From what I remember a couple of years back when the 26-2 was the gun everyone had to have, the biggest problem with them was the extremely high comb on the stock. Even with extremely high scope mounts, lots of people had issues. There were some pretty nice recarving jobs done on a lot of those stocks, some of the nicest were modified Tyrolean designs. Apparently, there's plenty of wood for the change.
RE: B26 safe scopes, I seem to recall the Tasco Golden Antler being a popular choice, but it's since been discontinued. I've heard good things about the larger BSA scopes, I'm only familiar with the two 4x models and the 2-7x32. All are nice little scopes, the 4x AO and the 2-7 AO are currently available from Natchez for $25 and $50 ea. The 3-12 is supposed to be nice too, but I've never used one. You might want to have some high mounts on hand in addition to the mediums you already have ordered. Good luck.
Dave