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sks mount and optics

deacon 52deacon 52 Member Posts: 99 ✭✭
edited February 2015 in Ask the Experts
I am planning to put a scout scope mount on my sks on the rear sight location. I would like to hit targets 50-75 yard range. would a red dot be a good choice or a variable scope like 4x30?also i see tapco has an stock called intrafuse which has a rail on it already.any advice would be appreciated and thanks in advance

Comments

  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    For those short ranges I would go with a red or green dot. Keep us posted on how things work out for ya.
  • KnifecollectorKnifecollector Member Posts: 3,270 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think you'll soon tire of shooting 50 yards, and want to shoot 100 or more. I'd go with a 4X scope.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you decide to go with a red dot. Get one with the smallest dot size, if possible. I've shot them on rifles, at 100 yds. At that distance the dot is so large that it obscures the center bullseye of the target. Luckily the one I was using had different ridicules. So that I switched to the one with the cross hairs. Better able to actually hold on the center.

    For short ranges a red dot is OK. Longer go with a scope.
  • pulsarncpulsarnc Member Posts: 6,215 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If mounting a scope or other optics on an SKS be SURE to get a shell deflector if there is any chance of the spent shell hitting the scope on its way out ! It will beat the heck out of the scope .I had a scope on mine and loved it but neglected to put on a deflector ....... big mistake . Worked well out to 100 yards or so with the cheap 4 power I had till the spent shells caused it to loose zero.
    cry Havoc and let slip  the dogs of war..... 
  • gunnut505gunnut505 Member Posts: 10,290
    edited November -1
    I got a mount years ago that had file-to-fit tabs on the front of the recoil spring cover with a faux picatinny rail welded to the top, and mounted a pro point 2 on that.
    It still holds tight, no looseness at all, and nothing hits the scope.
    Changing the stock will lighten your rifle, and a "scout" position will eliminate spent shells hitting your optics.
    You might try the inexpensive replacement front sight posts for close shooting, but if your eyes are aging, some sort of magnification helps beyond 75 yards (keep in mind that the SKS isn't really a target rifle).
  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by deacon 52
    I am planning to put a scout scope mount on my sks on the rear sight location. I would like to hit targets 50-75 yard range. would a red dot be a good choice or a variable scope like 4x30?also i see tapco has an stock called intrafuse which has a rail on it already.any advice would be appreciated and thanks in advance


    Mounting a scope on an SKS is a bit of an issue. . .but that's well covered elsewhere. Without making this too complicated, the rear dust-cover type scope mounts are not solid. Ideally you want either a "scout" type mount that replaces the rear sight (which is what you described), or have the receiver drilled and tapped for a true side mount. Doing the latter thing will compromise your ability to load the gun with stripper clips.

    On the question you actually asked, IMO for your intended use a QUALITY red dot would be perfect, and that's what I'd use.

    Stay away from the under $40 BSA/NCStar stuff. . .that's junk. You don't necessarily need to spend several hundred dollars on an EOTech or other true combat grade red dot (though, obviously nothing wrong with that if you can afford it), but I don't think there there is anything worth putting on a centerfire rifle that costs less than $75.

    Burris Fastfire is very good for a relatively low cost open ("reflex") red dot at about $200. For a closed ("tube") red dot, Bushnell TRS is actually pretty good at about $80. There are others.

    IMO, you don't want a variable power scope for shooting under 100 yards (period). A fixed 4x is a perfectly good choice for shooting out to 100 yards or even a little further, but IMO, for mostly short range shooting, you're better off without any magnification.

    Red dot is a little faster to get on target than a conventional crosshair, and easier to see in low light. You can also often shoot with both eyes open, which can be an advantage. There are reasons why this type is basically the standard sight on combat guns now.

    On accuracy, SKS isn't "match grade" but its certainly accurate enough for its intended purpose (short range combat) and potentially more accurate than you think. From the bench I've shot 2" groups at 50 yards with a stock Yugo SKS. That was with cheap Russian steel case ammo, stock iron sights, and the guns stock 10lb long-pull trigger. That extrapolates to about 4" at 100 yards, which is "good enough" to put anything bigger than a raccoon in "serious trouble" at that distance. I bet with "good" (not even necessarily "match") ammo and a trigger job, that group size could be cut in half.
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