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How were you first introduced to Sakos?

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

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An old friend of mine showed me his Sakos, that is how I became aware of the quality of them. That was when I was 26. It is also the first time I ever paid any attention to them. Prior to that, they just seemed to be overpriced foreign guns that just weren't Winchester Model 70's. Since then, I have given up on my quest to build a large Winchester collection. I still have a few, but my Sakos far outnumber the rest.

Do you remember the first Sako you ever saw?
 
What a great topic!

My first exposure to Sako rifles started back in the early 70's, just about the time that Garcia became the distributor for Sako. At the time, my only firearm was a 300 Weatherby MkV that my father had given to me when I returned from Vietnam and was discharged from the Army. I used it to take a Black Bear and a Moose on separate fly-in trips to Northern Ontario. It was a great rifle, but it was no fun to shoot for more than a couple of rounds at the range. I acquired several additional rifles and took up Trap Shooting and bird hunting.

A local gun shop had advertised a sale on Sako rifles; these were the remaining inventory of the guns previously distributed by Firearms International. I looked them over and was very impressed with the quality. They were like finely made watches and were the equal to, or superior to, my J.P. Sauer Weatherby. I made a deposit on a Sako 25-06, with a full Mannlicher stock, and put it on lay-away. The total price was around $225.00, if I recall correctly.
When I returned to pick it up and pay it off 2 weeks later, they couldn't find it in the backroom. It turned out that one of the employees of the store pulled my rifle out of lay-away and sold it to one of his buddies.

After losing out on that deal, I bought several Sako barreled actions and a bare action from a local gunsmith who was closing his business. He was selling the barreled actions for around $100.00, of which I bought two, one in .270 Win, and the other in 30-06; and a bare L579 action that I bought for $50.00.

I had the barreled actions custom stocked by a local guy and they were very beautiful rifles. I sent the bare L579 action to a custom barrel maker to have it barreled in 6mm Rem. During the year that he had my action, someone broke into my house and stole all of my guns. It's only because I had sent that action off to be barreled that I have one remaining Sako today.
 
An old friend introduced me to Sako rifles in 1968. I think he found his at a post exchange when stationed overseas with the USMC. I seem to be still following his footsteps 36 years later chasing Turkeys.
I was really impressed with the fit, finish and his sub moa groups with the .308 Forester.
I was shooting a .270 Ruger 77 at the time with a cheap barrel and creepy trigger.
Back then we had "real sporting good stores" ( pre walmart/kmart), were not overpopulated Nosler had just introduced the partition bullet and we had plenty of borrow pits to shoot in. We were both just starting out with decent jobs and family obligations. Overtime, tax refunds and production bonuses meant "Gun Money"
I decided to focus on hunting, shooting and gun collecting. Researched history, reference material, everything I could find on what I liked. Not trying to make profit, just wanting to enjoy and not waste $ on something that would depreciate.Volumes of literature was available on .45 cal.Colt SAA revolvers, Win.mod 70's and lever guns. Bought the books before the guns.This is American history and these I collected ,and have most calibers and variations, most factory proof fired only 99% guns. Where are they?
Locked in a humidity controlled vault unused and mostly forgotten.
The reason I mention this is that.
These arms all fall into the collector category and can be legally purchased and delivered to your home address with a simple C&R; license. No paperwork, background check, dealer overhead, transfer fees etc.
I think pre 72 Sakos could be classified as collectors items as well If we organized and properly presented the issue. (New topic for club discussion)
Having said all that, back to the subject:
The general public in this area in the late 60's had little if any appreciation of quality imported rifles. "High velocity" ammo was considered dangerous to pastured livestock because of the potential kill range.(never thinking that the .22 rimfire holds the richocet record for civilian fatalities) We saw afield a few 8 mm Mausers, 6.5 Sweds etc.
Enough of that.
OK ----Winchesters and Colts were to collect.
Bolt action Sakos were to hunt with and hunt we did. The idea was to stop Whitetails in their tracks with clean neck base shots. No wasted meat or time looking for or dragging.
It was simple then.
The dealer was "stuck" with a shipment of imported rifles with a name that sounded like a watch that no one wanted except us and the few close friends we clued in. @ $135 ea.they cleared out . I think I got a 90 day bank note, wanting immediate possesion and not trusting the afforementioned lay away plan.
I was in business with one each handpicked .243, 270 and .308 Firearms Internationals.
Outfitted with medium Sako mounts and mailorder Widefield 3x9 duplex scopes. Also went back for another .308 marked Garcia ( figured my two year old son might need one) and saw no comprimise in quality whatsoever.
I ended up thru the years putting some early sakos back as examples. Have experienced
some wooden stock warping when they decided to free float the barrels.I Know nothing about the "new models". respect my "vintage" Sakos and have gone with a.308 Jarrett Walkabout and .300 Rem.sniper for the every day down in the dirt work.
Restocked for utility use the original .270 with a Mcmillan stock, Optilocks and a 30 mm Ziess. Have not tried it yet, but I dont expect to see much difference after spending $1800 on the upgrade and it has lost the Sako look all together.

Interested in other first Sako stories.
Will post my positive thoughts on the website later
 
My first exposure to Sako was in 1965 when a friend bought a used Finnbear in .30-06. It was love at first sight! I was stationed at Redstone Arsenal, AL at the time, and a local dealer carried Sakos. My first Sako was a .222 Magnum heavy barrel, then a .243 heavy barrel, followed by a Finnbear .30-06. Finally, I bought an L61 action, had it barreled in .25-06 by Douglas and sent everything off to Paul Jaeger Inc. For the then hugh sum of $600, he fitted a superb French Walnut stock that will knock your socks off! It is still in my gun safe along with all the Sakos I could afford. The only Sako I still yearn after is one of the old Mannlicher stocked carbines in .308.
 
I walked into a local sports shop in 1963 with every intention of purchasing a model 70 featherweight in 270 Winchester. At the time, my only big game rifle was a pre-war 70 in 30-06. Thing really shot well, but weighed about 10lbs. full up. Anyway, next to the Winchesters on the rack was a lonely Sako Forester in 243 for $139.00. I couldn't resist. The Sako felt like it was alive in my hands and the featherweight felt felt like a club in comparison. I scoped the rifle with Sako mounts and a Lyman American 4x. From 1963 until 2001, that rifle killed over 100 whitetails in my hands or by a family member. I would not even hazard a guess at the number of chucks we killed with that gun.

In 2001, accuracy went south with the Sako. Groups opened up to 1&1/2 inches, where formerly 3/4" had been the norm. Examination with a bore scope revealed a worn throat, so I decided to use the action for my first full custom. I sent the action to McGowan (sp). He trued the action and installed a Douglas air gauge 20" tube, chambered for 308 Win, with express sights. Finish is a very high gloss blue. Gary Hnath then stocked the rifle, in the Mannlicher style, with a gorgeous piece of French walnut with fiddleback from butt to tip. Checkering is a complex wraparound pattern and the finish is oil. Scope is a VXIII 2.5X8x in Sako mounts. Full-up she weighs just 7 lbs. Last week I took the old/new Sako to the range for break in. First group, with Lapua 172 grain FMJ was .476. I've got a safe full of Mannlicher Schoenauers, Steyr Mannlichers, Sakos and Heyms, but this year the old Sako will again be my "go to" rifle
 
When I was a kid I found some of my brothers gun-magazines. I still remenber an article on a SAKO rifle. The author praised the little rifle highly. I admired the pictures of that little rifle. It was a SAKO AI in 222 Remington.(yes I'm not that old). When I first bought a rifle it was not a SAKO. It was to expensive. But after a few years of hunting with 6,5 Swede and 222 Rem, I wanted to try something a little bigger and I got a real bargain on a SAKO AV 338 Winchester Magnum. I fell in love with that rifle immediately. I still have it, though it has been costumized since then. I've owned quite a few rifles since then, SAKOs and non-SAKOs. But I have only regretted selling two specific rifles and that was SAKOs. Due to that I only own SAKOs today, and I dont sell any of them because I now I will regret it and buy the same rifle again.

Thanks Kjeldsen
 
Stoney,I too,purchased a sako in 7mm mag and from the first gitgo she has
performed perfect in fact it is a tack driver model L61R, .I am shooting
handloads using ballistic tip 139gr and it is a tack driver wouldn't give it
up ..I also have weatherby's and remington's and a l243 sako forrester it is
also a tackdriver...I really like the sako's they are a very well made
rifle.....deadeye jim

>From: "Stoneybroke"
 
Great thread here, Guys ! I've enjoyed reading the board this morning after being away a couple of weeks due to business travel.

It was Christmas 1988 or '89 and I was in college when my dad presented me w/ a Finnbear .270 sporter. I later found out that it was made in 1968 and I've been obsessed with these guns ever since. That Finnbear weighs a ton, has a collapsed recoil pad, numerous dings in the stock and some scratches in the metal. I took off the original Bushnell Scopechief and replaced it w/ a Nikon 4x-12x scope with Redfield mounts. I still hunt with the thing today and it has taken several whitetail bucks and turkeys. Last year, I gave my father a .308 deluxe Forester in pristine condition for Christmas and the year before that my brother got a .243 Forester sporter NIB from a collection that I bought from Connecticut. The interest has turned full circle for all three of us, but I am the one that stays on top of things.

I don't know how many Sako rifles that I have now, but am always looking for more to add to my collection.

DeerGoose
 
I was stationed in Germany in the late 70's and drew a chamois hunt in the Alps. I needed a rifle and picked up an L61R 7mm Mag at the Rod and Gun Club in Stuttgart. After killing my Chamois, I never fired the rifle again since it kicked like a mule. One day I was brousing around the Club looking for a deer rifle since I had 6 deer stamps to fill. The custodian showed me a Forester in .243 that nobody liked cause it had the oil finish and the stock very dark. I bought it for $165 and have shot probably around 75 deer with this rifle.

I started collecting the darn things around 10 years ago and now only collect full stock versions. I find no difference in the quality of the pre-Garcia thru A-II/III series rifled. The very best shooter I have is a Garcia L61R in 30'06 that shoots 1/2 inch groups with 165 grain hunting loads. Be sure to check the head space on all Sako's as I have found they are all different and run on the long side. Seat your bullets 20 thousanths from the lands and grooves and get ready for a suprise! My old trusty .243 still shoots 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups with 95 grain Hornady SST's at 3070 FPS.

It's too bad Sako never produced a 7X57. It's my favorite white tail caliber since they don't kick so bad. I now shoot A full stock CZ in 7X57. My wife shoots the .243 and My son shoots the '06. All my other Sakos have never been fired but I suspect they are all good shooters. I would be glad to exchange hunting loads for the '06, .243, 7X57 and .17 Remington as I have around 40 years experience in making hunting loads. Regards to all, Rick. [email protected].
 
Howdy,
The first Sako I saw was in Talent,Oregon at Al Seibers store in 1959...
He was buying barreled actions and complete rifles...He had a 243 with
Flame (or Shell Maple) stock that was a beauty.Needless to say I knew
then and there I wanted one....He guided me through the inletting and
bedding step and then the finish (Tru-Oil ?)I believe the importer at that time
was Firearms Intnl in Alexandria,VA.Still have my Forester and would never
part with it (too many memories).Bought a Finnbear 264 in 1962 in Phoenix
also a Finnwolf 243 and an extra finnwolf 308 barrel that I never mounted
(so much for those pie in the sky ideas HaHa.).I bought a couple A111
actions that I sent to Shilen for barrels -I get a lot of satisfaction in building
a rifle from the ground up!

No doubt about it "Sako" has a mystique to some of us that is bonedeep!
Thanx for the string to for the chance to reminsce..
Nick "FinnLobo"
 
Damn guys, thanks for sharing your experiences with me. It seems that most of us fell in love with the first one we saw, bought it, and wouldn't sell it for anything.
I bought my first Sako, a A5 Hunter Lightweight in 25-06. (It was not the first one I saw, however.That was a H&R; Sako in 17-223) After terrible groups (3-4 inches) with 85 grain bullets, I was a little disapointed. After a little study, and learning that the Finns like heavier bullets, I switched to 100 grainers, and shrunk the groups to 1 inch.I could play with the loads some or switch to 117 grainers, but that is good enough for who I dated in high school.
Then my quest began to quench my thirst for Sakos. My next Sako was another Hunter Lightweight in 25-06, which was heavier with a matte finish stock. Traded it for a Browning Safari 22-250. I bought a few Pre-Garcias, but found them heavier and longer barrelled. I have also had a few Garcia era guns, and have not been impressed with the wood on them. I also have had and presently own some H&R; Sakos, which are beautiful little rifles, very similar to a Winslow Sako in 17-223 that I sold for some stupid reason.
My Sako of choice now is the first Sako that I bought, which is not for sale. It is also the reason I prefer the Hunter Lightweights to all others.
 
I was initially exposed to Sakos in 1986. The father of the girl I was dating was an obsessive fox hunter. Since I was also an avid hunter and I owned a high-powered rifle he decided to introduce me to the sport. I spotted the first rusty red dot in the snow that first Saturday so I was allowed to put on the stalk. I had mentioned that I was unsure if my Rem 788 in .243 was sighted in properly. Clyde offered me his rifle and pulled out a wonderful L579 .243 with mid rings and a fixed 4X Weaver with a dot. I had seen the many pictures from his past hunts and knew the gun could shoot. I missed that fox, but the fire was started.

The first Sako that I saw after that was an L461 in .222 Rem. Thinking that it was "underpowered" I still had to have it and haven't looked back since. I mostly own pre-Garcia guns, but have a few very nice Garcia guns that really shoot. Fortunately I have gone through what my wife terms "phases", that have allowed me to collect Deluxe, full stocks and heavy barrels. Lately it has been obscure calibers like .25-20, 7X33 Sako and .218 Bee. What a bug to have been bitten by.
 
Great stories. My father was an avid fox hunter. He owned a 222 mag Browning Safari. The quality of the action was inspired me to lean towards Sako's. I originally started hunting and collecting winchesters and remingtons because of the availability. Ever so slowly, I have been upgrading guns. Now, I only have a few "hardware store" guns left. My safes are full of accurate sako's. I really enjoy the older clip models. I several old odd caliber models. I wish they still made more of them....
Quagmire
 
I saw my first sako in 1978, bought it second hand of my brother and I still have it. It is a p75 hornet. It used to be unbeliveably accurate. In a 100 metre indoor range in1986 I was shooting near some guys with custom Brnos and loads etc. The best they could manage was 1 inch groups. But so did I with winchester factory hollow points and an old Tasco 4x scope! Now the hornrt is going to be re-built, almost totaly. It certainly needs it. I wouldn't part with this great little rifle. Marvelous on foxes, cats etc. Iv'e even shot a 90 kilo boar with it. Good hunting.Tony.
 
The first sako i saw that i can remember was probably around 1999 and it was a friends Sako chambered in a 222. rem. I briefly looked at iy and it seemed very well built. Than i started looking into them a little more and was like "WOW" they are like a piece of fine jewelry but with more function. Needless to say i now have 2 in the 75 Deluxe chambered in 270 wby and 7mm stw
[SakoCollectors.com] How were you first introduced to Sakos?
one word schwing!! I have 2 weatherby which i think are great rifles of fine quality especially the mark V actions but the wood grade on some of the deluxes are below what i would call select wood, there seems to be more quality control with sako with their wood.
 
At thtis time, I am still an avid Weatherby and Winchester pre '64 collector. Four years ago, my first was and is a .25-06 heavy barrel. Although it is post Garcia, it shoots very well with a 6.5X20-50 VXIII scope. I then found a 22 WMR bolt action that I posted in the "what is it" board earlier. This weekend, I picked up a Riihimaki .222 in Houston with a Leupold Pioneer 8X scope. The gun is in the upper 90% range and I have wanted a pre Garcia for a while, but waited on the right one.
One question (to be followed by 1,000 more), what year was the .17 Remington introduced?
 
good questions.

I had to go to www.reloadbench.com to find out about the .17 Rem. It was introduced in 1971. I'm not sure if Sako chambered this round on an L461 action (???) But, I've seen several A series actioned guns w/ the .17 chambering.

as for the .244, Rare bird. Sako made them on the L57 and L579 actions from about 1958 to 1961. When Remington changed the twist rate on their BA rifles to stabilize the heavier bullets, it is my understanding that Sako did not, and hence quit making the .244s and never chambered in the (renamed .244) 6mm Remington. Not sure why.

DeerGoose
 
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