Sako 85

Am I really that limited to options for Sako 85 Finnlight scope mounts? (Wished I had done more home work on that deal)

Any help or suggestions appreciated!

I pretty sure Warne, Talley, Optilok, and Leupold, all all make rings that work with the Sako integral base.

I thought the same thing when I bought my finnlight but decided to just go with the optilock one piece ring mounts. They look good and have worked well.

Good question.

Is it different from a Tikka?

Optilock shows different part numbers for Tikka and Sako bases so they must be different. It also appers that the 75/85 models are different from the A7.

Way different from Tikka, the 85 has a tapered dove tail type mounting system and the receiver is not drilled and tapped like an A7. I guess I will bite the bullet and go with the optilock one piece ring mounts as BWH did, if I can find them in something other than blue.

I went with the 2 piece optilocks. Great mounts.
The 1 piece were hard to find in stainless.
Some people use the warne rings.

1" or 30mm?
I may have some extras laying around for a Sako dual dovtail you can have.

That's what I did. I couldn't find anything but blue in that mount though. Looked pretty hard. Some sites will give stainless as an option but they never actually had them. Maybe you will find them.

Word to the wise: those mounts are built high so get one size lower than you would in Leupold and like mounts. Pretty sure I got X-tra low for a 40mm bell and they were just right. Going from memory.

I would agree, a set of Warne Mediums worked fine for a 50mm objective

Does Warne still offer mounts for Sako 75/85? I thought they discontinued them a few years ago, but maybe things have changed since then.

I don't personally like the Optilok mounts at all, as they are WAY too high, and I don't like the really thick base the 2-piece design uses. To me, if you have dovetail grooves already integral with the receiver, THAT should be your base! I've found they use pretty soft screws too. On top of that, they are expensive! I used the "lows" on my 75 Varmint, and even they were tall enough for a 50mm objective scope, with room to spare!

I do like the Optilok "Ringmount" version that eliminates the chunky "base" and mounts directly to the dovetail grooves, though. I do like the fact the OLs have the self-aligning inserts like Burris Signature rings have. The only bad thing about them is they seem to be really hard to find.

Of the available mounts for Sakos, my favorite so far is Talley. They do use a separate base, to which any of their fixed, vertically split mounts adapt, but at least the base is very low profile.

I'm going from memory but I think I went with the OL "Ringmounts" too. I just remember doing a lot of reading and research and at the time that seemed to be the best option.

scope mounting options for Sako are pretty gay. I spent a small fortune for a setup for my 85 from Talley, and they were awful. Ended up going with the factory rings. worked alright, but I won't buy another Sako for just that reason. Loved the rifle, hated trying to put a scope on it. As an interesting side note, I heard a rumor that Euro Optic was theoretically going to have a one-piece base available for Sako 85's, but it wasn't ready to go when I was trying to outfit mine. I'll spend my $2k on another kind of rifle next time.

I think that Sako is moving away from integral base rifles as evidenced by the A7. The M85 is still Sako's top of the line but I wouldn't be surprised if the next generation is simply drilled and tapped.

they need to. I had a long action 85, and a relatively long scope, and had basically zero options on mounting the scope with the eye relief I wanted. And I'm speaking in past tense for a reason.... sold the rifle. I'll take my one piece bases and rings.

The reason Sako used the drilled and tapped holes on the A7 instead of the integral tapered dovetails wasn't due to scope mount availability concerns but for cost control reasons. The A7 is a simpler design, borrowing some features of the model 75, and it was less expensive to build the action with threaded holes rather than the dovetails.

The lack of Sako scope mount options is really a shame, as the design itself is very sound. Integral "bases" are always stronger than separate screw-on bases, and with a reverse taper dovetail design, the mounts actually grip tighter under recoil, as the scope and mounts try to move forward under recoil due to momentum and wedge tighter on the dovetails. It's really a great design, and the lack of mount availability isn't Sako's fault; the scope mount manufacturers have just decided there wasn't enough demand to fool with multiple offerings to support it, given the manufacturing complexity of holding tight tolerances on the tapered dovetails and keeping price reasonable.

Then again, between the Optilok 2-pc system and "Ringmounts," Conetrol, Talley, S&K, and Leupold ringmounts, it's not as if you don't have decent options.

I'm not a fan of the 2-pc OptiLoks with the separate bases, as I think they are way too tall and the chunky bases are unnecessary IMO, but all of the others are good mounts. I've used the Talleys on 3 different Sakos and have never had a problem with them. Some don't like the fact you must drive the base onto the dovetails, combined with the set screw contact, thinking you will mar the finish, but I haven't removed the mounts after installation and if I ever decide to, I can easily refinish the spots where bluing is scratched, if that's an issue.

TED!

what's up brother?

Ted knows his [censored] and I concur 100% having owned numerous Sakos.

I'm good, Charles!!!

How are you, Brother?

Any luck on finding a deer lease?

I've got the Optilok ringmounts on my 260. Very nice, high quality mounts, but even the lows are tall enough for a 50 mm bell. Got a 3-9×40 Conquest on it now, but might as well put a 50 mm on it

Well I went with the Talley rings and bases in low mount, could still fit a 50mm scope with no problem but the rifle does point and aim naturally for me even though it looks as if the scope is mounted high. Hope to get to the range over the weekend.

I just bought the burris mounts in picatinny and attached some vortex viper rings on yesterday to my new 85. Went to the range today and it was shooting left with no more room to adjust scope so something is wrong

Either the burris mounts or the rings. We will see. Probably should have went with the optilock system

stuck on a Trijicon accupoint 3-9 X 40.

Definitely not a lot of options for base mounts.