Having made firearms for over one hundred years, Sako is a storied name in the world of rifles. For many years Sako has produced high-end bolt-action rifles for both military and hunting markets. Currently the Sako 85 is their flagship design. Their ‘bear’ series of rifles are based off of the 85 action, with the Sako 85 Kodiak being the stainless and laminate stock model in the lineup. Let’s dive deeper into the Sako Kodiak in 338 Winchester Magnum.
History
As stated above, Sako has made rifles for a very long time. In 2006, to celebrate their 85th year manufacturing firearms, Sako released the Model 85. Five years later in 2011 Sako came out with the ‘bear’ series rifles based on the Model 85 action. The bear series is Sako’s take on the classic dangerous game rifle. Unique features include a barrel band mounted front sling swivel, express sights, and a short medium contour barrel. Perhaps the best indicator of the design intent of the bear series are the chamberings offered; In the Kodiak and Brown Bear lines the smallest cartridge is the 338 Winchester Magnum.
Philosophy of Use
To be upfront, before we dive into the specifications it bears recognition that the Sako 85 Kodiak is not a general purpose hunting rifle. There are other Sako 85’s that will serve much better in this role. The Kodiak provides sledgehammer firepower in a platform that is compact and rugged enough for the wet dense cover big bears and moose favour. The Kodiak is not a precision rifle and the design reflects that.
Specifications
The Sako 85 is a bolt action rifle with a 3 lug bolt and a mechanical ejector. It has a large Sako-style extractor and uses a semi-controlled feed action. The sling mounts to a barrel band and the magazine detachable and holds 4 rounds in the magnum chamberings. The safety locks the bolt, but conveniently there is a lever so that the gun can be unloaded with the safety engaged.
The rifle ships with traditional express style iron sights. These are a rugged and overbuilt style of sights favoured in situations where fast target acquisition is paramount. The standard Kodiak has a 21.3 inch medium contour barrel and tips the scales a bit over 8lbs empty. The bear series has a variety of stocks and finishes. Functionally, the stainless laminate combo on the Kodiak is the most durable and in my eyes the handsomest.
Strengths
Feeding
At the risk of raising some controversy, one of the strengths of the model 85 is the controlled-feeding of its action. True controlled feed purists will argue that the Sako 85 is a push feed action. However, the extractor does engage the cartridge for the last quarter inch before it enters the chamber. The benefit of controlled feed designs is that they avoid double feeds. In practice, these usually occur with push-feed designs when the shooter chambers a cartridge but doesn’t lower the bolt handle, and then retracts the bolt to see if a cartridge was picked up. The Sako 85 semi-controlled feed action avoids this issue and has all the functional benefits of a controlled round feed.
Handling
Another strength is the purpose-built design. Sako has five different action sizes compared to the two offered by most manufacturers. The Kodiak is optimized for quick handling in magnum chamberings. They heavy weight helps to mitigate recoil. Additionally, the barrel band mounted sling swivel avoids the swivel cutting the users hand under recoil. Another benefit of the barrel band is the rifle slings lower so the barrel doesn’t snag on brush. Finally, the shorter barrel makes the rifle compact and easy to maneuver in dense foliage.
Magazine
Also, the magazine design is excellent. The double-stack detachable box magazine is loadable from the top. Contrary to some other reviewers, I found the magazine release system easy to use. The Sako magazine release only releases when the magazine is pushed slightly into the rifle, ensuring it is not dropped accidentally. When removed from the rifle, the magazine is easy to load by simply pushing cartridges in from the top, and a shoulder prevents the tips from hitting the front of the magazine under recoil.
Trigger
Finally, the trigger is fantastic. It is an adjustable single stage that has virtually no takeup. It breaks cleanly and adjusts down to 2 lbs. The adjustment was simple and straightforward and the trigger is near perfect for hunting use.
Weaknesses
Proprietary Mounts
Sako’s slogan is “Demand Perfection” and while the Sako 85 Kodiak is a good rifle it is certainly not perfect. First of all, considering the price tag, I am unimpressed with the Optilock ring system. At $175 dollars for the rings and the bases, I expect a precision machined product. Instead, the Optilocks are designed to compensate for manufacturing variations. Also, for that price Sako ought to provide at least a couple spare screws with the rings. I managed to nearly strip a ring screw using a screw driver. If Sako is going to charge premium prices for their rings they need to deliver a premium product.
High Ejection
Another drawback with the Sako 85 is the high ejection angle. With a 1 inch scope mounted in extra low rings, loaded cartridges would sometimes hit the windage turret upon ejection. This caused them to fall back into the action. I tested this prior to firing the rifle so I don’t know if it would affect reliability in the field. Fortunately, the solution was to rotate the optic 90 degrees. However, this is possible only because of the symmetrical Duplex reticle in the VX-2. This kind of workaround shouldn’t be required on a rifle costing almost $2500.
Buttpad
As a short aside, the butt pad on the Sako 85 Kodiak is very stiff. On a rifle in this price range everything should be just right. I’m not sure which engineer decided that a hockey puck was a good idea for the recoil pad, especially when Limbsaver and Pachmayer offer excellent options reasonably affordably.
Accuracy
In accuracy testing, the Kodiak was acceptable but difficult to make deliver on Sako’s 5-shot MOA guarantee. Our Sako 85 proved to be a picky eater, absolutely hating bonded bullets. The Federal Fusion 225gr and the Sako Hammerhead 250gr both shot in the 2-inch group range at 100 yards. Winchesters 200gr Powerpoint shoots around a 1 MOA out of the rifle. Finally, the 210gr Barnes TTSX shot about 1.3 MOA. Moose and Brown bear are large animals, and these results are acceptable, but not exciting.
Competition
There are a few competitive options for a magnum brush rifle. The most comparable is the Ruger Guide Gun and the Ruger Alaskan. Both of the Ruger offerings feature a true Mauser-style controlled feed action. Additionally, the Ruger rifles are significantly cheaper. However, you do sacrifice fit and finish and to a lesser degree accuracy.
Closing Thoughts
In closing, the Sako 85 Kodiak is a specialists rifle. The semi-controlled feed, large chamberings, heavy weight, barrel band, and expressed sights make for a guide gun of sorts. Most hunters who primarily focus on deer and elk should opt for a more traditional rifle. However, for moose and bear in Alaska and the Canadian north, the Kodiak is an excellent choice. Handiness, rugged construction, and magnum authority make the Kodiak a fine rifle for those chasing the toughest critters on the continent.