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I'm thinking of buying a Sako rifle and was wondering what the difference is between the Finnbear, A5, and L691? Is one better than the other? All the Sako's I've seen are usually higher priced than other rifles, are they worth the money? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks, Greg

Check out Tikka, great rifles at good prices and still Finnish quality, also a box magazine if you like them. Haven't owned one but used one on an elk hunt and it was great!

Yes, the Sakos are worth the money! Tikkas are great rifles, but not even in the same league as the Sako 75.

Tikkas are good, no nonsense working man rifles, king of like Savage, but better fit and finish. Sako is the premiere of affordable rifles and they are made right and shoot great. I have two and love them both. Flinch

I tend to agree on initial out-of-the-box quality for Tikkas. <BR>But, my hunting partner and I just bought two identical Tikka rifles. He looked into adding spacers -- advertised as available for the stock butt -- through their 800 'service' number. The bimbo answering said that ANY Tikka parts would take at least three months to be delivered from Finland! <BR>That is a major indictment of any product, especially one from a major company -- Beretta based in Ackokeek, Maryland -- which is spent a lot cash to buy out SAKO and hype the new Tikka line. Follow-up service is very meaningful in this market and unreasonable down-time on repairs is a kiss of death for any such product line. 1B

WV Shooter, There is very little difference between the AV, Finnbear (L46, L461) and the L691. They are all 30-06 length actions, all have adjustable triggers, all use basically the same bolt, extractor, and lock-up system. Generally what you are looking at is a change in time. The original or at aleast the earliest was the L46. Then Sako was owned for a while by Garcia. After Garcia sold the company back to the Finns, they came with the L461 action. There were some modifications in manufacturing technique, some improvement in the magazine and the internal workings of the bolt and a change in the firing pin design and the AV was released. They also started a new designation system. Sako is one of the few manufacturers that has always made 4 different length actions. After Sako was returned to the original owners, they bought Valmet and incorporated the Tikka line into their products. So that is the relationship between Sako and Valmet/Tikka. They make/made the finest off the shelf rifle in the world for a long time. The 75 was a great rifle. I have not seen the newest products since Baretta took over. [img]images/icons/cool.gif" border="0[/img]

I'm replying to myself. I complained here about the lack of parts availability for Tikka rifles in an earlier post. <BR>I also sent a complaint to SAKO in Finland. They responded in a candid manner and said that they are workingto fix the problem by November. <BR>They could have ignored me. <BR>I withdraw my complaint and give them initial favorable points for dealing honestly with me to this point. I'm inclined to believe now that they will do the right thing. 1b

Sorry to 'bang your ears' once more on this issue, but there is a more recent development that deserves some recognition.<BR>In my first post I said that my buddy wanted spacers for his Tikka and the service person at Berretta told him that it would take 90 days to get any parts from Finland. <BR>Well, he got call yesterday from a more senior rep who said that the spacers are interchangeable with SAKO parts already on hand. He offered to mail them immediately, or fit them to his Tikka free of charge. Since we live within 25 miles of their headquarters, he invited us to come there and have the spacers installed while we did a tour of the facility. <BR>All in all, a very pleasant way of turning around an initially bad impression. 1B

New Tikka .223 Whitetail, first time at the range. <BR>Today I broke in my new synthetic stocked Tikka at the range. After a box of the shoot/clean regimen and sighting-in, and between fooling with two other rifles, it eventually went to the 100 yard line. <BR>Five shots -- number one two inches high, one inch left; number two on the bull but a little high; numbers three, four and five -- touching in a smaller than clover leaf group!! <BR>Out of the box -- no fiddling with triggers, free floating, beddding -- NADA! And it is not a varmint profile rifle; it is a walking- around sporter. The scope is a new AETEC illuminated version in 4-12x. The rounds were commercial NOSLER BTS. By its first outing, I suspect this rifle is going to put a major hurting on varmints and predators. 1B