An ungrooved 61 isn’t that hard to scope if you have a competent gunsmith that can drill and tap the receiver. Actually I think it looks even better than the later grooved 61’s with a scope. I have a 61 and a 2-7x33 Leupold Rimfire and that competent gunsmith. The Weaver base chart calls for the rear base on the receiver and the front base on the barrel. I got looking at that scope, turrets, eye relief and that receiver and didn’t see why one of those rear bases couldn’t also be used as a front base on the receiver. My gunsmith thought the same thing and it works perfectly with that scope mounted low.
I grew up with an open sighted Winchester 62A and enjoyed looking down into the action chambering cartridges. The eyes and mentality of a 12 year old perfectly content with open sights have aged into thinking that a scoped 61 would be way better.
