Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Thinking of going Sako??

I love my Sako rifles. Bought my firstnew rifle in 1998- Sako m75ss 300WM and so did my best friend (who at the time was going to get a Browning b/c he was tight for money back then) but sure glad he went Sako. Since 2004 I bought 4 more Sako m75 rifles. My newest was a new Sako m75 Greywolf 25-06 that I had rebarreled with a PacNor #5 24" 338-06AI. This has been a project rifle of mine for a while now and became a reality in October 2008 when I picked it up from my gunsmith.

I personally prefer Sako model 75 stock over the m85. I have never handled the new Sako A7 but from what I see and read its an upgraded Tikka T3. Dont get me wrong as I have a couple Tikka T3 LSrifles-great shooters.

IMO go with the Sako m75 or m85 and you will never regret it.
If you want to save a bit of cash, go with the A7 or a Tikka T3. Another option, I would look for a mint Sako 75 or 85 rifle. Seen some nice ones on Guns America for good prices.

From what I have seen and read the A7 is a Tikka actioned rifle. There is nothing wrong with it, but it is not a pure Sako. It is a rifle built to a price point with SAKO stamped on it. All are made in the same plant with the same barrels, the actions are just cheaper to produce on the Tikkas and don't have the same finish work.

I have several Sakos the I LOVE and the one Tikka that I keep as sort of a loaner/bad weather rifle. Over time I have traded all my bolt action rifles off for Sakos.

The Tikka has one action length and two locking lugs. They guarantee 3 in an inch at 100. The A7 is the old Sako 75 action. It varies according to cartridge has metal on the magazine feed instead of all plastic and guarantees 5 in an inch, you can open the bolt with the safety on and it has Weaver style bases. The 85 is all metal and the receiver varies to cartridge size and has the Sako dove tail integral base. I have all three. I like the 85 best, but it's priced accordingly too.

This article is the best I have found thus far detailing the 85, A7, Tikka differences ... might be worth a read ...

Seems like an A7 with an aftermarket stock might be a good option ...

http://www.biggamehunt.net/sections/Hunting_Gear_and_Products/Sako-A7-Review-09090804.html

Good article hmt. I'd take a A7 any day over a Tika just for the open port design and ring system.
Might get my boy one for graduation.

hmt I looked at that site last night which is why I started the original topic. I figured let the people who have each model speak the truth.

FVA That is the second thing I dislike about the Tikka. I really dislike the closed port on the Tikka.

If it is a 75 action then were is the dovetail machined on the top of the action?

The Sako A7 is not a Tikka action. The differences between the 2 are the following. The Sako A7 has the old Sako 75 action which is an open action...center feed polymer clip with metal lips. Polymer bolt shroud , no dovetail mounts but supplied weaver style mounts on its receiver that is tapped and drilled for and supplied with weaver style mounts. A stock that is actually a little more flimsy then a Tikka.

If I were you I would shop for a used Sako 75 and remove all doubt. MOst A7's are priced at used 75 prices anyway and the 75 is much more rifle. I have a Tikka and a Sako 75 and don't think I can live with the "Tikka features" and will probably off it soon. This inspite of the fact that it is one of the most accurate rifles I have ever owned. I will not part with my 75 though.

DOvetails are not milled into the top as a cost savings not to mention the metal pointing they do to the top of the receiver. It very clearly states in Sako literature that it is a 75 receiver

Then I wouldn't be ashamed to own that rifle.

Another option in between the T3 & 85, cool.

The A7 bolt-handle looks like a two-piece design? Anyone confirm this.

The 75 bolt is entirely one piece. The shroud has been replaced with a polymer shroud on the A7. I would have to take one apart to see if the handle is mounted ala Tikka. I wouldn't be surprised but I doubt it is done that way.

I have owned 2 Sakos, both M75s. One blue/walnut in .280 Rem which I sold to a buddy who wanted it more than me and a stainless/synthetic in 7mm-08 which I really love. Both have shot very well out of the box, with a number of different factory and handloads.

I don't have any first hand knowledge of the new A7 or M85s

Yeah the 75 & the 85 are a one-piece construction. The T3 is a dovetail setup. But if you look closely at the A7 bolt it looks to be joined just past the root of the bolt-handle. I would like to know how Sako fixed the handle on?

The T3 dovetail system is a good one & IMO it's probably stronger(upward force) than the new A7 if it's joined like I think it is. But saying that the T3 dovetail join does wear over time. A buddy of mine has the older Tikka 695 in 338WM, his has a slight amount of play. But that rifle has seen some action so all in all the T3 dovetail is pretty sound.

I have the Sako 75 in SS 300 Rum it is my go to rifle. I also have
a L169R Finnlight with a Mcmillan stock and a Krieger barrel in
30-06. The 75 also has a Mcmillan stock, I Just picked up an 85
270 Win. In my opinion they are the finest of the factory rifles
you can buy.
One thing I don't like about custom work is it takes too Long.
Charlie

I have a 75 Finnlight .308, that I just stuffed into an EDGE, and I love it.

Sako 75/85's are the cat's meow for a factory rifle...I've built many custom 700's for myself and others but I got tired of messing with them and they all looked the same...sold all my 700's but two(had 14 of them at one time)last fall and have since bought 5 Sakos, kept three...you have to sort out the ones you like you know...Have stainless 75's in 6.5 SE and 22-250, an 85 Hunter in 260, had a TRG-S M995 in 30-06 and an L61R in 25-06...
the 6.5 SE is an amazing shooter with 130 Accubonds and 140 AMax's. I put it into a McMillan handle....The 22-250 shot a best of 5 in .636" on it's first trip to the range......You take a Sako 75/85 out of the box, clean the bore and adjust the trigger to 2-1/2 lbs without taking it out of the stock and proceed to shoot small groups with a very well built and well finished rifle with a smooth bolt throw, great scope mounting system, great trigger and a very solid detachable mag system.

I've owned all of the older models too, have had L579's,AI's, AII's, L61R's, AIII's and AV's.....I prefer the 75/85's over those....

Once you go Sako,..you'll never go back to "other" rifles....I might get a couple more if the right ones come along....I'd like to find a stainless 75 in 7 STW.....or 300 Wtby

there's a shop up here in Canada that's advertising some new Sako 85's for less money than some new 700's.......that's a no brainer....

That article makes an error when it implies that the 75 had a plunger-type ejector. The 75s obviously have the same fixed ejector slot at 6 o'clock that the newer 85s have.

From the photos it looks like the A7's bolt root attaches to the bolt in the same manner as the older M995/TRG-S, but I can't be sure without seeing one in person. The slotted bolt handles of the Tikka M595/M695/T3 series are extremely strong, convenient and will never fail.

This is a great thread!!

4 sure I am about alone in two things:

First off, hard as I've tried I've never got a Swift Scirroco bullet to shoot and it seems like everyone else does.

Secondly, I've had several Sako's and while I liked how smooth the actions were just like the Scirroco's I've never found a Sako to shoot in a manner in which I found acceptable.

And yet, it seems like every one else in the free world has had super luck with them....grins

Dober