() A few years later I parted company with an old Brno. I distinctly remember ogling the Sako catalogue while ordering my first rimfire in the local gunshop, and decided there and then that a Sako was what I wanted. My own experience of Sako came in the early days of my fullbore hunting career. In 1993 development began for a new rifle, based on the premise it should be the “dream rifle for devoted riflemen”. Having had success with small calibre hunting rifles produced during the Second World War, it also started producing larger bolt-action sporters, launching the now renowned Forrester and Finnbear models. Although its initial focus had been military rifles, the company soon began designing competition and hunting rifles. Sako started in 1921, originally established to produce rifles for the men and woman of the Civil Guard of Finland. They cover a middle ground in the market, providing a rifle well above budget options, yet not in the same price league as a Mauser or Blaser. Indeed, even in countries such as South Africa, which holds the Mauser 98 above all others, Sako rifles, both old and new, are beginning to get a foot in the door. There are few hunters around the world who will not be familiar with the brand, and the response is usually the same: ‘Sako makes some great rifles.’ Sako has produced many excellent rifles over the years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |