sako finnlight.... opinions

[owlowl]

Wow. Lots of false presumptions in this post.

Really? Lets see:

1) Sako makes quality rifles, out of the box they are fine without any extra work - yes, no?
2) You can buy 2 average bolt actions for the $2k - that would be value point. So considering sako for twice the price means you don't want no frills value - yes, no?
3) "Donated remington or ruger" actions are mass produced cheaper made actions than sako - yes, no?
4) McMillan is aftermarket quality but also mass produced stock, they are not hand crafted out of martian wood polished by virgins on a mountaintop during eclipse - yes, no?
5) Anyone of a decent skill, even local, will charge you decent price for gunsmithing, no one works for free - yes, no?
6) Sako 85 range is nicely designed with a lot of options to choose from, well made good production rifle - yes, no?

So it's "overpriced" to walk in a store and pick up new 100% designed produced and assembled, ready to go out of the box sako, but "for the same price I'll have cheaper action, in a slightly better stock fitted together by a local guy". And this is somehow implies more value?

 

[canoetrpr]

After reading the opinions, i think i will pass on the sako. As i could get something else and a scope for the same price. What that will be im not sure yet.

At some point there will surely be a Sako and a Cooper in my future. Until then, I picked up a Winchester 70 featherweight 30-06 as a hunting rig. The feather weight or the Supergrade are fine rifles; I'm enjoying mine. Sorta wish I had gone fancier for the Supergrade now. They may not be a Sako but they are pretty darn nice rifles and very accurate. I've put a nice Zeiss Conquest on mine as well. You will be well under $2k even with a Supergrade and Zeiss glass.

 

[1899]

"For the same price" - you get: a much better stock, in the colour you want, in the style you want, with the LOP you want with the fill you want. You get a match grade barrel in the contour you want, the length you want and the twist rate you want. You also get the exact chambering you want with a throat cut to the dimensions you desire. "Cheaper" action? By cheaper do you mean less costly, or less reliable, less accuracy potential or what? The "local guy" is actually a trained professional with decades of experience and a long list of satisfied customers. Unless of course you don't do your research.

 

[GunGuy34]

At some point there will surely be a Sako and a Cooper in my future. Until then, I picked up a Winchester 70 featherweight 30-06 as a hunting rig. The feather weight or the Supergrade are fine rifles; I'm enjoying mine. Sorta wish I had gone fancier for the Supergrade now. They may not be a Sako but they are pretty darn nice rifles and very accurate. I've put a nice Zeiss Conquest on mine as well. You will be well under $2k even with a Supergrade and Zeiss glass.

Looked up the supergrade model 70 in 30-06. I would buy it right now, but it doesnt have a detachable magazine. I hate top load or hinge magazines. I like to be able to take the magazine out.

 

[GunGuy34]

Im thinking now of going with a browning xbolt. Price is right. Opinions?

 

[Prdtrgttr]

I have a Sako 85 Finnlight in a 270. I bought it used off a professor. Gun was in excellent shape, and had less than 200 rds through it. I really like these guns, they have a great feel to them, and they are deadly accurate. My gun in particular, seems to shoot very well, it doesn't seem to matter what type of bullet you use. Really nice guns.

 

[altaberg]

I have a Sako 85 Finnlight in a 270. I bought it used off a professor. Gun was in excellent shape, and had less than 200 rds through it. I really like these guns, they have a great feel to them, and they are deadly accurate. My gun in particular, seems to shoot very well, it doesn't seem to matter what type of bullet you use. Really nice guns.

And I still regret selling it to you.

I heard you put it to very good use though. I share your opinions of these rifles.

I have replaced it with another in 7mm-08. Short action, shorter barrel and even lighter. That was supposed to be my sheep rifle but has become my hunting rifle period (except for bison).

IMO the Sako 85s are the best out of the price rifles in the price range.
Nothing winchester, Weatherby, Remington .. makes comes even close.
Would definitely not trade mine for a Kimber.

 

[Noz140]

Interesting thread. I pretty much own everything suggested by the other posters. My Sako 85 Finnlight is in .270 WSM calibre, also own a Sako L579 Forester in .243 Winchester. Cons - out of the box, and using Factory ammo the best shooting rifle bar none are my Sakos, action is butter smooth on the 85 series, and the tricky magazine system works well with no feeding issues to date, copper fowling cleans easily as well (unlike my damn Kimber 8400's). Pros - the trigger is a bit thin for my taste, and like another guy said, the base and ring set up is not the best and super expensive for what you get, spare mags are downright ridiculously priced as well. Now, the first generation Sako 85 Finnlights came with a really crappy stock. Barring the Cons, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. I like the one posters suggestion on the Cooper, when you are in Cooper, Sako or HS Precision territory you're getting a super gun no matter how you slice it. If you are looking for something cheap and shoots well, try the Weatherby S2 Stainless. The action on my S2 was a bit rough, but with a little love it smoothed up and the trigger is super slick, oh, and my .243 shoots 5 shot 7/8ths inch groups with decent factory ammo for quite a while before barrel fowling becomes an issue (talley rings and bases are a lot cheaper than the Sako stuff as well).

 

[owlowl]

"For the same price" - you get: a much better stock, in the colour you want, in the style you want, with the LOP you want with the fill you want. You get a match grade barrel in the contour you want, the length you want and the twist rate you want. You also get the exact chambering you want with a throat cut to the dimensions you desire. "Cheaper" action? By cheaper do you mean less costly, or less reliable, less accuracy potential or what? The "local guy" is actually a trained professional with decades of experience and a long list of satisfied customers. Unless of course you don't do your research.

Lets see, sako offers plastic stocks, laminated, walnut, blued, stainless, most calibers, from 20 inch to 26 inch barrels, light, sem-, heavy fluted barrels, irons, no irons, very nice triggers, very nice triggers with set trigger, all metal detachable mags, 3 lug all metal silk smooth bolt with mechanical ejection. And it all works out of the box, sub moa. This is not enough to choose from?

If you have to have pink stock, double tripple heavy barrel cut at exactly 17.346 inches in 8×56 mm R then yes, you have to build custom. But implying that somehow sako has little options to choose from is not true.

As for the "cheaper" action, yes I mean exactly that - remington 700 action is inferior in everything to sako 85 action except production cost.

"Local guy is a trained professional with decades of experience" - sure you can trust. But how does that translate into "sako, building top grade rifles for 100 years, are bunch of amateurs"?

 

[Pathfinder]

I really like mine, not sure I would of paid the "new" price but I got here on the EE from a good trader. Looking forward to taking a few head of game with it this fall.

 

[Mighty Peace]

I love my Sako m75 rifles. I dont have a Finnlight as I prefer the SS or greywolf models and would prefer a gunsmith to flute the barrel than the factory-I dont think the factory fluting is as clean as what a gunsmith does. Plus I prefer the Sako m75ss rifle stocks in the grey with black rubber inlays over the black with grey rubber inlays. I had my first Sako m75ss rifle fluted by a gunsmith back in 1997, along with my semi-custom 338-06AI on a Sako m75 Greywolf I had built in 2008.

if you can, pick up a used Sako in the EE. I never paid over $2000 for any of mine, even when they were new in the box.

Seen a Sako m85 Finnlight 7mm-08 with Optilocks rings for $1700 on Alberta Outdoormen the other day. There is a m85ss 300WSM for sale also on AO and a Sako m75ss 7mmRM.

 

[1899]

Owlowl - I stand by my comment that I prefer the quality and feel of older Sako rifles than the new ones. The Remington M700 is inferior in "everything"? I guess we can agree to disagree on that, along with a bunch of other stuff. Choice makes the world go 'round.

 

[.284]

I think diesel makes the world go 'round.

 

[blargon]

Owlowl - I stand by my comment that I prefer the quality and feel of older Sako rifles than the new ones. The Remington M700 is inferior in "everything"? I guess we can agree to disagree on that, along with a bunch of other stuff. Choice makes the world go 'round.

IMO the Rem stock, action, bottom metal, and barrel are inferior, but are also cheaper to buy.

I've owned at least a dozen remingtons and 6 sakos. triggers are on par.

 

[1899]

IMO the Rem stock, action, bottom metal, and barrel are inferior, but are also cheaper to buy.

I've owned at least a dozen remingtons and 6 sakos. triggers are on par.

The context of the discussion was R700 action vs. Sako 85 action, not barrels, stocks etc.

 

[owlowl]

Rem 700 action is so good that you'd better put "aftermarket remington-style extractor" on your new sako as many people do... Or wait! Its the other way around

Push feed, 2 lugs 90 degrees rotation, spring ejector of rem 700 vs 3 lugs 60 degrees rotation, controlled feed, mechanical ejector. Just compare amount of machining done for the sako bolt face with that remington

All sako actions sized for the caliber, does remington even bother with that? Sako 85 actions are very smooth to cycle, out of the box, better design, more expensive, very good tolerances. On the other hand, out of the box rem 700 goes right to that local gunsmith guy to make it pleasant.

 

[1899]

Ask a very well respected gunsmith like Dennis Sorrensen if he will put a Sako extractor on a Remington. Owlowl, you are entitled to your opinion, even if I think it is wrong. It is your money you are spending and not mine. You can spend it however you wish, and justify it however you wish. It used to be that Sako offered a good middle of the road product - one that was a good value. IMO they no longer do that. If I want a nice wood stock rifle I'd get a Cooper. If I want a lightweight I'd get a Kimber 84L. If I want a Safari rifle, I can sure as heck tell you I won't be dropping $10,000 on a Sako Safari. For the record, it isn't just about the money. Both of my go to hunting rifles right now were bought new, and cost 2 to 2.5x as much as the Sako of the day.

But on an important side note, you should advise the US Army (and Israeli's) of the inadequacies of the M24, M24E1 and the USMC of the inadequacies of the M40A5 etc etc. I'm sure they'd enjoy being educated on the failings of the Model 700.

 

[Cinch]

I really like my Sakos but if I was looking for a light weight hunting rifle I would pick up a Kimber Montana over a Finnlight. Sako has really priced itself out of the market. The Kimber has a much better stock, a true CRF bolt, is significantly lighter and is much cheaper.

 

[owlowl]

On the contrary, I don't think that there is wrong and right here at all. I think that in fact everyone here is in fact 100% logical in their conclusion, however the huge bucket of fact and experiences is so different for each of us that it drives to different conclusion.

I provide you with statements, you just say they are untrue or you say I'm wrong. But I fail to see there exactly am I so wrong that it makes you right.

The only fact that in fact there are various modifications for rem 700 bolt including direct borrowing from sako bolt, and no one needs to modify sako bolt tells you which one is a better quality. If you can see even from a picture which one is harder to manufacture - again, I can't argue with that.

Now, we never talked about $10k rifle, why "I won't be dropping $10,000 on a Sako Safari" suddenly comes as an argument against $2k sako?

Kimber is cheaper and is a "mass produced" rifle too. Cooper is pricier and is on par or arguably better than sako, but its "production" rifle, its not you rem 700 with mcmillan done specifically for you. How come these are an argument now?

And for your side note, I put it this way - "US army has been issued MRE which are hardcore battle tested by finest soldiers on the line of duty" - true, somehow you don't logically expect to make an argument that MRE is the best food ever and you should only eat that. Same goes to M24 sniper rifle - army snipers do not choose best, they are given efficient cheap enough gun from a manufacturer who can grease politicians enough. There is nothing spectacular about m24. Yes it works, yes it killed a lot of people, but its not best weapon on earth, far from that. In fact, I can tell you that $120 mosin nagats killed WAY more people and been tested in battles and weather way harder and will perform 70 years after date of manufacture. So what? Does that make mosin somehow superior to modern sporting rifle?

SAKO TRG is a way better combat long range sniper than m24 by the way.

At the given price range, sako offering has enough value if not more than any competition, are widely available everywhere new an used and are a quality made product. There is nothing "overpriced" in sako compared to other brands based on quality and features. Does anyone looking at this price range/features/quality level/availability is completely different story.

 

[1899]

Oh my. I guess I really have to break down my point of view to avoid these "interesting" responses.

You said:

I bet it is cheaper to buy a brick of steel a raw walnut plank and make a rifle yourself.

However if you are considering a bolt action in $2k range you really don't care that much about cost. You just pick up something you like. Sako makes solid nicely done guns. If you really really really care that much about how overpriced a "just mass produced off the shelf" sako is, you shouldn't buy one.

But I have to say, I'm puzzled why would anyone stand in awe over "donated mass produced cheap action in a mass produced aftermarket stock fitted together by overpriced local gunsmith" but at the same time disregard nicely designed, well made production rifle just because someone somewhere made a profit on it.

I suspect you posted that because 4 out of the 6 posters before you didn't think the Sako was worth it. One of the six just said that the factory stock was not impressive and was replaced with a McMillan, and accuracy was "adequate". There is a ringing endorsement if I ever heard one. The 6th poster didn't have an opinion. What exactly does buying a brick of steel and raw walnut plank have to do with anything?

Who before you said they "stood in awe over "donated mass produced cheap action in a mass produced aftermarket stock fitted together by overpriced local gunsmith" but at the same time disregard nicely designed, well made production rifle just because someone somewhere made a profit on it"? Oh that's right - nobody. Nice straw man though.


2. Your failure to acknowledge that McMillan stocks are far superior to the factory Sako stock shows that you either (a) have no experience with McMillan or (b) are being willfully blind. The funny thing is that Sako used to use McMillan stocks before they cheaped out..oops...I mean became more of a value.

3. Post 23 points out why I don't think the Sako is a good value compared to a custom. Please don't insult people like Bill Leaper, Dennis Sorensen, Rick at ATR etc etc by implying they are just some "local guys".

4. I never said Sako doesn't offer many choices (your post 29) - again a straw man. But those choices don't make it the same as having a rifle built to your specifications.

5. I never said the guys building Sakos are amateurs (your post 29). Again a straw man. Seeing a pattern here. I have owned Sakos before, and I would buy another one. Would I pay $2000 for a new Finnlight? No.

6. Did you ask Dennis Sorrensen if he puts Sako extractors on Remington 700 actions? I bet you didn't.

7. When I say "wrong" I should say "wrong for me".

8. For me lightweight Kimber 84L > Sako Finnlight; wood stock Cooper > Hunter/Bavarian etc. Safari LOTS > Sako Safari. It's all about how I percieve value. I thought that would have been clear from my post.

9. Your post 39 - you ask why mention Kimber now? Uh...I mentioned Kimber in post #5. I mentioned custom built only after you slagged people who use "cheap" actions put together by "locals".

Last time I checked the $300 Stevens doesn't have an issue with ejecting spent cases with low mounts.