I'm looking at a Sako 85 Kodiak in .375 for a trip to Africa. Anyone have any experience with this rifle? Good....Bad....Indifferent?

Been trying to find one to look at myself ...no luck.

Sheephunter - This is a great choice for an African trip. Some will wince about it's looks and say it doesn't look African enough. It's a great rifle and in an excellent cartridge so don't get hung up on whether it's "proper" for an African adventure. Besides it will fit right in your part of the World, and I expect that's where it will eventually see most of it's use. If YOU like it, go for it.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

Thanks Larry....not too worried about looks or perception....I took a sheep rifle on my last plains game hunt....lol

My only concern is the 21" barrel. I know by theory I should only lose about 75fps but just wondering if anyone actually chronoed one to compare it to the more common 24" barrel. Not like it's going to be a long-range gun anyway....just curious.

Curious about balance as well. Only reason I ask is because I'd need to mail order one so I can't handle it. Most 85s fit me just fine but I've never shouldered a Kodiak.

I like the looks and the specs on it... I believe with fast burning powders it will shoot and generate enough energy and velocity... I feel you should be able to get at least 2200fps and the energy will be over 4k at muzzle`...
But that African model is a fine looking rifle...
On a past safari a gentleman in camp has a Sako in 375 he never fired a shot at a buf... Got buck fever 3 or 4 times... He only shot it at paper...

Mike

quote:

But that African model is a fine looking rifle...

But man is it heavy!

Sheephunterab, what is so heavy???
Kodiak is 41 inches long and 7lb. 15 oz.
African model is 45 inches long and 9lbs. one pound heavier..

You will be able to shoot he heavier rifle faster...
But I do like the short rifles though...

http://www.sako.fi/sako85models.php?safari_showdata

Mike

Nine pounds is a heavy rifle......Carry it all day and that 17 ounces would make a huge difference.....at least for me. Not sure what you mean by shooting faster.....less recoil might mean a slightly faster follow up I guess.

Well, I just ordered the Kodiak. I hope it works out.

I've always thought the effect of rifle weight was over-rated as well. One pound carried all day may mean something on a back-pack sheep hunt in the Northwest Territories.

On a cape buffalo hunt, it probably won't mean anything. Let's face it; you are probably not going to be carrying that weapon an hour at a time. You are going to be in and out of vehicles, camps, taking breaks, some men even hand them to a tracker, etc. An extra one pound won't mean squat.

If you were carrying a 12-pound thumper with a bull barrel I would say that would start to weigh on you.

One other thing I don't do is name my gun after the last animal I shot with it. I don't have a Plains Game Gun, Sheep Gun, Pronghorn Gun, Elk Gun, Rabbit Gun; although I will let a guy get by with referring to a Deer Rifle; and maybe it's a stretch, but the words "Elephant Gun" used to mean something.

To me it starts sounding like a Kudu Gun is different from an Oryx Gun, or a Sheep Gun isn't suitable for shooting a Goat.

It's probably just me. If you tell me the caliber of a weapon I can visualize the array of animals that the gun / caliber can handle. If you tell me you own a Sheep Gun, I assume you mean it shoots flat and it may be anything from a .243 to a .338. In other words, it doesn't tell me much.

To me just saying "a Sako 85 in .375" says plenty. Nice choice.

SH AB, buy what ever you want, it's your money, and if the Kodiak floats your canoe, than paddle on down stream.

I must disagree with you however, about a 9 lb rifle being too heavy to carry all day and still be able to shoot it correctly. I'm 72 yrs old,over weight, and I carry an 11 lb 470NE double rifle all day in 110F degree heat, and when a Buffalo looks you in the eye at 15 yds, it feels like a Daisey BB gun. Hell, my light rifle for Africa is 8.3 lbs empty, and every 375 H&H rifle I have ever owned weighed more than 8 lbs.

"IF" the Controled feed really works, which remains to be seen, on the Sako, then my pick would be the Safari! 5 rounds in the drop mag and one in the chamber!

My double weighs in at 11.25 lbs. and is well balanced... I have carried that rifle all day chasing buf and elephant... Balanced on the shoulder not a problem... Holding in my hand not a problem either...
I train carrying a 10 pound dumbell in my hand and pass it back and forth while walking in the woods... I also do curls and presses with it.. In my truck I always have one of those grip squeezers and work it always in both hands... By the time safari rolls around I have a vice grip and strong arm and shoulder muscles..
So carrying a 9 lb rifle is cake...

quote:

It's probably just me. If you tell me the caliber of a weapon I can visualize the array of animals that the gun / caliber can handle. If you tell me you own a Sheep Gun, I assume you mean it shoots flat and it may be anything from a .243 to a .338. In other words, it doesn't tell me much.

Not sure I refer to a gun by any other species but to me, and most of the sheep nuts I know, when you say sheep gun it means lightweight, composite stock, tapered barrel and bolt action. Calibre really doesn't enter the equation.

I'm just not a fan of heavy rifles. You may be right about 8 pound versus 9 pounds but to me it seems like a lot. But then I tend to spend more time walking than most. And by the sounds of it, I'm a pussy compared to many of you.

The 85 Kodiak has some of the nicest open sights of any rifle ever made. The checkering allows for a good grip without being too much.

I just purchased the 85 Hunter model because I haven't purchased a blued steel, wood stocked rifle for a while. I am getting the inletting relieved, glass bedding the action, and installing a one inch thick decelerator installed. Keeping a 13 3\4 inch length of pull. A set of quality QD mounts and a Zeiss 2.5-8x32 scope and I am off.