Thoughts on the new Sako 90 Product Line? Announced Today.

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https://www.sako.global/series/sako-90

What do you think? It sounds like they have dropped their big bore, dangerous game cartridges and the XL receiver (topping out at 375H&H).

It also appears they have transitioned to a pushfeed action?

If you own a Model 85, what do you think of the new Model 90?
 
Nice rifle. Lots of focus in the videos on ejection. Double plunger ejectors are a nice change. Nice rail type receiver top too. Lots of variation in models. Thinking these won’t be cheap. But what is?

Gone is the 222/223 small bolt face action

Thanks for the post.

KRgx0GXl.jpg
 
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I like the features as well.

The "Adventure" and "Hunter" models really call to me but probably outside of my tightwad price range by quite a bit.

Wouldn't turn down an 85 Hunter for one either though.
 
Buckmastr said:
Nice rifle. Lots of focus in the videos on ejection. Double plunger ejectors are a nice change. Nice rail type receiver top too. Lots of variation in models. Thinking these won’t be cheap. But what is?

Gone is the 222/223 small bolt face action

Thanks for the post.

KRgx0GXl.jpg
Click to expand...

I'm guessing this is in response to the ejection angle issues with the 85? I believe I read on the Sako website that the rifles will be starting at $2,500 Euro or $3,670 Canadian, not cheap.

I was hoping for a .416 option but if that's not going to happen I may consider one of these in a lightweight 7mm RemMag configuration.
 
I like the walnut hunter model too. The red recoil pad going back to the 75 and A series. But the metal looks flat black rather then blued. Which is disappointing.
 
This is an interesting development from Sako. For a while, it looked as if the M100 was going to be the successor to the 85, but this 90 appears to be that successor. It is really an improved (in some ways) 85. The dual plunger ejectors would appear to be in response to the ejection problems some were having with their 85s. Structurally, the bolt and receiver are pretty much the same as on the 85, although Sako appears to have abandoned the "controlled round" feature claimed for the 85 (which was a real stretch), as the rim on the bottom of the bolt face of the 90 is not removed as it is on the 85, making the 90 clearly a push-feed action.

One big difference appears to be in the scope-mounting options, with the elimination of the time-honored tapered dovetail receiver top. We now have a choice of either (a) an integral Picatinny rail (which will appeal to a lot of shooters as it allows for a wide variety of scope rings to be used, not just those developed for the Sako dovetail) or (b) what Sako calls the "Sako 90 Optilock interface" which consists of a straight (not tapered) 17 mm dovetail with recoil slots at the rear of both dovetails. I'm guessing that Sako will produce mounts specifically for this option.

One thing that caught my eye in the technical discussion of the trigger is the lock time cited for the 90: < 1.3 ms., which is very fast. I don't know whether this is faster than the lock time of the 85, but it is much faster than that of most modern commercial bolt actions. In contrast, lock times for the Remington 700 and Post-64 Winchester M70 are 3.0 ms. (close to the 2.9 ms. of the Sako L461), and for the Ruger M77 and Weatherby Mk. V, 3.6 ms.. Fast lock time isn’t really of great importance in the hunting context, but definitely is in target shooting. The new trigger on the 90 looks very good, allowing some adjustments for length of pull and five weight-of-pull settings accessible without removal of the action from the stock.

One feature on the 90 that I'm wondering about is the recoil lug arrangement. It's really a "Rube Goldberg" setup on the 85. It would be great if Sako has gone to an integral recoil lug with the 90, but that might be asking too much.
 
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The trigger change was likely the biggest contributor to quicker lock time. The model 700 short action gets quite low as well due to the trigger setup I believe, add a heavier striker spring and a lightweight firing pin setup and it’s hard to differentiate between these modern rifles now. They’re all quite good, prior Sakos Tikkas etc. included.

I don’t see 30/06 or 270 listed as caliber choices any more either…
 
Interesting. I'll wait until I can see one for myself and couple that with online reviews. I find it interesting that they've dropped a lot of traditional cartridges, gone is 6.5x55, 7x64, .30-06, and 9.3x62mm that are available in the Sako 85. At least they've added the .28 Nosler for those wanting to do away with belts. Happy they have a bare stainless option. I'd love a fluted stainless barreled action in a hunter stock.
 
Three main issues with the 85, scope mount, bedding, ejection. I have met Miikka Tamminen a few times and thought he is a guy that listens. T3-T3X make over also addressed the known issues.
Scope mounts look more practical on the 90, ejection issue seems to be taken serious, haven't seen the bedding arrangement yet.
Recon all manufacturers will have to offer carbon barrel options, adjustable trigger is a nice feature as well, especially the moveable trigger blade.
I think, good job so far.... now the test of time.
edi
 
mikeyb said:
Interesting. I'll wait until I can see one for myself and couple that with online reviews. I find it interesting that they've dropped a lot of traditional cartridges, gone is 6.5x55, 7x64, .30-06, and 9.3x62mm that are available in the Sako 85. At least they've added the .28 Nosler for those wanting to do away with belts. Happy they have a bare stainless option. I'd love a fluted stainless barreled action in a hunter stock.
Click to expand...

Where did you find the caliber choices? I couldn't find anything about that in their various videos.
 
EJG said:
Three main issues with the 85, scope mount, bedding, ejection. I have met Miikka Tamminen a few times and thought he is a guy that listens. T3-T3X make over also addressed the known issues.
Scope mounts look more practical on the 90, ejection issue seems to be taken serious, haven't seen the bedding arrangement yet.
Recon all manufacturers will have to offer carbon barrel options, adjustable trigger is a nice feature as well, especially the moveable trigger blade.
I think, good job so far.... now the test of time.
edi
Click to expand...
What is the issue with the bedding of the 85? I hadn't heard that.
 
Does anyone remember when the Sako 85 first rolled out, were the calibers and different models limited at launch? Did they release for example the XL receivers following the initial launch models?
 
South Pender said:
This is an interesting development from Sako. For a while, it looked as if the M100 was going to be the successor to the 85, but this 90 appears to be that successor. It is really an improved (in some ways) 85. The dual plunger ejectors would appear to be in response to the ejection problems some were having with their 85s. Structurally, the bolt and receiver are pretty much the same as on the 85, although Sako appears to have abandoned the "controlled round" feature claimed for the 85 (which was a real stretch), as the rim on the bottom of the bolt face of the 90 is not removed as it is on the 85, making the 90 clearly a push-feed action.

One big difference appears to be in the scope-mounting options, with the elimination of the time-honored tapered dovetail receiver top. We now have a choice of either (a) an integral Picatinny rail (which will appeal to a lot of shooters as it allows for a wide variety of scope rings to be used, not just those developed for the Sako dovetail) or (b) what Sako calls the "Sako 90 Optilock interface" which consists of a straight (not tapered) 17 mm dovetail with recoil slots at the rear of both dovetails. I'm guessing that Sako will produce mounts specifically for this option.

One thing that caught my eye in the technical discussion of the trigger is the lock time cited for the 90: < 1.3 ms., which is very fast. I don't know whether this is faster than the lock time of the 85, but it is much faster than that of most modern commercial bolt actions. In contrast, lock times for the Remington 700 and Post-64 Winchester M70 are 3.0 ms. (close to the 2.9 ms. of the Sako L461), and for the Ruger M77 and Weatherby Mk. V, 3.6 ms.. Fast lock time isn’t really of great importance in the hunting context, but definitely is in target shooting. The new trigger on the 90 looks very good, allowing some adjustments for length of pull and five weight-of-pull settings accessible without removal of the action from the stock.

One feature on the 90 that I'm wondering about is the recoil lug arrangement. It's really a "Rube Goldberg" setup on the 85. It would be great if Sako has gone to an integral recoil lug with the 90, but that might be asking too much.
Click to expand...

Savage has run 1.6ms lock time for decades.
Fast lock time is nice, but it's one of many parts to an accurate rig.
 
This double plunger thing just does not do it for me.

Wish they had repositioned the fixed ejectors placement on the 85 instead

Leave it to SAKO to make the dovetails straight and then add a recoil lug to them far end so you can’t move the rings along the length.

Nice variety of models and no doubt well made though
 
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