What makes a Bavarian rifle a Bavarian

[Pom]

Educate me fellows

A few of you blokes have been chatting about the Sako Bavarian in some recent threads.

As I understand it, it's the same action etc. as the other Sako 85's.

The wood seems a darker material, is it European wood instead of American Walnut? Just a guess.

Cheers.

[Apollo]

I think you will find that all Sako's that have a timber stock have European Walnut, excluding laminated. The differences are in the stock shape, perhaps grade of walnut and barrel configuration like with or without sights to barrel weight and blued or stainless.

[AlanK]

Check out a picture of the stock here - http://www.sako.fi/sako85models.php?bavarian

The butt of the stock has that hog-back profile, not the straight edge which is a more "American style" stock.

I think "hog-back" is the right term, but you'll see the bit I mean anyway.

[Herdsman]

The cheek piece and comb are also "Bavarian style".

Doesn't look that different to me, but according to Sako... They'd know best I suppose.

[Lorgar]

Hogback profile stock butt, dunno about the cheek piece...

Also the Schnabel-type fore-end (the downward hook at the end)

And an extended pistol grip with a rosewood endplate.

I've just ordered one in 7mm-08

6 month wait though

[Aster]

Hopefully this works...

It should switch between the two for you every 2 seconds so you can compare.

sako bavarian vs hunter

sako-hunter-bavarian.gif (40.32 KiB) Viewed 8096 times

[Herdsman]

Nice trick Aster

[huccl]

Can we post images like that? or did you have to make it?

[jeretilda]

Action is the same as other 85's

Stock has pistol grip and palm swell.

Checkering on the fore end is different to the Hunter range.

The hogs back has a touch more drop than the more American style, which would suit using the iron sights on driven hunts.

I think it's mandatory to have a shot of Schnapps and wear a funny European hat after shooting a large boar

The cheek piece gives the rifle some nice lines overall as well as being comfortable to shoot.

[Old Fart]

Jeretilda's nailed it. The dropping rear of the hogback profile stock for a more natural alignment when looking down the irons is the most significant change in terms of handling.

If you've got big hands the extended pistol grip is nice too so you're little finger isn't hanging off the end of it. If you're hands aren't too large not an issue though.

Palm swell is a nice feature too. Not something you really appreciate until you feel with/without it.

[Aster]

Can we post images like that? or did you have to make it?

It's just a regular image uploaded to the forum as usual. Had to do the rotation in Photoshop though and save it from there.

Rotating images aren't part of the forum functionality.

If you can make you're own animated GIFs you can upload them as usual though.