quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:

Unfortunately, in my view, the .300 Weatherby was a hot new cartridge about this time and many of the original .300 H&H Sako-Mausers were reamed out to .300 Weatherby.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Yes, Sako produced a number of them in the early to mid-1960's, then a much smaller number after the .300 Winchester Magnum largely superceded the .300 H&H. Barrels of Sako L61R .300 H&H models are marked simply ".300 Magnum". I've bought two of them which were erroneously advertised as ".300 Win Mag".

"Pre-Garcia" is a term which applies only in the U.S. Up until 1971 Firearms International was the U.S. importer. From 1971 to about 1978 the Garcia Corporation was the importer. Therefore, "pre-Garcia" rifles are those imported prior to the Garcia era, or pre-1971. Often, "pre-Garcia" is confused with "pre-1972", which is about when Sako made a few changes (most particularly dropping the third or "safety" lug from the long action).

Bottom line: Yes, there are a number of original .300 H&H L61R Sako Finnbears floating around. Most of them were built in 1960's. A very few continued to be made by Sako, but most of these were exported to places other than the U.S., so you might well run across a late one in S. Africa.

Not to be confused with the Sako L61R is the Sako-Mauser rifle. Before Sako began producing their own long "magnum" action in 1961, Sako bought FN Mauser actions on which they produced long cartridge chamberings. The .300 H&H was one of those chamberings and a few of those are still tramping the woods. Unfortunately, in my view, the .300 Weatherby was a hot new cartridge about this time and many of the original .300 H&H Sako-Mausers were reamed out to .300 Weatherby.

quote:

Originally posted by Karoo:
Stonecreek, thanks very much for the interesting information.
Finnbears should be good rifles, though I don't like the look of the comb in a heavier recoiling rifle. Accuracy would be my requirement and not too heavy a rifle.
Comments?

quote:

Originally posted by Michael McGuire:
Years ago in Australia we had a company called Custers import Sakos. Now it is Winchester Australia which is code for a "complete fuckup"

With Custers you could literally buy all the bits and pieces and assemble a rifle.

In the later 1960s and early 1970s "the gun" was a Sako 270 with a 6X Pecar scope.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:

quote:

Originally posted by Karoo:
Stonecreek, thanks very much for the interesting information.
Finnbears should be good rifles, though I don't like the look of the comb in a heavier recoiling rifle. Accuracy would be my requirement and not too heavy a rifle.
Comments?

Well, no two rifles are identical or will perform exactly alike. However, I have an early Finnbear .300 H&H which is the same weight as a contemporaneous .270, and consistently shoots a 100 yard group of about three-quarters of an inch with any 180 grain load I've tried. It will go faster without straining, but I load it to 2960 fps and call that good. The stock comb is a good one insofar as recoil is concerned. I took a Sako .338 to Namibia before I owned this rifle, but whenever I go back to Africa it will be the Sako .300 H&H that goes with me.

A later production Finnbear (SN's starting very approximately around 30,000 and up) will have a slightly heavier barrel and beefier stock contour, but will not be excessively heavy for a .300 Magnum.

If you are lucky enough to have a chance at a Sako .300 H&H by all means don't pass it by!