lighter scope for backpacking
- Thread starter Tallan87
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PST g2 3-15 @ 28.1 oz is [among] the best at that pricepoint.
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13.66" long, 24oz, FFP, made in Japan, Jap glass, lifetime warranty, good scope & good company, $699 MSRP
SWFA 3-15x42 SS 30mm Riflescope
SWFA 3-15x42 SS 30mm Riflescope Details SKU: SS315X42MQ Finish: Matte Reticle: MIL-Quad Tube Diameter (mm): 30 Elevation Knob: Exposed Target (.1 MIL) Windage Knob: Exposed Target (.1 MIL) Parallax Setting: Side Focus Focal Plane: First
www.swfa.com
What are you hunting and in what conditions. A LPVO on the 1-6x or 1-8x range can get to at least 500 yards with hold overs on deer sized game. Illuminator is common, plenty around 16z and plenty in your budget.
This would be white tail at 500yds in 5mph with 143g ELD hunter through a Strike Eagle 1-8x.
28oz for a FFP scope is pretty light, especially in the price point being requested. I’d look at potential to cut weight elsewhere (stock or barrel), unless you’re already unhappy with that scope
Also look at a gunbearer or something similar. Not being a smartass, but you could also do more squats, stairs, etc and cut weight on your backpack, tripod, clothes, and take a shit before you start hiking. Okay, that last one was smartass.
Also look at a gunbearer or something similar. Not being a smartass, but you could also do more squats, stairs, etc and cut weight on your backpack, tripod, clothes, and take a shit before you start hiking. Okay, that last one was smartass.
Obviously over budget but S&B ultra klassik 3-12 is FFP mil/mil and has 3.2 mils of elevation on an external turret if you’re planning to hunt inside of 500 yards and is only 20oz. You can shave a few extra oz by going with direct mount rings (Talley or Hawkins) maybe try to find a used one maybe be around 900-1000$
SWFA 3-9 or 3-15 both are great choices
Athlon Midas 4-16 is 24oz
Burris XTR II 1-8 is FFP and 24oz and has external mil turrets with zero stop and has illum. One of my favourite, used it to take a bear last year.
VX6HD 1-6 with the CDS-ZL2 in mil would do fine inside of 300 yards and only 16oz
SWFA 3-9 or 3-15 both are great choices
Athlon Midas 4-16 is 24oz
Burris XTR II 1-8 is FFP and 24oz and has external mil turrets with zero stop and has illum. One of my favourite, used it to take a bear last year.
VX6HD 1-6 with the CDS-ZL2 in mil would do fine inside of 300 yards and only 16oz
my rifle is currently 9lbs 1oz. we removed the rail and run a dnz game reaper unimount up top. other than a carbon fiber barrel I am not sure where else to shave weight. I don't think aftermarket stocks are lighter than the factory composite.
Carbon fiber barrel won’t help you there. You’d be better off with a #2 sporter contour or lighter.
I built an ultra light for my wife for hunting coyotes around the farm in case I’m not around and it wasn’t cheap (manners ultra classic, defiance anti, benchmark 204 ruger featherweight contour) but it was under 7 lbs with the scope
If truly lightweight is what you’re after then you’d be probably better off with one of the kimber mountain ascent or similar but you won’t have a detachable mag.
If you want to stay with the Tikka then I believe you could shave some weight with a Wildcat composite stock. Factory tikka stock is 30oz and the wildcat ultralight is I believe 18oz.
Midas tac 4-16x44 24oz. The glass in the midas tac line is quite good for price. Turrets are good, good reticles, not fussy eyebox or parallax. Your base rifle is 7.5# not a pack hunting weight gun, but not too heavy. If you're enjoying the pst gen2, perhaps look elsewhere in the pack to shed 6-8oz? It doesn't have to come from the rifle, just overall bearing load. Just a thought.
Nightforce nxs 2.5-10x42. 20oz and solid. I ran one last year on my 20" 6.5cm. I upgraded this year to a 4-16x42 atacr, but might go back to the nxs as it does everything better other then punching paper.
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DetailsThis rifle scope is part of the mid-tier optics line called GLx. GLx brings premium technology and materials into an approachable price range.The GLx 2.5-10x24 has a 4x magnification range, offering better close-range field of view and speed than a traditional 3-9x scope, but improved...
www.primaryarms.com
22.5 ounces
I heard if you carry something heavy long enough, you get stronger.
In racing, there’s an expression: “Fast, Cheap, Reliable…pick any two”
That’s pretty true here too, but “Light, Cheap, Reliable…pick any two”
Some of Primary Arms new scopes may work for you, and that SWFA mentioned above looks promising at that price point if it’s built well (no hands-on experience myself). Also, a lot of options start to open up with Second focal plane scopes, but you’ll still pay for quality glass that has meaningful magnification to engage out to 500 yards or farther. I’ve become a fan of top-end glass over the years as my budget allowed me to upgrade…honestly never knew what I was missing…until I did, if ya follow.
And as my once 20/10 eyesight continues to fade, I find better glass and higher magnification is worth the penalty…whether in weight or expense. That said, for my soon to be finished (I hope!) lightweight hunting rifle based on an MDT cf and magnesium chassis, I’m leaning more and more towards a 2FP scope because they’re so much lighter for similar magnification and features.
Edit: I’m actually looking at a Leupold VX6 in 3-18x44 right now…mostly for the weight, not the quality of the glass, though it’s not bad. I love my Nightforce and S&B scopes, and want to try others, but that Leupy hits a good sweet spot for me at ~20oz and way less than $2K, even with a custom elevation knob.
That’s pretty true here too, but “Light, Cheap, Reliable…pick any two”
Some of Primary Arms new scopes may work for you, and that SWFA mentioned above looks promising at that price point if it’s built well (no hands-on experience myself). Also, a lot of options start to open up with Second focal plane scopes, but you’ll still pay for quality glass that has meaningful magnification to engage out to 500 yards or farther. I’ve become a fan of top-end glass over the years as my budget allowed me to upgrade…honestly never knew what I was missing…until I did, if ya follow.
And as my once 20/10 eyesight continues to fade, I find better glass and higher magnification is worth the penalty…whether in weight or expense. That said, for my soon to be finished (I hope!) lightweight hunting rifle based on an MDT cf and magnesium chassis, I’m leaning more and more towards a 2FP scope because they’re so much lighter for similar magnification and features.
Edit: I’m actually looking at a Leupold VX6 in 3-18x44 right now…mostly for the weight, not the quality of the glass, though it’s not bad. I love my Nightforce and S&B scopes, and want to try others, but that Leupy hits a good sweet spot for me at ~20oz and way less than $2K, even with a custom elevation knob.
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The SWFA SS scopes are built like tanks. I've had a bunch of them. Still got 3 of them. They're good scopes for the money.
If weight wasn't an issue, I'd strongly suggest the Arken SH4 Gen2 or EP5 scopes. They're heavy, but have all the features, and FFP, with a really nice reticle (VPR), and MIL/MIL or MOA/MOA turrets, zero-stop, lifetime warranty, and precision tracking guarantee. I have 4 of these, as well. They sell direct, so there's no advertising, and no middle-men to pay (wholesalers or distributors), so that helps keep the cost down drastically. They are damn-nice scopes for the price. The EP5 even had Japanese ED glass in it, and the glass is better than my Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x56 and my HST/PST scopes.
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Explore our extensive range of Arken optics, scopes, mounts, rings, and accessories, all designed to perform with rugged precision.
www.arkenopticsusa.com
If saving weight is the priority, you’re onto something by buying a Tikka 6.5 CM superlite. This one is 5.9 lbs (over your price point by a little: https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...less-bolt-action-rifle-65-creedmoor/p/1463077
The lite’s are supposedly a bit heavier, like 6.2/6.3 lbs. Poke around here (filter for caliber and weight), the non-SS are $629: https://www.eurooptic.com/Tikka-Vie...zZjLWJjNzctMTQ0M2NjOTEzMjVj&o=1&p=1&i=48&d=48
the issue is I have only one rifle at the moment. so it being able to wear multiple hats is pretty crucial.
there certainly are heavier rifles. I just know that I could shave about a 1/2 lb off with a lighter scope.
next step would be a cf stock.
The CTR action is the same as the regular action, and you can (theoretically) drop it into any of the lighter tikka stocks, provided it has enough barrel channel. Using the plstic OEM bottom metal and mags, probably cuouple oz. that way pretty cheap.
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For $700 the SWFA 3-15 is the best option for something reliable enough for a hunting rifle that’s going to take some bumps in a backpack.
Personally I’d find a way to come up with another $400 and buy that Razor LHT 4.5-22 MRAD from the classifieds. I really like mine. It’s actually the only think about my Sig Cross that I don’t hate. The magnification is a little stiff but not as bad as it’s made out to be, I wouldn’t want to crank it all the time on a match rifle but for a hunting rifle it’s absolutely fine and a lever would make it a complete non issue.
Personally I’d find a way to come up with another $400 and buy that Razor LHT 4.5-22 MRAD from the classifieds. I really like mine. It’s actually the only think about my Sig Cross that I don’t hate. The magnification is a little stiff but not as bad as it’s made out to be, I wouldn’t want to crank it all the time on a match rifle but for a hunting rifle it’s absolutely fine and a lever would make it a complete non issue.
I would think you could save more weight by getting a light contour 2b/3b or similar barrel and make it 18-20” would be well within your budget even figuring the action wrench and barrel vise. Then you could swap barrels depending on the goal. Figuring most people go on a couple hunts a year at best it would be pretty easy to swap barrels before a hunt and re zero.
This is of course assuming you like your current pst2
This is of course assuming you like your current pst2
The leupold vx3hd 4.5-14x40 side focus is 15 ounces, running an older vx3i 4.5-14x40 cds-zl, no real issues, yes its sfp it has a wind plex, wanted a lighter scope and the price was right. Ran a tikka t3 270wsm stainless for many years, around 7 1/2 with a scope of this weight category.
You have much more weight you can cut in all of the other stuff that goes into hunting, relative to cutting a few ounces in a scope. Lighter clothes, tent, sleep gear, pack system will save you lbs when your trying to cut ounces.
If you are going to cut weight, one shouldn't ignore any part of one's kit.
Carry weight you need, but don't carry a 30 oz scope when a 22 ounce scope will do.
If I had the cash to make it happen, something like this 16 ounce scope would be on my hunting rifle.
EuroOptic lists that scope line @ ~ $1200. That money spent on a new pack, dwr treated down sleep gear (bag and pad), ultralight tent, ultralight outerwear, etc will go much further to lightening up a load than a new scope. But, the point that every piece of gear should be scrutinized is well put. I have a spreadsheet with the weight of every piece of gear that went on my last backpack hunt- to include removing the scope and mount from my rifle, weighing them, and considering alternatives. New footwear cost less, is used more, and knocked more of my total load out than replacing the scope and/or mount. Of course, the scope is already in a NF unimount so it is already pretty light.
Carry one less change of clothes and you’ve dropped more than you will by replacing the scope- for free.
I get it, this is a gun forum. But, it pays dividends not to be myopic about your choices. I hunted with my BiL on my last back country trip. We both took the same overall approach, but his load out weighed in a conservative 10lbs heavier than mine. Heavier pack, heavier sleep system, etc. The pack was a big one. I think his bag and frame alone were 5lbs heavier than mine.
Lots of older 30mm or 1" scopes with Japanese glass in the ~16 oz range. If new, have to agree, save a bit more for an LHT 4.5-22.
I totally agree with you on making choices on weight across the board. I was focused on the idea, which I think is flawed, that people need to give up optical quality to get a lighter scope.
BTW - since I cannot afford that Swaro, I have a Leupold 3.5-10 VX-3i as my lightweight scope. It is definitely much more affordable and I like it.
SWFA 2.5-10x32 SS Ultralight Riflescope
SWFA 2.5-10x32 SS Ultralight Riflescope Details SKU: SSUL2510X32BDC Finish: Matte Reticle: MSR 556 BDC Tube Diameter (in): 1 Elevation Knob: Low Profile Capped (1/4 MOA) Windage Knob: Low Profile Capped (1/4 MOA) Parallax Setting: Fixed Focal Plane: Second
IVE been wanting to try one of these for along time...
If I ever get to the point of wanting the best at lightweight I will get a March 3-24x42 for sure.
other than that I will continue with the old 3-15 Steiner T5Xi. compact. tried and true.
Regards,
DT
SWFA SS 6x42 milquad reticle. Can buy 2 for $700. Next best thing to bulletproof and weighs about 20 oz
