Greetings from Finland!

[Makinenprkl]

Hello everyone! I've been thinking about buying an old Sako rifle for a while now. There's a lot of those available here in Finland, so it's difficult to choose one. Figured that this is the right place to learn more about them, which will make it easier to make a decision. I'm just 24, but for some reason a way more interested in buying a cool old rifle with some history than a factory new one.

 

[bloorooster]

Greetings and Welcome to the club!
At 24, along with being in Finland, your opportunity to find rare Sako rifles is perfect! There is tons of good information here, and tons of good examples there! How lucky can you get!!! Enjoy and good luck! Please do share with us the different rifles and Sako coolness you come across!

Bloo

 

[wombat]

Welcome on board.
At 24, you are definitely out of the mould, and not a sheep following the mob!
Great to hear, and good luck finding a Fine old Sako there, keep us posted how you go and some pictures.
Good Luck.
Jay

 

[stonecreek]

Tell us what kind of hunting/shooting you intend to do and we'll provide some guidance on which (vintage) Sako to look for.

 

[Makinenprkl]

Tell us what kind of hunting/shooting you intend to do and we'll provide some guidance on which (vintage) Sako to look for.

For now I've been thinking about .222, .223 or .243 rifles for small game hunting.

 

[icebear]

Tervetuloa! Welcome to our community. For small game hunting, my first choice would be an L46 in .222 or an L469 (often stamped L46) in .222 Magnum. I like the early, detachable-magazine models because of their classic style and because they are, in my opinion, more finely crafted than the later guns. On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with the later L461 short actions - it's a matter of personal taste. If you are going to be walking around for small game hunting, there is much to be said for the short-barreled Mannlicher-style carbines. On the other hand, if you will be shooting from a fixed position, the heavy-barreled varmint/target versions are the most accurate. The standard sporter style represents a compromise between the two. I have found that the carbines shoot just as well as the sporters, on average. I used to have a .243 carbine and a .243 sporter; the carbine was extremely accurate while the sporter's accuracy was mediocre. But maybe I just never found the right ammo for the sporter. So much of this is just personal taste anyway.

So, good luck and once again, welcome!

 

[P04R]

I suggest a late L461 or AII. The spare parts are still plentiful, unlike L46 or L469. Not that anything usually breaks on these rifles. Maybe a bolt catch spring once every 40 years.