Sako 85 in 375 H&H

[Rockjockey]

Anyone here shooting the Sako 85 in 375 H&H. Wondering what the felt recoil is like as I am looking at ordering the Hunter Laminated Stainless Steel. I know the felt recoil on my Ruger (280Rem) was reduced by changing out the stock to a custom fibreglass.

Discuss..... and thanks in advance.

[silver]

I have a Sako AV in 375 H&H and the recoil isn't much fun, it is an 8 pound rifle. I have a BRNO in 458 and it is an 10 and 1/2 pound rifle and the recoil is quite tolerable. Stock design and weight have a lot to do with recoil

[MattSako]

I have a sako 85 in 375h&h .. as you can see the pad is thick... the recoil is pretty good but tolerable.. i shoot it without my limbsaver pad... have a good shooting position at the bench and you will be fine... hold it at the wrong place and within 3-4 shots you will feel that the shoulder had enough... get a good scope with a long eye relief like a leupold.. but yea.. hold it tight.. dont hold it with 1 hand or some superstar move like that.. it dosent kick like a 308.. the 270gr round nose have way less felt recoil than shooting the 300gr rn... i tried federal amo with 260 nosler accubond.. its very cool shooting that when its dark.. you have a funny 8 inch of fire at the muzzle every shot.

[Deer Hunter]

I have a sako fibreclass in 375 h&h, factory pad,and the recoil is bad off a bench. So bad I have settled on not trying the 300 gr bullets. Happy with the 260's. I should put a decelerator on it but like it stock.

In comparison my m70 in 375 has less felt recoil. And my rsm has even less. All because the rifles weigh more. With a laminated stock, yours will be very tolerable if I was to guess. What scope are you thinking?

[Rockjockey]

Thanks guys,

By the time the smoke clears I figure the overall weight of the rifle will be around 9lbs. I for sure will be putting the best Pachymer I can find on the none business end and as for the scope. I want something in the 1-5 or 1-6 variable range (a lite reticle would be nice). I am leaning towards a zeiss duralyt (18oz - 3.54" eye relief) or the Swarovski Z6 EE (15oz - 4.7" eye relief).

I would love to find something with similar parameters but in matte silver to match the rifle. I need to do so research and then it is finding said item in Canada for purchase.

Weight and stock design are huge when it comes to the recoil, damn physics! Why can't I have a super light rifle, that shoots super fast, is a tack driver and has huge knock down power down range.....with the recoil of a BB gun. Should I keep on dreaming?

[Dean2]

You may want to look at puttinng a Mercury suppresor in the stock. Adds a little weight but really softens the wump of hard hitting magnums.Helps turn a wack into a shove.

[Rockjockey]

Before I start drilling holes in the stock and adding weight I will shoot the rifle. If it comes to needing to add weight I would look into my options.

[Rockjockey]

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

I have a sako fibreclass in 375 h&h, factory pad,and the recoil is bad off a bench. So bad I have settled on not trying the 300 gr bullets. Happy with the 260's. I should put a decelerator on it but like it stock.

In comparison my m70 in 375 has less felt recoil. And my rsm has even less. All because the rifles weigh more. With a laminated stock, yours will be very tolerable if I was to guess. What scope are you thinking?

Hey Deer Hunter,

I found my Sako 85 in 375 H&H in a synthetic stainless. Weighs around 9lbs with thescope. I ended up putting a Vortex Razor 1 - 6 HD GenII on it.

I've fired a box of 270gr through it to get it on paper and the recoil is not that bad considering. I will be handloading a 235gr TSX in it and should be able to push them out at around 2900 - 3000ft/s and have a similar trajectory as a 175gr out of a 7mm rem mag, have to see that to believe it.

[Deer Hunter]

Right on. I don't own a vortex but their increasing popularity is worth the look. That gen 2 is pricey too, but its nice to have the illuminated reticle.
Can you post some pics? 9lbs is perfect for a 375 IMO.

I haven't tried the 235's but a friend of mine likes them out of a 375 ruger at 3000 fps. The recoil shoul be a bit less and I bet they shoot well.

What are you going to kill with it first?

[Rockjockey]

I was shying away from the vortex but the local gun shop sold me on it, I'm glad they did. It is a nice piece of glass. I'm at work out of town right now but will get some pics and post them.

I'm hoping to use it on a bull elk this fall. The primary use is for going to African in 2015 and my grizz next fall in BC.

[raised by wolves]

I have the 85 Bavarian in 375 and it is unpleasant to shoot. Amazingly accurate though. I am currently swapping out the stock for a slightly heavier laminate in an American style straight comb (thanks Raw Outdoors) and adding a good recoil pad. If this rifle were not so accurate, I would have passed it along due to the unpleasant recoil.

Hope you are enjoying your new rifle.

[Rockjockey]

Incredibly it is not that bad to shot, I have shot 7mm's and 300's that are a lot worse, it is more of a push than the snap of the 7's and 300's. It is very accurate and should put a world of hurt on anything I hit with it. I was going to go with a Boyd laminate if it was going to be a pain in the shoulder.

[Rockjockey]

Finally got pics of my Sako 85 in 375 H&H. Handloaded 235gr TSX are coming out of the business end at 3020f/s.

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

MattSako, that is a beautiful rifle!

Rockjocky, the synthetic stock doesn't look bad either. I do remain a fan of a fine wood stock to be sure, yet know lots of folks who wear by their synthetics and can see why it can be a great choice for some. Personaly I have yet to own or fire a Sako myself.

That said, I do not understand why people take offence to recoil, nor why they concern themselves with it. If you like that gun and want to shoot it, just go right on ahead and pick one up if you can.

Recoil is nothing to worry about in my estimation. If you think about it,some Shotgun loads recoil much more heavily than the really big centrefire rifles such as .458 Win Mag. These do seem to come across as more of a big push than the sharp snap of the little short mag. cartridges... One underlooked aspect of recoil is fit. How the gun fits as well as weight have a huge effect on the recoil we feel.

Ah, recoil has been talked to death. If you want the gun have at it Sir! You will acclimatize and wonder what the fuss was all about. Worst comes to wrost, keep a .22LR for your plinking pleasure and save the beast for bits of practice and when the power is called for, as many folks do.

[Deer Hunter]

Sweet rig for sure. Thanks for posting.

[6.5 shooter]

300 gr. Sierra @2550fps nice gentle push and just as flat shooting as your faster, lighter bullets..and way, more energy down range, dang physics...LOL.

Ohhh yes and that is out of a AV sako with a ziess conquest, 8 lb. all in.

[Rockjockey]

Ballistics wise, 6.5 Shooter, you got me out past 650 yards. I don't want to be shooting out past 600 (Not a fan of "Best of the West" on Wild TV).

Energy wise you win.

8lb rifle you win again, that combo is putting out around 7ft.lbsf more of recoil coming back at you.

How long is the barrel on the AV and does it have the wood stock?

http://www.shooterscalculator.com/ba...php?t=694e439e

[6.5 shooter]

Brl. is ~24" same as my Cz was But length of pull on both rifles was/is ~14.5" .

I have shot a Ruger #1 in the same caliber/bullet and my teeth are still rattling, so fit and stock design etc. make a huge difference as far as felt recoil. And what works for me, may not work for you

[Lemonz]

So when does elephant season open in Alberta?

I don't know if I would buy a beautiful sako 85 in such an unwieldy caliber for North American hunting.

Do you guys hunt larger game? Just curious.

Best wishes

Lemonz

[Pioneer2]

Personally I find the .338 win mag more miserable to shoot than a Sako Fiberclass with factory Win 300gr loads.

[abbgdr]

The 375hh was originally designed for large plains game, our elk and moose fall comfortably into that category. For African dangerous game larger calibers are recommended.
My current 375hh is a Sako Kodiak with easily manageable recoil even with the factory pad. The 375's recoil really is more of a push than a sharp strike. I have never been bruised from a 375,, more than I can say for a crescent butt plate 30-30!!

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by Lemonz

So when does elephant season open in Alberta?

I don't know if I would buy a beautiful sako 85 in such an unwieldy caliber for North American hunting.

Do you guys hunt larger game? Just curious.

Best wishes

Lemonz

As was told to me by a man who harvested a lot more game then I ever have......."you can eat right up to the hole"

Something I can't say about my hot rod rifles!

Bigger and slower is beginning to win out over light and fast

[harv3589]

If I had the cash this would have been mine already....worth a look, a beautiful rifle!

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...highlight=sako

[Lemonz]

Originally Posted by abbgdr

The 375hh was originally designed for large plains game, our elk and moose fall comfortably into that category. For African dangerous game larger calibers are recommended.
My current 375hh is a Sako Kodiak with easily manageable recoil even with the factory pad. The 375's recoil really is more of a push than a sharp strike. I have never been bruised from a 375,, more than I can say for a crescent butt plate 30-30!!

Cartridge (Wb@MV) Rifle Weight, Recoil energy, Recoil velocity

.375 H&H Mag. (300 at 2530) 9.0 , 37.3 , 16.3
.30-30 Win. (170 at 2200) 7.5 , 11.0 , 9.7

If that's a push then getting struck by a bus is more like a gentle shove - lol

And there was an comparison to an Elk to an Elephant for big game? I think maybe you just like big guns, admit it. . No shame in it.

Personally I like a gun that's leaves a bit of meat left around that hole.

Lemonz

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by Lemonz

Cartridge (Wb@MV) Rifle Weight, Recoil energy, Recoil velocity

.375 H&H Mag. (300 at 2530) 9.0 , 37.3 , 16.3
.30-30 Win. (170 at 2200) 7.5 , 11.0 , 9.7

If that's a push then getting struck by a bus is more like a gentle shove - lol

And there was an comparison to an Elk to an Elephant for big game? I think maybe you just like big guns, admit it. . No shame in it.

Personally I like a gun that's leaves a bit of meat left around that hole.

Lemonz

Originally Posted by abbgdr View Post
The 375hh was originally designed for large plains game, our elk and moose fall comfortably into that category. For African dangerous game larger calibers are recommended.
My current 375hh is a Sako Kodiak with easily manageable recoil even with the factory pad. The 375's recoil really is more of a push than a sharp strike. I have never been bruised from a 375,, more than I can say for a crescent butt plate 30-30!!

^^^^^^^^

This post is in fact correct and I agree 100%

[Lemonz]

Originally Posted by 6.5 shooter

Originally Posted by abbgdr View Post
The 375hh was originally designed for large plains game, our elk and moose fall comfortably into that category. For African dangerous game larger calibers are recommended.
My current 375hh is a Sako Kodiak with easily manageable recoil even with the factory pad. The 375's recoil really is more of a push than a sharp strike. I have never been bruised from a 375,, more than I can say for a crescent butt plate 30-30!!

^^^^^^^^

This post is in fact correct and I agree 100%

As Scotty from old star trek once said "YE CANNAE CHANGE THE LAWS O' PHYSICS". See Newton's third law. I'm sure your right about the forces involved, just not in this universe - LOL.

I think perceived recoil is subjective to the recipient. On the bench I feel every shot I take. In the field I barely hear the shot never mind the feel the recoil.

Lemonz

[Lemonz]

Ops double post

[silver]

Originally Posted by Lemonz

Cartridge (Wb@MV) Rifle Weight, Recoil energy, Recoil velocity

.375 H&H Mag. (300 at 2530) 9.0 , 37.3 , 16.3
.30-30 Win. (170 at 2200) 7.5 , 11.0 , 9.7

If that's a push then getting struck by a bus is more like a gentle shove - lol

And there was an comparison to an Elk to an Elephant for big game? I think maybe you just like big guns, admit it. . No shame in it.

Personally I like a gun that's leaves a bit of meat left around that hole.

Lemonz

Nice try.

We are human beings not machines.

If you were to put a good recoil pad on a rifle that previously had a brass plate, you would probably notice a reduction in felt recoil even though the recoil energy hadn't changed. If you were to change the stock, use one with less drop at the heel, the recoil would be more lateral and less vertical resulting in less impact on the cheek. If you were to add weight and more importantly weight that can move such as a mercury recoil reducer, the recoil is felt over a longer period of time, changing a hit into a push.

I prefer to shoot my 602 Brno in 458 Win Mag than any 30 30 I have owned.

[silver]

Originally Posted by Lemonz

Cartridge (Wb@MV) Rifle Weight, Recoil energy, Recoil velocity

.375 H&H Mag. (300 at 2530) 9.0 , 37.3 , 16.3
.30-30 Win. (170 at 2200) 7.5 , 11.0 , 9.7

If that's a push then getting struck by a bus is more like a gentle shove - lol

And there was an comparison to an Elk to an Elephant for big game? I think maybe you just like big guns, admit it. . No shame in it.

Personally I like a gun that's leaves a bit of meat left around that hole.

Lemonz

Nice try.

We are human beings not machines.

If you were to put a good recoil pad on a rifle that previously had a brass plate, you would probably notice a reduction in felt recoil even though the recoil energy hadn't changed. If you were to change the stock, use one with less drop at the heel, the recoil would be more lateral and less vertical resulting in less impact on the cheek. If you were to add weight and more importantly weight that can move such as a mercury recoil reducer, the recoil is felt over a longer period of time, changing a hit into a push.

I prefer to shoot my 602 Brno in 458 Win Mag than any 30 30 I have owned.

[Rockjockey]

Originally Posted by Lemonz

So when does elephant season open in Alberta?

I don't know if I would buy a beautiful sako 85 in such an unwieldy caliber for North American hunting.

Do you guys hunt larger game? Just curious.

Best wishes

Lemonz

I'm heading to Africa in 2015 and going into Northern BC next year for Griz.

Did I need a 375 H&H, No. Did I want one....you bet!