Light weight rifles with “heavy scopes”.

[hayesplow]

I'm not a fan of super light... I just need something not as heavy as 18 lbs. Ideal would be around 8.5-9 lbs loaded up..

 

[HellsCanyon]

Am I the only one reading this post who thought "heavy" scopes were 30+ oz? I see a lot of 22-30 oz optics mentioned which I always thought were "light-ish".... But then again this isn't the LR forum

For myself its not really about total weight. It's about balance. Stacking a 34+ oz scope on top of a 6 lb rifle gets "tippy" in a hurry and really doesn't do it for me. For factory weight class rifles (sub 6.5 lbs), I like sub 30 oz scopes. Plenty of options out there in that class. You really gotta get over 7 lbs base weight to stack some of the heavy 34oz+ optics on top in my opinion.

Mike

 

[Stateboro]

I have setup two rifles that shoot and carry with somewhat heavier scopes. Montana Rifle Ascent Xtreme 6.5 has a Schmidt Bender 3-12×50 and a Steyr Scout got bigger glass illumintaed Scout both are Illuminated German # 4 reticles. I stalk hunt out west and stand hunt on my farms in Georgia.

 

[TexasCub]

Thanks for your input, I've ran leupolds most of my life, missed some great animals, watched animals missed by others, seen poi not change after adjustments at the range...
Surely has been shooter error.
Stick with them if u please, I put too much time and money into hunting gonna have equipment that does what it is meant to do.

ditto to everything you posted on this subject. I used to own nothing but Leupolds and currently own ZERO leupolds. It’s amazing when you use an aiming device that adjusts as you wish it too as opposed to tapping tubes and shooting in adjustments. I’ve sent back at least 6 Leupolds that the erector was fubard on. I’d take anything but a Leupold at this point and I’m no optics snob.

 

[Stalker69]

This is what I have been wondering about. I have a night force 5-20 56 and am wondering if it would make a Sauer or tikka cumbersome. So I may go browning max. Now you all have me thinking it may be alright on them.

 

[DoubleDown]

This guy hunts with browning x-bolt with same scope.I have DMR II 3.5-21x50 on tikka compact during coyote hunt, didn’t bother me ether. I think you will be fine.

 

[Stalker69]

The guys with leupold problems, why in the world would you not send them back to get fixed or replaced ? Don’t make any sense.

 

[mt100gr.]

The guys with leupold problems, why in the world would you not send them back to get fixed or replaced ? Don’t make any sense.

Leupold fixes and replacements are just band-aids. The repairs are only as good as the original parts and that's the issue. Same with vortex. They are not built to do what they are marketed as.

 

[SDHNTR]

There are plenty of traditional 3-9x and 2-10x ish quality scopes that are in the <16 oz range. 1” tubes and all the adjustment needed for “normal” hunting. Why can’t one be made with dials that track and RTZ reliably? The vast majority of hunters don’t need to dial out to 1000 yds and have giant dorky tactical bazooka tubes on top of our guns. We hunt, we aren’t military snipers (even tho there sure are lots of wannabes out there)! We especially don’t want big and heavy bricks on our lightweight guns! No one is shooting a mountain gun at super long range any way. Just help us make a 4-600 yd shot reliably with accurate dials. It pains me, and I refuse to believe it can’t be done. I just don’t think optics manufacturers are paying attention. So instead we have to accept And settle for what’s out there and readily available. Lame. Hopefully if we keep being squeaky wheels, someone will listen.

 

[30338]

The guys with leupold problems, why in the world would you not send them back to get fixed or replaced ? Don’t make any sense.

Sent many back actually over the years of using them. The issue is if they go down on a long awaited hunt or tag. Never use them anymore actually.

 

[SDHNTR]

I agree it is too bad. However, once I realized this one of the most quibbled about 1/4-1/3 of a pound things I used to worry about I just rock on with a 19-20 oz scope instead of a 14-16 oz scope and moved on to worrying about other things. Once something else that actual does meet the criteria you described above come to market (which would be great) I'll jump on it. Till then I have accepted that extra 1/4 pound.

Totally understand that Luke. And agree with you. It’s just a shame that we have to settle. Everything else in gear is going the lightweight direction, except scopes. It’s a head scratcher to me!

Out of curiosity, what 19-20 oz scope are you using these days?

I don’t need a 30 mil tube, a 40mm + bell, and anything over 10x magnification. So what’s the lightest and most reliable, and dialable scope out there in that class?

 

[weaver]

I've settled on 3-10 nightforce shv. Certainly not perfect but I have full confidence in it and at the end of the day that's what matters.
Around 22oz I believe.
Think the fixed 10 swfa is around 19oz.

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[BigSky]

I think, as most in this thread do, that one should get what he/she wants. However, I always scratch my head when someone questions: "why would you buy a lightweight rifle only to put a heavier scope on it?". I always say to myself: "self, isn't a lightweight rifle the ideal platform for a heavier scope if your intent is to have that scope but don't want your entire set-up to be too heavy?". Not everybody needs or wants the very lightest combination. In fact, many uninitiated may be running significantly lighter rigs than necessary. I'm a firm believer in set it up the way you want. I've often said that carrying around a heavy 700 BDL or 70 XTR in my youth for the first fifteen or so years of hunting, I was never aware that I was carrying a rifle and scope combo that was heavy.

 

[OXN939]

Who here is running a lighter weight rifle with a “heavy” scope on it??? I dabbled a bit last year but bailed. Now with more opportunities for longer range shooting, I’ve sort of started going back to putting larger scopes on my rifles.

I’m working on mounting an SWFA 3-9 on my kimber Montana and an SWFA 3-15 on my tikka superlite.

Is anybody else here doing something similar? Thoughts? Feelings? Pictures?

I’ve started to mean this way because I want a more robust aiming system than some of the ultralight scopes I was using and I also want the ability to dial for elevation reliably And more confidently than just aiming high.

I’m finding that even with the heavier scopes my rifles still sit from under 6.5lbs to just over 7.5lbs so really the extra pound seems worth it for a more reliably and repeatable set up.

Anyone have experience with either the Zeiss Conquest V4 or the Burris Veracity? Both are dialable, ~20 ounces, have logical magnification ranges and are under a grand. I had a 3-9 Zeiss Conquest years ago, and it was a really excellent optic.

 

[amassi]

Anyone have experience with either the Zeiss Conquest V4 or the Burris Veracity? Both are dialable, ~20 ounces, have logical magnification ranges and are under a grand. I had a 3-9 Zeiss Conquest years ago, and it was a really excellent optic.

Just sold a v4 4-16x44, only because I sold the rifle.
It dialed and rtz. Solid zero stop, moa reticle for wind holds.

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[SDHNTR]

While Zeiss makes fine products, if you need support, they are terrible. I’ve owned a pile of Zeiss products and I’ll never buy another one after 2 very difficult and unsuccessful CS experiences.

Leica, Swaro, Leupold, Nightforce, Vortex don’t have such problems. They fix stuff without fuss or cost, deliver on promises and do so promptly. None of which can be said for Zeiss.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

My Christensen Ridgeline in .28 Nosler weighs in at 7.7 lbs with ammo in it, the slayer brake on, and a rifle strap attached. The Leupold VX-5 4-20 x 52 that sits on it, with Warne Rings and Bases weigh in at 1.8 lbs. I’d consider that a heavy scope set up on a lighter than average rifle.

The whole set up being under 10 lbs is just fine for me for carrying in the back country. Especially considering I have a rig I am confident in out past 700 yards all day.

 

[NaturalJon]

I went with a huskemaw 3-12x42 around 21 ounce on a recent build and I have been really pleased with it. It has done everything I've wanted it to do reliably. I was concerned with the yardage specific turret at different elevations, but it has been a non issue for me. The glass may not be swaro or nightforce quality, but it has been good in every application I've used it so far. It hasn't left me wishing for more, if that makes sense.

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[OXN939]

While Zeiss makes fine products, if you need support, they are terrible. I’ve owned a pile of Zeiss products and I’ll never buy another one after 2 very difficult and unsuccessful CS experiences.

Leica, Swaro, Leupold, Nightforce, Vortex don’t have such problems. They fix stuff without fuss or cost, deliver on promises and do so promptly. None of which can be said for Zeiss.

Care to elaborate on this? I've recently had what seems to be the opposite experience- products with great warranties and solid CS that failed frequently enough I'd never feel confident taking them into the field. CS is certainly important, but at that point that gear is really almost useless to me

 

[amassi]

Agree with the above
Dont buy stuff for the warranty.
I did return a zeiss hd5 and they actually fixed it so it took longer than say Vortex throwing it in the dumpster and sending you a new one to break. I'm not a very pushy customer so I didnt hound them on it, sometimes the squeaky wheel gets some grease.

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