Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Sako L61R

They all had Borfor steel,just the early ones advertized it.Finland doesn't have a steel mill.

Try to understand. Yes both the L61R Sako and Remington 700 are push feeds. One needs to push on the case head for the extractor to snap over with each of these actions.

Once the case is extracted a second round can be picked up by almost any action with rounds that are just a little short for the magazine. The bottom of the bolt will pick up the round out of the magazine and feed it and the round still under the extractor.

However an action with a plunger ejector will expel the round under the extractor first.

Now do you understand what I meant?

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I understand what you mean. I'm just not buying it as a weakness of a Sako PF with blade ejector. Once the extractor has snapped over the case head any action is in effect a CRF so the pre 64,with it's blade ejector, would exhibit the same chance of double loading with with rounds that are just a little short for the magazine. Bottom line is you have to work the bolt like you mean it.
I read the account of the bear attack in Canada in which two hunters were killed by a grizzly/grizzlies. When they did rexcover one of the rifles had a round on the bolt under the extractor. They unloaded the rifle and stood the rifle butt first in the snow and another round fell out of the chamber. I often wondered what kind of rifle that was as it sounded like a CRF to me.

FVA wrote:
I understand what you mean. I'm just not buying it as a weakness of a Sako PF with blade ejector. Once the extractor has snapped over the case head any action is in effect a CRF so the pre 64,with it's blade ejector, would exhibit the same chance of double loading with with rounds that are just a little short for the magazine. Bottom line is you have to work the bolt like you mean it.[/quote]

Thats not all there is to it. In a push feed an action can be short stroked when loading a new round. A CRF action will pick up the rim under its extractor and a PF will not. Therefore the PF may stroke a second round into the chamber area and a CRF may not as the action controls the round and its more likely to be ejected before a second round is picked up.

Thats why a CRF action is better for hunting than a PF action.

I’ve had Sako’s for 45 years, never had one malfunction.

13yrs laters.. you finally reply to this thread..

I’ve been busy

My excuse, ignorance! Just no knowledge of Sako's in any depth, and also of Tikka's. I thought Tikka was a Johnny come lately company! But I got a Tikka M65 earlier this year, a 30-06 made in 1975, from a local gun & pawn. The salesman honestly wanted it for himself I believe, and kept carrying on about it and a Sako Finnbear, which I had heard of but no real knowledge. Well I couldn't pass it up, and am sure glad I didn't!
I've done a lot of research, learned a lot about both, and one thing for sure? If a Finnbear comes my way in good condition, it's found a home! And it's just opinions, but its my understanding that the Finns themselves, at least many of those in the 70's, considered the Tikka M55 & 65, the better rifle! This was before Sako acquired Tikka, the 55&65 being I think the first centerfires Tikka ever made, correct me if I'm wrong?
But just like most everyone else, I hold the Mauser & Mod 70 at the top, but ain't hung up about CRF. Actually IMO, push feed just simplified things for the better, but just IMO!
I don't frown a bit now when someone says the Sako 61 action is the best ever made, because they may very well be right, but I even think maybe the Tikka 55&65 is half a notch better!
But I have a Rem 700 I love also, but I wouldn't no way call it the best. Doesn't matter which is best to me, but I sure hope to run into A Finnbear hopefully in 30-06 or 270. But I sure wouldn't trade my Tikka M65 for it! And now, with groups already shot several times by me at 100yds, 5/8" and know on a good rest it'll do 1/2", I wouldn't trade it for a Mod 70, no way!
We, including me, are often stating which is THE BEST, from often a single reason or two? Such as CRF, smoothest bolt, accuracy, but the truth is they're all man made, and there is no Best= PERFECT. God didn't make rifles man did! So, which is the best? I got to say, I want the most dependable & accurate & lasting, that I can shoot the best in the cartridge I need. CRF is not a must, it's just a different way. So today as far as I can tell, I truly already have the best 30-06 ever made!

Sako l61r was probbly the best production rifle ever made

I would agree with that, slick, accurate, has a good feel, seems like less recoil than same cartridge in another brand of rifle.