Light weight rifles with “heavy scopes”.

[thinhorn_AK]

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.

 

[Cahunter805]

Gladly carry an extra 12oz worth of scope if it means reliable dialing and RTZ. I’m running an NXS on my 28Nosler and love it.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I have a SWFA 3-9 on my Tikka T3X SL. That is probably as heavy as I will go on that rifle (unless I would find a NIB Bushnell 3-12 LRHS for a killer deal).

 

[huntsman22]

I use a 3-12 LRHS on a Kimber Montana 260.

 

[Yellowknife]

I happen to have a SWFA 6x42 on my Tikka currently. Between the scope and the heavier 30mm rings, it's a about 12 oz heavier than the Leupold I had on it last year. That gun is in a light Wildcat stock and is about 5.8 lbs bare, so it's a fairly significant part of the overall package in both bulk and weight.

The top weight is certainly noticeable. It just doesn't handle the same, and that's a consideration for a general purpose rifle. I'd be seriously tempted to borrow the Leupold back (which tracked and RTZ just fine so far), but that scope got swapped on to my young sons gun for the season.

The good thing about the 6x42 is that it does dial like a champ. I took it to a 1000 yds recently for my own entertainment and it got out there no problem and even surprised myself with a first round hit. It's not a long range gun (and I'm not a long range hunter), but it has measurable increased my 400 yd precision vs a hold over reticle.

Another consideration is that with the greater weight, you may have to upgrade the mounts to match. A rail and rings is going to be quite a bit more than some 1" talleys. The bulk is also a consideration. I'ts not horrible, but I've certainly lost the trim form factor of the traditional scopes.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I'll chime in. My rifle wears a Proof Research barrel and Carbon Fiber Manners. It's not an ultralight to begin with, but my ATACR and rings weigh in over 40 Oz. Wouldn't have it any other way! I do a lot of shooting at targets up to a mile and this combination gives me a ton of confidence at reasonable hunting distances.

 

[TomAZ]

Night force on a hells canyon speed. I think it’s “good weight”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[VernAK]

I think it may depend on how you hunt and how you carry your rifle. For much of my hunting, I like to have my rifle cradled in one hand. That works best without a scope. A light scope is OK but a large and heavy scoped light rifle is carried mostly by sling.

 

[coues32]

Been running sightron slll 6x24x50 on kevlar stocked colt light rifle with no balance issues.
Am moving on from talley lw on new kimber subalpine when figure out rail and ring combo with a bushnell 4.5x18 lrhsi. Or the sightron.
I don't care about shooting long range at animals , I do care about missing an animal because of equipment malfunction. I know anything can fail, rather minimize for another pound.
Getting older,money spent on hunts, might only get 1 shot at a big buck..

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Been running sightron slll 6x24x50 on kevlar stocked colt light rifle with no balance issues.
Am moving on from talley lw on new kimber subalpine when figure out rail and ring combo with a bushnell 4.5x18 lrhsi. Or the sightron.
I don't care about shooting long range at animals , I do care about missing an animal because of equipment malfunction. I know anything can fail, rather minimize for another pound.
Getting older,money spent on hunts, might only get 1 shot at a big buck..

That’s my thoughts too, I’m not really trying to shoot animals from really far away but if I can dial for perfect shots within 400 or so that will be nice. I’d really hate to have a scope fail on a hunt. Of course I still have rifles with standard set and forget scopes so these lighter rifles I’m talking about aren’t my only guns.

 

[Sodbuster]

Started doing this a couple years ago.
3-15 NXS on a Barrett 6.5 CM 18 inch barrel taken to 850
3-15 NXS on Kimber Montana 300 WSM taken to 850
3-15 Swaro x5i on Tikka 6.5 PRC taken to 850
3-15 SS Tikka 22-250
3-15 SS tIKKA 223 taken to 650
3-15 SS Ruger Ranch 223 taken to 650 (Tractor gun.)

My eyes are getting older.
I like being able to see.
A little extra weight does not bother me.
Scopes and rings I trust takes out some variables that might cause accuracy issues.
I do hunt in the mountains when I can so I do pack them.

 

[OXN939]

That’s my thoughts too, I’m not really trying to shoot animals from really far away but if I can dial for perfect shots within 400 or so that will be nice. I’d really hate to have a scope fail on a hunt. Of course I still have rifles with standard set and forget scopes so these lighter rifles I’m talking about aren’t my only guns.

The dialing functionality is really where optics start to increase in weight. If you can become a BDC guy, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars and quite a bit of weight off your optic. That's why I did it and I find 400 to be pretty easily doable- not that it's the right answer for everyone.

 

[coues32]

Looking back at some hunts where I or someone else has missed and thought how did that happen. Lost faith in luepys, tapping on a scope to get internals to move is flawed to me. Too bad they don't redesign their erector system .

 

[OXN939]

Looking back at some hunts where I or someone else has missed and thought how did that happen. Lost faith in luepys, tapping on a scope to get internals to move is flawed to me. Too bad they don't redesign their erector system .

You've tapped on a Leupold optic and gotten its internals to move? Please elaborate on this; I'm genuinely interested.

 

[pchrisla]

Custom 300 win mag (LP Titanium, Proof Barrel, AG stock) with a Nightforce SHV on top (hoping for the new NX8). I originally had a light Swaro on the rifle but once I got a good deal on my first NF I will never look back. It's worth the extra ounces for reliability.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I have zero interest in spending money to make or buy a lightweight rifle only to put a big heavy scope on top of it.

If it makes someone happy, though, then go for it.

 

[Sodbuster]

Light weight rifle that is accurate(which is what I am looking for) topped with a larger scope and mounting system makes a light/medium weight package. I train for out of state hunts so don't mine the weight.
I can practice at longer than usual hunting distances to have the utmost confidence in making the closer shots.
Works for me.

 

[huntsman22]

And THAT, is the difference between alabama and missouri.....

 

[coues32]

Yes, had a kid sighting in new luepy this year made an adjustment no change in poi after 2 shots had him tap on it, next shot was where was supposed to be.
I've seen older fellers do it but didn't click till a buddy explained, I'm no longer interested in that kind of scopes

 

[5MilesBack]

Yes, had a kid sighting in new luepy this year made an adjustment no change in poi after 2 shots had him tap on it, next shot was where was supposed to be.

I've had several Leupold scopes since 1980, and the only one I had a problem with was a VX3 I bought used a few years ago. It would move, but none of the adjustments made any sense in regards to .25 MOA per click. It was back and forth and back and forth, so got rid of it.

I have two Mark 4's that have been spot on in setting them up, and dialing.