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M85 Help with finnlight accuracy and chamber issues

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

Widow

Member
New Member I have a custom built 6mm284 with a Sako action and its a tack driver. I have always wanted a Sako Finnlight just always loved the rifle but never wanted to spend the money on one. Well last year I decided just to do it. I am going to sell a bunch of my rifles and keep a few go-to main rifles and I wanted to make this one of them. I love the 7mm08 so of course that is what I got now have 7 rifles in this caliber.
Well unfortunately I can not get this rifle to shoot I have tried 3 bullets 3 powders and different charges,setting depths and primers in Lapua brass. I have tried two different scope a new Leupold vx3I and a Bushnell Elite 4200 in opti lock mounts did not help. One of worst problems is the chamber is so tight I can not full length resize my cases enough to be able to close bolt easy. When I resize them they actually get longer then fired brass. Help Please Widow
 
If your resized cases are getting too long to allow the bolt to close easily, you need a case trimmer. All the major reloading equipment manufacturers make them. You get a lathe-type trimmer and an OAL gauge and just trim the case to its proper length. Easy as can be, instructions are in the box.
 
I often cut my brass to .005"-010" below the overall length listed in your reloading manuals.
If you can't get store bought ammo into the chamber easily, send the gun back to sako for warranty work.
 
You say you have six other rifles in this caliber? If so, you may find using brass fired in another chamber to be a problem.

If you fire a factory round or a handload made with a previously unfired case does the case readily re-enter the chamber before resizing? If so, then obviously the sizing die is doing something to it to make it a different shape than the chamber.

Sometimes a full length sizing die will simply not be compatible with the chamber. Ironically, a FLS die can make a piece of brass longer from the base to the datum line (shoulder) if it is considerably narrower than the chamber and thus squeezes the brass such that it forces some of the brass to flow forward into the shoulder area. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but I've witnessed it. The cheapest "fix", if it happened to work, would be to get another sizing die, preferably of a different brand. You might get lucky and find a better fit for your chamber.
 
It will chamber new brass the brass i am using is new lapua it is only for this rifle, it will chamber brass fired in the rifle. I have a trimmer but the measurement that is growing is from the rim to datum on the shoulder. I have tried 3 dies even bought a new press and new dies. I even took shell holder and took 14 thousands off of top of it so I could adjust die down farther but no change. I may take more off shell holder and see if I can bump shoulder back 2 thousands. Widow
 
It will chamber new brass the brass i am using is new lapua it is only for this rifle, it will chamber brass fired in the rifle. I have a trimmer but the measurement that is growing is from the rim to datum on the shoulder. I have tried 3 dies even bought a new press and new dies. I even took shell holder and took 14 thousands off of top of it so I could adjust die down farther but no change. I may take more off shell holder and see if I can bump shoulder back 2 thousands. Widow
Read this all with great interest. What was the issue / outcome?
 
Have the same rifle and caliber. Tried 11 different factory loads from 120, to 150 grain. Nothing shot well ( under 2inch at 100.) Tried different scope, rings same thing. Sent rifle back, got it back sako said it shoots within limits. Was thinking about selling it, and all of a sudden after over 200 rounds groups started to shrink. Now Choice 140 VLD, and HSM 150 rounds shoot 1/2 inch at 100. Dont know what happened other than shooting that many rounds things changed.
 
Have the same rifle and caliber. Tried 11 different factory loads from 120, to 150 grain. Nothing shot well ( under 2inch at 100.) Tried different scope, rings same thing. Sent rifle back, got it back sako said it shoots within limits. Was thinking about selling it, and all of a sudden after over 200 rounds groups started to shrink. Now Choice 140 VLD, and HSM 150 rounds shoot 1/2 inch at 100. Dont know what happened other than shooting that many rounds things changed.

That's downright weird. Some barrels need to be broken in, but that's way beyond barrel break-in. As a wild guess, maybe there could have been some kind of anomaly at the crown that was worn off by repeated firing? Most likely we'll never know. Anyway, in this case patience paid off - but that's a lot of expensive ammo down the pipe in the process.
 
Hi Widow,
When I was young, my Dad was a sharpshooter in the N.G. and he used to lapp his rifle bore with lapping compound. I was not very interested in what he was doing, but it sounds like this may be what you want to do to get the barrel smooth and uniform thus improving accuracy. I am no gunsmith maybe Paulson can shed some light on the problem as he and others on this site are more knowledgable about such things than I. Good luck B/T
 
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