Thread: Sako 85 Finnlight II

Had mine out on 5-6 hunts now. Some comments below:

Accuracy: Its an 85 and shoots like an 85 should.

Finish: Cerakote is real nice, only time will tell on its robustness. HOWEVER, Sako didn't Cerakote the bolt handle AND the bolt body is not stainless. This is a let down for a rifle advertised as the ducks nuts for all weather. Easy job to Cerakote the bolt handle but cant do anything about the bolt body. Shame on you Sako for that oversight, now I gotta make sure that bolt doesn't rust on extended hunts which is a pain.
I will also need to Cerakote the button that moves the adjustable stock piece as its rusted.

Stock: Its stiff as fuk with the carbon fiber bedding which has to be a good thing. I like the rubber grippy things, real sticky even when wet and appear to be more robust than the Finn I grippy things. Fibreglass component of the stock does scratch quite easily. For me I dont care, its a tool, not a show piece. The adjustable stock is real nice and I do use it. It has no play in it at all which is nice.

Balance: Spot on for me with a VX3 mounted on it.

Cool factor: looks pretty sweet I reckon.

Cost: who cares if your a lefty you take what you can get (in the higher end range)

Overall: Awesome rifle but let down on the weather proofing of the bolt.

Originally Posted by BruntyHunt

...

Overall: Awesome rifle but let down on the weather proofing of the bolt.

Plenty of rifles with a stainless bolt handle but didn't know there were rifles with a SS bolt body.

Bought a Finnlight II in .308 today. Nice rifle.

I'm pretty sure the bolt body on my 85 SS is stainless. Never a spot of rust on it.
The only rust I've seen is on bedding screws threads and under the optilocks.
My stock fills up with water when used for a support pole river crossing then runs out through the action when held horizontally. Again, "shame sako".
We note these minor problems critically in a constructive spirit because the overall package is so good and we "expect perfection" . Still it's better than almost every other rifle I see (including the fantastically engineered but too complex blaser in my opinion and also the older sako vixen for comparison).

Thanks for the comments on the adjustable cheek piece. That's an imperfexion in my 85SS.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

I'm pretty sure the bolt body on my 85 SS is stainless. Never a spot of rust on it.....

Think you'll find that your bolt is chromoly on that rifle Chris.

Originally Posted by Frodo

The bolt on my M98 is chromoly and it's never had any rust on it. It literally takes 10 seconds of maintenance per day.

Buy a tin of renaissance wax.

Buy a rag.

Put wax on rag.

Rub rag on bolt.

= thin, non-greasy, hydrophobic coating on bolt.

Best of all, a tin of Ren Wax only weighs a couple of ounces and it'll last you years. $30.00.

Meanwhile, people are paying hundreds of dollars for coatings which will eventually wear off.

Cerakote and stainless is great stuff - but there are cheap and effective ways of preventing rust (as I've outlined above).

Bolts in bolt action rifles don't usually rust because they're normally coated with a thin coat of lubricant. Have never had one spot of rust appear on a chromoly bolt in over fifty years of owning bolt action rifles. I have seen a few surface rusted bolts on old neglected rifles.

Been using Renaissance wax a few years on my Anschutz .22 rifle stocks and have used it on the metal as well. Prefer Foglube paste instead for the metalwork though.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Think you'll find that your bolt is chromoly on that rifle Chris.



Bolts in bolt action rifles don't usually rust because they're normally coated with a thin coat of lubricant. Have never had one spot of rust appear on a chromoly bolt in over fifty years of owning bolt action rifles. I have seen a few surface rusted bolts on old neglected rifles.

Been using Renaissance wax a few years on my Anschutz .22 rifle stocks and have used it on the metal as well. Prefer Foglube paste instead for the metalwork though.

I meant the entire bolt (shroud, handle etc). But I get what you mean.

Never used Froglube. I like the name...

Originally Posted by Frodo

...Never used Froglube. I like the name...

Kinda goes well with Frodo.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Plenty of rifles with a stainless bolt handle but didn't know there were rifles with a SS bolt body.

Bought a Finnlight II in .308 today. Nice rifle.

Have you sold the Black Bear ?

B

Originally Posted by shift14

Have you sold the Black Bear ?

B

Yep Bevan, traded it in plus a shotgun on the Finnlight II. That Sako Black Bear .308 was one seriously accurate rifle. Never did like the stock though which is exactly the same as the Finnlight standard stock. Didn't suit my small girly hands. The new Finnlight II is grouping around 5/8" with Lapua 150gr Megas but early days yet. It has a very thin fluted barrel so heats up quickly. Still, as you know, it's the first shot that counts.

Must give you a bell and catch up.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Yep Bevan, traded it in plus a shotgun on the Finnlight II. That Sako Black Bear .308 was one seriously accurate rifle. Never did like the stock though which is exactly the same as the Finnlight standard stock. Didn't suit my small girly hands. The new Finnlight II is grouping around 5/8" with Lapua 150gr Megas but early days yet. It has a very thin fluted barrel so heats up quickly. Still, as you know, it's the first shot that counts.

Must give you a bell and catch up.

The BB was seriously nice. Hope you get the same results with the Finn II as you did with the BB.

B

Originally Posted by shift14

The BB was seriously nice. Hope you get the same results with the Finn II as you did with the BB.

B

Thanks B. I don't think the Finn 2 will equal that Black Bear accuracy wise. Mainly because of the bear's much heavier, fluted and stiffer barrel. The Finn 2 is for mainly bush hunting. Have got a 24" barrelled 6.5 Creedmoor for the Kawekas. Have you still got your Blaser's?

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Thanks B. I don't think the Finn 2 will equal that Black Bear accuracy wise. Mainly because of the bear's much heavier, fluted and stiffer barrel. The Finn 2 is for mainly bush hunting. Have got a 24" barrelled 6.5 Creedmoor for the Kawekas. Have you still got your Blaser's?

Yep, still running a Blaser. Still can’t see what the Finn II would offer that the BB didn’t despite the stock ergonomics for bush work.

B

Originally Posted by BruntyHunt

Had mine out on 5-6 hunts now. Some comments below:

Accuracy: Its an 85 and shoots like an 85 should.

Finish: Cerakote is real nice, only time will tell on its robustness. HOWEVER, Sako didn't Cerakote the bolt handle AND the bolt body is not stainless. This is a let down for a rifle advertised as the ducks nuts for all weather. Easy job to Cerakote the bolt handle but cant do anything about the bolt body. Shame on you Sako for that oversight, now I gotta make sure that bolt doesn't rust on extended hunts which is a pain.
I will also need to Cerakote the button that moves the adjustable stock piece as its rusted.

Stock: Its stiff as fuk with the carbon fiber bedding which has to be a good thing. I like the rubber grippy things, real sticky even when wet and appear to be more robust than the Finn I grippy things. Fibreglass component of the stock does scratch quite easily. For me I dont care, its a tool, not a show piece. The adjustable stock is real nice and I do use it. It has no play in it at all which is nice.

Balance: Spot on for me with a VX3 mounted on it.

Cool factor: looks pretty sweet I reckon.

Cost: who cares if your a lefty you take what you can get (in the higher end range)

Overall: Awesome rifle but let down on the weather proofing of the bolt.

Just got these parts back from Craig at Cerakote NZ which will solve the problem and match the rest of the rifle.
Awesome job

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by 25 /08 IMP

Just got these parts back from Craig at Cerakote NZ which will solve the problem and match the rest of the rifle.
Awesome job

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

What did you end up with?

Originally Posted by Gibo

What did you end up with?

6.5 creedmoore as no .260 in the country and are special order.

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