Sako Riihimaki 222 accuracy

[Takem406]

Grandpa left me his old 222. Loaded up some test loads and took her out this morning.
The rifle is a gem! However the trigger kinda sucks I hate to say. It's creepy and the over travel is terrible. I see that back in the Canjar made a replacement trigger. Think my gunsmith could work this?
Also being an older rifle it's not free floated. Being the fact that I'd rather die than sell this rifle, would there be something to gain by floating it?

On the bright side she is a shooter! Got an ok group with 50 gr Bergers. I think with a modern scope and a trigger job I could bring it down some.

 

[6x6 elk]

I have a few Finnbears, and they have adjustable triggers. The best place for Sako information is on Sako Collectors .com, or the gentleman that owns Sakosource.com. He has forgotten more about Sakos' Than most people know. The triggers on the Finnbears are really nice compared to most factory triggers. The old Sako rifles were really well made rifles, and the ones I've seen and have are accurate. They are my favorite factory rifle, great combination of balance,accuracy, and old school craftsmanship.

 

[Varberger757]

What you've got there looks like the awesome Sako Vixen, one of the best rifles Sako ever has build IMHO. They are usually real shooters and any effort to improve them is worth the money. So, get it fixed properly!

https://www.google.no/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=sako vixen 222

 

[Takem406]

The old fixed reticle Bausch and Lomb was a pain to zero. Without any audioble clicks or knowing just how much adjustments your making is a pain.

My gunsmith is a German immigrant and he's dang good. Word his he specializes in stocks. I'll probably send this rifle down with my dad and have him float it. What about bedding the action?

Also it still has the front sight that's visible through the scope on lower power. Can that be drifted out easily enough and stored if I decide to reinstall it?

I'll get in that Sako group.

It was kinda funny how it hated the 52 Amax! 6" at 100 was the best they would do. However the 50 gr VMax in the Hornady factory ammo is great.

 

[roninflag]

I have jewell, shilen triggers along with various factory triggers. with out question the best ones are sako triggers. google , they can be adjusted. I would load I4198 and A 50 or 52 grain bullet . the 50 ballistic tip or a 52 sierra or berger . I would not do anything to the bedding. I would put different scope and original sako mounts on it.

 

[Takem406]

Good info!
I'm planning on getting another box of those Bergers. That group isn't terrible by any means but they still aren't all touching hehehe.
I emailed Brownells on how to adjust the trigger, I'd hate to loosen the wrong screw!
Also is there a way to get the mags to drop freely? They seemed to stick pretty bad. Can I lube the magwell?

 

[Varberger757]

+1 for what @roninflag has said! The only thing I'm not sure about is not bedding the Vixen. I would do so and get it pillar bedded. We have a very good gunsmith here in Norway, who is a specialist in old Vixen and he always gives them a good, clean pillar bedding. BTW, he got all his knowledge and education as gunsmith from Colorado. He uses almost exclusively High - Tech stocks for his guns. They are not only good looking. Maybe you should take a look at them.

 

[roninflag]

i can not tell if yours is a sporter or hvy barrel. i would put a 4.5-14 on a sporter . 6.5-20 on a hvy barrel. yours is a a little earlier model than the ones i have . you can find out all about it at sako collectors. i had a b-l 2.5-8 that looks like that one, only with adjustments dials for many years on my 243 sako that scope was not bad . the amazing thing to me - the sako rifles from the 1960s, ( barrel , trigger , actions) are awesome. nearly like a current Krieger barrel. the scopes from that era have come a long way.

 

[Takem406]

Maybe the thing to do would be to find an aftermarket stock or a different OEM stock and have it bedded and free floated. Then I can always go back to the original unscathed stock?
I did this on the German Weatherby that was in the collection. Found a Bell and Carlson for $150, a heck of a lot cheaper than scratching that pretty wood. Seems the rifles from the 60's are a lot higher quality than most of today's guns. European quality is far better than American.

 

[Takem406]

i can not tell if yours is a sporter or hvy barrel. i would put a 4.5-14 on a sporter . 6.5-20 on a hvy barrel. yours is a a little earlier model than the ones i have . you can find out all about it at sako collectors. i had a b-l 2.5-8 that looks like that one, only with adjustments dials for many years on my 243 sako that scope was not bad . the amazing thing to me - the sako rifles from the 1960s, ( barrel , trigger , actions) are awesome. nearly like a current Krieger barrel. the scopes from that era have come a long way.

It's a sporter barrel, I think it's 22 or 24".
Yep, it's a 2.5-8. Most of grandpa's rifles were set up for the B&L scopes. The Weatherby has the same mount, however I bought a set of Leupold bases to replace that with. I'm guessing that these old scopes were top of the lone back then? Grandpa was a serious long range varmint shooter, kinda a "rich farmer" he didn't really buy anything cheap because he didn't want to replace it. So his rifle collection consisted of Weatherby, pre64's, the Sako, a few Browning/FN Safari grades, and a few others. So I can't imagine him buying cheap glass.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I can remember looking at one of them in .222 and another in .308 about forty years ago. Seems like the price was under $300, and maybe around $250. I was more interested in my first Weatherby, and now wish I's bought the Sako as well.
gary

P.S. find a can of BLC2! I have two .222's and that powder is the ticket

 

[Takem406]

How much were the Weatherby's back then? The book has "mine" at about 1500 and it was made in 1960.
I actually found a can of BLC2 last year. I'll give her a try. I love my job, I get to travel to a lot of sporting good stores so finding components is a lot easier! Especially in some of the smaller Montana towns. Actually I'll be able to check Grandpa's old favorite store tomorrow after work. Probably where this Sako came from.

 

[Trickymissfit]

How much were the Weatherby's back then? The book has "mine" at about 1500 and it was made in 1960.
I actually found a can of BLC2 last year. I'll give her a try. I love my job, I get to travel to a lot of sporting good stores so finding components is a lot easier! Especially in some of the smaller Montana towns. Actually I'll be able to check Grandpa's old favorite store tomorrow after work. Probably where this Sako came from.

well let me put it this way. I had the chance to buy a blond stocked .257 mag in a MK. V. for $365 in 1975. Should have! Interestingly I bought a string of rifles and shot guns in the $250 range back then. There was a Beretta shot gun, and AR15, Mod. 700 in .270, and some others. The one I've cussed myself over and over was a High Standard Olympic 22 short in the presentation box with all the weights and a couple extra mags for the grand sum of $225!!! That was a Hartford built pistol, and was a gold mine in the box.

You might also want to try H335 and AA2230 (newer lots). I like H322 in that case as well. Don't be afraid to try 55 grain bullets, but forget the 53 grain Vmax as the twist is probably 1:14.
gary

 

[Takem406]

So I think she's going to the smith for a stock overhaul. Free floating, piller blocks and glass bedding.
This morning I put three shots on one hole and two on another. About a quarter inch apart. I've been told his a stock issue. Makes sense. Either way I could have it done and not have to worry about that.
The rifle is very accurate! Any time holes are in the same hole is a good thing! Just need them to be together.
Funny on the Sako collectors page a guy said not to expect one hole accuracy from this "60 year old bore", shoot she's almost keeping up with a Cooper!