I always enjoyed reading John Wootters and one day years ago I read his favorite rifle was a 308 Sako Mannlicher.

Given that I love old Sakos (first deer was shot with my brother's 270 Finnbear) I decided some time I need to get 308 Mannlicher .. and know I own two.

I had forgotten where I had read that statement and sometime ago tried to find anything written about it with no luck. When I looked today I see it is pictured on his website (johnwootters.com). Dang, that is such a cool gun!!

Does anyone have more information about that rifle? Any more pictures?

I am trying to use the image gallery - is there a trick to only displaying the picture?

This is from the website




fixed the link ...

Mr. Wooters was one of my favorite writers. I remember when he wrote about detaching a retina in his right eye and having to learn to pistol hunt. He as far as i know never regained his sight in his eye. That should serve as a reminder to us older shooters about heavy recoil. He always liked a classy gun and his 308 was very classy. Remember him talking about the older savages with the rotating spool and how it compared to the mannlicher schonar. His writing on bucky each month , the deer that just took up with the family and the adventures and his final appearence. Mr Wooters was a renowned writer.

Can't help with specific info on Mr Wooters Sako but I remember a bunch articles that I drooled over reading about that little 308. I've had a few Sakos but never found a full-stock 308 like his...good memory!

Mr. Wooters also(if my 76-year-old memory is correct) use a full-stocked Winchester Mod.88. It was cool too.

I seem to recall him or come to think of it, it was probably Clair Rees mention that he had one of the earlier ones that got stolen and he replaced it with a later model. The later model was a bit chunkier and heavier and he didn't like it quite as well as it wasn't as svelte. Anyone else have a similar recollection?

Its a finnbear

A 222 was built on a L461 Vixen (short) action.
A 308 was built on a L579 Forester (medium) action.
A .30-06 was built on a L61R Finnbear (long) action.

That’s a Firearms International L579 Forester (pre 1972, pre-Garcia gun). The recoil pad is not original to the gun. In addition to the Forester Mannlicher carbines Sako also manufactured a much rarer Forester Mannlicher with a full length barrel during the same time period.

T, I remember that 88 also.

Jerry

[quote=elkrazy


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If I saw nothing but the 'hat' I'd recognize Mr. Wooters.


Jerry

Think I read somewhere that it was a plain beige hat he colored with magic markers.

He had several favorites. An octagon barrelled B78 25-06, a model 88 7–08 with a full length stock built by Joe Balickie, his 98 Mauser 280 Remington also done by Balickie, that Sako 308. And as I recall the factory wood stocked M7 struck his fancy as well.

I remember him stating the rifle wasn't that accurate,
But he shot it well. And, he liked it.

John wasn't an accuracy nut, especially with big game rifles.

As I recall, the Sako .308 was nicknamed "Jumper," because his hunting buddies claimed that even if John was taking a nap, the rifle would jump up and shoot a buck....

I had a chance to buy an exact copy of his Sako back in 1972. I had just arrived in Augsburg, GE as a soldier and went to the Rod & Gun Club. It was listed as $300 and some change! Since I was barely 19, my West Point Captain would not sign for me. He didn't "want" to store it in the Armory until I could get it sent home! Lifer! ha I tried several times, once on a Winchester 100 308 carbine, and a Mod 29. No dice. Typical Army...all politics.

In the 80s I read a lot about his dealings with a 7mm Rem Mag. He had an identical BDL as mine, at the time. He wrote an article called , something like "The Long Throat" 7mm Rem Mag", I cant remember. Anyhow, he had the rifle throated .25 deeper to seat out the 175PT. He was a big 7mm mag fan too. I also was "influenced" by his .416 Taylor articles. I had one built on a 20" barrel Mod 700. don't ever do that....:(

I collected Sako mannlichers at one time. They were all accurate. You could clear people off the benches around you when you fired one.

A friend inherited I believe the Forester model in 308 from his grandfather it had a 4 or 6x Pecar scope on it. Classic rifle and just naturally pointed well. I always envied him.

I have a high condition Firearms International 308 Mannlicher carbine topped with a M8 4X Compact, it’s one of my special guns.

I do not have a .308; but I do have a .243 mannlicher, .222 and 30-06. harvested two arctic wolves with the 30-06. the .222 made 1964 has worked real well on 70-80 coyotes, and 2 mule deer. the .222 and .243 balance a lot better than the 30-06. they are all nice.

I wonder how Mr. Wooters would have taken to the Ruger M77 RSI? I know how I feel about mine and it's a .308 Win. LIke his rifle, it's about a 1.50" shooter on a consistent basis but it's never failed to take a deer anywhere from 35 feet to 250 yards, the longest shot I've had to take with that rifle. It's no speed demon as the only load that works pushes a 165 gr. Sper Hot Core to about 2550 FPS but just fine as is.
Paul B.

Woofers use of his Sako really stirred up an itch in me.... I had to have one!
Many years later I found one at a gun show, in .243 and bought it for $525.

It never made sense to me in that caliber and I soon had it bored out for the .358 win.
It’s one of those rifles that’s just plain fun to use. It always gets attention at the range.

The AR crowd all scratch their heads when they see it, while the loonies all want to shoot it 😄
The later later editions I’ve seen are bulky and unwieldy, imo......

Anyone know what happened to Wooters' Sako?
Bob

"It never made sense to me in that caliber and I soon had it bored out for the .358 win."

Good idea. The barrel of the Ruger RSI is way too skinny to do a rebore. I went to the NRA convention back in 1982 and talked to a Ruger rep about running a few RSI's in .358 Win. The reaction I got from him you'd have thought I'd just asked him to ask his mom in a dog and pony show. The four letter words flew quite freely. My late wife was with me and she's hanging on to my arm afraid I'll deck the fool. I didn't deck him but I did tell him to watch his mouth in front of my wife or else he'd be swallowing a lot of teeth. When I pulled loose from my wife he muttered an apology. I still can't figure out why the attitude on a simple question? I know that a very few did escape from Ruger so some were made. I've even seen and held one at a gun show with a $3,000 price tag.

I have three RSI's all in .308. I also have an M77 in .358 Win. Two RSI's have really nice slim stocks but on is a bit on the clubbier side. I've been thinking of using the .358 by cutting the barrel to 18.5" and opening up the barrel channel to take the somewhat fatter barrel. Using the Ruger rear sight won't be a problem but I still have to figure out how to use the front sight. Then what do I do to save the now stockless .308 RSI?

Should I do this or just forget about it?
Paul B.

I've been attacked here a few times for asking a simple question.

H and R mannlichers based on sako actions balance as good or better that the sakos. even harder to find though.

Dang it! Now I will have to look for H&R Sako Mannlichers

I just love the little Mannlichers. They just handle so well.

Why not??

Elk the H and R mannlicher were only made on the medium and long action. the L461 .222 size mannlicher are really balanced.

The little L-461 is nearly the perfect coyote calling rifle.

One of my favorite reads is, Hunting Trophy Deer, by John Wooters. This book helped me to understand the vital relationship between buck to doe ratios.

Sherwood

When I moved to Houston in the mid 80's one of the first things I did after getting settled was to drive by John's house a few times...hoping he'd be outside and I could stop and shake his hand.

My stalking proved futile!

His wife probably warned him..."another one of those gun nuts it driving by"!