Open sights or not on Sako???

[Cintax]

So, it happens on the nicest scopes and the best rings?

I guess so. It's a known issue. I've seen it happen before. If you buy a long action Sako then keep it in mind I guess.

 

[BadRonald]

Sako Black Bear in .308 seems to tick all your boxes. Short action so no lemon risk, has irons if you choose to use them, suitable caliber, readily available (Stoeger imports only a subset of the Sako catalog, not all configurations/models can be ordered). The bear series are short handy rifles that would suit your purposes well, and the iron sights on them are very good. I don't think you will find a Hunter or Finnlight with irons. Most Bavarians I have seen for sale lately do not have irons. The Bavarian Carbine comes stock with irons, and the hogsback stock is awesome for use with irons but maybe less than ideal with a scope.