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VL63 New Finnwolf scope mount questions

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

mitch weiss

Active Member
Since I decided not to shoot the Finnwolf SCA rifle that I recently acquired sakomt1.jpg sakomt2.jpg sakomt3.jpg , I picked up another .308 last weekend. #109xx. It is not visibly marked as to who imported it. Is this normal?

I have some Sako rings and bases, and plan to mount an old school Burris 3x9 scope.

The rear base does not have the recoil screw hole, and the front seems like it will not mount all the way on.
I have not tightened the bases onto the rifle yet. If these are the correct bases, I would like some advise on the best method of securing them.

Thanks.
 
If your rifle was imported before the Gun Control Act of 1968 it was not required to have an import stamp. The bases that are screwed onto the receiver are the original Sako dovetail bases & will accept the original Sako ringmounts or Leupold ringmounts. The notch in the rear base is for the lug that you will find in a rear Sako ringmount. The bases the rings are attached to are aftermarket, possibly Burris or Redfield, & are attached by driving them onto the tapered Sako bases with a wood or plastic dowel & hammer. There is no such thing as a "recoil" screw hole. Recoil forces will actually tighten the aftermarket bases on the Sako dovetail bases & there is no need for them to be screwed on or use a set screw. All that will do is damage the dovetails & devalue your rifle. If it were mine I would discard the aftermarket bases & rings & get the Sako or Leupold ringmounts that will clamp directly to the Sako dovetail bases already on the rifle. Hope this helps.
 
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Thanks for the information. If I was to use the Redfield bases. Will the front scope base hammer forward far enough to cover the dovetail base
 
No. According to the first picture, the SDT front base will only be driven snug at best to the center of screw. Do not force any further, as the taper has maxed out.
 
Adding the Redfield adapters to the Sako bases will place your scope rather high above the receiver and won't look particularly appealing. As Paulson advises, I think you would be better off with some original Sako ringmounts or Leupold ringmounts on your Finnwolf.

But if you wanted to use Redfield-type rings then you should remove the two Sako dovetails from the rifle (and save them - they're hard to find and worth money). Replace them with a Redfield base made for the Finnwolf or Winchester Model 88/100. This will make the whole thing lighter, cleaner, stronger, and sit lower on the action.
 
I just ordered a set of Leupold RM Low Rings from one of my suppliers.
Thank you for your suggestions.
FWIW, the low rings will severely limit the scopes you can use. It's better to get the scope first & then measure the height you will need for the obj. bell to clear the barrel. Just food for thought.
 
40mm objective scopes don't work with Low ringmounts on the bolt action Sakos. I measured a set of older Leupold medium ringmounts & the distance between the top of dovetail to the bottom of the ring is .355". Leupold's site has the height dimensions for all the ringmounts, so check to see if the ones now are the same. IIRC, the Sako mediums are just a fraction higher. My experience with the Sako bolt action rifles is that the mediums work for many, but not all 40mm objectives. If they have an adjustable objective a 40mm will not fit. I'm not sure if the relation between the top of dovetails to the barrel is the same with the Finnwolf, but I don't think the lows are going to work with the scope you intend to use. The lows will work on scopes with no objective bell, like a 1-4x, 1.5-5x, and any of the fixed 2.5x or 3x scopes. These type scopes would be a good match for your Finnwolf from an aesthetic & functional standpoint & give a good cheekweld. They would also provide more than ample magnification for the type of hunting the handy lever gun was designed for. Post some pics when you get it all put together.
 
You need to set the scope on the rifle with the bell touching the barrel positioned for eye relief & measure how high the tube is above the bases. You will need ringmounts that are slightly higher than that measurement. My experience is that rings are not a returnable item & that lows don't work with 40mm objectives. Measure twice & order once. Just sayin'.
Just wanted to add that the height given on the Leupold site is to center of scope tube, so the lows will place the bottom of the scope tube .26" above the dovetails, which will place center of scope about 19mm above bases. Not sure what the outside diameter of your bell is, so only you can tell if you will have enough clearance.
 
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Sadly, my supplier already processed the order. If these don't work, I will get a base and use the Optilock rings I already have.
I sell at 30 gun shows a year, so I can always sell the rings.
 
For Pete's sake, the Finnwolf deserves a better ring than Leupold's. You have the correct bases, get a set of medium Sako rings and mount the scope. You will have plenty of room to mount your scope and it will look much better. If looks didn't matter, you would be using a Winchester model 88...

thumbnail_IMG_9903.jpg thumbnail_IMG_9904.jpg
 
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

I disagree with Kirk on the appearance of the Leupolds. I think they are the cleanest and neatest of any mount for Sako. If I were you I wouldn't change a thing. Besides, the Leupolds weigh less than the Sako ringmounts.

That doesn't mean that Kirk is wrong and I am right, just that we view the looks of the mounts differently. Nothing wrong with his Finnwolf mounts, either.
 
Stone....gotta agree with ya.

But........as you know, there are times when I think the Leupold's are a bit "stilty"........and the Sako's are a bit "big" on the L461/AI.

This leaves us with my Redfield bases........or.....Heaven forbid......my Conetrol's.:)

But then......I don't have a Finnwolf. Then again......I wonder how sleek Conetrols would look on one. Hmmmmmm.......
 
I like all of them with the exception of weavers, and I’ve used most of them including the weavers. I prefer my scope to be as low as possible with out touching the barrel.
 
I think the Leupolds look cleaner then then Sako rings. Definitely less expensive, since I am in the business and got them at wholesale.

Off to the gun club to shoot skeet and then the Finnwolf.
 
I wonder how sleek Conetrols would look on one.
At our ages and in this time of coronavirus, we might not live to see. Tolstoy wrote War and Peace in less time than it takes to mount a set of Conetrols. And that doesn't count the time it takes to get the reticle level:mad:.
 
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