Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Scope For New Sako 85 Hunter .300 WinMag

First of all I'm a Noobie on the site and with rifles and hunting.

I just purchased my first rifle, LH Sako 85 hunter .300 Winmag. I'm now looking to buy a scope for it.
I'm partial to the Nightforce 5.5x22x56 NXS 1000 Velocity. I see there are lots that like them, but also there are many that say they are to big, weigh to much, you won't be able to use it at 100 yards, its not a hunting rifle, it will make your rifle top heavy.

They are pretty expensive, so I want to make sure its the right scope for my application. I will be at the range lots with my son, as he is the one that convinced me to get started, now its like a passion for me and I haven't even shot it yet. I will also be hunting elk, and moose.

Any thoughts out there?

You know what they say about opinions and azzholes, everybodies got one. I'll add to that that some don't pass the smell test. Proceed.

I like your choice of rifles. I'm a southpaw also. We're the only ones in our right mind! you may get more response in the optics forum. Bob

If you intend to twist turrets then NF would be a great option. If you want a practical hunting scope then leuopold, Zeiss, Swarovski or many others will suit your purposes completely. Welcome, good luck and nice choice of rifles, even if the bolt is on the wrong side.

The Nightforce SHV is a great scope for half the money.

In my view, that's lot more scope than you need for elk/moose hunting with a 300 mag.
If it were mine, I'd put on a 3.5-10X Leupold and go kill stuff. Or if you have a lot more to spend, a similar magnification in Zeiss or Swarovski.

I have a Sako 85, admittedly in a different caliber, and a 2 1/2 - 8 Leupold VX III works very well on it. I have killed deer with no problem out to 400 yards with it. Honestly, unless you are building a highly specialized, long-range outfit you don't need something that resembles the Hubbell telescope on top. A lot of optics junkies don't like to hear it, but generally, with hunting scopes as with so many other things in life, less is more.

Thanks guys, great feedback

What about rings?, I hear that the only rings that will work are the Optilock, is this true?, are they any good?

I am pretty sure that Leupold makes ringmounts that work on the Sako 85. I have them on a Sako 75 and some older Sakos.

You'll get a lot of opinions on this but probably none better than this one.

John

I use Leupold. They hold great, but don't have the latitude of the 2 pc optilock. I an using VX6 scopes now, but I had VX3 in the past.
The Leupolds are expensive, but half the price of optilocks, and probably half the weight. I have a bunch of optilocks, but I don't use them.

At one time I shot two 300 magnums and one 340 Weatherby. I tried to like the higher magnification scopes but when it came to weight I preferred the smaller scopes. When it came to timber I preferred the smaller scopes. Call me weird.

392 yards with a 300 magnum sighted in for 300 yards with a Nosler 180 ballistic tip. Held 6" over the neck and boom. Max power scope I would have had on that rifle would have been 2.5-8. Unless you're going really crazy long why strap a hubble on any rifle?

That would be too much scope for my preference. I would stick to a 40mm or 50mm objective max. I tried a lot of different sizes and brands and I settled into Leupolds VX3 3.5-10x40s for most all my bolt action rifles. I you have a hankerin to layout some cash for a great scope many on here are fans of VX6's. I never have tried one but I am thinking hard on it. Bottomline is before I went out and paid big bucks for a top of the line scope I would dang sure know what my preference was in size and power.
Used Leupolds seem to bring pretty good money in the classified here. You can always buy one there and sell one there as you upgrade.

For hunting purposes on elk, moose, bear, deer, etc... in North America, 7-8x magnification on the top end is all (some would say more than) you'll ever need at ranges up to 400 yards. Objective lens sizes for this magnification of 32mm - 36mm are fine.

My two favorite scopes for years (they're still on most of my rifles) were the Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x36 and the Burris Signature 2-8x32. Unless you plan on long range target shooting, a quality scope similar in size and magnification to these is more than adequate.

Of course, a good 4x or 6x fixed power scope is fine as well, with less weight and greater simplicity than the variable power scopes.

Don't overthink it and don't overspend on it. You said this is your first foray into rifle shooting and hunting. Keep it simple, use quality components, and learn the craft before getting tricked out with the latest and greatest (and most complex) stuff out there.

You might find that you end up never "needing" that stuff, and can devote more time and money into shooting, hunting, and improving your skills.

Thanks Hoosierhawk, great piece of wisdom

Leupold fixed 6x or 3.5-10 if you want a variable.

I have a 75 finnlight in 300 win mag

I tried to like the optilocks. I now have the Leupold QR base and rings and love them. Very streamlined. Stays put with less parts. Has a post on each ring that cleanly fits in each base and a short throw lever that stays closed.

I put a Leupold VX3 4.5-14x40mm with a varmint reticle. It works dandy out to 600 yards. Where we we hunt, we sit on ridges looking for elk way out in the meadows and timber so 500 to 600 yard shots are normal. That said, I killed one at 15 yards running in dark timber that another hunter pushed over me.

I am seriously considering sending it in to Leupold to install an M1, M2 turret or such. Some of the meadows are out at 800 yard and I'm not opposed to dialing. Yes, I know some consider that shooting and not hunting.

Anyway, for elk, the 14x gets you out there without a huge weight penalty over a 9x or 10x and I really do like the reticle. If I had it to do over, I might even get an illuminated reticle.

My army buddy shoots a standard Sako 75 in 300 win mag. He sent his in to get tapped for a picatinny rail. He uses a NightForce 2.5-10x33 (with an NPR1 reticle - I think) with seekins rings and really likes that. Not as much magnification, but its illuminated, dials consistently for elevation and the reticle is good to go for quicker applications.

I would use the Optilock Ringmounts (not the 2 piece Optilocks). They are more robust than the Leupold mounts. I would also choose the 2.5-10X42 NXS Nightforce. I don't see any hunting situation where I would need more magnification and the lower power,more compact,lighter scope would make a more versatile rifle.

That's probably about as good as it gets for this setup. If I had the cash and was starting fresh, that might be ideal.

Nightforce is an outstanding optic company and build very durable optics.

That said, I have a couple 5.5-22 NFs, but neither are on a sporter weight gun.

My primary "all around" rifle is a first cousin to your Sako 85. It is a T3 .308, and wears a 2.5-10 Nightforce. I find the 10X more than enough for longer range shots.

My personal T3 .300 WM hunting rifle wears a fixed 10X, and again, I find that plenty of scope for hunting.

Also bear in mind your typical hunting environment. As an example, I hunting in the rural Rockies, often in the transition range between high desert and alpine. Shots can be rather long, yet still I find the 10X on top end to be fine.

Figure out what typical ranges are for you, close and far, as well as environment, and buy an optic accordingly.

Don't focus on "possibles" that are extremely unlikely. stick with reality. Lots of guys talk about how they need scope X because they could "possibly" get a 1,000 yard shot on an elk, though they have never shot a big game animal past 300 yards in their life, and most common shots for them are 200 and closer.

If you were building a heavy barrel precision rifle, the 5.5-22 would be appropriate. On a sporter weight rifle, it is quite out of proportion.

Since it seems that you are just getting into the longer range precision shooting game, I will offer another tidbit.

Skip the velocity reticle. Decide what would work best for you, Mils or MOA, and standardize on one or the other for your scopes. Learn how to dial, estimate range, trajectory etc, with Mils or MOA and roll with it.

BTW, if you have any doubt about the effectiveness of a 10X optic, I would suggest that you search for "Scenar shooter" s posts. He has a bunch of pictures of fine western big game animals that he shot using a fixed 10X Schmidt & Bender.

As far as Nightforce goes, a 2.5-10x42 would be an outstanding scope that would last a lifetime and never need upgraded.

Happy hunting!

Thanks Sagebrush, much appreciated advice!!

I still really like the Leupold 6x42's. You can find nice used ones for a song. They are about the perfect big game scope IMO.

SWFA 6x MIL/QUAD would work for you, 299.00. Spend the rest on ammo.

Too much scope for hunting or defense. Get something no higher than 3x on the low end. 2x would be better since 5x and 6x erectors are in your budget.

Also recommend LOTS of dry firing before shooting it. A PAST recoil shield and probably reduced recoil ammo to start will be a good addition. It is easier to avoid ever getting a flinch than it is to get rid of one.

3x for hunting elk??????

Maybe if you are in the swamp, dark timber, oak thicket, over a food plot, or a whiteout, but not for elk in the mountains on a calm day.

Elk often are shot across meadows, clear cuts, or from ridges overlooking dark timber. 90% of our groups' shots are at least 300 yards with a chunk between 500 and 600 just b/c that's the distance from the ridge to the bench below where we sit on opening day waiting for the locals to push them from below.

For an elk rifle to be zeroed at 200 yards, I'm not too hip on trying to zero on 3X. Not too sure I could see a 3 inch target very well at all, especially with a reticle covering the target.

Talley 2 piece mounts plus Leupold 3x10 CDS

"on the low end" suggests a variable scope. "5x and 6x erectors" means the variable will have 10x or more magnification when turned all the way up. I'm not much on shooting game past 300 yards, but I get by on targets with a 10x out to 600.

I do suggest you check your zero on the lowest setting of a variable scope after you have it done at higher powers. Funny things can happen. A diamond several inches across will let you use the crosshairs to center by the angles. Or just use a big square and aim for the corner letting the crosshairs ride the edges.