Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics 18 ounce 30mm diam scope too much for Kimber Montana?

I've never had a deer hunting rifle that didn't feel and handle better with a lighter scope vs a heavier one. I've owned more than a few in the last forty six years of deer hunting. We do a lot of deer hunting in my part of the world as there is no closed season.

Suppressors are popular and encouraged here and there are a lot of deer hunters that are having very short barreled, light, suppressed rifles custom made that they term 'bush pigs' - nothing to do with pig hunting I might add. These are great for all round deer hunting in terrain that has bush to 400 yards out. Much debate raging on the merits of various scopes to use on these bush pig rifles.

Exactly.

Don't believe I've ever thought "This hunting rifle would be perfect if I mounted a heavier scope".

There is difficulty in conveying the delicate nuances of fit and feel. It's sort of like trying to describe the majesty of a sunset to a blind man.

I always prefer a light and low mounted scope for a rifle that I will carry and possibly shoot at jumped deer with. If I am sitting in a shooting house overlooking 600 yards of fields I would rather have a heavier rifle, more magnification,and larger objectives.

I say match the scope to the rifle, however 16-18 ounces could go either way. What I hate to see is an ultralight rifle saddled with a 25 ounce scope or even a bean field rifle wearing a 4X fixed. Anything will work but why not match the rifle and scope to it's application?

Man and here I thought the animals I shot with my little 10 oz 3-9 ultralight were dead...little did I know I had the balance all off. I just checked my freezer and gosh dang it they all ran out of there after I read this thread....sum of a b!tch

I wouldn't worry about it All of my scopes are 30mm and I wouldn't have it any other way As far as weight 17 oz is not to much for me. I plan on putting a 2.5-10 x42 Leica on my Montana 280ai when I get a chance. I have an IOR tact on it now that I think weighs 21-22 oz and it handles fine
Steve Eggers

Have you ever owned a grocery store?? Can't be that many Steve Eggers in the world.

Actually there are more than you think And no I haven't
Steve Eggers

No.

And responding to "Steve Eggers": There are three Sue Coyles in Grants Pass, Oregon. One is my wife of fifty years.

I have hunted a Kimber Montana 25-06 with Talley detachable mounts, a vx-6 2-12, which I think weighs at least as much as the Zeiss you're kooking at, and a heavy Montana sling this year. I think it is about 7.75 pounds with ammo and ready to go and balances great. I have taken animals offhand, running in a couple of instances and prone. It works great.

I'm thinking of a VX-6 2-12 for a Montana 7-08...

I have one on my 338-06 Kimber Montana and happy with it thus far.

I have a few of that scope and several equivalents. They've been on medium weight and lighter weight rifles.

What I find is that once the rifle comes to my shoulder those scopes are still the best thing out there for deer hunting. Until my rifles grow legs and walk themselves out hunting with me so I no longer have to carry them, they're all less than wonderful to carry.

You already know that the scope's job is to help make the shot, not make the rifle pretty or carry nice. Otherwise, they'd look and feel like tits.

Put it on there and go shoot some deer. The worst that can happen is you might not like it as much.