Am I a scope wimp?

[Crow Hunter]

I recently bought several scopes, Athlon Helos BTR 2-10x42 milradian to be exact. It has had great reviews and I liked the reticle design and I wanted to try a ffp scope. I noticed the specs said it was ~25 oz, but I thought that isn't too bad, it is barely over a lb and a half and is only a half a lb heavier than other scopes I have owned/used. I like the scope, decent glass, side parallel, zero stops, audible/tactile clicks.

I mounted it up on my Tikka T3X with a Mountain Tactical Rail and some low SWFA rings.

I immediately regretted my decision. The rifle is now noticeably top heavy, to the point of being "tippy" and it feels noticeably heavy to me. I find it uncomfortable to get into field positions for shooting. It feels extremely "unwieldy".

So I started looking for other ffp scopes that might be lighter, there are a few that are 3-5 oz lighter but not many and most of the really "hot" ones that lots of people are talking about are heavier, some a lot heavier at 35+ oz.😕

First focal plane optics seem to be the thing right now and they are all quite a bit heavier but lots of people seem to own them and like them.

Are they all that much stronger than me? Am I a scope wimp or are they using them a different way than I am such that the weight is not that important.

Do you guys hunt/use optics that are 20+ oz?

Would direct mount rings instead of rails/rings improve it?

Or should I just sell them and go with a more traditional set and forget SFP lighter weight hunting scope?

[Duelist]

Nothing wrong with not wanting an unwieldy huge heavy scope on a hunting rifle. I’m one who prefers light and compact scopes with good low light performance myself.

FFP and milradian aren’t important to me on a hunting scope.

[ASH556]

Nothing wrong with not wanting an unwieldy huge heavy scope on a hunting rifle. I’m one who prefers light and compact scopes with good low light performance myself.

FFP and milradian aren’t important to me on a hunting scope.

This

[farscott]

I am very much a fan of light and simple scopes for hunting. For my hunting (both large-game and small-game) needs, the old Leupold M8 fixed magnification series and its successors are more than sufficient as my shooting distances are well under 200 yards. The fixed-power scopes are light and simple with good light transmission. The current 4X model weighs 7.5 ounces, and the 6X model weighs 13.6 ounces. I have a few older M8-8X examples with target elevation turrets for small game.

[4RNR]

This makes me realize I never actually weigh my stuff. No idea how my my rifles weigh aside from the occasional online description that I happen to remember. I use a 30 some year old rifle with a scope that's just as old. I think I'm too stupid to know the difference when it comes to noticing ounces.

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[ccmdfd]

Yeah, years ago I purchased a lightweight Sako hunting rifle, then ruined it by putting a huge, and expensive chunk of glass on top. Bought into the " you must spend equal or more on glass compared to the rifle" mantra.

Last year I did it right. Got a real lightweight Tikka in 243 and put a smallish SHV scope on it. The combo is lightweight and well balanced. Scope is simple, no parallax to dial or ballistic turret to spin. Point and shoot. Perfect for the game I see at the ranges I hunt at.

Nothing wrong with a FFP scope, but for hunting I prefer SFP. Get to use the reticle at lower powers better.

[Crow Hunter]

Yeah, years ago I purchased a lightweight Sako hunting rifle, then ruined it by putting a huge, and expensive chunk of glass on top. Bought into the " you must spend equal or more on glass compared to the rifle" mantra.

Last year I did it right. Got a real lightweight Tikka in 243 and put a smallish SHV scope on it. The combo is lightweight and well balanced. Scope is simple, no parallax to dial or ballistic turret to spin. Point and shoot. Perfect for the game I see at the ranges I hunt at.

Nothing wrong with a FFP scope, but for hunting I prefer SFP. Get to use the reticle at lower powers better.

Nightforce SHV?

The 3-10X42 is 22.1 oz according to Eurooptic. I would think that is heavy at least compared to a Trijicon Accupoint at 13.4 oz.

I see a lot of posts on Snipershide, Rokslide and other places where someone will mention a lightweight scope and reference something between 25 and 30 oz. Lots of people talk about the discontinued Bushnell LRHS 3-12x44 being the "ideal" hunting scope and it is 24.4 oz. That is only an ounce less than the Athlon that I have.

What does everyone consider lightweight?

I think I am back to the, maybe I am just a scope wimp.

[ccmdfd]

Nightforce SHV?

The 3-10X42 is 22.1 oz according to Eurooptic. I would think that is heavy at least compared to a Trijicon Accupoint at 13.4 oz.

I see a lot of posts on Snipershide, Rokslide and other places where someone will mention a lightweight scope and reference something between 25 and 30 oz. Lots of people talk about the discontinued Bushnell LRHS 3-12x44 being the "ideal" hunting scope and it is 24.4 oz. That is only an ounce less than the Athlon that I have.

What does everyone consider lightweight?

I think I am back to the, maybe I am just a scope wimp.

Yes Nightforce.

Guess lightweight is in the eye of the beholder. Prior to that all of my hunting scpoes were 30-35 mm tubes with 56 mm objectives. Something that would weigh >32 oz.

So the SHV is svelte compared to that.

[ASH556]

Nightforce SHV?

The 3-10X42 is 22.1 oz according to Eurooptic. I would think that is heavy at least compared to a Trijicon Accupoint at 13.4 oz.

I see a lot of posts on Snipershide, Rokslide and other places where someone will mention a lightweight scope and reference something between 25 and 30 oz. Lots of people talk about the discontinued Bushnell LRHS 3-12x44 being the "ideal" hunting scope and it is 24.4 oz. That is only an ounce less than the Athlon that I have.

What does everyone consider lightweight?

I think I am back to the, maybe I am just a scope wimp.

My heaviest scope is my Nightforce NX8 1-8 at 17.6 oz. My hunting rifles wear Leupolds in the 8.5-13 oz range.

I think a fair amount of it depends on the kind of hunting you do, both species and terrain. If you're over 250yds, holds/dialing become important for deer-sized game. Smaller game, probably shorter distance than that. Longer distance than that on deer sized game, you'll need to be able to either dial or hold.

[Crow Hunter]

Yes Nightforce.

Guess lightweight is in the eye of the beholder. Prior to that all of my hunting scpoes were 30-35 mm tubes with 56 mm objectives. Something that would weigh >32 oz.

So the SHV is svelte compared to that.

That is one of the big things that I am wondering. Is my perspective wrong? Should I be training to use 25 oz scopes? Do they offer advantages that I am missing with a 12-19 oz optic?

Am I the "odd one" for having issues with a 25 oz scope?

Very obviously a 34 mm 3 lb scope is heavy, is a 1.5 lb scope heavy? It is obviously more heavy than a 1 lb scope but is is "heavy"?

I am a victim of my own experience which has mostly been Leupold SFP scopes. My heaviest scope prior to this recent scope was 16 oz, so an extra 1/2 lb is noticeably heavy to me.