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Rifle Review: SAKO's 85 Brown Bear - A Companion Like No Other!

Built to overcome the toughest of hunts, the 85 Brown Bear does just that, expanding the Bear series to include safari calibers along with a redesign of the laminate stock and barrel profile to accommodate.


Designed as a purpose-oriented firearm, the Brown Bear is packed with features all engineered to ensure it never fails you and deliver spot-on performance ten times out of ten!


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Starting off with the features of the 85 Series itself, it is the epitome of traditional design with modern manufacturing with the performance reflecting just that; incredible accuracy with unyielding reliability and durability.


The 85 action comes in six different sizes, all providing reliable functionality for each caliber. All 85 models feature an innovative controlled cartridge feed that virtually eliminates all double feed and cartridge jam issues. Moreover, the bolt handle allows the hand to come to a natural position making for far smoother bolt operation and rapid repeated firing. As always, safety is a primary concern to any manufacturer worth their salt and SAKO has went the extra mile with their patented two-way safety that locks both the trigger and the bolt handle.


Moving onto the barrel, all 85 barrels start off as blanks that are drilled, honed, cold- hammer forged, finished and individually inspected not by a machine, but by experienced gunsmiths. The final result for the Brown Bear is a 21 ¼” semi heavy barrel with a flat blued finish and topped with fast target acquisition iron sights perfect for any bear hunt. Different twist rates are chosen for each caliber to optimize accuracy and bullet performance.

Another unique feature of the 85 Series is the staggered, two-row magazine made of stainless steel with a unique Total Control Latch that prevents accidental magazine release. The detachable magazine can also be loaded through the ejection port. Now for one of my favorite features of the 85 Series, it's trigger. The pull of a single stage trigger is adjustable from anywhere between two to four pounds and has quite literally zero take-up.


Now for the Brown Bear itself, it features a truly gorgeous combination of brown, mat laminated stock and black steel. Now only does it have the looks, but the ergonomics to support it, the stock are engineered for the optimal shooting posture with excellent balance and smooth bolt operation of Sako 85 rifles enable fast, straight and accurate operation.


In short, there is no better companion for your next big game hunt than the 85 Brown Bear.


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