Spending "Sako money"

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Spending "Sako money"

Post by puffnstuff » 21 Jul 2014, 7:42 pm

Sako make good rifles of course, and you'd bloody well hope so for the price tag the come with. $2,300 for the standard ones and up to $2,800 for stuff like the Grizzly going by my local.

So, question is...

Say someone was going to buy you a rifle for up to $2,800 bucks and you can only have one rifle, not the difference back as cash or whatever.

Would you get a Sako? Or would you take something else?

Just curious what peoples opinions are if the price tag wasn't involved so much.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Apollo » 21 Jul 2014, 8:06 pm

Owning 3 Sako's, 2 x 85's and an old S491 they are worth every penny.

It's called quality and features, plus they shoot.

Worth twice the money of a Tikka T3 and far more value than a Remington that's likely to be recalled through quality faults.... :-)
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by mausermate » 21 Jul 2014, 8:12 pm

Nice guns. I have several. Bought and sold many. Worth the money IMO. I prefer the 61 or AV series, 70's and 80's. Have an 85 Stainless Hunter in 22/250 but it does not have the build quality of the pre 90's models. Still shoots good. If you have the coin, go for it. Stay away from the 91 series if you go 2nd hand.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Apollo » 21 Jul 2014, 8:19 pm

Gee, my S491 Single Shot Sako is extremely accurate as a Benchrest 22/6 BR and is one of Sako's strongest actions with a beautiful trigger. The bolt is much bigger in diameter and stronger than it's baby L461 brother.

The S491 "Extra Short Action" is nothing like the lighter built L491 Long Action.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by mausermate » 21 Jul 2014, 9:46 pm

Sorry Apollo, I like the old ones much more. Maybe just living in the past with my Rolling Stones records. I just think the build quality took a dive after the A series for a while. Maybe I am overplaying it. Don't get me wrong, they are all, still top firearms.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Westy » 22 Jul 2014, 7:39 am

Sako are nice bit of gear but I'm to tight to spring for one!!!! :lol:
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Chronos » 22 Jul 2014, 7:56 am

Westy wrote:Sako are nice bit of gear but I'm to tight to spring for one!!!! :lol:


afraid i have to agree, they're nice but a twice the price of a tikka (sako 85 varmint V Tikka varmint) it's hard to justify

Give me a tikka and spend the balance on glass I say :lol:

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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by mausermate » 22 Jul 2014, 9:02 am

Chronos wrote: Give me a tikka and spend the balance on glass I say :lol: Chronos


I suppose we need to mention that Sako and Tikka are both made by the same manufacturer in Finland. Tikka being the lower priced option. Both Brands now owned by Beretta.

The Sako and the Tikka are very similar but differ in a few ways.

Sako has 3 locking lugs these days while the Tikka has retained the 2.

Tikka has a closed bridge and a single stack magazine. If you don't mind that sort of thing, that is okay, but for my mind it is the worst piece of engineering ever developed for a hunting rifle. If you don't like walking around with a loaded gun it is a real pain in the a***. If you load and then your quarry runs away, you have to eject the round, take the mag out and reload it. I hate single stack mags and I don't trust a safety. The Sako has an open bridge and on the later models a double stack removable mag. It can be loaded from the top or taken out and loaded. The older ones mostly had hinged floor plates.

Accuracy wise, you won't find a lot of difference, build quality...a fair bit. Resale...older Sako's sell quick. Most I have sold, sell in a day.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Chronos » 22 Jul 2014, 9:18 am

mausermate wrote:
Chronos wrote: Give me a tikka and spend the balance on glass I say :lol: Chronos


I suppose we need to mention that Sako and Tikka are both made by the same manufacturer in Finland. Tikka being the lower priced option. Both Brands now owned by Beretta.
The Sako and the Tikka are very similar but differ in a few ways.
Sako has 3 locking lugs these days while the Tikka has retained the 2.
Tikka has a closed bridge and a single stack magazine. If you don't mind that sort of thing, that is okay, but for my mind it is the worst piece of engineering ever developed for a hunting rifle. If you don't like walking around with a loaded gun it is a real pain in the a***. If you load and then your quarry runs away, you have to eject the round, take the mag out and reload it. I hate single stack mags and I don't trust a safety. The Sako has an open bridge and on the later models a double stack removable mag. It can be loaded from the top or taken out and loaded. The older ones mostly had hinged floor plates.
Accuracy wise, you won't find a lot of difference, build quality...a fair bit. Resale...older Sako's sell quick. Most I have sold, sell in a day.


can't disagree with any of that, but it's nothing that bothers me.

just this weekend i hunted with my tikka, I don't trust safeties either. I simply close the bolt on an empty chamber and leave the bolt handle up. insert the mag and carry it like that. if i chamber a round and don't get the shot (which happens when you're stalking goats in thick scrub) then my process is simply to eject the unfired round and swap mags (I carry a spare 5 round mag loaded) put the ejected round back in the mag and drop it in my pocket. Doesn't bother me as i've never used a floor plate rifle other than my K98 with stripper clips.

as you say the sako used 3 locking lugs giving you a 60deg bolt lift but the tikka is only 75deg so i see no major disadvantage.

like i said the sako's are good and i've looked at some older models but i personally couldn't justify the extra money when there's so many good rifles in the price bracket $1000 below the sako's

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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Wilso1994 » 22 Jul 2014, 11:20 am

When I could afford to get my license and buy a rifle 18 months ago I looked around for ages and ages and nearly bought a tikka. I then changed my mind and bought a howa 1500 stainless varmint. Best decision ever, they have s**t triggers and s**t stocks, I am not sure how many locking logs they have (I think 3). I wish I got the barrel and action and then bought a boyds and Timney. You won't find a better rifle for under 1000 bucks.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Apollo » 22 Jul 2014, 12:34 pm

Well, the topic wasn't started off I believe as a comparison between Sako and Tikka but since it has headed that way, there are some very valid points made both good and bad.

I consider the difference between Sako and Tikka pretty much the same as comparing Porsche and Volkswagen in that at one stage they were both produced in the same factory, some similar components were used but the build quality was different and reflected the price difference. Once said that Porsche came out the front door and Volkswagen came out the back door. You could say the same between Tikka and Sako.

The difference say between a Sako Varmint and a Tikka Varmint is more like $8-900.00 and still a big difference but put both side by side and the quality of the Sako stands out, pick each up and the difference is even more so.

Between both current models the only similar part is perhaps the barrel but is it... Looking at the stamping marks on both at the chamber end they differ and I would not be surprised if during quality checking / testing that the higher standard barrel went to Sako.

The Actions are completely different and as I have found out the longer Tikka T3 Action is not that strong and easily distorted out of alignment. Installing a Ken Farrell Steel Picatinny Rail I found out the top surface of the Tikka Action was not flat and when tensioned pulled the Action so far out of alignment it almost seized the Bolt movement so the Steel Rail had to be Epoxy Bedded to regain the alignment of the Action. Checked another new Tikka with a straight edge and the same.

With short cartridge length chamberings the Tikka T3 certainly comes well behind with it's one length long Action that covers all chamberings and the closed Action doesn't help much with strength due to the length compared to the extra strength / thickness of the Sako Action bottom section. Both will push feed easily by just throwing a cartridge on top of the magazine but the Tikka T3 is fiddly with the small port opening especially removing a loaded round or empty case that is not ejected or you don't want it ejected by the bolt. Both Actions are super slick and quiet with bolt operation and the Sako has the advantage with the shorter bolt lift in the new models.

I don't use a safety, ever and never have so like some others if I expect to be firing another round I will lift the Bolt but there still is that chance, slim may it be that the firing pin can release. If I don't expect to be firing shortly after I will extract the round from the chamber and close the bolt on an empty chamber with firing pin released. Tikka, drop the magazine and reinsert that round which is quickly done but the Sako is just a matter of putting it back in the magazine from the top and closing the bolt on an empty chamber. It's very easy, quiet and quick to recycle the bolt to load a new round.

If one does use the safety well the Sako has a nice feature that lets you open the bolt without releasing the trigger safety.

Triggers, the Sako uses a newly designed trigger and the Tikka T3 uses and older design Sako trigger from the like of the L461 era maybe a little later but my Tikka T3 has exactly the same trigger as my old Sako S491 except it's not a "single set" trigger.

Magazines, well the Tikka T3 certainly falls short here with it's expensive plactic magazine that is known to wear it's retaining lips over time and cannot be top loaded. The new offset Sako magazine certainly wins with capacity, able to be easily top loaded exactly the same as an Action with a Floor Plate Magazine but the steel magazine is very expensive but does not wear out like the plastic Tikka. Virtually impossible to loose a Sako Magazine with it's safety lock mechanism that fools a lot of people that aren't use to it and can't get it out single handed. The big plus is that the magazine is flush with the underside of the Stock just like a floor plate and doesn't hang out like the Tikka T3.

Stocks, well here is where the Sako shines with it's very high quality and finished Walnut Timber Stock that not only looks tops but feels like it should. The biggest downfall and reflected in the price / quality of the Tikka T3 with it's plastic feeling composite stock that some have problems with it loosing barrel clearance over time. The much older version Tikka's had a far better stock.

Tikka has been around for a long time and have always been much cheaper than a Sako and far less in the quality field.

Is the Sako worth the extra. In my view it certainly is and has always been worth the extra dollars by far. There are so many differences between them I don't believe they should even be compared. It's like the difference between chalk and cheese.

Do I love my Tikka T3 in a Super Varmint Stock yes but it's no Sako by a long shot and never has or will be.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by mausermate » 22 Jul 2014, 2:02 pm

puffnstuff wrote:So, question is...

Say someone was going to buy you a rifle for up to $2,800 bucks and you can only have one rifle, not the difference back as cash or whatever.

Would you get a Sako? Or would you take something else?


It is easy to get off track, isn't it? If I had $2800 and couldn't get cash back, I wouldn't take a $1200 Tikka and lets assume you can't use the cash back for a scope. Gun only.

What else for around $2800?

Sauer 202. Nice gun, I have one and I like it and it shoots well, single stack mag, poo. It handles better than the Sako but doesn't group as well.

Steyr. Nice guns, don't have one, never shot one, single stack rotary mag, poo.

Bit more for a Plastic stocked Mauser M03. Great gun, I don't have one, have used one, switch barrel, double stack mag. My next rifle only in wood.

Over to the US. Cooper make some in that money. Don't have one, never shot one but reports say they are great.

Deluxe Montana. Base model much cheaper. Custom Mauser action, don't have one, have handled one. Very nice.

Just to name a few.....

So far, Sako looks pretty good in that bunch, stood the test of time, is it #1 in that lot. Decisions, decisions.....
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Mark TAC » 22 Jul 2014, 9:17 pm

^^^ glad somebody finally said Montana and Cooper. The former particularly is a NICE bit of kit.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Apollo » 22 Jul 2014, 10:52 pm

The "TOPIC" is "Sako Money" .....

Then it got to their other Beretta product, Tikka.

Please don't make me cry, I have shot and held a Cooper. Don't have the money nor am I going to live long enough to see an order completed. They are virtually "custom made" firearms and you wait for yours. F'n nice.... :-)
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by maxi » 23 Jul 2014, 2:42 pm

I thought Cooper rifles were waaay more expensive than Sako.

Like $7,000 or something?
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Lorgar » 23 Jul 2014, 2:45 pm

I'd take the Sako.

Bavarian Carbine in .22-250 for a varmint rifle

Bavarian Carbine in .308 for a hunting rifle (if I had to have 1 rifle only this would be it)

And one of the new 'Long Range' in 300 Win Mag for good measure.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by headwerkn » 17 Aug 2014, 6:28 pm

You don't necessarily need to spend Sako money to own a Sako. Just buy secondhand. I got my AV Hunter in .300WM for $1100 last year... as far as I can tell it's a late 70s/early 80s model, has a few minor dings in the checkering and is of the older 2-lug design, but the bluing is without wear, the action is slick as [insert dodgy euphemism here] and it's more accurate than I am, even on factory loads.

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Dedicated deer rifles tend not to see a lot of use - maybe a box of rounds each season, if that - so good buys with plenty of life in the barrels can be found, especially in the larger cals.... apparently some people buy 'em, never warm to the recoil - admittedly the old Win Mag is a bit of a cannon - and sell them off in a hurry ;-)

Are they worth the money? I think so. It's an old rifle but it feels classy, well made and honest. Mine's a floorplate design, which is a bit old hat admittedly, but for deer stalking is perfectly usable and does have with it the distinct advantage of not being able to lose the magazine.... replacements aren't at all cheap. Having a couple of minor bumps already on it, I'm not afraid to take it for a long walk through the bush... though I do lavish much attention and oil-soaked wipes on it after every outing to keep it tip-top. I have to admit, when Lithgow Arms get their .308W CrossOver out of the gates, I may be more inclined to drag it through the mud in the middle of a Tassie winter.

But I always wanted a Sako and $1000ish was always more likely to happen than $2000+. One day I'd absolutely love a Finnwolf lever-action, though the way the collectors are driving up prices to silly levels, I'd be more inclined to get a Lithgow SLR 7.62mm target rifle and properly complete my LSAF collection.

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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by zook60 » 17 Aug 2014, 8:56 pm

I say yes they are worth every penny, I have just sold everything in my safe after getting a 223 85 varmint Cost was $2080. I had Howa's and Tikka's but after getting the Sako 223 I saw the light I have gone from about 6 rifles to 2. I just picked up a 85 Hunter 308 for $2230 this week can't wait to get out and use it..
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by brett1868 » 17 Aug 2014, 9:36 pm

I bought a Sako Forester 22-250 in the 80's from Mick Smiths on George St for $700 and used it for almost 20 years before retiring it. Recently purchased another Sako 85 Varmint Laminated Stainless with the set trigger, also in 22-250 (Was feeling nostalgic). Rifle was around $2200, OptiLok stainless bases & rings $300 with a Leupold VX-II 4-12x50 $675 for a total of $3175 which some 25+ years later still represents outstanding value. My next purchase will be the Sako TRG42 in 338 Lapua Magnum. If max budget is $2800 then a new Sako may be a bit of a stretch by the time you factor in bases & scope, no point having a top rifle with a poor scope.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by zook60 » 18 Aug 2014, 2:39 pm

I like Optilocks but don't think they are worth $300. I put Burris basses $60 and Burris rings $50 on both my rifles they are all steel construction.
Basically a copy of Leupold STD they are not going anywhere.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Korkt » 18 Aug 2014, 8:17 pm

I'd take the Sako.

They just leave nothing to be desired for me.
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Westy » 18 Aug 2014, 11:09 pm

:lol: :D :lol: I was going to buy one till I saw this Guy!!!!!!!! :lol: :D :lol: Bloody Scott

http://youtu.be/RtOT_2tSTP8

Yep he's a Sako buyer for sure :?: :?:
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by tripletwo » 19 Aug 2014, 11:19 am

Borat the rifle salesman :lol:
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by SendIt » 19 Aug 2014, 11:19 am

What? They do smell nice!
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by zook60 » 19 Aug 2014, 5:33 pm

SendIt wrote:What? They do smell nice!

Both mine have smelt very nice out of the box being Walnut :lol:
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by cruze82 » 19 Aug 2014, 5:42 pm

Westy wrote::lol: :D :lol: I was going to buy one till I saw this Guy!!!!!!!! :lol: :D :lol: Bloody Scott

http://youtu.be/RtOT_2tSTP8

Yep he's a Sako buyer for sure :?: :?:


dam I was going to buy a sako next but now its ruined !!!
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by FuzzyM » 20 Aug 2014, 8:36 am

I held a Sako Bavarian at the LGS yesterday. :)

Set trigger is awesome!

Bit outside my price range though...... :(
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by Lorgar » 21 Aug 2014, 9:32 am

The Bavarian Carbine is my absolute favourite hunting rifle.

One of this in .270w or .308w would do me just fine! One day...
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Re: Spending "Sako money"

Post by RDobber » 21 Aug 2014, 9:32 am

*gasp*

Going away from the 7mm, Lorgar? :shock:
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