If you're planning on buying mailorder then do yourself a favor and visit a local dealer(s) who has both models. Pick 'em up and shoulder mount both. They feel radically different. I'm looking at the Optima Pro because I like the heft and balance better. It has the old front heavy feel that I like. BTW, you might want to wait on expending a lot of money on that scope and mount. It's not "official" that we'll be able to use scopes on the Alabama primitive weapons hunt yet. I heard there's going to be a lot of political wrangling before the regulations get the final legislative OK. No sense invoking Murphy's wrath.