Mounts and bases? Lost!

[wildfowler.250]

Needing some advice here if possible please? Do most people buy a scope through a shop and then get them to fit mounts and bases to your rifle at the same time,(this is what I’ve done years ago so I’m not well versed on the subject)?

Basically I’m sorting out a first rifle for my old man. I’ve managed to find him a decent second hand sako 75 and was looking at a second hand Swaro Z6 X56,(better glass than what I’ve got). Anyway should I be looking to buy the mounts and bases separately? Any makes that you’d recommend? I’ve got optilocks without any issues but I’ve also heard that they are rubbish?

Any sage advice would be greatly appreciated. Fitting scopes and so on is something I’ve always been a little anxious about as if it’s wrong it'll cause no end of hassle..

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dalua]

I would use Optilocks on a Sako. My default choice would be the ones where the ring and the base are a single piece - but whether you can use those depends on the size of your scope's objective relative to the barrel of the rifle.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Well I could suggest what I'd use but on this occasion I'm happy to go with the above and based on the fact they appear good enough for Sako to endorse and it keeps you away from installing a rail which as sure as COVID-19 is not done yet someone will be along to tell you it's a must-have.

Sako Ltd products: Rifles, Ammunition, Accessories

Sako offers a wide range of rifles, ammunition and accessories for hunting and long-range shooting

www.sako.fi

K

 

[Koenig]

it’s relatively straight forward to fix scopes yourself. Firstly select a mount that allows your scope to clear the rifle body and moderator if fitted. Remember to include space for lens caps if you use them. I like DNZ Gamereaper one piece mounts, but any quality brand will do. To fix the scope itself watch YouTube. I would use a rifle cleaning cradle to rest it in and get things lined up properly. A FAT torque wrench if you can get your hands on one and low strength purple loctite only when you’re content everything is lined up as you like it/properly. Don’t put loctite on DNZ mounts at all. They don’t need it and it voids the warranty. If you use it on another brand be very sparing with it. Good Luck!

 

[sundog]

I've always fitted scopes to my rifles myself. It isn't difficult and you know it's been done properly. I would use optilocks on a sako, always found them to be good quality and reliable.
First of all what action size is the rifle? Optilocks long bases will fit on a short action and vice versa but short bases on a long action may give you trouble with comfortable eye relief.
Ring size is tricky I find most 50 mm objective scopes on a sporter barrel are good with extra low rings and give about 2mm clearance. A heavy barrel gives less clearance and you'll have to get bigger rings. A 56mm scope on a sporter barrel may need medium rings especially if you want to fit butler creeks but you might get away with lows. Hope you get it sorted but definitely do it yourself

 

[antsa]

I’ve got optilocks without any issues but I’ve also heard that they are rubbish?

If you use Optilocks without any issues yourself then you know first-hand that they are not rubbish.

Cheers

 

[Rusty Gate]

Optiloc everytime

 

[antsa]

The Sako website, sako.fi, shows you what size bases and rings to choose based upon scope dimensions and barrel weight. The following YouTube clip demonstrates mounting (includes torque values):




Cheers

 

[DavyG]

If you are mounting a Z6 (30mm tube & 56mm obj) on a 75, I'd go with a set of low optilocks.
DG

 

[enfieldspares]

Get a length of pipe or broom stale the same diameter as your 'scope and use THAT to align and fiddle about with the lining up of the rings and initial first fitting of them to the rifle and especially if using a Redfield system to turn that front ring in. 'Scopes should be used as tools for looking at targets through. Not as tools for aligning 'scope rings on rifles.

 

[wildfowler.250]

Thanks gents, very much appreciated. I was seeing a lot of praise for tier 1 mounts but I’ll go optilock then.

it’s a 6.5x55 so IV/long action. Didn’t realise that affected the mount base size? I’ll certainly end up putting scope covers on but as you all know, as low as possible is better. I ended up putting a cheek raiser on my own one and the scope is still pretty close to the barrel so may just be one of these things.

Thanks again, it’s all very appreciated and I’ll have a go fitting it myself!

 

[Tim.243]

Needing some advice here if possible please? Do most people buy a scope through a shop and then get them to fit mounts and bases to your rifle at the same time,(this is what I’ve done years ago so I’m not well versed on the subject)?

Basically I’m sorting out a first rifle for my old man. I’ve managed to find him a decent second hand sako 75 and was looking at a second hand Swaro Z6 X56,(better glass than what I’ve got). Anyway should I be looking to buy the mounts and bases separately? Any makes that you’d recommend? I’ve got optilocks without any issues but I’ve also heard that they are rubbish?

Any sage advice would be greatly appreciated. Fitting scopes and so on is something I’ve always been a little anxious about as if it’s wrong it'll cause no end of hassle..

Thanks in advance!

I use Sports Match and never had a problem on both the ,243/.270. Having access to all sizes of stock bar I use a piece of 30mm Ally bar to act as the scope tube. With any base that has a cross bolt through a slotted base they need to be pushed fwd to the muzzle end and make contact with the face of the slot. That way there is no "air gap" for recoil to affect the fitting over time.

With the dry fit and base's tight I remove the bar and set the eye for the scope with the rifle in the shoulder not on the bench. Then square up the X hairs and tighten the rings in order also making sure all gaps are even (as the bases are already tight)

Tim.243

 

[McKenzie]

One of the great advantages of the Optiloc mounts are that you can remove the scope & mounts & refit with no zero loss

 

[Dalua]

One of the great advantages of the Optiloc mounts are that you can remove the scope & mounts & refit with no zero loss

I've certainly always found them very reliable like that - though I've always taken at shot at the target to check.

 

[paul o']

Med Opti-locks is the way to go easy to do . The only time I ever had a scope fitted they crossed the screws and bent the new Zeiss scope and then said they had't this was a large outlet in Dorset and after I put it in my shoulder I could see the tube was bent ,insult to injury then the same shop Guy also to a new out of the box a 25-06 sako 85, I then found out and they also destroyed the barrel by putting the wrong mod on ****ed when we tried to remove it in the shop he said its coz its new ???, So I would't let anyone fit a scope or a part on a rifle for me ever again .