Sako is a firearms and ammunition manufacturer in Finland that has been in operation since 1921. Originally known as the Civil Guard Supreme Staff Gun Works, Sako also owns Tikka and is now part of the Beretta group. Sako has a long history of building finely crafted rifles on actions that are trim and reliable and that have a great reputation for performance and durability. The Sako-style extractor is one of the best ever devised and also one of the most copied extractors for centerfire rifles, so it’s not surprising that along with a variety of new and noteworthy features, Sako’s latest blolt-action rifle—the Sako 90 Adventure—is fitted with their famous extractor.
I got a chance to put a new Sako 90S Adventure (the "S" stands for short-action) in 308 Winchester to the test on my home range recently. Here is my full review.
Sako 90 Adventure Specifications
Length: 40.15
Weight: 6.44 pounds
Barrel: 20.1 inches, w/ M15x1 threading and thread protector (5.8x24 adapter provided)
Action: Sako bolt action
Trigger: 3.0 pounds (as tested) adjustable
Capacity: (detachable magazine)
Finish: Tungsten Cerakote
Stock: Fiberglass with carbon fiber reinforcement
Available Chamberings: 22-250 Remington, 243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-8 Remington, 7mm Remington Magnum, 308 Winchester, 300 Winchester Magnum,
Price: $2990.00
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Sako 90 Adventure Overview
Sako built the 90 Adventure on a three-lug, push-feed action, with a bolt that utilizes dual plunger ejectors. These dual ejectors are a carry-over from Sako’s tactical TRG family of rifles. On the Sako 90S, the barreled action’s interface with the rifle stock is a bit different from the norm. The bottom of the receiver is flat, as opposed to round, and it rests on, and interlocks with, a flat, steel bedding block/recoil lug that fits between the action and the rifle stock. Another interesting aspect of the action is that you can disassemble the bolt easily for service in the field.
Sako 90 actions are also offered in long and short models depending on cartridge size, and a 20.1-inch cold-hammer-forged barrel is standard. A 24.4-inch barrel is available as an option for some chamberings, but regardless of barrel length, all Sako 90 Adventure rifles have an integral split rail for optics mounting. This negates the need to purchase separate scope bases or, as in the past, Sako-specific rings.
Sako claims the lock time on the 90S Adventure is less than 1.3 milliseconds, and the trigger is user-adjustable for pull weight, but not in the common rheostatic manner. It has five individual weight settings, and you can make the adjustments without disassembling the rifle. You simply insert the provided wrench though a hole in the trigger guard and into the adjustment screw forward of the trigger and turn. This is about as simple as an adjustable trigger can get. Another feature I liked was the two-position safety that locks the bolt when placed in the “safe” position. This circumvents unintentional action-opening, but you can override the lock by pressing a small button just forward of the safety. This allows you to cycle the action to load or unload while the rifle is on “safe.”
The stock on the Sako 90 Adventure is one of its best features. It's a fiberglass stock, but it has carbon-fiber reinforcements around the action and recoil lug area. By modern synthetic-stock standards, it’s a bit heavy, but it is lean and trim and has a classic American profile with recessed and textured areas at the wrist and forend for hand placement. The comb is adjustable via a single button on the right side of the stock, and it’s simple and quick to adjust in the field.
Initially, I thought the magazine release on this rifle was a pain to operate, but then I realized it has a locking feature. When you push in on the magazine, the magazine release is much easier to depress, and the magazine drops right out. It's actually a smart feature: the chance that you’ll inadvertently release this magazine in the field is nonexistent.
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Sako 90 Adventure Shooting Results
As far as precision testing from the bench, the rifle's average five-shot group size was 1.22 inches with the three loads I tried. That’s not great, but it’s not a deal breaker. One load did turn in near-MOA performance, which is good enough to take you out to any reasonable range for shooting at big-game animals. Because the rifle was a bit butt heavy, it performed better during the fast-action, shorter-range field shooting drills. With a balance about 1.5 inches behind the front-guard screw, mounting the rifle and getting it on target—even on the running deer target—was fast. However, like with any butt-heavy rifle, precise and accurate shooting from offhand is more challenging without some muzzle weight to help steady the shot. This is why when we evaluate rifles, we shoot them from the bench, from natural and accessory shooting supports, and from unsupported field-shooting positions. The rifle balanced and stabilized better for offhand shooting with a 7.8-ounce suppressor attached, and it’s 20-inch barrel was reasonably suppressor-friendly.
The trigger was nice. It’s adjustable and delivered a crisp and clean pull. The action was smooth and easy to operate, and I really like the fact that the two-position safety locks the bolt handle. The adjustable comb was nice as well, and it was easy to position in the field with just the press of a button. If the rifle was mine, I’d round the sharp pointy bottom of the butt pad because it annoyingly snagged with my shirt or jacket when taking the rifle from my shoulder almost every time.
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Final Thoughts on Sako 90 Adventure Rifle
Pros
Fantastic trigger
Comfortable stock
Integral scope bases
Cons
Pricey
Based merely on specifications, looks, and price, the Sako 90 Adventure should be one of the best hunting rifles of 2024. But my test rifle only delivered average accuracy. Maybe it was one assembled late on a Friday. Either way, I'd have liked to have seen better precision. Of course, you might very well find that with different loads, this rifle would shoot lights out.
We overlooked the odd thread pitch on the muzzle, because Sako does at least supply a 5/8x24 adapter to work with the more common American interface. From a feeding and ejection standpoint, the rifle functioned perfectly, bolt operation was smooth, and the integral scope bases are a very nice touch. We’d have preferred a more centralized balance, but the stock was very comfortable and adjustable, however its finish is easily marred. Bottom line, it's a very good rifle that's almost worth the asking price.
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