Custom Sako 85 7 PRC

[Big Sky Guy]

Thanks to all of you on here posting your custom or semi-custom rigs I was inspired over a year ago to set out on what has become quite the course.

I own a Sako 85 Finnlight in 6.5cm, by far the best rifle I’ve ever owned. I have now spent enough time around centerfire rifles and carried them and used them hunting enough to have chosen this platform for some very specific reasons: low bolt throw, safety disengagement button, the way the flush magazine must be pressed up to ensure the magazine can’t come loose and most obviously the silky smoothness of the action. Hunting mostly elk I had succumbed to the marketing of Hornady in my desire to own what I believe will become the 7mm of this century and have a rifle chambered in 7PRC. Since it took Sako until 2019/2020 to begin chambering the 6.5cm I figured what the heck.

Sako has little aftermarket support so I probably embarked on this journey late 2022 or 2023 when I began researching components. JB at Accuflite is the only place I could find to purchase just the action, but by doing so could request a set trigger (something I’ve become fond of in my Finnlight).

I settled on Bartlein as the barrel manufacturer. Thought about going with a PROOF prefit but double the cost for not really any weight savings and I am not sold on adding more weight and length for hunting suppressed when earplugs are light and plentiful.

The stock was the most difficult thing to source. McMillan quit making them, there are a couple other places but I really like the look of bare carbon fiber stocks so found Kroseg Precision out of New Zealand to get a stock. I wanted to try and find a stock with an adjustable comb as I do think even with Monte Carlo/ high Sako comb style stocks the scope ends up being higher than where my cheek weld naturally goes. Not really ever a problem but something I wanted if I was going to pay for it. And pay for it I would as sourcing a custom inletted stock (I sent them the Bartlein barrel profile) carbon fiber stock from New Zealand was not inexpensive. Was able to get flush cups and spartan bipod adapter (which idk if I’ll even use but I like magnetic gear).

With all of the components in hand I was ready to ship everything off by November and wait.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

I selected Dave Bruno out of PA to chamber and assemble the rifle. In all my hours of research, the internet was full of his praises. I believe he also builds the Accuflite rifles for JB if the internet is true.

I was told a “couple months” to complete which seemed fast and I was not too concerned with because I had torn my ACL and meniscus last June and winter in Montana doesn’t really get me excited to go sit at a range in sub zero temps so just figured he’d have it done by spring, which he did.

I had requested a classic grind-to-fit Limbsaver recoil pad to be installed as the recoil pad that came with the stock left a lot to be desired.

About a month from completion I requested an update and was told just waiting on recoil pad and he said he didn’t like Limbsaver due to their tendency to degrade and preferred Pachmyer. Made sense to me so I agreed.

I never heard anything else from the gunsmith and then at the end of March a large, rifle shaped package arrived.

I knew what it was. The return address confirmed. I was stoked and completely surprised but was nice to not check tracking daily which I’m sure I would have done bad shipping be communicated lol.

Ralphie wanted his Red Ryder and I’m sure my mind had this built up similarly to that, if not more, after all the difference between men and boys is just price of their toys.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Soon after opening the rifle I noticed the recoil pad. Not the Pachmyer I had thought we decided to go with and certainly not a classic grind to fit Limbsaver. A pre-for Air-tech. Looked like chit IMO. I was a bit frustrated.

Got home and figured I’d just put the original pad back on. Took the Limbsaver off and realized that was not a possibility as the one screw from the original pad had been cut off and left in the stock. Frustration was pretty high at this point.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

I left the gun alone over the weekend out of frustration. Monday came around and I got a text from the gunsmith with the total amount due and letting me know the rifle was shipped the previous week. I was polite but let him know I was not happy and planned to find a gunsmith here in MT to redo the pad and would subtract that from the total. Dave understood and agreed and also offered to have me send the stock to him and redo it. With shipping across the country and time I didn’t feel like messing around with that.

Ended up finding Dennis at Frontier Gun Shop in Helena to get the recoil pad installed. Couple of weeks turned into 3, called and asked about it and he had it done later that day.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

It’s now the end of April. Ready to mount the scope, a Leupold VX-5HD off a rifle I parted with.

Sako has a proprietary integrated dovetail and either ringmount or optilock mounts. I prefer the one piece ringmounts. Go to mount the scope to find out not going to work with length of action. Oh well good excuse to get a new scope.

 

[Forkyfinder]

this is gorgeous, and i am jealous

 

[nhenry]

Great looking rig. Shoot it and let us know.

The best factory rifle I've ever owned was an 85 Bavarian in 25-06 that I foolishly sold to fund another build.

 

[rjthehunter]

Gosh dang that's a good looking rifle.

Can't wait to see how it shoots.

 

[noharleyyet]

Good looking rifle.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

I ended up taking the rifle with attached ringmounts into no less than 3 sporting goods stores to see what scopes would work. I learned that many of the higher tier scopes now have short tubes in front of the turret. I prefer a simple reticle, and also learned that many scope manufacturers like fancier reticles in higher priced scopes. I would have liked to try out a Trijicon accupoint but could not find any stores that had them. I found the Leica Amplus 6 3-18 to be my huckleberry. It’s a bit heavier than the Leupold. Bob Wards and Sportsmans only stocked the fancy BDC Christmas tree reticle. So I ordered the simpler (what I call wind-plex) reticle version from Sportsmans as I had some gift cards for there to use up and they were on sale (Bob Wards couldn’t order this for me as I had asked in store and I was bummed Predator Optics does not deal with Leica).

A week goes by and I get an email letting me know my order was cancelled because they don’t have inventory to fulfill my order. The saga continues. I search online and find Eurooptic has them in stock, call them up and guy is able to price match Sportsmans.

2 days later I had the scope.

Mounted up, very impressive FOV being able to see the 23” barrel (homage to the GOAT, Michael Jordan) on low power.

Middle of June by this point but finally got everything together to go shoot.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Made it to the range 3 days last week and this past Saturday morning. No complaints with accuracy. Largest group I’ve shot was ~1.25” when still breaking in barrel. Photos of groups are from this Saturday after having shot ~20 rounds during the week.

I am having issues with ejection/extraction. This is well documented on the internet with Sako 85 actions, specifically longer actions. I think I know what the fix is - modifying the extractor to hold the case tighter to the bolt face will likely find a gunsmith to do this if I can’t resolve myself. I thoroughly cleaned the ejector in the trigger assembly. I didn’t have any ejection failures after that on Saturday with the Hornady ammo, but ejection is still weak for my liking. Weatherby ammo was about 50/50 for ejection. I called JB yesterday and explained this to him as he had negated much of what I had read on the internet last year when I purchased the action from him. He says to clean the extractor with acetone. Need to try this and see if that helps. Some cases did hit the windage turret, also well documented on the internet. It seems the larger problem is cases not even coming out.

 

[kiwi hunter]

The toy journey as in reality. I used to drive past this large town and the sports store there had a browning xbolt long range in 300 wsm, six months later I couldn't resist the temptation and took it home, 7 1/4 lbs and shoots great. No hassles no drama.
I wish you the best of luck with the Sako and may it do its work for you for the long future.

 

[noharleyyet]

If @p_ham had been around when I owned Sakos, Ken Jr. and our son in law wouldn't own them now. Great out of the box rifles but the synthetic stocks and wonky lug were drawbacks...to me anyway.