Just bought a sako 85 L in 338 mag and need advice for rings

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oldspice

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I just bought the rifle and now I need to throw some rings/bases and a scope on it.

The plan is to throw a zeiss conquest 3.3- 10 x 44 on it. I also have a leuold Vx3i 4.5- 14 x 50 I could put on it.

Someone mentioned to me I'm likely stuck using Sako rings and bases. Am I stuck to using sako only? Seems like they are twice the price of Talley's and Buris that I usually use.
 
Another option Leupold Sako ring mounts on my 85's work just fine for me.

9NNQ84U.jpg
 
Personally I would go with steel rings that have a recoil lug hooked to the rifle. The 338 has pretty smart recoil coupled with a heavy scope. Fellow I knows runs a 340 Weatherby synthetic that is really light. Runs a huge Zeiss scope. Had the screws shear off on mounts due to recoil.
 
I have a Sako Brown Bear in 375 H&H . I have a Zeiss Divvari 1.5-6 x42 on it. It has a short tube on it. I mounted it with Sako Optilocks using the Extended Front Ring. That allowed me some leeway to move the scope enough to get the proper eye relief for me. The Regular Optilock ring on the Front and the Talley's did not give me enough room to move the scope to allow for adjustment for eye relief. Works Great.
 
I've got a lighter-recoiling Sako, and picked up a set of Optilock rings and bases for it from Stoeger's online store. Seem to be working well, or at least the scope stays where it's supposed to be!
 
oldspice said:
I just bought the rifle and now I need to throw some rings/bases and a scope on it.

The plan is to throw a zeiss conquest 3.3- 10 x 44 on it. I also have a leuold Vx3i 4.5- 14 x 50 I could put on it.

Someone mentioned to me I'm likely stuck using Sako rings and bases. Am I stuck to using sako only? Seems like they are twice the price of Talley's and Buris that I usually use.
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Sako Optilocks using the Extended Front Ring. contact me by PM if you are looking for one.
 
oldspice said:
I just bought the rifle and now I need to throw some rings/bases and a scope on it.

The plan is to throw a zeiss conquest 3.3- 10 x 44 on it. I also have a leuold Vx3i 4.5- 14 x 50 I could put on it.

Someone mentioned to me I'm likely stuck using Sako rings and bases. Am I stuck to using sako only? Seems like they are twice the price of Talley's and Buris that I usually use.
Click to expand...
One of the best options is a Near Alpha mount, I have one on a Sako 85 finnlight in 300 WM works and looks awesome
 
I would avoid mounts that require bases. The Sako tapered dovetail eliminates the need for bases, and rings that slide directly onto the dovetail are the best way to go in my opinion. Adding bases is redundant and may position the scope higher than desired. The suggestion by 4fifty8 of the Leupold Sako ring mounts is a good one. Another suggestion is the Sako Ring Mounts (not the 2-piece Optilock mounts), which are available (Stoeger, Reliable) in both 1” and 30 mm. Just to be clear, these are rings that attach directly to the Sako dovetail and don’t use bases. I have these Sako ring mounts on my Sako 85, shown below, and like them. They are more nicely finished than the Leupold version, are 4-screw rings as opposed to the 2-screw Leupolds, and use the rubber spherical sleeve to avoid scratching the scope. Pic below. So either the Leupold or Sako ring mounts would be great for the 30 mm Leupold scope you mention (as well as a 1” scope). The vintage (long out of production) Sako mounts mentioned by conor_90 are really excellent, but are available only in 1”. They are hard to find, but can be found sometimes on used sites. In my opinion, the Sako Optilock 2-piece mounts that use bases as well as rings are less desirable. They tend to put the scope higher than most want it and are heavier than the ring mounts mentioned above.

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Sako optilock ring mounts.jpgSako 270 with scope (3) 8-21-22.JPG
 
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I love the Leupold rings for Sakos; they allow you to mount the scope lower and further forward than any of the Sako offerings. If you have a long neck and/or arms, that can be important.

But if you are leaning towards Sako-made rings, at least consider finding their Ringmount versions, which clamp directly to the integral tapered dovetails on Sako actions. Buying a receiver with a nice integral dovetail, and then sticking a set of bases on top of that, and then rings on top of those bases...which is what the commonly-recommended Optilock system does...just adds unnecessary weight, height and complication to the whole set-up. More screws to loosen, less flexibility; seems silly.
 
South Pender said:
I would avoid mounts that require bases. The Sako tapered dovetail eliminates the need for bases, and rings that slide directly onto the dovetail are the best way to go in my opinion. Adding bases is redundant and may position the scope higher than desired. The suggestion by 4fifty8 of the Leupold Sako ring mounts is a good one. Another suggestion is the Sako Ring Mounts (not the 2-piece Optilock mounts), which are available (Stoeger, Reliable) in both 1” and 30 mm. Just to be clear, these are rings that attach directly to the Sako dovetail and don’t use bases. I have these Sako ring mounts on my Sako 85, shown below, and like them. They are more nicely finished than the Leupold version, are 4-screw rings as opposed to the 2-screw Leupolds, and use the rubber spherical sleeve to avoid scratching the scope. Pic below. So either the Leupold or Sako ring mounts would be great for the 30 mm Leupold scope you mention (as well as a 1” scope). The vintage (long out of production) Sako mounts mentioned by conor_90 are really excellent, but are available only in 1”. They are hard to find, but can be found sometimes on used sites. In my opinion, the Sako Optilock 2-piece mounts that use bases as well as rings are less desirable. They tend to put the scope higher than most want it and are heavier than the ring mounts mentioned above.

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Those look pretty good. Don't think I've come across a set yet though. - dan
 
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