A Sako 85, preferably a Black Bear in .30-06, is on my list of all time wants and I may be able to pull it off here shortly. Naturally, at just the time I'm able to start thinking about pulling the trigger on a Sako, I'm reading about QC problems cropping up on lately produced rifles. Principally straight-up ejection that is hitting the scope and jamming the action. And not-so-level dovetails for scope bases that can cause a scope to use up all its elevation adjustment.
I'd hate to spend what a Sako costs and get a rifle that isn't up to the price I paid for it.
Does anyone have a Sako 85? Any issues with it?
_____________ "I enter a swamp as a sacred place—a sanctum sanctorum. There is the strength—the marrow of Nature." - Henry David Thoreau
Posts: 4285 | Location: In The Swamp | Registered: January 03, 2010
Not a Sako 85, but I just purchased a new TRG from Eurooptic
So far I have about 80 rounds through it. Haven't noticed any QC issues and the rifle is a tack driver. After doing the cleaning thing, siting in and shooting some steel at 200 yards I fired 8 five shot groups at 100 yards. These are true five shot groups. No excluding shots because a bee flew up my shorts or my shoe laces came untied. My WORST 5 shot group was just under 1 MOA. Best 5 shot group .3 MOA. Others ranged between .4 and .8. I honestly feel this rifle will expose any flaws in my shooting since anything over .5 MOA is probably because I did something wrong.
Posts: 544 | Location: Gunnison, CO | Registered: March 25, 2003
It doesn't appear the ejection issues seen in the 85 are possible on the TRG due to the different receivers. It looks like the problems I'm seeing is specific to the 85. Straight up ejection, or very high angle ejection, where the case is striking the scope adjustment housing or adjustment knob covers. To make matters worse, users are reporting that Sako is pretty much unresponsive to the problems with the 85.
There are other premium rifles out there. Mauser still makes phenomenal rifles. But Sako has always been on my bucket list.
_____________ "I enter a swamp as a sacred place—a sanctum sanctorum. There is the strength—the marrow of Nature." - Henry David Thoreau
Posts: 4285 | Location: In The Swamp | Registered: January 03, 2010
Originally posted by Micropterus: Thanks for the reply.
It doesn't appear the ejection issues seen in the 85 are possible on the TRG due to the different receivers. It looks like the problems I'm seeing is specific to the 85. Straight up ejection, or very high angle ejection, where the case is striking the scope adjustment housing or adjustment knob covers. To make matters worse, users are reporting that Sako is pretty much unresponsive to the problems with the 85.
There are other premium rifles out there. Mauser still makes phenomenal rifles. But Sako has always been on my bucket list.
This is most disheartening. I don't currently own any Sako rifles, but I had planned to get one or more one day.
I have a Model 75 Synthetic Stainless in .308. Great rifle, fine trigger, accurate. Detachable magazine - which will cost you $99.00 to replace or supplement.
I have an 85 Arctos in 30-06. It has been around the world and never skipped a beat. When I play that horrible "keep just one" game. This rifle is the winner.
I have an 85 Gray Wolf in 300WM. It has a fixed blade ejector situated at 6 o'clock. Unlike a Rem 700 which has a spring loaded plunger in the bolt face, the 85 is totally dependent on the operator getting the bolt fully retracted with some authority. If you open it slowly, the empty will fall straight down on top of the magazine. With a good firm bolt stroke, it will sling them across the room. I wouldn't say it is a QC problem, just a design element you need to be aware of.
Posts: 9062 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002
I had a Sako 85 Finnlight in 300WM a couple years ago. It's a controlled round feed action that as MNSIG described does not have a spring loaded ejector. It would occasionally drop the case back on top of the mag if I operated the bolt too slowly. Otherwise it worked as expected and was a great rifle. Not a single quality issue with any of the other Sako and Tikka rifles that I still have.
Originally posted by Micropterus: A Sako 85, preferably a Black Bear in .30-06, is on my list of all time wants and I may be able to pull it off here shortly. Naturally, at just the time I'm able to start thinking about pulling the trigger on a Sako, I'm reading about QC problems cropping up on lately produced rifles. Principally straight-up ejection that is hitting the scope and jamming the action. And not-so-level dovetails for scope bases that can cause a scope to use up all its elevation adjustment.
I'd hate to spend what a Sako costs and get a rifle that isn't up to the price I paid for it.
Does anyone have a Sako 85? Any issues with it?
Go five threads down the section page to see a review of a SAKO rifle...
Posts: 11473 | Location: UK, OR, ONT | Registered: July 10, 2003
Originally posted by MNSIG: I have an 85 Gray Wolf in 300WM. It has a fixed blade ejector situated at 6 o'clock. Unlike a Rem 700 which has a spring loaded plunger in the bolt face, the 85 is totally dependent on the operator getting the bolt fully retracted with some authority. If you open it slowly, the empty will fall straight down on top of the magazine. With a good firm bolt stroke, it will sling them across the room. I wouldn't say it is a QC problem, just a design element you need to be aware of.
And that is sort of what I am seeing in demonstration videos. People are opening the actions slowly to show that the spent case is popping straight up. But that's not typical cycling. One can make just about any manually operated rifle malfunction cycling it too slowly. I want to know what happens when you cycle it as you would in the field. Thanks for the comment.
_____________ "I enter a swamp as a sacred place—a sanctum sanctorum. There is the strength—the marrow of Nature." - Henry David Thoreau
Posts: 4285 | Location: In The Swamp | Registered: January 03, 2010
