Sako 75 Finnlight 300WSM Advice

[Lonewolf72]

Greetings! I am new to this forum, and new to Sakos, but I am familiar with their reputation. I was hoping the experienced members of this group could give me some advice and information regarding a rifle I have stumbled upon. I currently own a Browning A-Bolt II Composite Stalker 30-06 that has been my go-to rifle for deer and elk. Given that I will be doing more elk hunting, I was considering stepping up to a magnum, namely a Tikka T3 Lite in 7mm RM. However, today I walked into a local gun shop and found what I believe is a Sako 75 Finnlight that is in good shape in 300WSM. The action was stamped "Sako SM" and it was a fluted SS barrel/action with a black synthetic stock with gray grip panels. I had not considered a Sako since they are frankly out of my budget. However, I was shocked to see that this rifle was marked down from $899 to $500!! This got my attention to say the least...

I did not purchase this rifle because I did not know what I was getting myself into (not an impulse buyer), but I am now kicking myself now that I have seen that these rifles easily go $800-$1000 or more USED. My biggest concern is buying a lemon. Is this too good to be true? Are there any known problems with this model? I figure the action and parts are worth that much if it is a functioning rifle, even with some accuracy issues.

What can I expect from this rifle if I do my part? What kind of accuracy are you achieveing with the Sakos? What kind of long range potential do you see in this lightweight rifle (in my world this means 500 yards and beyond)? Obviously, my marksmanship skills are the biggest factor, along with quality ammo and optics that are suited to this rifle.

Are there any issues I should be concerned with this model rifle before purchasing? I am a little concerned about the recoil of a 300WSM in such a light rifle. I did not plan to put a muzzlebrake on this rifle, but I may have to take this into consideration. That said, I have shot Brownings in 300WM and found them manageable for short strings of fire, although not comfortable (I am not particularly recoil sensitive). Since I reload, I figure that I could "download" the 300WSM or use lighter projectiles to tame the recoil. Or just flip the rifle and sell it if it doesn't work out for me, since it seems like a deal I should not pass up.

Are there any other considerations I should make with this rifle, such as reloading for it or buying rings/mounts, or restocking, etc.? Is this action a good host for rebarreling to another caliber? If so, what calibers?

I am thinking of showing up at the shop 1st thing in the morning to buy this rifle, so this is a spur-of-the moment purchase. I am hoping you all could cut down on my research time. Thank you for any information that you could give me before purchasing this rifle.

 

[LoonWulf]

I have a good friend who used a Sako 75 hunter in .30-06, he really did well with that rifle, and i used it quite a bit myself to good effect.

Stocks on the hunter are walnut, so im not familiar with how flexy the finnlights stock is..but at 500 bucks buy it and change the stock if you dont like it.

Rebarreling them is no different than any other bolt action rifle, but the WSM bassed guns are pretty much stuck with WSM, RCM, or RSAUM width cases, and im not sure on the RCMs as they are a tad smaller in dia.....but at 500 bucks id buy it and if you dont like the 300WSM sell it for a profit.

One issues i remember that another friend had with and early WSM was that it tended to skip the rim when trying to cycle rounds quickly, this could have been due to him short stroking the action tho. But it IS something to consider.

Accuracy wise, if i remember correctly, my buddies 06 would put 5 shots (of my handloads tailored for my remington 06) into just over and inch at 100. He never shot it for groups so it only happend when i was borrowing the gun and was adjusting the sights.

The 300wsm shouldnt kick as hard as a 300wm, and fairly similarly to a 7mm rem (my personal favorite cartridge....ever).
For general shooting and hunting you can load 150-165 bullets at 3000fps pretty easily, lower recoil but plenty of oomph for most shooting. If you need the extra power the wsm you can load 180s upto around 3k, and the lighter bullets faster still.

And WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!!

 

[Skeet 25]

I have a Winchester model 70 feather wt in 300wsm. I don't find the recoil excessive. I have a 300 win mag in a ruger #one for 14 years. Gun just too heavy for me now. Recoil to me is the same. Good luck with your new gun. I'm a ferm believer in barrel break in , the first 20 rounds are most important, in my opinion. That is the main reason I don't buy used rifles.

 

[Lonewolf72]

Thanks for your thoughts guys! I went back to the shop and the gun was still there. After speaking with the gunsmith, I pounced on the deal for the Sako! What I found out was that the gun belonged to the owner of the gunshop and had less then 100 rounds through it. I had a friend (fellow Sako owner) look the gun over with a bore scope. He described the barrel as "pristine".

As far as installing a muzzlebrake, the smith stated that he felt there would not be enough "meat" left on the barrel after threading, and probably would not recommend installing a brake.

I am excited to get this rifle out to the range and see what it can do. Unfortunately, I still need to procure some rings and bases in order to mount a scope. What do you guys recommend? I also need to develop a load for this rifle, so if you have any suggestions for powder/projectiles/other components, I would appreciate it. I will primarily be using this rifle to hunt elk in Utah, but may also try it on mule deer if I sell off my 30-06 to fund this project. Thanks.

BTW...Great name LoonWulf!

 

[LoonWulf]

Thanks

My buddy used the sako rings that came with the gun, but given my druthers I'd probably install talleys.

 

[Paul7]

I've got a Sako Finnlight in 6.5x55 that i really like, it is an MOA shooter. I don't find the stock 'flexy' at all, and like the grippy material, although it will show marks. Only the first one bothers me. Maybe I'm more recoil sensitive than some, but for a larger caliber I'd go with a heavier rifle, you'll shoot it better too. Unless of course you're walking miles a day with it. Great deal you got there. I've got a Zeiss Conquest on mine. Have taken with it a bunch of hogs, and a couple each cow elk and Barbary Sheep.

 

[Paul7]

I have a Winchester model 70 feather wt in 300wsm. I don't find the recoil excessive. I have a 300 win mag in a ruger #one for 14 years. Gun just too heavy for me now. Recoil to me is the same. Good luck with your new gun. I'm a ferm believer in barrel break in , the first 20 rounds are most important, in my opinion. That is the main reason I don't buy used rifles.

Interesting, first time I've heard that, if the barrel looks good I'm not sure I'd worry about it. I bought a used 1968 Sako Finnbear last year in .30-'06 that I recently shot a .375" group with, and last month took a cow elk at just shy of 300 yards.

 

[Bart B.]

I never broke in any of the many barrels I've worn out. They all tested as accurate as anyone else's starting with the first round. Never worked up a load for any existing bullet in those barrels. Used the same component suite the match winners and record setters used. Best source for Sierra's bullets for accuracy load data in in their load data. They test bullets in several rifles to pick one that's good in all of them.

All rifles shoot their ammo into several few-shot groups measuring from zero to some number of units. Their smallest ones happen as often as their largest ones. Most are in the middle range. Therefore I'm not impressed by a tiny few-shot (5 or less) group because it's mostly luck and near impossible to duplicate. Tiny many-shot (15 or more) groups get my attention because they show what several few-shot groups really mean. And they're easy to duplicate. Ever watched several people bench test the same rifle and ammo with one 5-shot group at 100 yards?

However, those tiny ones are emotionally uplifting. I don't hang on to that feeling very long because I know that 99% of the time, all the next ones will be bigger. So they're a poor indicator of the accuracy a given load has.

 

[Coltdriver]

That is a smokin deal!! Congrats on a great find. If I stumbled on a deal like that I would have to buy it on general principal!! I have a Sako Tecomate in 270 WSM. It is a bit of a hybrid A7/85. Stainless, fluted, really stout green synthetic stock. The trigger on mine is probably 3 to 4 pounds, ultra crisp. The bolt is like glass and I have chambered a second round as hard and fast as I could when hunting and it works flawlessly every time. Mine was 6.5 pounds and with a scope came in just over 7.5 pounds. About perfect for the caliber. It will launch a 140 grain bullet at 3200 fps with the right load.

Mine is right up there in the custom rifle category. It came with aluminum ring bases and the A7 uses an American rifle base so I did swap those out for steel bases. That's the only thing I have done to it.

I was looking for a Winchester Extreme Weather when I was in the market and just could not find one. Then a Sako caught my eye and my local Sportsman's Warehouse had the Tecomate on clearance so I snapped it up. Sako only makes rifles, nothing else. You are now officially ruined for life because it will take an incredible rifle to come close to what you have. Enjoy!

 

[Bart B.]

Interesting, first time I've heard that, if the barrel looks good I'm not sure I'd worry about it.

A couple of barrel makers told me that barrels are to shoot bullets through. Not to look through. Good bullets can reveal the difference in accuracy they'll have across a few to several ten thousandths inch measurements of the bore and groove. Human eyes cannot. Barrel makers use air and star gauges because their own eyes ain't good enough.

 

[Paul7]

A couple of barrel makers told me that barrels are to shoot bullets through. Not to look through. Good bullets can reveal the difference in accuracy they'll have across a few to several ten thousandths inch measurements of the bore and groove. Human eyes cannot. Barrel makers use air and star gauges because their own eyes ain't good enough.

Obviously I was talking about looking for throat wear or pitting. I figure if a rifle can shoot 2" at 100 yards I'm not going to miss any animals. All mine can do better, new or used.

 

[Paul7]

Sako only makes rifles, nothing else. You are now officially ruined for life because it will take an incredible rifle to come close to what you have. Enjoy!

That's for sure, Sako will spoil you for anything else. You can sometimes find an older Sako, especially pre-Garcia, for not much more than a new Remchesterby at your LGS. Many say even the new $2,000 Sakos don't measure up to the older ones.

 

[Bart B.]

Obviously I was talking about looking for throat wear or pitting.

You can see the difference in .025" versus .050" throat advancement down the barrel?

I didn't think that was obvious. That 30 caliber cartridge burns enough powder to advance its throat .001" for every 15 to 20 shots fired. My 30 caliber magnums the same size had little if any pitting at the ends of their lives.

 

[jmr40]

No experience with Sako, but the 300 WSM was designed to be used in lighter weight rifles. If you compare it to 30-06 and 300WM using 180 gr bullets the 300 WSM will be 150-300 fps faster than 30-06 and about 50-75 fps slower than 300 WM. It depends on the exact factory or hand load. The 300 WSM burns about 10-12 gr less powder than 300 WM. By burning less powder and giving up a little speed the recoil falls exactly 1/2 way between the 30-06 and 300 WM if rifle weights are equal. Or a 300 WSM can weigh about 1/2 lb less than a 300 WM and have very similar recoil.

I have identical rifles in 30-06 and 300 WSM, they both weigh exactly 7.5 lbs scoped, which is pretty light. My 30-06/180 load is @2800 fps with 22 ft lbs recoil. The 300 WSM/180 is @ 2950 fps with 26 ft lbs recoil. A 300 WM @ 3000 fps and burning 12 gr more powder will recoil with 30 ft lbs recoil. Honestly, I don't notice the 4 ft lbs recoil difference between 30-06 and 300 WSM. In do notice the 8 ft lbs difference between 30-06 and 300 WM. I seriously doubt any game animal will notice the bullet impacting 50 fps slower.

 

[Paul7]

No experience with Sako, but the 300 WSM was designed to be used in lighter weight rifles. If you compare it to 30-06 and 300WM using 180 gr bullets the 300 WSM will be 150-300 fps faster than 30-06 and about 50-75 fps slower than 300 WM. It depends on the exact factory or hand load. The 300 WSM burns about 10-12 gr less powder than 300 WM. By burning less powder and giving up a little speed the recoil falls exactly 1/2 way between the 30-06 and 300 WM if rifle weights are equal. Or a 300 WSM can weigh about 1/2 lb less than a 300 WM and have very similar recoil.

I have identical rifles in 30-06 and 300 WSM, they both weigh exactly 7.5 lbs scoped, which is pretty light. My 30-06/180 load is @2800 fps with 22 ft lbs recoil. The 300 WSM/180 is @ 2950 fps with 26 ft lbs recoil. A 300 WM @ 3000 fps and burning 12 gr more powder will recoil with 30 ft lbs recoil. Honestly, I don't notice the 4 ft lbs recoil difference between 30-06 and 300 WSM. In do notice the 8 ft lbs difference between 30-06 and 300 WM. I seriously doubt any game animal will notice the bullet impacting 50 fps slower.

Or 150' slower if hit by a .30-'06.

 

[Paul7]

You can see the difference in .025" versus .050" throat advancement down the barrel?

I didn't think that was obvious. That 30 caliber cartridge burns enough powder to advance its throat .001" for every 15 to 20 shots fired. My 30 caliber magnums the same size had little if any pitting at the ends of their lives.

You seem to be a much more experienced competitive shooter than most, I'm talking about he average hunter who really needs 2" at 100 yards to get the job done.

 

[zb338]

I don't have much experience with the new Sakos but the older ones are really
good rifles. I have a Forester in .243 and a custom .338 Finnbear. I wouldn't give
either one of them up.
Zeke

 

[Bart B.]

Paul7, cartridges erode barrel throats irrespective of who's shooting them.

 

[Paul7]

Paul7, cartridges erode barrel throats irrespective of who's shooting them.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems a rifle with non-visible wear will kill an animal and shoot 2". I don't think the AVERAGE hunter shoots that much to worry about it. I read once with handguns anyway, the average handgun owner shoots theirs 500 times.

 

[Glockula]

Congrats on the rifle. That is a great deal. My father has a Sako in .270 win. I have a model 70 in 300wsm and have fallen in love with the round. Most of my shots on white tail are between 200 and 300 yards and I can dead hold out to 350 with the rifle. I am loading Nosler partition 150's over Superformance in a winchester case. I killed four deer this year and none took a step. Performance has been amazing with not a whole lot of blood shot meat. Enjoy your new rifle!

 

[Lonewolf72]

Thanks

My buddy used the sako rings that came with the gun, but given my druthers I'd probably install talleys.

I think I will take a hard look at this recommendation.

 

[Lonewolf72]

I've got a Sako Finnlight in 6.5x55 that i really like, it is an MOA shooter. I don't find the stock 'flexy' at all, and like the grippy material, although it will show marks. Only the first one bothers me. Maybe I'm more recoil sensitive than some, but for a larger caliber I'd go with a heavier rifle, you'll shoot it better too. Unless of course you're walking miles a day with it. Great deal you got there. I've got a Zeiss Conquest on mine. Have taken with it a bunch of hogs, and a couple each cow elk and Barbary Sheep.View attachment 229292

I really like the stock...with the Monte Carlo cheek piece and the palm swell in the grip. I also like the overall feel with the grip panels. My stock is showing a little wear, but the previous owner hunted with it, and I have no plans to make it a safe queen.

Which Zeiss Conquest scope are you running, and which reticle? I'm interested in mounting a Euro scope on this rifle, and a friend of mine with a Sako 75 swears by them. I am also considering a Leupold VX3i 4.5-14x with CDS or maybe a Vortex Razor HD Lightweight Hunter 3-15x. Realistically I can't afford to spend much more than about $500, but I may be able to get a deal on those.

 

[Lonewolf72]

I never broke in any of the many barrels I've worn out. They all tested as accurate as anyone else's starting with the first round. Never worked up a load for any existing bullet in those barrels. Used the same component suite the match winners and record setters used. Best source for Sierra's bullets for accuracy load data in in their load data. They test bullets in several rifles to pick one that's good in all of them.

All rifles shoot their ammo into several few-shot groups measuring from zero to some number of units. Their smallest ones happen as often as their largest ones. Most are in the middle range. Therefore I'm not impressed by a tiny few-shot (5 or less) group because it's mostly luck and near impossible to duplicate. Tiny many-shot (15 or more) groups get my attention because they show what several few-shot groups really mean. And they're easy to duplicate. Ever watched several people bench test the same rifle and ammo with one 5-shot group at 100 yards?

However, those tiny ones are emotionally uplifting. I don't hang on to that feeling very long because I know that 99% of the time, all the next ones will be bigger. So they're a poor indicator of the accuracy a given load has.

I'm hoping to get one good shot with this rifle...but realistically will probably shoot no more than 3-shot groups when working up my handloads . But I see what you are saying, as far as being impressed by the consistency of tiny groups using a high round count.

 

[Lonewolf72]

That is a smokin deal!! Congrats on a great find. If I stumbled on a deal like that I would have to buy it on general principal!! I have a Sako Tecomate in 270 WSM. It is a bit of a hybrid A7/85. Stainless, fluted, really stout green synthetic stock. The trigger on mine is probably 3 to 4 pounds, ultra crisp. The bolt is like glass and I have chambered a second round as hard and fast as I could when hunting and it works flawlessly every time. Mine was 6.5 pounds and with a scope came in just over 7.5 pounds. About perfect for the caliber. It will launch a 140 grain bullet at 3200 fps with the right load.

Mine is right up there in the custom rifle category. It came with aluminum ring bases and the A7 uses an American rifle base so I did swap those out for steel bases. That's the only thing I have done to it.

I was looking for a Winchester Extreme Weather when I was in the market and just could not find one. Then a Sako caught my eye and my local Sportsman's Warehouse had the Tecomate on clearance so I snapped it up. Sako only makes rifles, nothing else. You are now officially ruined for life because it will take an incredible rifle to come close to what you have. Enjoy!

Yes, the action is a thing to behold...buttery smooth, and I love that short bolt throw. My trigger is breaking at 2 3/4 pounds. I do like the shape of the stock with the Monte Carlo cheek piece and palm swell. I will need to replace the hard recoil pad with a Limbsaver.

 

[Lonewolf72]

No experience with Sako, but the 300 WSM was designed to be used in lighter weight rifles. If you compare it to 30-06 and 300WM using 180 gr bullets the 300 WSM will be 150-300 fps faster than 30-06 and about 50-75 fps slower than 300 WM. It depends on the exact factory or hand load. The 300 WSM burns about 10-12 gr less powder than 300 WM. By burning less powder and giving up a little speed the recoil falls exactly 1/2 way between the 30-06 and 300 WM if rifle weights are equal. Or a 300 WSM can weigh about 1/2 lb less than a 300 WM and have very similar recoil.

I have identical rifles in 30-06 and 300 WSM, they both weigh exactly 7.5 lbs scoped, which is pretty light. My 30-06/180 load is @2800 fps with 22 ft lbs recoil. The 300 WSM/180 is @ 2950 fps with 26 ft lbs recoil. A 300 WM @ 3000 fps and burning 12 gr more powder will recoil with 30 ft lbs recoil. Honestly, I don't notice the 4 ft lbs recoil difference between 30-06 and 300 WSM. In do notice the 8 ft lbs difference between 30-06 and 300 WM. I seriously doubt any game animal will notice the bullet impacting 50 fps slower.

I find my 30-06 manageable, so it sounds like I will be fine with the recoil, as it does not seem to be a substantial increase...thanks for this info.