Rifle vs scope balance

[Mattj4867]

Hi all. I got a new rifle and it weighs 6lbs 12oz. I want a scope that weighs 18oz. Will this severely affect the way my rifle balances by making it too heavy?

[Art Eatman]

Probably not. It will be located fairly close to the center of mass.

FWIW, for me anyway, I like a rifle to balance very slightly muzzle-heavy. I have found that I do better when shooting off-hand.

[jmr40]

There are 2 schools of thought on that. A lot of guys like to match a compact lightweight rifle with a compact lightweight scope. And depending on the way it is meant to be used that can be a good plan.

On the other hand going to a lighter weight rifle allows you to use a heavier scope and still reduce the amount of weight you're carrying.

With a modern rifle 6 lbs 12 oz isn't considered lightweight anymore, anything over 7 lbs is heavy. There are lots of rifles closer to 6 lbs and some closer to 5 lbs. My Kimber with an 11 oz scope on it is still under 6 lbs scoped. You'll be very close to 8 lbs, maybe over 8 lbs depending on the mounts you choose.

For me it depends on the specific rifle and scope. I don't mind carrying extra weight if I feel I'm getting something in return. I'd feel better about giving more specific advice if I knew which rifle, and which scope you had in mind and the planned uses.

[std7mag]

As JMR40 said, it all depends.
What is the intended use for it?
Hunting? Deep woods where 50 yards is pushing it. Or out west where 400 yards isn't out of the question.
Target shooting? Again what type and how far?

While i could, i'm not about to put my Sightron STAC 4-20X50 on my 22 hunting rifle.
But i did take a rimfire scope off of a co workers 30-06.

[Nathan]

It is more than the 18oz. Will it have a small enough objective to maintain close alignment to the bore axis. To me objective size has more impact to balance than pure weight.

[Mattj4867]

The rifle in mind is a 7mm-08 and the scope is a vortex Diamondback hp 3-12x42. It will be used in for deer in brush as well as food plots. I eventually want to take it out west on the plains. I would shoot no more than 400 yards. Thank you all for replying.

[Don Fischer]

Well this is a first for me. Someone ask's about scope weight rather than power! Were it me, I don't know what a scope weight's, never even though about it but I would go with probably a 2-7x.

[SSA]

We have one rifle (20 inch barrel Remington 700) that has had a 1-4x20, 2-8x32, 3-9x38, and a 3-10x50 on it at various times. They all worked fine.
That Vortex sounds like a good choice.

[Art Eatman]

I've mostly used older Leupolds, 3-9x40. One of my longest shots was at 350 yard; bang-flop.

Then I glanced at the scope. It was set on 3X.

I've had no trouble shooting prairie dogs with a 2-7x32 out to 300 yards. (7X; lasered.)

[T. O'Heir]

Total weight after mount the 18 ounce scope will be 7 7/8 pounds. Still a relatively light rifle. You won't notice any difference in felt recoil though. More weight means more recoil is absorbed by the rifle.
The scope's weight will only mess with the balance if it's mounted incorrectly. The 4" eye relief might give you a bit of grief, but none that's insurmountable. Lots of different rings around that'll let you mount the scope where you need it to be.
However, 12X is far too much magnification for a 7mm-08 hunting rifle. FOV is only 8.2 feet at 100 when set on 12X.
"...The rifle in mind is a 7mm-08..." That's not a rifle. That's the chambering. An Rem M700 is a rifle.

[disseminator]

Don't go cheap on your scope mounts. With a light rifle and a heavier scope you are going to put more recoil force on the mount.

Use a good system like a Leopold Dual Dovetail or a Talley Screw Lock.

[std7mag]

Mattj,

Yeah, you'll be fine.
I'm hunting with a Stevens 200 ( think pre Savage Axis) in 7mm-08AI.
Mine has an EGW solid base, Vortex Viper series low rings and a Vortex Crossfire II 4-12X42 scope.

Don't pay attention to the " your 12 power is too much" philosophy.
People keep forgetting the low end of the magnification part.

3 power is fine for closer work. 12 good for your 400 yard shots.
Took my deer at 413 yards on 12 power.

[SSA]

...12X is far too much magnification...

The scope in question can be turned down all the way to 3X.

...too much magnification for a 7mm-08 hunting rifle...
"...The rifle in mind is a 7mm-08..." That's not a rifle.

What?

An Rem M700 is a rifle.

An Rem? Spelling and grammar count.

[Art Eatman]

Let's avoid excitement over somebody's shorthand and/or trivial issues of word usage. That's off-topic nit-picking.

Not that I approve of sloppiness in language, but it's a waste of psychic energy to worry about it.

[Don Fischer]

Originally Posted by SSA

The scope in question can be turned down all the way to 3X.

Without a doubt a 3-12x can be turned down to 3x and then you have that big scope with 12x sitting on a rifle that doesn't need it! I've got a 4 1/2-14 scope and can't imagine putting it on a hunting rifle! Huge!

[Mattj4867]

We can all ignore my sloppy word choice in my previous post. I did not intend to be bombarded by a bunch of grammar nazis. Many of you say that the 12 power is too much magnification. However, I believe it is perfect for 400 yards. Now I will pose another question. The scope has adjustable parallax. Will this help me at 400 yards? I am also considering the Leupold VX-freedom 4-12x40. It weighs only 13.1 oz. Also, would 4” of eye relief be too much?

Rifle: Winchester model 70 ultimate shadow short action (6lbs 12oz)
Caliber:7mm-08
Scopes in question: vortex Diamondback hp 3-12x42 (18 oz) and leupold vx-freedom 4-12x40 (13.1 oz)

[Art Eatman]

Adjustable parallax helps at closer-in shots.

14X is great for long-range prairie dogs. Or seeing bullet holes in paper at 200 or 300 yards. Or for better precision in aiming at way-over-there targets.

I once bought a match target AR with a 6-24x40 scope. Amazing! First time I didn't have to strain to see .22 holes at 100 yards! More scope than I wanted for my usual sort of shooting, though.

IOW, variables are good for various uses; moreso than fixed-power scopes.

[std7mag]

Matt,

From my experience i don't care for an adjustable paralax or objective out to 400 yards. Especially for a hunting scope.

And also not a darn thing wrong with the 4" eye relief.
You've made some good choices for scopes thus far.

[old roper]

Mattj4867, Leupold makes 4x12 with AO.

https://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold...fle-scope.html

It's pretty close same weight as the other lepuold.

I have Forbes model 24 rifle and base weight is 5.5lbs and leupold use to make 4x12x40AO. I have Leupold 4x12x40AO on that Forbes rifle and it's used for hunting deer/elk chamber for the wildcat 280AI. I'm not sure if it's your price range but it's good scope.

[Art Eatman]

Long eye-relief helps avoid a bloused eyebrow.

[std7mag]

Oh how i know that to be true Mr. Eatman...

[bamaranger]

The old standby 3x9x40mm is now probably overshadowed by the 4x12x40mm. The 4x12 family is likely the new normal.

If one can use the extra magnification, why not? As long as the objective bell does not get on the overly large size, the 4x12x40's I've looked at seem OK.

I'm not so sure that most of us need 30mm or larger tubes, or objective bells much larger than 42-44MM. And in my mind, an AO just adds more weight and bulk on a hunting scope, used to distances around 300 -400 yds, and requires a higher set of rings to boot. I'm of the same opinion on target/varmint turrets too. Avoiding all that hardware, and keeping the objective bell a reasonable size, will go a long way to keep scope weight and bulk down.

Note I am referring to a big game scope and not a target, varmint, tactical rig.

[Ladymulerider]

My youth compact Weatherby Vanguard 2 in 7mm08 wears a Leupold VX2 2-7x33 compact scope, and my lighter Kimber 84M wears a Zeiss 3-9x36 which is a little heavier scope. I started out the other way around and weight wise, this now seems to feel more suitable to both rifles. Good luck with your choice. I have a short LOP and like also to keep a scope as low on the rifle as practical.

[Mobuck]

If I was going to add weight to a rifle/scope package, it would go into the barrel not the scope. Plenty of small(er) scopes capable of handling the needs of a lightweight hunting rifle.