Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Sako 75

I must be the only guy on earth who doesn't go just dreamy whenever someone starts talking Sako 75s. Must admit I've only shot two, belonging to friends of mine, but wasn't impressed by either. I've handled probably a couple dozen in different shops here and there and have yet to cycle one that is remotely as smooth as either of the AVs I have. Now I realize I don't have near as much experience with Sako rifles as many of you here, but it'd sure seem like by now I'd have at least run across one that didn't feel like it had sand in the receiver.

It's my opinion Sako quit making really nice rifles somewhere back in the late 80s to early 90s. Am I alone here?

Don't mean to offend or stomp on any toes........although I'm sure I have.

I have two wood sako 75's a 300wm and .270 with a 7mag in ss/syn coming soon. I am very pleased with them. I really like the raised cheekpeice, it is one good looking rifle. I also like the detachable mag and the saftey set up along with the smooth action. The low bolt lift is also nice. As you can see I am won over with sako.

Muleshow, you aren't the only one who is disappointed with the 75's. As you say, by comparison they are rough in operation and rough in finish. They aren't nearly the rifle the Finbear or the AV were.

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I have had several Sako 75 models and have been lucky, in my part of the world, to handle a couple of the older models.

I have been very happy with the 280 that I have now as fit, smoothness of the action and accuracy have been great right out of the box and its smoothness keeps getting better. But I have seen examples in stores where, in at least one case, the stock looked like it should have been considered a 2nd. Fuzzy checkering etc... and the action was not glass smooth. So as much as I like Sako rifles I would not purchase one without handling it first.

But in comparing a 20-30 year old rifle to a new one, I think the older one will win out because it has been used. And from my experience use of an action will smooth it out even more over time.

Long

I have an older AV in 223 and a newer 75 S/S in 7mm Rem mag, the new one is every bit as smooth as the older one. Both are extremely accurate, a pleasure to shoot, I am a huge fan of the Sako 75, in fact I prefer the appearance of the current wood stocked models to the older ones with the more pronounced stock angles.

I have 2 AV's and 8 model 75's. My 75's are as smooth or smoother than the AV's. They all shoot extremely well, especially a couple of the 75's. My favorite stock is the classic style on my older 223 but a couple of my newer 75 Hunters have some nice wood on them. If you gave me a choice of the same caliber in an AV or 75 with equally nice wood I'd probably choose the 75. Different strokes for different folks but both are great............DJ

I have had experience with one 75, my son's finlight. It is excellent and very smooth. to me it's light years better than any of the old Sako's that I have handled.


Lefty

I shot three of my Sakos today and another for a friend.
I won't be getting rid of any of my Sakos.

SPAD

I have 3 AV's and wish I had more. The 75's that I have handled have been slick as glass. I owned a TRG for a while and that action felt like it had ball bearings in the action. I didn't like the stock, but the action couldn't get any better. Flinch

One of the guys I work with is the type who seems to go out of his way to let people know he shoots a sako. Not long ago, he buys a Savage 110 package rifle for his son's first hunting season. You should hear him complain about this "cheap rifle" outshooting his sako. LMAO.

That said, sakos are great rifles. The early finnbears were as good as a bolt action gets IMO. If I hadn't had such a negative customer service experience with Beretta several years ago, I'd consider a new sako in 6.5 Swede.

I have 2 Sakos, and yesterday I found the first type of factory ammo that wouldn't shot into an inch or so with either rifle. It was green box Remington 7mm-08 with 140 gr. Core-lokts. Every other factory load I have tried with these two rifles (the other is a .280) have gone into appox. 1 inch, some much less.