Thread: How low are low optilocks

I think the reason the ring height is specified bottom of base to centreline of tube id that the mount pulls down onto that smooth surface and doesn't actually touch the knurled top of the action. You'd have to add about another 2mm if you wanted to use the knurled surface but its not a working, reference dimension for the sako 75/85 action.

I would not go to a rail if you want an elegant lightweight low scope setup. Your next step is to use the two piece (base and ring) optilocks. They do have 3 ring heights.

I hear that the sako action is case hardened so perhaps in theory the underling metal is not as hard as the surface so you loose some structural strength. Maybe just a rumour. I would also expect that using a rail would make it harder to load rounds into the top of the magazine without dropping the mag out. No problem if all you've ever used before is a Tikka, but you're paying money to have a quality shooter with that top loading feature. The rail is good if you have to mount the scope forward or back (very little adjustment possible with sako dovetail) and if you want to take scope on and off the rifle because good quick detach mounts do return to zero extremely well on a picatinny rail. If you've got a specially short scope and are mounting it a long way back then a rail could be helpful.