Sako 85 finnlight v tikka t3 hunter

Keith2828

Just looking for information I'm currently looking for a 243 rifle for hunting purposes I have a choice between sako 85 finnlight pre owned or brand new tikka t3 hunter they both come with scope , mod ect with just €500 difference I am undecided on what to choose any help would be appreciated cheers

ejg

I would choose the T3 over a Sako any day. In the long run one has much more options with a T3, many more aftermarket parts available to tailor a rifle to ones shooting. For our climate I prefer a T3 in stainless. Another aspect is the used 243, even if the rifle looks new it might have had plenty shots fired, I have yet to hear a dealer say this rifle has shot a lot... I re-barrelled two rifles last year that had apparently "done nothing".
edi

Keith2828

ejg wrote: »

I would choose the T3 over a Sako any day. In the long run one has much more options with a T3, many more aftermarket parts available to tailor a rifle to ones shooting. For our climate I prefer a T3 in stainless. Another aspect is the used 243, even if the rifle looks new it might have had plenty shots fired, I have yet to hear a dealer say this rifle has shot a lot... I re-barrelled two rifles last year that had apparently "done nothing".
edi

Thank you for your feedback

Heavy handed

I've an 85 finnlight in 243 and it's a brilliant lightweight stalking rifle. The fit and finish are what you'd expect from sako. Never owned a tikka so I can't compare.

RossiFan08

I find the Sakos are a more comfortable rifle to hold and shoulder than the Tikkas but like others have said the used condition could come back to bite you. This is especially true with the 243 as they tend to be a barrel burner compared to the 223 or 308. If you do end up buying it, makes sure to have a look at the barrel with a bore scope. Bought a second hand Sako 85 cambered in 223 that was in lovely condition, only got to bore scoped after i bought and licensed as i could not get it clean. Barrel is fully of pitting trapping all the carbon in the pits, although it shoots ok after some jb bore paste there was a risk it wouldnt

If you like the feel of the Tikka I would go with the Tikka as it is new, if you don't like the feel there are a lot of options for upgrades. A boyds stock would run about 250 euro and having used them before are very nice

SakoHunter75

One advantage of Sakos is that the magazines have a capacity of 5 rounds, whereas Tikkas only hold 3. Sakos can also be loaded through the ejection port, while apparently Tikkas can't. Tikkas have quite a few plastic parts: magazine, trigger guard, bolt shroud, while the Sako is all steel. That probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference in practice, but the Tikka bolt shrouds seemingly do break after a while. Another positive point for Sako is that they have a tab beside the safety that when pressed down allows you to work the bolt (so chamber/unchamber a round) with the safety on. Maybe Tikkas have have that too, I don't know, but it's a great feature to have on any rifle. Tikkas are all made with the same (long) action length, while with Sakos the action length is specific to the actual cal. So in a long-action calibre like 6.5x55 there's no difference, but in a short-action cal. like the .243 you're interested in with a Tikka you basically end up with a long-action rifle where a short action would suffice. Maybe not a big deal for some, but better to be aware of it.

On the other hand, Tikkas are lighter, so if you're carrying the rifle over long distances or up mountains that could be an important consideration.

Sako and Tikka barrels are identical.

I chose to go with second-hand Sakos over new Tikkas, as I didn't like the feel of Tikkas when handling them. Sako just feels more solid, robust, and better quality to me, with a more positive bolt action. Rather than buying a rifle that I can easily get lots of upgrade parts for, I'd rather get something that's exactly what I want without having to go to the trouble and expense of that.

I prefer the older Sako 75 to the newer model 85, and have 2 of them: a .223 in wood/blue and a 6.5x55 in synthetic stainless.

ejg

The plastic shroud on the T3 is replaced by a metal one since the T3X was launched. The T3 CTR for example has mil spec metal magazine that really works. I have never been lucky in the long run with double stack top loadable floor plate designs (be it Sako, remmy or any other brand). They are by far not as reliable as single stack or Mil spec magazines. Especially the short action versions can be troublesome. T3's just have a huge selection of aftermarket bits to choose from and they have been used for Military and police purposes since many years. I have not heard of 75/85 being chosen for these purposes.
Overall I think the T3 is a simpler less fuss design with more future options. The Sako 85 is a nice rifle but I would not want one for hunting in the original configuration. Maybe I am just too spoilt.

edi

SakoHunter75

Out of curiosity Edi, can Tikkas be unloaded with the safety on?

ejg

Yes, when one uses the three position safety from ASH.
I think they also provide this firing pin safety to some Sako models. German hunters for example see Sako's and Tikka's as unsafe because the safety only acts on the trigger, not the firing pin. Be it two or three position. Standard Sako three position seems very fiddly. Two position T3 is a disadvantage as you pointed out for unloading. Some have removed the pin that locates in the bolt and then it can be put on safe when unloading just like a Remington 700. The disadvantage is that the bolt can open if handled rough and a cartridge that is chambered can be lost (rifle will stay on safe). The little pin in the bolt body can apply force to the safety if handled rough in the field leading to a T3 going into the firing position by it self. Happened to me a few times. Without the little pin it won't do that.
Overall the safest seems to be the ASH safety but it must be fitted by someone who understands how it works.
edi

SakoHunter75

Thanks Edi.

ejg wrote: »

Another aspect is the used 243, even if the rifle looks new it might have had plenty shots fired, I have yet to hear a dealer say this rifle has shot a lot... I re-barrelled two rifles last year that had apparently "done nothing".

Another question: if a Sako or a Tikka needs to be rebarreled, are original Sako/Tikka replacement barrels available, or do you just use another brand like Bergara?

ejg

I was lucky to pick up a few take off barrels in the past. If you ask around at custom rifle smiths they sometimes have brand new barrels that were taken off a new rifle that was used for a custom project. We also had a few Bergara barrels fitted which is then a slightly more expensive option. The ones we had shot very well.
I also had two rem 700 rem17 rifles re-barrelled to 223 with original rem 700 take off barrels. One in 1/12 the other 1/9, both shoot fantastic.
edi

SakoHunter75

ejg wrote: »

I was lucky to pick up a few take off barrels in the past. If you ask around at custom rifle smiths they sometimes have brand new barrels that were taken off a new rifle that was used for a custom project. We also had a few Bergara barrels fitted which is then a slightly more expensive option. The ones we had shot very well.

I'm surprised to hear that Bergara barrels work out more expensive than an original Tikka/Sako barrel, as Bergara rifles are very reasonably priced if I remember right.

ejg

I meant that one can find "new" barrels lying about at rifle smiths that were taken off new rifles when they build custom rifles.
I presume an original replacement barrel for a Sako or T3 is not easy to come by or expensive.
edi