Gentlemen, I'll soon be rescoping my Sako L691 and would like to try another mounting system, mostly because I like to try new stuff from time to time. I'm currently using Leupold ring mounts. While I like the one piece design (no bases required), the rings I have are gloss and I would prefer matte to match the scope. Anybody have any words of wisdom?

If they work on your rifle I would go for the optilocks, all my sakos have them and I am most pleased.

Talley

Desert Ram, I have a lot of Sakos, and I actually don't like the Optiloks. I have several sets, and they work OK, but I far prefer Talley's. The Talley's do have a seperate base that mates to the dovetail and then the rings to that base, but it is dead nuts centered, and the Talley rings are just great, they have 'permanent' style screw lock, QD Screwlock, and QD with lever rings available,both 1" and 30mm.
I have a couple of sets of Leupy's and I don't care for them. Very simple, and although I haven't experienced it, I know of a couple of guys that have had them move around on them, not necessarily on big kickers either.

Warne also makes a ring with an integral base, and they work well, they make all three versions as does Talley, Screw lock 'permenent' style, detachable screw lock, and detachable with levers. I like them OK, but the Talley material just seems of higher quality to me, and I think the Warnes are cast, the Talley's are machined.

I take a little citrus gun scrubber to the exterior of the Talley rings, and they lose the high finish, and have a nice dull apperance to them. They blend well with my rifles that are matte blued or cerrakoated. They are also available in the white if that floats your boat.

Good luck--Don

I have a couple of dozen Sakos and the Leupold ringmounts are by far my favorites. I have a set on a very light weight .375 H&H and they are holding just fine after more than ten years of use. I'm not sure how people manage to screw up with them, but properly installed, they're as tough as any and a whole lot trimmer and lighter.

The Redfield system is a good on a Sako, but it typically needs the lowest rings available to keep the scope neatly mounted as low as practical.

Many people dis the Millett Angle Loc rings, but they're very serviceable on three of my Sakos, including a .338WM.

The Sako Optilock is excessively tall for all but the largest scope objectives. They are also heavy and expensive.

The original Sako mounts from the 60's-70's are good ones. If you have a variable scope with a long ocular lens housing, you may need to grind the lug off of the rear mount in order to move it forward to allow the appropriate eye relief. This does not impair the integrity of the mount.

The old Weaver base/ring adapter is a crude Rube Goldberg affair that belongs on the end of a trot line.

The aluminum Warne will wedge apart due to recoil. Limit its use to .22 centerfires.

My suggestion: Now that they are available in matte, buy yourself another set of Leupolds. You can send your gloss set to me!

quote:

The old Weaver base/ring adapter is a crude Rube Goldberg affair that belongs on the end of a trot line

I have a set of original Sako, 4 screw medium rings if interested, $90 delivered.

Desert Ram,

I like the Optilocks myself & that's what I use on my L691 375 H&H. They now also have extra low rings as well.

You of course have Talleys's but for the best looking you can't go past Conetrol. pain to put on but still the best looking IMHO.

Regards
JohnT

I have the X-Low Optilock ringmounts on a Sako 75 with a 3X9X40 Conquest and still have plenty of clearance (and still slightly too high for me).

Just found and waiting to recieve a set of Sako Medium originals.. (prob. like Jim Kobe offered).

Have seen pics of them with my same set up above and they appear to be lower than the X-lows. (the Conquest in the pic had just a sliver of daylight between the scope & barrel).

Rob

I've switched all my Sakos from Optilocks to Talleys!

LJS,

Does the switch to Talleys give you a lower overall mounting?

Regards
JohnT

As much as I like the Sako rifles I feel their scope mounting system is really crap. I can't understand how a company like Sako goes through all the trouble of machining grooves into the top of the reciever and then ask you to use an attaching base so that you can mount your rings! The original idea was a great one just like the Rugers is but Sako really screwed up with the introduction of the Optilocks. The System was designed for direct mounting of rings to reciever and that is what Sako should strive to achieve, a ring that directly mounts to the reciever, light, strong and precise. In saying all of this I still use the Optilocks and have no problems with them, I just hate the look of all that metal on top of a nice reciever.
bigbull

I much prefer the Optilocks on my Sako's. I use Talleys for almost all of my other rifles.
Optilocks aren't perfect but IMHO they have more advantages than disadvantages. Having the separate bases allows you to have leeway in the position of the front ring on the scope by using either long or short action versions. Optilocks also allow for windage adjustment. They are removeable and will return to zero. They won't leave ringmarks on your scopes like my otherwise beloved Talley's will. They don't slip under recoil like Leupold ringmounts will. They match the finish of the rifles perfectly unlike conetrols.
Optilock's disadvantages are expense, weight and they are a little too high for small obj. scopes. The screw heads are a little soft so you have to tighten them properly and use a little extra care.
Talley's bases aren't removeable and don't have a recoil stop. Their base set screws will damage the cross-hatching on top of your dovetails. They often overhange the receiver and they don't match the finish as well as Optilocks.
Conetrols are also expensive. They are complex to mount and don't match the finish very well in some cases.
Leupold ringmounts will slip on heavier recoiling rifles. I attatched them with calibrated inch-pound torque wrenches according to manufacturers specs and they slipped on both a 300 Weatherby and a 375 H&H. Maybe if they haven't slipped on you yet you are lucky or are using a lighter scope than I was. They aren't removeable and return to zero and so I don't bother with them unless it's on a light recoiling rifle.
I've seen pictures of a new Leupold base system that has a recoil stop pin and uses their post style QR ring. These might be worth trying if you are trying to get a low mounted scope.
Millets - I wouldn't throw them at my neighbors dog for crapping in my yard. Junk.

All in all I'll probably stick with Optilocks though I may try the new QR style leupolds if I need a low mount.........................DJ

DJ, where can you get the new Leupy QD's, you know I'll try a set--or 3!

John T.

Yes the Talleys mount lower than the Optilocks even with the low Optilocks. I believe there is now an extra low version of the Optilocks but I have not tried them. I had problems with ring screws backing off with the Sako mounts. They are very heavy too! You might want to call J.B. at Accuflite Arms. He is the Sako Guru and can give you facts and figures. Phone #724-733-3666

Thanks for all the input fellas. Lots of good advice here. I'm still debating, and all the experience shared is a big help. I looked at the OptiLocks, but the cost is (unfortunately) a contributing factor, so I may not be able to swing that way.

BTW, anybody know if the Tikka rings will fit the Sako dovetail?

No - Tikka rings are for a "straight" dovetail.
The Sako have a wedge shaped dovetail.

Hmmmm . . . . I've had excellent luck with original Sako rings from the 60's (3 guns), Redfield base/rings (9 guns), Millett Angle Loc(2 guns), and Leupold ringmounts (8 guns). Never a minute's problem with any of them on calibers ranging from .222 to .375 H&H. I must be one lucky dude . . . should probably go buy a lotto ticket right now!

Installed correctly, any of the above serves well, and all are considerably less expensive than the Optilocks and can be had in a height that is appropriate to the scope you are using.

Don, these are the Leupy QR rings that I had seen:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=142178


They weren't even listed on the Leupy website. I don't know if they are discontinued or a limited production item or ??? but they still had 4 of them. If anyone tries them I'd like to hear what they thought about them.....................DJ

Thanks DJ, got a set on the way.....I'll let you know how they do.