I've got a SS 10X42 on my 280 AI. I use the rifle strictly for hunting eastern Montana where 400 to 500 yds shots are an everyday occurance and there's not much for hiking up and down steep mountains involved.
The SS scopes are accurate and touph and have there place, just not on anything you want to have that doesn't weigh much as they are beastly heavy.
My lite rifles pack leupolds that weigh around 11 oz not all most 2 lbs like the SS scopes. One rifle has a Zeiss Terra 3-9X42 that weighs only 13 oz. The Zeiss work very well on low recoiling rifles but I don't recommend it on magnums as the eye relief is less than the leupold 2-7X33.
I wouldn't be afraid to put the Zeiss Terra on my 280AI if my 280AI was around 8 lbs including the scope.
I'm getting ready to put a Zeiss Terra on a Tikka T3 lite 270 that will weigh around 7 1/2 lbs ready to hunt. Not the lightest of liteweight rifles but a dream to pack up a steep mountain compared to my almost 11 lb 280 AI.
Shod
