Hello

I recently came across a Sako Finnbear Delux in like new condition, always wanted one and had the money this time.

I have been trying to find a good load combo and have not had much luck.
The gun is in stock condition with no bedding work done to it. I was trying to trouble shoot my problems today and ran across some things that I never saw before.

There two pressure points on the barrel about 1 inch from the end, I know what they are I just never saw a gun with them before.

The action beds on the bottom of the recoil lug, is this correct. This has me confused,I thought the action was supossed to bed behind the lug.

The lug also contacts the cross bolt is metal to metal good.

Should I float the barrel?
Should the action bed on the bottom of the lug?

I have bedded several rifles and have done a good job so i am capable of this, I just never saw these things before.

I am going to use this gun in Africa in 2004 and time is flying so I have to get to work on this.

It shot about 1 inch with Barnes X 200 gr but has been junk with everything else. It was thoroughly cleaned after the barnes bullets.

Can any body help?

Thanks

Dulcinea,

I've bedded a number of Sako's for myself and friends, with positive results. I have done a 7mm Rem Mag, and a 270, plus 22-250, 208, 222.

You didn't say what calibre but I am guessing a 300 Win Mag???

OK first thing is to remove the bumps. Then I would see how it shoots.

Next thing you may not like but what I do is remove the X-Bolt, and hog out the wood all around it inside the stock. Do not interfere with the seating area of the lugs on the outside. I also hog out the bottom of the recoil lug recess.

The rear of the tang area gets hogged out too. Sako stick in a metal tube here for the rear guard screw, it acts as a Pillar.

I then put some tape on the bottom and sides and front of the lug, and bed it like a normal rifle. The X-bolt is now firmly wedded to the stock! You can try putting release agent on it but I find that the Acragel cracks behind the lug, because it is so thin.

Best results are with a rifle that is bedded for the first 2" of barrel, and the WHOLE action. I don't use screws to tighten up the action anymore. I locate the bottom metal to the stock, including screws, hold it there with tape, apply compound, place action and barrel in the stock and let it settle in the goo. I then lightly do up the screws, and hold the whole lot together with Arkansas Chrome (Duct Tape!). Surgical tubing works too.

All the caveats apply, ito protecting the stock, screws with Release agent etc.

Once it is done I do the bottom metal. Clean 'er up and she shoots!

Do not forget to replace the little shims below between the bottom metal and the stock. You can glass in the bottom metal too.

Hope this helps.

Pete

[ 03-03-2003, 09:10: Message edited by: Pete Millan ]

Back to the top,I got the same problem.

[ 03-04-2003, 07:32: Message edited by: downwindtracker2 ]