Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Sako and Howa

I'm looking at a Sako L61R, anyone else ever notice how much they look like a Howa?

The Howa is a copy of the SAKO. Howa actions will almost drop right into a SAKO stock.

Ted

wow, didn't know that. howas are heavy as a damn boat anchor, and i always thought sako's were lightweight rifles. no? i haven't held one so who knows.

The only Sakos that are lighweight are the.223 Length Vixens.

The AII .308 actions are about average and the AIV '06 actions are outright pigs. Most Sakos on any medium or long action are 7 to 8 lbs rifles.

The newer Finnlites with pencil weight fluted barrels help but still they are no Remington KS or Kimber 84 in terms of weight.

Jim Carmicheal once said of Sakos something to the effect of .. "The longer actioned Sakos are not as popular as the little .223 length Vixens. It appears that in Sako actions, as with kittens and puppies, the larger version is not nearly as appealing"

I have a couple sako's (Finnlight and A7) and yes the are heavier than my Tikka's but still much lightier than the Rugers or 700's I had in the past.

("The only Sakos that are lighweight are the.223 Length Vixens.
The AII .308 actions are about average and the AIV '06 actions are outright pigs. Most Sakos on any medium or long action are 7 to 8 lbs rifles.)"

Agreed!
My Foresters are heavier than corresponding Rem 700 sa's.
The small Vixens are a real sweetheart.
I'd build on a L61 for a magnum where I'd want a little weight anyway, but not to build say, a .270 or 25-06.
My $.02

THE pregarcia sakos have a smaller contour barrel and stocks. they are light even in the long action. how light do you want a 30-06, 7mm, or 300wm though??

so a sako, howa, and vanguard, are almost the same ?

Yeah, sure.. They all suck.

Sort of...Howa made a direct copy of one of the older Sako's and Sako screamed blue murder and law suits so Howa made some design changes.

Bascially, the Howa 1500 is a copy of the bottom of the old Sako action, so the reciever is flat with an integeral recoil lug milled out of the same billet of steel. However, Howa dropped the Sako tapered dovetails, and instead contoured the top of the actions the same as a Remy 700 and any *two part* base meant for a Remy 700, should fit the Howa.

I don't believe the single piece bases such as picatinny rails are interchangable though as the ejection port is slightly differently sized meaning the screw spacing is different..

IMHO the Howa is a better action than either the modern Sako 75/85 or the Remy 700, except it tends to be heavier.

Too bad Howa didn't copy the sako trigger from the P-Garcia's.

The old ones are worth the price differential based on the trigger alone.

The old Sako L61 feels about as heavy as a Howa/Vanguard and they have a large diameter barrel contour for a sporter, more like a heavy sporter.

soooo, a stock for a l/a weatherby also fits sako's ?

have a friend with a sako who is looking for a stock.

With a little fitting, he can definitely use it, provided it is an early model SAKO going into a Vanguard stock.

Ted

Howa had a lot of crap over their original triggers, but the one I have on my newish .308win is excellent, and I say that as a Sako owner! The trigger on the Howa is also user adjustable which is a big plus....Not sure if the Weatherby Vanguard uses the same trigger unit or whether Weatherby specified something different..

My only beef with the Howa is the grade of stainless steel its made from is not very rust resistant. In contrast, I have a Ruger M77 Mk11 that is far more rust resistant.

It will depend which model Sako...I doubt whether the Weatherby stock would fit the 591 or the 75/85 series for instance..

it's an l61r.

I've only owned 3 Sakos and no Howas. The Sako's were a Garcia Forester in .243, a pre Garcia Vixen - now a 6x45, and a closed shroud Vixen Deluxe in .223 taht I sadly sold. IMO the older Sakos are some of the finest production rifles ever made. I have handled a Dakota and like the Sakos as well. I haven't owned a Cooper yet, but the new short action in .250 is one I want. If the Howas are as good a rifle as the older Sakos, they are something.

Not nearly as nicely machined or finished but function is up there......and I must have got the CRAP triggers on my recent Howas/Vanguards as they didn't adjust well and were terrible out of the box.

The pre-Garcia guns really aren't that heavy...after that it started to go down hill. The stocks are heavier through the forend and grip.

I'm not bashing or choosing any one over the other has I have a little bit of everything.