SKS Side Mounted Scopes

[Gahou]

Been looking into scope options for my SKS.
Currently, it has archangel stock on it.

If anyone has experience with russian scopes on the SKS I'd be interested to hear any advice or recommendations. I'm also concerned about the installation process

Here are some scopes I've been looking at, would also like to see some others too thanks!


http://kalinkaoptics.com/posp-2-6x24-zoom-rifle-scope-w-1000-meter-rangefinder-weaver-version-2299.html

http://www.binocularsmart.com/scopes/pk-a-red-dot-collimator-reticule-sniper-scope-akm-svd-sks-tigr-saiga.shtml

http://kalinkaoptics.com/rifle-scopes/posp/pso-2-5x18-wide-angle-illuminated-rifle-scope-w-1000-m-rangefinder-sks-svd-version-365.html

http://kalinkaoptics.com/rifle-scopes/posp/kom-4x32-modified-pilade-w-focus-illuminated-1000m-modern-reticle-with-40-mm-side-mount-2262.html

http://kalinkaoptics.com/rifle-scopes/posp/pso-4x24-illuminated-rifle-scope-1000m-rangefinder-svd.html

 

[warrenlikesboats]

Unfortunately Kalinka optics wont ship to Canada....

the companys that sell side mount scopes in Canada that I know of are : Eastwave, Westrifle, sometimes Corwin Arms, and Kremlin Optics.

Id suggest getting SVD style optics only, The AK ones will sit very high, and the mount for the AK scopes are difficult find in Canada, let alone mount onto your SKS.

Westrifle sells this mount :

Which will allow most SVD scopes to mount easily. If you buy one of the PO scopes they sell, they already come with this mount in the box, Saving you $60.

 

[Gahou]

Unfortunately Kalinka optics wont ship to Canada....

the companys that sell side mount scopes in Canada that I know of are : Eastwave, Westrifle, sometimes Corwin Arms, and Kremlin Optics.

Id suggest getting SVD style optics only, The AK ones will sit very high, and the mount for the AK scopes are difficult find in Canada, let alone mount onto your SKS.

Westrifle sells this mount :

Which will allow most SVD scopes to mount easily. If you buy one of the PO scopes they sell, they already come with this mount in the box, Saving you $60.

Thank you! I'm looking into the scopes on Eastwave, what are some suggestions?

 

[gordonlbyrne]

look at the stickey at the top of the page sks optics and mounts

 

[warrenlikesboats]

Thank you! I'm looking into the scopes on Eastwave, what are some suggestions?

It really depends on what optic suits your need.

East wave sells mostly if not entirely POSP's, which are a copy of the original Russian scopes made in Belarus. They are accepted to be decent quality, and tend to be more true to original designs, ex. they usually have 1.7m human rangefinders, and take watch battery's. East wave seems to not stock any optics, but demand orders them in directly from the Belarus factory and prices them in USD ?! which makes them kindof pricey by the time you receive the optic. Plus the rubber eyepiece that comes with the POSP's is sort of uncomfortable.

West rifle sells PO optics (but labels them a POSP's) which are a civilian design of the original PSO, both made by the original Russian based company NPZ. The PSO, are the real deal, their what youll find on beat up SVD's floating around Iraq and such. The quality of the PO is accepted to be a little lower than the PSO's, but still better than the POSP's. The PO's have a nice polished grey finish (unlike many of the POSP's which tend to be Powder coated black), the PO's rangefinders all seem to be targeted for 1.5m, which I think is intended for deer. They also take AA batterys; have a very comfortable rubber eyepiece and West rifle prices them in CAD shipped to your door, with the mount included.

6x PO

3-9x PO

2.5-5x POSP with 400m AK reticle with a 1m ?! rangefinder

PKA red dot

I welded the included westrifle mount (had to modify its offset space to fit my SKS archangel stock), its built to be drilled & tapped but im not a big fan of that.

You can use the Irons with all these optics, view of SKS irons under 6x PO

I mainly have these scopes just because I really enjoy the Russian novelty of them. They complete the East European look and feel of the guns. There decent optics for the money too, they all have nice crisp FFP reticles that illuminate, attach and detach within seconds maintaining zero decently. They often weigh considerably more than the Western optics. And although they do have all the fancy ranging graphs and bullet drop indicators; they arnt that precise (keep in mind this is 1960's technology) and most of the guns there mounted to in Canada wont be shooting far enough for that to play effect anyways.

If I had an SKS that I really wanted mount a scope to just for ease of shooting. Id purchase a drill tap 1913 rail mount, preferably weld it to the gun, and mount a simple $200+ Western optic on top of it. And depending on how long the scope was, make a tin shell deflector. Easy to do, easy to find parts for, relatively cheap, light weight, and as accurate as it will get.

Or if you cant weld/drill and tap. Buy a Wartak rail, slap any optic of your choice on top; BOOM, $350 give or take depending on scope price, your SKS is fully scoped.

 

[Gahou]

Wow.. These are very very nice. Thank you for that detailed post! One of the points I really like is not having to add a rail - Which I'd prefer not to add. And the ease of demounting is very nice, I'd almost like to put a mount on my mosin aswell and interchange the scope between my SKS and mosin and just re-sight it, as I wouldn't have enough money to scope both of them. I also like the authentic style to them that goes well with the rifle and I am willing to get used to the scope being different as I'm not even used to scopes from around here much - as it's rare I shoot a scoped rifle.

When you said the scope is not the best, yet it will be more precise than most guns here, do you mean the scope is still beyond what the SKS can do? Also many of these I see have lasers in them but I can't completely understand what that is for, is that for range finding? I doubt that these old scopes have lasered range finding?

Edit: It seems that all on west rifle are out of stock..

 

[warrenlikesboats]

Well what I mean is for 7.62x39 guns.... the 100m,200m,300m,.....1200m etc dials and chevrons are fairly useless; like how often is someone going to make a 600m shot with an SKS? Plus unless you buy a special 400m AK reticle scope, 80% of the scopes will be calibrated for 7.62x54R. Which leaves us with the SVT 40, not really long distance material. And the Mosin, which these scopes would be quite excellent for. (i dont have a Mosin though)

People down in the States mount them on Vepr's, PSL's, SVD's which are all very accurate, So the long distance chevrons make sense and are probably used to great effect.

The lazers are really just a silly gimick. They intend them to act as a lazer sight, no different than lazers on AR's, handguns etc. I see them as just extra weight. But each to their own....

 

[Gahou]

Well what I mean is for 7.62x39 guns.... the 100m,200m,300m,.....1200m etc dials and chevrons are fairly useless; like how often is someone going to make a 600m shot with an SKS? Plus unless you buy a special 400m AK reticle scope, 80% of the scopes will be calibrated for 7.62x54R. Which leaves us with the SVT 40, not really long distance material. And the Mosin, which these scopes would be quite excellent for. (i dont have a Mosin though)

People down in the States mount them on Vepr's, PSL's, SVD's which are all very accurate, So the long distance chevrons make sense and are probably used to great effect.

The lazers are really just a silly gimick. They intend them to act as a lazer sight, no different than lazers on AR's, handguns etc. I see them as just extra weight. But each to their own....

Ah, I see. It's a shame they are calibrated for 54r. Is it not only the reticle itself that is calibrated for 54r? Wouldnt that be interchangable?

 

[Airborn_69]

If you decide to go the non posp mount route, you could this. $350 total if I remember correctly.

 

[louthepou]

If you decide to go the non posp mount route, you could this. $350 total if I remember correctly.

These types of mounts are probably the best reasonable option. I've mounted several, they work great. They often require some modification to the stock though. As far as an earlier post's welded mount goes... just don't. Don't weld on a receiver. Find other options.

 

[warrenlikesboats]

If you cant drill tap...... there is no other options