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Scope Mounting

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

JD Pepper

Member
Hello. I am new to the forum and I am betting this question has been asked many times. My grandfather purchased an L579 in 1959 or 1960. It is a Forester in .308. It has the factory peep sights on it. My father wishes to hunt with it this year and wanted to mount a scope on it. Can one of the members here tell me which rings will fit the dove tails? Or is there something more involved?
He will be mounting a Leupold VX3i with a 1 inch tube. Thanks in advance
 
Some nice sentiment attached to your father's L579.

For mounting a Leupold VX3i on the L579 I recommend using either Leupold's QR ring mount (a Quick Release ring/mount system ) or Leupold's one piece ring/base mount. I use both and they are beautifully (CNC) made and very secure. Leupold ring/mounts are available in matte to match your scope and have a model made specifically for Sako's tapered dovetails integrated into the top of the receiver. Whether you need medium or high rings depends on the model of your VX3i: A 40 mm objective usually uses mediums; 50 mm probably high but could be either.

If you let me know which model VX3i you are mounting I'll put a set of Leupold rings and bases on an L579 from the '60s and let you know what height you need.

Check out Leupold.com
 
Original Sako scope mounts of similar vintage to your grandfather's L579 can often be found on either eBay or Gunbroker. Height would be Medium for a 36mm objective such as a 2.5-8x and High for anything bigger, such as the 3-9 or 4-12 with a 40mm objective. Cost of a set of medium rings in good shape should be around $80-90 and somewhat more for high, which are harder to find.
 
OK thanks. The scope I am ordering for Dad is the Vx3i 4.5-14x440 . Leupold says I need the high ring and it can be secured direct to the dovetailed factory top of the receiver? NO drilling of the top of the rifle for mounts is needed correct? I guess this is where the dilemma is. Grandpa always insisted that the rifle needed special mounts in order to have a scope put on. Either that or it was his way of just ending the argument that he should put a scope on his cherished hunting rifle. I personally witnessed him shoot a running muley buck with it at 160 yards, one round and with peeps. Old school infantry WW2 vets are hard to change. LOL.
 
NO drilling required. Your Grandpa probably didn't want to scope his rifle. There were mounts available back then, its just that your typical Weaver and Redfield rings would not work on the Sako. That is why you will sometimes see Sako's that were "dummyfied" and drilled and tapped. To me ruined.
 
OK thanks. The scope I am ordering for Dad is the Vx3i 4.5-14x440 . Leupold says I need the high ring and it can be secured direct to the dovetailed factory top of the receiver? NO drilling of the top of the rifle for mounts is needed correct? I guess this is where the dilemma is. Grandpa always insisted that the rifle needed special mounts in order to have a scope put on. Either that or it was his way of just ending the argument that he should put a scope on his cherished hunting rifle. I personally witnessed him shoot a running muley buck with it at 160 yards, one round and with peeps. Old school infantry WW2 vets are hard to change. LOL.

Maybe the thought about "special mounts was simply because a set of off-the-shelf Weavers wouldn't fit.

Why such a high magnification range? If he's used to peeps, he might be happier with the lower end 1.5-5x20s (which are very "fast"). Or was the 4.5-14 his pick?

-Chris
 
JD, below are photos I took for you of a new Leupold VX2 4-12x40 scope with a 1 inch tube (scope's length is 12 1/8 in; yours is 12.6 in.) sitting in one piece and QR (quick release) Leupold medium rings mounted on a mid-1960s L-579 .270 Win. If your VXi has a 40 mm objective ("440" I assume is a typo.) Leupold mediums should work fine for you to mount this scope on your dad's Sako.

IMG_0682.jpeg

Medium Leupold QR (quick release) rings / bases will give you a little more clearance
IMG_0689.jpeg

Good Hunting/Good Shooting!

Northernlights
 
Hello. I am new to the forum and I am betting this question has been asked many times. My grandfather purchased an L579 in 1959 or 1960. It is a Forester in .308. It has the factory peep sights on it. My father wishes to hunt with it this year and wanted to mount a scope on it. Can one of the members here tell me which rings will fit the dove tails? Or is there something more involved?
He will be mounting a Leupold VX3i with a 1 inch tube. Thanks in advance
It is amazing what people can do with something they use their entire life. Peeps are highly underrated. So is knowledge of, and regular use of your rifle.
 
Peeps are great for accurate shooting, and can be a lot of fun besides. I keep a Sako peep sight on my L46 Mannlicher rifle, just because I enjoy shooting it once in a while. In the photo below, it's the one in the middle, with an L461 .222 on top and an L579 .308 on the bottom. I've got several extra scopes that would be just fine, but I like it as is. And let's not forget that the U.S. Army was a pioneer in the use of peep sights on military rifles. The M1 Garand was not only the first general-issue semiautomatic military rifle, it was also, as far as I know, the first with a peep sight. One of the improvements of the Valmet and Galil assault rifles over their Kalashnikov predecessors was the substitution of an aperture sight for an open notch. Three cheers for the peep sight! 3 Rifles.JPG
 
By all means use the "medium" Leupold ringmounts for a 40mm scope, assuming it has no adjustable objective. Also, most AO 40mm scopes will still clear a sporter barrel with only the "medium" height. Your older L579 will have a lower comb than some later models, so placing the scope as low as possible is important to getting proper eye alignment.
 
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