Light BR Rifle Scope Options

[Davidheart]

I have a 6PPC Light Benchrest Rifle I built up which currently wears a Sightron 36x42 scope. It weighs 10lb 6oz with a LV barrel just shy of 20" so I'm pretty locked into that 17oz Sightron weight.

However, I was wondering what my options might be if I were to in the future look for a new BR scope that affords me greater light gathering capabilities without going into HV territory. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[Codeman]

Thats going to be tough. A march 48 weighs 22.75 ozs I believe.
I would look at areas to drop some weight- like trigger guard, butt plate, rings, bases.
What stock is it on?

 

[NZ_Fclass]

ah...rules.....While I see the need for some restrictions to distinguish between classes ( I shoot FTR and Open), rules need to be reviewed at regular intervals. The firearms industry is not there to cater to niche classes and the sport should recognise that equipment specified in certain classes may no longer be available. I am surprised that Sightron still make a 36x scope!

Are we looking for extreme accuracy, or just as good as we can get with equipment from the 1970's? Scopes are getting heavier. 34mm,35mm and 40mm tubes are becoming the norm The March on my FTR rifle puts me closer to the limit than the previous optic - thankfully not overweight, otherwise I would have to compromise elsewhere - and accuracy is not driven by compromise.. Sorry - no help to your question, just an early in the morning rant...more coffee needed.

 

[AlNyhus]

I have a 6PPC Light Benchrest Rifle I built up which currently wears a Sightron 36x42 scope. It weighs 10lb 6oz with a LV barrel just shy of 20" so I'm pretty locked into that 17oz Sightron weight.

However, I was wondering what my options might be if I were to in the future look for a new BR scope that affords me greater light gathering capabilities without going into HV territory. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

David, the Sightron SIII ED 36X45 weighs just 20.5 oz. The optical difference between it and the Sightron 36X42 is pretty significant. It's a 30mm so the rings would need to be changed. At the worst, you might need to pull the muzzle back just a skosh unless you can find an oz in the butt plate, etc.

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

@AlNyhus Thanks for mentioning about the SIII. I have one of the 45x45 models and I didn’t realize these were so light. The 45x45 is the same price and also weighs 20.5 ounces.

 

[Silo1616]

I have a 6PPC Light Benchrest Rifle I built up which currently wears a Sightron 36x42 scope. It weighs 10lb 6oz with a LV barrel just shy of 20" so I'm pretty locked into that 17oz Sightron weight.

However, I was wondering what my options might be if I were to in the future look for a new BR scope that affords me greater light gathering capabilities without going into HV territory. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

This might help:

 

[Boilermaker]

The listed weight on a Sightron SIII 45x is 20.5 oz. With the turret caps removed, mine weighs 19.5 oz. As far as I know, that is the lightest scope available that is still in production.

Another way to shave an ounce is in the trigger. My Jewell trigger weighs 2.2 oz and my Flavio weighs .9 oz.

Also, what are you using for rings and mounts now? If you are using double screw rings, you might be able to shave a little weight by going to single screw.

 

[Davidheart]

Awesome! Thank you so much guys!

I'm using some rings with integrated bases from Bob White at Shooter's Corner. I don't know what brand they are, but they are double screw rings. Looks like I'll be looking at a 20oz scope when it comes time, so that means I'll need to factor in a gain of 3oz.

While I understand the weight limits for the purpose of competition, it does make things cost prohibitive to a degree especially for new shooters entering into the sport.

I don't know the manufacturer of the stock. This rifle was a birthday gift to me from a good friend of mine. It old had a shot out barrel so I needed to purchase and rechamber a new barrel for it (which I did) and pick up a scope (which I did). It has 27 rounds on it right now but the groups I've managed so far are teeny tiny.

Our local shoots are "300 yard F-Class" shot for score and most of the guys are shooting 6PPC or 6BR so with my bolthead I opted for the 6PPC.

I just know based on the optical clarity, or lack thereof, with this Sightron, I'm going to want a different scope in the sometime near future as my first upgrade. This was just the scope I was able to afford at the time. Now I know what I'm going to be looking at.

 

[Boilermaker]

Awesome! Thank you so much guys!

I'm using some rings with integrated bases from Bob White at Shooter's Corner. I don't know what brand they are, but they are double screw rings. Looks like I'll be looking at a 20oz scope when it comes time, so that means I'll need to factor in a gain of 3oz.

While I understand the weight limits for the purpose of competition, it does make things cost prohibitive to a degree especially for new shooters entering into the sport.

I don't know the manufacturer of the stock. This rifle was a birthday gift to me from a good friend of mine. It old had a shot out barrel so I needed to purchase and rechamber a new barrel for it (which I did) and pick up a scope (which I did). It has 27 rounds on it right now but the groups I've managed so far are teeny tiny.

Our local shoots are "300 yard F-Class" shot for score and most of the guys are shooting 6PPC or 6BR so with my bolthead I opted for the 6PPC.

I just know based on the optical clarity, or lack thereof, with this Sightron, I'm going to want a different scope in the sometime near future as my first upgrade. This was just the scope I was able to afford at the time. Now I know what I'm going to be looking at.

Are you restricted to 10.5 lb in your local shoots? If not, I would suggested a different scope for 300 yds. My Sightron straight 45x sits in the case for our 300 yd matches. The Sightron SIII 10-50x is a great option for that distance though.

I’ve had both side by side on the same day. My straight 45 was too blurry to distinguish the score rings while the variable 10-50 was clear even at 50x.

If you are shooting 300 yds frequently you might consider keeping the scope you have now to make 10.5 lb when needed and purchasing a heavier variable power scope to reduce frustration in those 300 yd matches. The SIII 10-50x can be picked up used for $800-900.

 

[Davidheart]

That's a good idea, thank you for the suggestion! No I'm not limited to 10.5lbs for those shoots. I just wanted to be able to have my rifle at 10.5lbs to take whenever I do go to an IBS match with those rules. The two scope idea may work well.