Anyone have a set of ring mounts on a Sako Vixen heavy barrel?
I'm trying to buy a set for my .222 Mag for use with a Leupold 12X 40mm scope.
Does the medium height (25.4) fit, or do I need high mounts?

I have Leupold "High" Ringmounts on my Sako L461 heavy barrel .222 Remington which now has a 6.5-20x44 Nikon with AO. The rings are not too high and look good.

I think you need "High" also but use the Mount Selector Guide on the Leupold website to check.

Have used medium height older style sako rings with a scope with 40mm objective with a sporter weight barrel,should be ok with a heavy barrel......

The medium old style Sako's are good for 40mm and smaller.

If memory serves me, the high's are a better fit.

I mounted a B&L 6-24X on a Vixen action with a PAC-NOR #4 barrel and had to use HIGH rings to keep it from touching the barrel. Mediums "almost" made it but didn't.

It appears there are different styles of rings.
The high rings on my Vixen have screws that are angling up away from each other. In other words, the top portion of the rings covers more of the scope body than the bottom portion. The rings I found for sale have screws that are all parallel and vertical. So the ring pieces each cover exactly half of the circumference of the scope body.
Anybody understand?

Yes, there are different style rings for the dovetail Sako receiver.

My definition of a Ringmount is a one-piece base with locking screw for dovetail and a second top ring piece with parallel and vertical screws as sold by Leupold. I like the trim apperance of the Leupold Ringmount, especially on the little Sako.

I understand your description but don't have experience with the angled type.

Slancy: You asked about "vintage" Sako rings. The ones you describe with the more-than-180 degree ring top is a later incarnation, one that was produced in the 80's or 90's.

In the "original" Sako rings (circa 1960-1980) you will probably want only a "medium" height to clear a 40mm objective, even with the varmint weight barrel. If your scope has an AO, you MIGHT need the higher ring, but I doubt it.

I, too, like the Leupold ringmounts. You can usually pick them up on ebay for half or so of their retail price. I would advise trying the "medium" first, as the "high" will clear a 50mm objective on sporters. If the "medium" won't work, then you can resell them on ebay and get some "high" rings.

The Redfield (Burris) base/ring is an alternative that gives you a lot of discretion. Rings from Redfield, Burris, Leupold, and Millett all fit and come in a great variety of heights. You can select by trial and error so that the scope sits at exactly the height off of the barrel that you want (ideally just enough to clear a sheet of paper).

My L461 HB in .222 Mag is mounted with a Leupold 4-12X using Redfields in this way and sits snugly and neatly just off of the barrel. This low mounting position is much better for allowing your eye to align more readily with the scope sight picture.

With the Sako heavy barrel profile you may just get away with medium but not with a straight taper heavy barrel . I have a set of original high mounts on my L461 sporter and the clearance on a 40mm objective is by no means excessive . 1/4 inch at most .

Stonecreek,
That makes perfect sense.
The 1960s medium rings that I found for sale came off a Vixen heavy barrel with a Leupold 12x just like the one I want to mount. The owner says that a thick piece of paper fits between scope and barrel.
The ones on my other Vixen are indeed the 1980s version and are high. I was afraid to buy the mediums for lack of barrel clearance.
Thanks for the input.

Bushchook,
Are your "high" rings the later version, with the greater-than-180-degree top ring? Or are they the original version with symmetrical ring halves?