Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Sako 85 owners, proponents, and critics.

What are your thoughts on the recoil lug and/or lack-there-of on the new Model 85? I saw a picture of the way Sako mates the 85 action in the "Hunter" to the wooden stock with the use of a steel bracket and wood screws. What sort of longevity does something like that have? It looks a bit FUBAR to me. What�s the method used in the synthetic stocked versions? I have read where a few of you went ahead and ordered McMillan stocks for the 85. What is the bedding plan? Does this �lack of a substantial recoil lug� rule out the option of having the Model 85 pillar bedded? I REALLY like the looks of the 85 and respect the opinions of experienced members who praise this new Sako, but I am simply having a hard time getting past the uncertainty of how I would go about securing a new 85 in an aftermarket stock or having the existing factory stock bedded to ensure the chance for better accuracy.

I don't like the new recoil lug system - looks cheap for a $1400.00 rifle!!

I have a Sako 75 w/ the older recoil lug - never had a problem. The 85's recoil lug scares me a little.

At first I thought the same thing. After playing with these rigs, IMO they are the best Sako platform that has been. I want one(grin).

The 85 has an INTEGRAL with the action recoil lug, the 75 doesn't.
The 85's have added a slot for after market use.

I can go on & on about how great these new rigs are. I wont, just checkout the pic's & review & come to your own conclusion. Mine is, I love-em.
Look carefully at the pic's, they tell a story.
http://gunsandhunting.com/Dethroned.html
Will post the link another way if possible. For some reason it's not working.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...&topic=0&Search=true#Post1854368


Here's a few pics of the 'lug'.
A couple of guys have ordered McMillan's for their 85's. maybe they will chime in....

So, ....does anyone feel that pillar bedding is possible? I can see where once the aftermarket stock was glass bedded, the glass bedding would fill the slot and almost make the front lip of the action its own recoil lug. I'm curious if some sort of study has found that the traditional recoil lugs, whether they're the Remington washer-type or Winchester/Dakota integral-type, are just not needed for the levels of recoil produced by most cartridges.

I might be missing something, but it almost seems as if Sako finds nothing practical about pillar bedding an action. (A rabid supposition, I know!)


Here is something of interest:

I think it would be beyond arrogant to imply that Bruce Thom, of BAT Machine, doesn't know rifle actions. He makes some of the best benchrest actions available. He has a newer action that he has labeled the "VR Repeater". He makes this action with a very similar lug system. Similar in that it is VERY subtle and a far cry from what we are accustomed to in the typical hunting rifle action. In the picture below, it almost looks like the action has a seperate piece attached, but it's an integral part of the action. You have to look closely to see it. Are things as we thought we knew them, concerning recoil management, changing before our eyes or are we seeing a cheapo way of just being different?

If I had the know how I'd like to bed mine right now. I've heard it ain't rocket science but can't stomach practicing on a $1300 rifle...

Yesterday.
I managed to hit 3089fps right off the bat w/180NP's(gutless .300WSM) via Chrony, removed screens and lost 120fps which made things alot more enjoyable.....

What kind of scope mounting system is that?

I did find a gentleman on AR that has a herd of Sako 85s and has recently dropped one in a McMillan Edge. Looks fantastic. He has them pillar and glass bedded, but I have not heard back from him on how. I'll get back on here when I do. Until then, here are a few pics of his 85 in an Edge! WOW! I bet the barreled action of the 85 Finnlight would be awesome in that stock!!!

That dude has more money that I do....grin

Looks like he went with the 75 style stock, I'd do the same...

I have the 'low' Optilocks....

Looks very nice. I'm sold! I'm going to start looking for a Finnlight.

Yeah, I think I'd want to go the 75 route too. Might as well tell Rick to put an Edge on order.

That combo sure will be sweet!

I have the McMillan Sako Hunter Edge stock on order for mine but I can't answer the bedding question...I am no expert, that will be up to the smith I use to do.

Pillar bedding, Aluminum V-Blocks, and Sako's steel insert are all just different ways of acheiving the same thing, Consistant incompressable bedding.
Yea the Sako system is a little different and will take a couple different steps while restocking but the end result is that it works quite well. The rifles shoot like a house-a-fire. On a heavy caliber M-85 I'd add a barrel lug and maybe also use a traditional lug in the slot but for the calibers Sako uses the 85 system on it works just fine.
As an aside Winchester M-70's in some of the heavy calibers used a somewhat similar type thing on the extra recoil lug. Check out a Safari 416 and you'll see what I mean. Mine isn't to hand at the moment to take pics of..............................DJ

I have a finnbear in 30-06, a finlight in 6.5x55, and a 75 ss in .338. After reading this post, I have to figure how to get a 85 in the mix.

OldCenterChurch,

That Sako 85, what mounts are those do you know, Talley? They look like low rings, mine are low 1" but look taller, perhaps that is a 30mm ring, 50mm obj?

That one with the mcmillan edge looks sweet. I now may get one, I love the traditional Sako stock configuration.

I wonder what a MCMillan Edge stock for an 85 sells for? From what I've seen MCMillan is mighty proud of their work...............547.

yikes, if that's how high the 'low' optiloks for the Sako are, I'm gonna change my order from 'mediums' ... I dont plan on runnin anything bigger than a 40mm

My 85 finnlight is at McMillan right now, should be back in 2.5 more months.

I'm getting a Sako hunter pattern painted black, but not an edge version because that would make the rifle weight UNDER 7lbs 8 oz... too light. Putting a normal McMillan on a 85 finnlight will set the rifle at around 7.75lbs.

My take off Finnlight stock has a alum. block epoxy'd into the recoil lug area. Kind of wierd but it works.

Spot

The Sako synthetic Model 85's only weigh between 6 3/16th's of a pound for the short action, and up to 7 pounds even for the 375H&H.

I doubt that a McMillan Edge stock would save much (if any) weight over that. Plus, McMillan doesn't recommend that stock for rifles that recoil harder than a .338.

Since Sako guarantees its Model 85's to shoot 5 shots into an inch at 100 meters, I don't think anyone will need to do any stock work to make it shoot any better either.

I will be buying a Sako 85 Synthetic myself, and I don't think I'll be spending the cost of an entire extra Tikka rifle, to put a different stock on it - but that's just my opinion.