Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics for super light rifles

Who make s reliable scope (meaning durable) in a super light weight. Fixed power is fine but a lower power variable is OK too.
The ones I used to use seem to all be discontinued.

Any tips?

Zihn, the FXII 6x36 is 9 or 10oz and very durable as well as a proven scope. You didn't say what kind of rifle you wanted to put it on. You'll need to look for an older one unless you can live w/the wide duplex. powdr

Two seasons ago I searched long and hard for the same type scope for my Forbes when my Leupold 6x36 went wonky with tracking and started shifting POI. I went with the Burris Fullfield II based on recommendations from several reputable people on this sight.

I have hunted hard with the scope the past 2 seasons with no shift in POI. The only adjustments in tracking I have done are just what was necessary to sight in my rifle, but the adjustments were true.

I ended up buying a second Fullfield for my 223 and the performance matches the scope on my Forbes. However, that scope took a hard fall this season that left a flat spot on the knurled elevation cap and a dent on the tube approximately 1 inch in front of the elevation turret.

The scope still tracks like it always has. The rifle grouping was not affected. The POI did shift down approximately 1/2", that was verified with 5 shot groups. I would have probably not noticed a difference with a single shot.

power, the request is not for "a rifle" but for several, and for prospective needs in the future. Making light weight rifles is something people have asked me for, going on about 40 years now.

I have 2 friends who just put together some "light weight AR-10 rifles" (so called) for mountain hunting, (with metal parts instead of carbon fiber parts, a "light AR10" type rifle is still about 8-1/4 pounds) And they were asking me what they should buy for them. Without irons, a skeleton hand guard and a slim 20 inch barrel, and with the smallest bases and rings, even a 12 Oz scope and mount set is going to put the rifles at about 9 pounds, so they are only 'light" in comparison to most other AR10 type rifles on the commercial market. "Light" is not a good way to describe them. Maybe the word "lighter" is more accurate.

Anyway, I went to the SWAF and the Optics Planet sites and found the scopes I used to put on feather-weight rifles are not for sale anymore. So I thought I'd post the question and see what others out there might know about.

The largest market today is for big heavy needlessly over powered scopes on hunting rifles, but there are still some out there who are not motivated by tripe in magazine articles and want handy light rifles for general purpose hunting, and especially for high mountain hunting. I have made both types for a lot of years, but my reputation for knowing how to make a reliable and accurate rifle for those that like the classic types keeps customers coming back, and also those that have seen and held those rifles, so repeat business and business derived from showing the guns off to new hunters has me constantly talking to men and women on the phone. Rifles with large and heavy scopes are in every gun shop and store in the nation, but slim light rifles with light scopes and mounts are getting rare today. So any gun shop can get anyone what "most' folks buy, but those that want something easier to carry and faster to shoot keep calling me back.

When I tried to get the old Burris compact scope for the 2 ARs above, plus a light scope for a custom made 6-3/4 pound 25-06, I found they were discontinued.

Hence the post.

I'm interested in trying the SWFA UL as soon as it's released with the MQ reticle. I'm not sure the eye relief will be enough but from of the reports posted I think it will be fine.

Zihn, the 6x36 is still a good choice. powdr

I’m quite interested in this as well.

For what its worth, one of our customers who co-owns B&M Rifles told us that the only scopes that with stand the recoil of his 50 B&M rifles and the many different variations of the round that he builds was the Leupold VX2 2-7X33 and one model of Nikon scopes. I never got the model of Nikon and wouldn't venture to say because he has gone through a lot of highend scopes that got trashed from recoil.
I'm sure this info won't to popular with some, but that is what he told us and showed us.

This is his test range.
https://www.b-mriflesandcartridges.com/The-Test-Range.html

If you don't need to dial, for what you are looking for I have had good luck with the VX-2 Compacts. I have since switched to the Ultralights and don't have enough long term use to comment on them. The other scope that Leupold makes which I have had very good experience with is the VX-3 2.5-8. Again if you want to twirl turrets these are not the best but for a set and forget scenario, they work.

That’s not very believable at all. I wouldn’t expect a vx2 to be more dependable than a NF or SWFA. Carry on....

Older Leupold scopes (3-9 here) are pretty tough for getting knocked down and falling over and taking 50 caliber ML recoil.

Buddy, you got me, but when you find one, let us know. I put a Leupy 2.5 on my Henry SS because I had it, and it handled a .30/06 Mauser's recoil, but only for a few rounds before I sold the rifle. Hoping for the best. The little SWFA looks good so far, for some uses anyway.

They may be tough. I’ve had many of the older ones. The post I replied to was suggesting the vx2 2-7 and a Nikon were the only ones to hold up. I believe that’s the biggest joke I’ve read here in a long time.

What tests have you done to base that on?

I don't know about jokes but someone was saying the S&B boys made a 3X9 that was light, rugged, and was cheaper than most S&Bs. You would have to research because I have no experience with it. But the compact Leupold 2.5X is on a couple of my rifles. Because I try to get close and then closer as some say, I have never had trouble with one. I sometimes use peeps but usually use a low powered scope and mostly Leupold. I use the R25 and Steyr Scout more than most rifles. Both have Leupold low power variables if not using Scout scopes. I like 1.75 - 6 and others. Some still have Premier reticles. Usually similar to German #4 but the heavy parts are quite heavy. They help for mostly moving and/or close shots. I thought I got so close once that my hunting partners were going to give me trouble about singeing the hair on a buck. Good luck and Be Well, Rustyzipper.

So you suggest I need to perform a test to prove a NF works better than a vx2? That’s cute.

He never mentioned NF. You did. He simply said he’s had one particular VX2 hold zero on very high recoil rifles.

Do you have experience with scopes on .500 rifles? Not exactly apples to apples with rounds counts using .223s.

IMHO yeah, the 2.5-8X Leupold is about the best set-it-and-forget-it scope you can ask for in a comparatively light weight variable. I recommend getting the B&C reticle ... think it is a custom shop proposition now.

Tom

Maybe you should go back and re read what I’ve replied to. I imagine you don’t really care anymore about it than I do though.


My original response was to a comment about a old Leupold and Nikon holding zero better than anything else. I don’t need to perform any test to not believe that.

I’m not naive enough to conclude that he literally tested every scope. Just that he found some scopes that were reliable in a very demanding scenario. Do you have some information that he’s actually wrong?