SOUTH AFRICA: Buffalo Rodeo In The Kalahari

[CBH Australia]

Nice Buff, good writing
Well you got to shoot it twice and got a memorable experience.
That’s a lot of cussing that you did, or did someone edit the expletives?
It’s good that Ruger put you on the track
I’d be cussing some more but it’s a reminder that we’ve learn something new everyday and we need to learn from these things and remember to use the solution whatever that might be.

 

[lwaters]

Wow interesting report. I'm glad it all turned out. Buffaloes are tough animals.

 

[TOBY458]

I just read this again today. I'm ready to go back!

 

[TheoR8]

I just read this again today. I'm ready to go back!

Nice, but leave the Sako at home this time.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Nice, but leave the Sako at home this time.

Yes. Toby could use his stainless Ruger #1 in .458 Lott maybe?

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Mate throw that Sako in the bin! I bought a brand new Sako brown bear in 375H&H and my mate bought the Kodiak in 375H&H, we had our dealer mount 1-4 Leupold scopes on both of them and no matter what he did he could not get either rifle to eject properly with a scope mounted (by the sound of it you are already well aware of this problem). I told our dealer we would not take delivery of these rifles, he said yep that's fair enough, he rang the importer/wholesaler here in Australia which is Beretta Australia and told them that the customers were refusing to take delivery of the rifles because of the ejection issue. Beretta Australia did take the rifles back from our dealer eventually but it took 3 months of our dealer refusing to pay for them before Beretta Australia took them back. I rang Beretta Australia myself and also let them know my thoughts and told them I think its very poor of a company like Sako/Beretta to keep selling what is consider premium rifles with a known design flaw. I will never touch another Sako product again just based on general principle.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Mate throw that Sako in the bin! I bought a brand new Sako brown bear in 375H&H and my mate bought the Kodiak in 375H&H, we had our dealer mount 1-4 Leupold scopes on both of them and no matter what he did he could not get either rifle to eject properly with a scope mounted (by the sound of it you are already well aware of this problem). I told our dealer we would not take delivery of these rifles, he said yep that's fair enough, he rang the importer/wholesaler here in Australia which is Beretta Australia and told them that the customers were refusing to take delivery of the rifles because of the ejection issue. Beretta Australia did take the rifles back from our dealer eventually but it took 3 months of our dealer refusing to pay for them before Beretta Australia took them back. I rang Beretta Australia myself and also let them know my thoughts and told them I think its very poor of a company like Sako/Beretta to keep selling what is consider premium rifles with a known design flaw. I will never touch another Sako product again just based on general principle.

I will buy the Sakos at half price and not scope them? Ha! Ha!

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

I will buy the Sakos at half price and not scope them? Ha! Ha!

Before I bought my Kimber Caprivi in 458 Lott, I did consider a Sako brown bear in 500 Jeffery with a red dot mounted which would work fine but again why punish myself purchasing something with with a known issue. Just no matter anyway I look at Sako's even though they are nice rifles, their ejections issues they don't want to do anything about just doesn't sit well with me.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Before I bought my Kimber Caprivi in 458 Lott, I did consider a Sako brown bear in 500 Jeffery with a red dot mounted which would work fine but again why punish myself purchasing something with with a known issue. Just no matter anyway I look at Sako's even though they are nice rifles, their ejections issues they don't want to do anything about just doesn't sit well with me.

Your absolutely right. I was just being facetious. I too wouldn’t want a rifle that wouldn’t eject cleanly with a mounted scope. It’s a real shame Sako won’t resolve this issue? From a manufacturing standpoint it shouldn’t be that difficult to modify the ejector. My Browning ejects shells cleanly with a scope on it?

 

[TOBY458]

Here's a video I made about this very subject.

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Your absolutely right. I was just being facetious. I too wouldn’t want a rifle that wouldn’t eject cleanly with a mounted scope. It’s a real shame Sako won’t resolve this issue? From a manufacturing standpoint it shouldn’t be that difficult to modify the ejector. My Browning ejects shells cleanly with a scope on it?

At the time when I talked to the rep at Beretta Australia about it he said that they had reported the problem countless times to management but he believed they still had no plans in changing the design. Like you said its a shame, they could be one of the best rifles available if this issue was fixed.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Here's a video I made about this very subject.

Great video! I’ve seen this before, but Toby, YOU did resolve the issue by turning the scope. You shouldn’t have to, but you figured out how to make it work! I was impressed!

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Here's a video I made about this very subject.

We were also going to try this but we had both bought scopes that didn't have a normal cross hair reticle, the scopes had Leupolds pig plex reticle, all though you could still turn it upside down it looked awfully weird haha at the time we just couldn't win!

 

[TOBY458]

Great video! I’ve seen this before, but Toby, YOU did resolve the issue by turning the scope. You shouldn’t have to, but you figured out how to make it work! I was impressed!

Yes I definitely shouldn't have had to do that, but I like the rifle otherwise. It's a very accurate, easy carrying, lightweight rifle. The action is also smooth as glass. It's funny that my Sako 85 9.3x62 does not have this issue at all. The extractor on that gun seems to fit the cartridge head a bit tighter than my 375 does. Perhaps that's the real fix. But, the remedy I came up with works ok for me. I like the small 2-7x33 scope, and a 1.5-5×20 should work in the same manner. However, if this rifle was in a different caliber, and I wanted to shoot a scope with a long range reticle of some sort, I would be out of luck.

 

[Aussie_Hunter]

Yes I definitely shouldn't have had to do that, but I like the rifle otherwise. It's a very accurate, easy carrying, lightweight rifle. The action is also smooth as glass. It's funny that my Sako 85 9.3x62 does not have this issue at all. The extractor on that gun seems to fit the cartridge head a bit tighter than my 375 does. Perhaps that's the real fix. But, the remedy I came up with works ok for me. I like the small 2-7x33 scope, and a 1.5-5×20 should work in the same manner. However, if this rifle was in a different caliber, and I wanted to shoot a scope with a long range reticle of some sort, I would be out of luck.

Whats going to be your go to rifle on your next buffalo hunt? The new 404?

 

[CoElkHunter]

At the time when I talked to the rep at Beretta Australia about it he said that they had reported the problem countless times to management but he believed they still had no plans in changing the design. Like you said its a shame, they could be one of the best rifles available if this issue was fixed.

This issue is similar too, but not deadly, like the Remington Model 700 trigger issue. I’m going to boor (as in booring!) you. In 1948, a Remington firearms engineer designed the “revolutionary “ Model 700 (maybe 721?)trigger. It was the best and smoothest of it’s time. But as time went on, problems arose. When the trigger disconnect became corroded from moisture because the hunters in the north or eastern part of the U.S. refused to shoot from their warm cabins, and instead took to the woods to hunt, corrosion happened. The rifle would sometimes fire upon closing and locking the bolt. The original trigger designer told Remington that for ONE U.S. PENNEY per rifle, he could resolve the trigger disconnect corrosion issue! Nope, costs too much! The sad, unnecessary accounts of injury and deaths resulting from this denial of a problem by Remington (Takata air bags?) are a tale of inaction to a serious manufacturing defect and ultimately bankruptcy for the company. Get a clue Sako!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Yes I definitely shouldn't have had to do that, but I like the rifle otherwise. It's a very accurate, easy carrying, lightweight rifle. The action is also smooth as glass. It's funny that my Sako 85 9.3x62 does not have this issue at all. The extractor on that gun seems to fit the cartridge head a bit tighter than my 375 does. Perhaps that's the real fix. But, the remedy I came up with works ok for me. I like the small 2-7x33 scope, and a 1.5-5×20 should work in the same manner. However, if this rifle was in a different caliber, and I wanted to shoot a scope with a long range reticle of some sort, I would be out of luck.

Yeah, I’ve never owned a Sako because of their cost, but I wouldn’t be opposed to owning one? They’re well built rifles from everything I’ve read about them. There’s one on GB for sale here in Colorado, an AV in .375 I’ve been looking at. But I don’t know the difference between this and the 85 or LR61?, so probably won’t buy it? Fear of the unknown! Ha! Ha!
But it would be probably be sufficient for hunting Eland with Core Lokt bullets?

 

[TOBY458]

Whats going to be your go to rifle on your next buffalo hunt? The new 404?

Not sure. That Heym is very nice, but would be hard to convince myself to drag it through the thorns! But on the other hand, why have it just to look at?

 

[TOBY458]

Yeah, I’ve never owned a Sako because of their cost, but I wouldn’t be opposed to owning one? They’re well built rifles from everything I’ve read about them. There’s one on GB for sale here in Colorado, an AV in .375 I’ve been looking at. But I don’t know the difference between this and the 85 or LR61?, so probably won’t buy it? Fear of the unknown! Ha! Ha!
But it would be probably be sufficient for hunting Eland with Core Lokt bullets?

The AV is not like the 85 at all. These rifles have the ejector at 90° like the mauser. They are a push feed design, but very reliable.

 

[CoElkHunter]

The AV is not like the 85 at all. These rifles have the ejector at 90° like the mauser. They are a push feed design, but very reliable.

Thanks, I didn’t know that! I knew there was a reason for being here on AH with you and all of the other experts helping me improve my ignorance!