AK scope options?

[repoman1984]

Anyone try that super cheap NC star dustcover mount? I'm thinking about scoping an AK for wild boar hunting.

[tujungatoes]

IMO nothing should be mounted to an AK dust cover. They move too much.

[Bigben]

I second tujungatoes. I tried it and there's too much slop. Cant hold zero

[Abu Josh]

I tried it and was really disappointed. The dustcover option is for airsoft only. Your best bet is to rivet one of these on your rifle at the next build party:

https://www.apexgunparts.com/product_info.php/cPath/21_122/products_id/1837

[kcstott]

I tried it and was really disappointed. The dustcover option is for airsoft only. Your best bet is to rivet one of these on your rifle at the next build party:

https://www.apexgunparts.com/product...oducts_id/1837

There you go.

[Richard Erichsen]

Anyone try that super cheap NC star dustcover mount? I'm thinking about scoping an AK for wild boar hunting.

If your AK has a side rail, use it. If it does not have a side rail, mount one and buy one of these: http://aa-ok.com/ak-bp-02-high-mount...aver-rail.html

This is the much touted Kalinka BP-02 mount and it has the reputation it does for good reason. Buy some good rings (Burris is probably the price/performance champion for heavy duty rings right now) and add a 1-4x zoom, or fixed 3x or 4x scope of your choice to fit to the rail. There are several mid-range scopes in the low $200 range that would work well. You don't need a high power optic for under 300 meters. The choice of high rails isn't for everyone, but it allows using the iron sights in addition to the scope. The mount has a throw lever that allows you to quickly remove it.

You can also buy a POSP scope with an integrated rail like the fantastic 2-6x24 for a good price. http://aa-ok.com/posp-2-6x24-1000m-z...e-russian.html

The scope and rail are as tough as the AK, like most Russian and Balarusian optics.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/866503/nikon-buckmasters-rifle-scope-3-9x-40mm-nikoplex-reticle-matte

The Nikon Buckmaster. This is in the same price range and needs rings on top of the BP-02 rail above. This is an excellent optic for the money. I avoid BDC type scopes since they tend to be calibrated to a specific load and that makes moving the scope among rifles problematic. It's also pretty rare to buy US optics that are have a BDC calibrated for typical 7.62x39 124 grain/2400 FPS ballistics.

Weaver makes a slightly inferior one for less than has a similarly high rating:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/828375/weaver-40-44-series-rimfire-rifle-scope-3-9x-40mm-ballistic-x-reticle-matte

The best of the bunch for optical clarity will be the fixed magnification glass and especially so with the excellent quality of the Leupolds:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/565164/leupold-fx-ii-rifle-scope-4x-33mm-wide-duplex-reticle-matte

It's a bit more but you can sometimes find this on other optic sites (Opticplanet, etc) that sells for under $270. If you can justify it, I'd recommend this one. It's not quite as tough as the Russian optics, but it's darn close.

I suppose you already have your choice in soft points worked out. Make sure to get range time with the new scope and the load you'll be dialed in for whatever range you feel comfortable taking the shot.

Good luck and happy hunting.

R

[ervaztec]

If your AK has a side rail, use it. If it does not have a side rail, mount one and buy one of these: http://aa-ok.com/ak-bp-02-high-mount...aver-rail.html

This is the much touted Kalinka BP-02 mount and it has the reputation it does for good reason. Buy some good rings (Burris is probably the price/performance champion for heavy duty rings right now) and add a 1-4x zoom, or fixed 3x or 4x scope of your choice to fit to the rail. There are several mid-range scopes in the low $200 range that would work well. You don't need a high power optic for under 300 meters. The choice of high rails isn't for everyone, but it allows using the iron sights in addition to the scope. The mount has a throw lever that allows you to quickly remove it.

You can also buy a POSP scope with an integrated rail like the fantastic 2-6x24 for a good price. http://aa-ok.com/posp-2-6x24-1000m-z...e-russian.html

The scope and rail are as tough as the AK, like most Russian and Balarusian optics.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/866503/nikon-buckmasters-rifle-scope-3-9x-40mm-nikoplex-reticle-matte

The Nikon Buckmaster. This is in the same price range and needs rings on top of the BP-02 rail above. This is an excellent optic for the money. I avoid BDC type scopes since they tend to be calibrated to a specific load and that makes moving the scope among rifles problematic. It's also pretty rare to buy US optics that are have a BDC calibrated for typical 7.62x39 124 grain/2400 FPS ballistics.

Weaver makes a slightly inferior one for less than has a similarly high rating:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/828375/weaver-40-44-series-rimfire-rifle-scope-3-9x-40mm-ballistic-x-reticle-matte

The best of the bunch for optical clarity will be the fixed magnification glass and especially so with the excellent quality of the Leupolds:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/565164/leupold-fx-ii-rifle-scope-4x-33mm-wide-duplex-reticle-matte

It's a bit more but you can sometimes find this on other optic sites (Opticplanet, etc) that sells for under $270. If you can justify it, I'd recommend this one. It's not quite as tough as the Russian optics, but it's darn close.

I suppose you already have your choice in soft points worked out. Make sure to get range time with the new scope and the load you'll be dialed in for whatever range you feel comfortable taking the shot.

Good luck and happy hunting.

R

Richard this is a great post! Very helpful and concise.

What Red dot scopes would u recommend?

[grxy]

Some of the side mounts are better than others. I bought one (don't remember the mfg) for my
AK but it did not hold zero. I found the rear edge of the rail which mounts to the receiver was
beveled. Each recoil would force the mount further up the bevel. This changed zero and also
made it very difficult to slide the scope mount off (had to hit it with a hammer to get it off).

[Richard Erichsen]

Some of the side mounts are better than others. I bought one (don't remember the mfg) for my
AK but it did not hold zero. I found the rear edge of the rail which mounts to the receiver was
beveled. Each recoil would force the mount further up the bevel. This changed zero and also
made it very difficult to slide the scope mount off (had to hit it with a hammer to get it off).

You'd be right that the rail fixture itself can be off. The rails I bought for my modernized M70 builds (Tapco if I recall) were as bent as potato chips. A few minutes with a bastard file skimming it until it was flat and smooth solved this, but I had the advantage of catching the problem before I pressed the rivets (a ball bearing in the AK-Builder rivet jig squished those rivet heads nicely on the outside). Doing the same with the rifle would mean putting it in the vice with rubber mounts on each side and using a level and file to do the same thing then refinishing the result.

As for the side rail mounts themselves, I found the cheap UTG types disappointing. Holding a Kalinka BP-02 next to one of those low cost jobbies shows how little reinforcement there is and how cruddy they are by comparison.

R

[Richard Erichsen]

Richard this is a great post! Very helpful and concise.

What Red dot scopes would u recommend?

If it's a red dot you want, you can't go wrong with any of these.

Kalinka PK-A

http://kalinkaoptics.com/pk-a-military-fast-acquisition-red-dot-rifle-scope-weaver-version.html

Kalinka PK-AS

http://kalinkaoptics.com/pk-as-dual-black-dot-red-dot-tactical-combat-sight-weaver-version.html

Axion Kobra 1S-03

http://russianoptics.net/Kobra.html

Note all of the options below are the picatinny/weaver version, you can also buy them with an integrated rail equivalent to the BP-02 (rock solid and tough as nails).

The only downside is the battery life. I have a solution to that below. No batteries required - ever.

For the Russian tactical scopes (not a "red dot" - in my view these are a better option):

The legendary Obzor 1P63

http://kalinkaoptics.com/obzor-1p63-tactical-combat-scope-w-solar-dual-white-green-multipurpose-reticle-ak-akm-mount.html

The well regarded NPZ Rakurs-P

http://kalinkaoptics.com/rakurs-p-new-military-extreme-collimating-dual-black-green-german-post-tactical-combat-sight-weaver-version.html

The latest version of the Rakurs, the NPZ Rakurs-PM

http://kalinkaoptics.com/rakurs-pm-new-military-extreme-collimating-dual-black-green-german-post-tactical-combat-sight-short-picatinny-weaver-version-1.html

For US tactical scopes and red-dots similar to above and battery free, have a look at these:

Trijicon RMR reflex, 7 MOA amber triangle, fiber optic and tritium powered.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/813084/trijicon-rmr-reflex-red-dot-sight-dual-illuminated-7-moa-amber-dot-matte-with-rm34-mount-matte?cm_vc=wishList

Leupold Tactical Prismatic

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/314070/leupold-tactical-prismatic-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-1x-14mm-illuminated-circle-plex-reticle-matte?cm_vc=wishList

The reticule is illuminated with a battery, but it isn't needed to function because it is etched.

R