QuoteReplyTopic: Best scope and mounts for my sako 85 30-06 Posted: June/06/2008 at 19:37
I started looking at scopes and like the leuepold v-III, but really liked the swarvoski 3-10. The cost is much more...it it worth it? And what would be the best mounts for either of these.
I have done a lot of bird hunting with shotguns, but I have not fired a rifle for 35 years. Just getting back in to the sport.
Of course it's worth it your talking about a leupold versus a swaro, Buy an elite or sightron big sky any day over a leupold. Or if you have the extra cah get the swaro, just my opinion.
I agree with wfeher, buy the Sightron Big Sky, the optics are fantastic and you can't beat the warranty....lifetime no fault. Just send it in and they will fix it or replace it.
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Warne grooved receiver QD rings for a Sako 85 would be perfect. Since you have not shot a rifle in 35 years, take your time and look around at a lot of rifle scopes. Leupold vx-IIIs are very good, but there are a lot of other choices that provide better bang for the buck. Leupold's forte is is it's wide selection of different models in varying magnifications and objectives that can fit any hunter's desire and their unbeatable customer service. However, it is well known that for the money, their optics are pricey and you must pay more to get comparable optics from other companies like Bushnell, Nikon and Sightron, jut to name a few. Depending on what type of hunting you plan to do will affect what optic you choose, at least the mag range and objective size and possibly the brand. Even if you want to go with a Swarovski without thinking about any thing else, great scope, you still need to know the specifics of what you intend to do with it before you purchase a certain model. Let us know more and we can help direct you to a specific model and spec range. By the way, welcome to the OT, best optic/firearm website on the net.
True Dolphin ... you gave the best advice .... bluefin ... there are alot of different scopes/companies now that give you unimaginable choices ... please tell us what type shooting you'll be doing most at what distances ... under what circumstances . Advising a scope to you now is not in your best interest without more info . Don't run out and buy any of the above mentioned scopes yet ... let the guys on here help you first .
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I started looking at scopes and like the leuepold v-III, but really liked the swarvoski 3-10. The cost is much more...it it worth it? And what would be the best mounts for either of these.
I have done a lot of bird hunting with shotguns, but I have not fired a rifle for 35 years. Just getting back in to the sport.
Thanks for your help!
This is the honest truth no matter what anyone tells you. If you can comfortably afford a Swarovski get the Swarovski. Its in a totally different class than a Leupold. IMO custom rifles & rifles like the Sako 85 should only be topped with a Zeiss, Kahles, Swarovski or S&B.
Obi, I would have to disagree and agree with mercenary on this one. There are too many scope choices these days just to plunk down that kind of dough. Personally, while I have never hunted with a Swarovski, but spent alot of time looking through them in our local gun shop, they just did not seem to give me that wow factor. Excellent scopes, mind you, some of the best no doubt, but if bluefin's eyes are like mine, he may not appreciate them as much as you do and seek other alternatives, such as a Zeiss Conquest, which is much less expensive. I have Wby. rifles which I consider the equal or better of a Sako, personal opinion mind you, with a variety of scopes to include a Bushnell Elite 4200. I do not take it hunting and worry about what people are going to think. I know I have an excellent scope sitting on top of that rifle and it will get the job done for me, to at least 99% plus of what a Swarovski will do, for the type of hunting I do. That is why it is important to know what bluefin is going to be doing with his beautiful Sako and new scope. If night hunting and ultimate low light capabilities are necessary and he can part with the change, then a Swarovski with a 56mm objective may be the new toy of choice. But, until we know what he is going to use his new toys for, the jury is still out.
I own the 3-10 Swaro AH and love it; however, I cannot unilaterally recommend it to everyone and for everything. You asked if the cost is worth it, for me, it was; for many, not so much.
What do you plan to hunt and at what ranges?
There are many, many options, just remember, in optics as in all things: you get what you pay for.
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Thanks for all of the information so far!....great comments and great board.
Like I mentioned I mostly hunt ducks, dove, quail and phesants with my shotguns and I plan to continue doing that type of hunting. But, since I retired (and I appreciate your comment about the eyes) I plan to due a little hunting rifle hunting. I will only have one rifle (and one scope), which is why I picked the 30-06, as I was told it would be a good all around gun. Since I am only buying one scope I don't mind paying a little extra for the scope, unless it will be a total waste of money. As for the type of hunting I will be doing....I will not be doing any night hunting, but I have been invited on a pig hunt, so that will be my first hunt with the gun. I also plan to do some deer and elk hunting and that will probably be done in Montana. I did buy a very good pair of binoculars for my boat and I noticed that it makes a big difference in low light over less expensive binoculars. I can actually see much better through them than my naked eye. So I figured the same principle would apply to a scope.
Hope that information helps....and again thanks for all of your comments. There does not seem to many sporting goods dealers in San Diego that can give me much infromation on scopes.
51824, Matte finish, 30mm tube, 4A reticle, side focus, the new redesigned and improved Kahles, very close to new condition.
$1,879.00
$999.95
the Kahles glass is almost exactly what the Swavroski glass is in quality the 2.5-10 x50 is a nice bright scope with a very useful all around magnification range and while the 50mm objective is large and gathers a lot of light it is more user friendly than a 56mm objective and tends to allow a better cheekweld. The 4a reticle is a great fast action reticle. The multizero feature of the Kahles scope allows you to set the zero for each of the marks at different distances or for different ammunition. This would be a good choice for a one scope one gun Sako 85 in 30-06. As for the tally rings and base I am not as dead set on these and if you can find Warne rings for it they should be a good choice. I am sure Sako must make their own rings and I might tend to use Sako brand rings. I do like a 30mm scope tube and 30mm rings. I will also suggest you look at the Kenton Ind web site http://www.kentonindustries.com/ and consider custom knobs for scopes you may be considering. If I selected to use the Kenton knobs I would most likely put this scope on:
Now I understand that it is not your traditional hunting scope but it does have 100 moa of internal adustment and almost nothing out there has that. I realize it is a tactical design but I like being able to dial in correction for windage and elevation and I find this outweighs any disadvantage. I know that there is better glass out there but the VXIII and the Mk4 are really pretty good glass and I have had great results with Leupold. The 4.5-14x44 Zeiss with tactical knobs would be another possible (better glass, less MOA adjustment range - 1 inch tube not 30mm)
Free $20.00 Zeiss Conquest Baseball Cap w/ Purchase
SWFA:
$899.95
While the Leupold tacticals do come in a 3.5-10 version the difference between 3.5 and 4.5 is rather marginal while the difference between 10 and 14 is fairly significant. As for the Zeiss the lower power scopes dont seem to come with target knobs. Leupold Custom shop will allow special orders of VX III scopes with M1 tactical or the target knobs with covers and a 1.5-5 might be an option. Still I have to say for a hunting scope the 2.5-10 range gives you a low enough power for things up close so I will post one other scope I like particularly well in this power range:
I am not familiar with feral hog hunting, but I assume you need a scope with ultimate low light capabilities. The above noted Trijicons are excellent. I own a TR22 and could not be happier with it. I have hunted black bear and deer well past the legal limits in to almost complete blackness and its light gathering abilities are outstanding. I would recommend the post and triangle, but since you maybe taking some long shots at elk, I would consider the TR221, but have never seen the reticle through the scope personally, so it is hard to recommend hands down. You will not go wrong with Swarovski and that big objective. I have just heard too many posts on this site about problems with their scopes. I know that is anecdotal and this is where people congregate, i.e. concentrate to discuss issues, but it still concerns me as I do not hear that many problems about Bushnell Elite 4200 scopes. Regardless, you will not go wrong purchasing a Swarovski. However, I would recommend a Kahles over a Swarovski. Austrian optics of equal quality, many people believe, at a better price. Personally, I would go with the non-multi-zero turret, to keep things simple. Personally I like to keep things as simple as I can on a scope to lessen the likelihood of failures.
Now, with all that being said, I would not necessarily purchase an ultimate low light gathering scope just because of the one pig hunt, unless that is going to be something you will be doing regularly. Let us know and we will provide some more answers.
Obi, I would have to disagree and agree with mercenary on this one. There are too many scope choices these days just to plunk down that kind of dough. Personally, while I have never hunted with a Swarovski, but spent alot of time looking through them in our local gun shop, they just did not seem to give me that wow factor. Excellent scopes, mind you, some of the best no doubt, but if bluefin's eyes are like mine, he may not appreciate them as much as you do and seek other alternatives, such as a Zeiss Conquest, which is much less expensive. I have Wby. rifles which I consider the equal or better of a Sako, personal opinion mind you, with a variety of scopes to include a Bushnell Elite 4200. I do not take it hunting and worry about what people are going to think. I know I have an excellent scope sitting on top of that rifle and it will get the job done for me, to at least 99% plus of what a Swarovski will do, for the type of hunting I do. That is why it is important to know what bluefin is going to be doing with his beautiful Sako and new scope. If night hunting and ultimate low light capabilities are necessary and he can part with the change, then a Swarovski with a 56mm objective may be the new toy of choice. But, until we know what he is going to use his new toys for, the jury is still out.
Dolphin all I'm suggesting is that if a shooter has the money to put down on a Sako 85 or any high priced rifle such as a WBY they should make a very very strong financial investment in glass. If he can afford a Swarovski thats what he should get. I don't doubt the Bushnells and the new Nikons aren't good. But simply put they aren't in the same league with a Swarovski scope. The thing that sets Zeiss, Swaro & Kahles apart from the rest is low light capability & bad lighting conditions due to weather.
Where I hunt its legal to hunt 1 hour past official sun set. 45 minutes past sunset if your weapon isn't topped with a high quality optic you're wasting your time. 30 minutes past sun set with an overcast sky, anything less that hunter is going home because they simply can't see. Trust me I know through trial & painful financial error. I've had everything from a Simmons, Nikon to a Leupold until I forced myself to buy a high end optic. They are truly worth the money imo.
If I was in the financial circumstance of absolutely only having 2k to spend I'd buy a 700$ quality rifle & 1300$ scope.
Obi, I would have to disagree and agree with mercenary on this one. There are too many scope choices these days just to plunk down that kind of dough. Personally, while I have never hunted with a Swarovski, but spent alot of time looking through them in our local gun shop, they just did not seem to give me that wow factor. Excellent scopes, mind you, some of the best no doubt, but if bluefin's eyes are like mine, he may not appreciate them as much as you do and seek other alternatives, such as a Zeiss Conquest, which is much less expensive. I have Wby. rifles which I consider the equal or better of a Sako, personal opinion mind you, with a variety of scopes to include a Bushnell Elite 4200. I do not take it hunting and worry about what people are going to think. I know I have an excellent scope sitting on top of that rifle and it will get the job done for me, to at least 99% plus of what a Swarovski will do, for the type of hunting I do. That is why it is important to know what bluefin is going to be doing with his beautiful Sako and new scope. If night hunting and ultimate low light capabilities are necessary and he can part with the change, then a Swarovski with a 56mm objective may be the new toy of choice. But, until we know what he is going to use his new toys for, the jury is still out.
Dolphin all I'm suggesting is that if a shooter has the money to put down on a Sako 85 or any high priced rifle such as a WBY they should make a very very strong financial investment in glass. If he can afford a Swarovski thats what he should get. I don't doubt the Bushnells and the new Nikons aren't good. But simply put they aren't in the same league with a Swarovski scope. The thing that sets Zeiss, Swaro & Kahles apart from the rest is low light capability & bad lighting conditions due to weather.
Where I hunt its legal to hunt 1 hour past official sun set. 45 minutes past sunset if your weapon isn't topped with a high quality optic you're wasting your time. 30 minutes past sun set with an overcast sky, anything less that hunter is going home because they simply can't see. Trust me I know through trial & painful financial error. I've had everything from a Simmons, Nikon to a Leupold until I forced myself to buy a high end optic. They are truly worth the money imo.
If I was in the financial circumstance of absolutely only having 2k to spend I'd buy a 700$ quality rifle & 1300$ scope.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like the look of split vertical rings on hunting rifles and Talley are tops in my book. The Warnes are nice, too. I think most of the mid-range scopes mentioned are fine for most big game hunting. I can definitely tell a difference when looking through a Swarovski class scope when compared to these others, though. The better glass lets me shoot in lower light, through heavier cover at longer distances. One stand I have is 400 yards in off the big lake and is on the edge of a cedar swamp. There is a marsh running all the way out to a banana shaped stand of woods on the beach. I have used several different scopes through the years. It was a problem to see a buck in my Zeiss binos, then bring up my rifle not to see the branches that were near the deer. This did cost me some shots through the years. Not anymore, I have Kahles C models that are "clearly" in the same class as some of the Swaro's. Most scopes are more than adequate for long range shooting in good light without obstructions. Your mileage may vary on this due to different hunting conditions.
My Sako 85 Finlight 270 has Warne rings and a Kahles CL 3-10x50 with the 4a reticle. I had a Swarovski 3-10x42 AH with the standard plex reticle to my eyes, the Kahles glass is ever so slightly better, sharper, clearer and the 4a reticle is better (for me) in low light hunting.. I hunted last season with a Tikka 308 with a new Monarch 3-12 and killed 4 deer and one at very, very low light and I made the shot, but it got me on a quest for a better scope...
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