The removable five-round box magazine is also made of lightweight synthetic. One notable difference distinguishing the Finnfire Hunter from centerfire Sako rifles is the black, synthetic-fiber triggerguard assembly. While short of perfection, wood-to-metal fit is OK. Vari-X 2×7 Rimfire Special scope in Burris rings. Before taking the rifle to the range, I installed a Leupold No sights are supplied, but the receiver is grooved to accept tip-off mounts. The top of the receiver is similarly checkered. A red indicator projects to the rear when the action is cocked. Like other Sako rifles, the Finnfire’s bolt shroud is beveled and handsomely checkered. When the action is in battery, a sturdy, spring-loaded extractor claw firmly grips the cartridge rim. One of the two rear-locking lugs is at the base of the bolt handle while the other is farther inboard on the bolt handle sleeve. The Sako P94S rimfire receiver sports a two-position sliding safety while a bolt-release lever rides just forward of the blued and polished bolt handle. There is a dark oil finish that unfortunately masks most of the grain. Its full-size walnut stock has cut checkering and a raised Monte Carlo comb with carved cheekpiece. Except for its short-throw rimfire bolt, the Finnfire Hunter has the same look and feel of a full-size Sako centerfire. Of the three Sako rimfires, I consider the Finnfire Hunter to be the most practical choice for general shooting, hunting and plinking.Īt an even six pounds, my test rifle was four ounces heavier than the cataloged weight. The Finnfire Varmint is basically the same rifle as the Hunter model I tested except that it has a heavy bull barrel that’s an inch longer than the slim 22-inch Hunter tube, and it has a beavertail fore-end. In spite of its model name, the Sporter is a target rifle, pure and simple. The buttstock has an adjustable buttpad and cheekpiece, while the vertical pistol grip and fore-end are generously stippled. The Finnfire Sporter features a heavy, competition-style stock with a deep fore-end fitted with a bottom rail for attaching hand stops and other accessories.
There are three different models in the company’s current. When I recently tested Sako’s Finnfire Hunter, I learned the same exacting standards applied to Sako rimfire rifles. Manufacturing standards are extremely high, and the employees are justly proud of the fine rifles they make. I visited Sako’s Riihimaki plant a few years ago and was highly impressed with the attention to detail the workers displayed. Finland is a nation of hunters and riflemen, and they’re serious about the firearms they produce. I’ve used several other Sako rifles over the years, and they’ve all been of excellent quality. I thought I could always replace it with an identical carbine at some future date, but when I tried some new Sako carbines a few years later, I discovered they had gained nearly a pound of heft. I killed a lot of deer with that little 6 1/2-pound carbine before swapping it in an ill-advised trade. It delivered honest minute-of-angle accuracy with loads it liked and was a joy to carry afield. 308 Sako carbine that I used through the 1970s and ’80s. One of my all-time favorite hunting rifles was a Mannlicher-style.