Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Suggestions on a scope

Hi Guys, just bought a bolt-action 375 H&H. I will be taking it to Africa next summer for Cape Buffalo. Any scope advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Good evening. I am sure you will get a ton of responses but it boils down to how much you want to spend. For Cape buffalo, THE scope in my view is the Leupold 1.75X6X32 (E) with a heavy duplex. Buffalo at 25 yards and a kudu at a lasered 352. j

What Jorge suggested along with these,Leupold 1-4x,1.5-5x,straight 3x and 4x would be good choices also.

Have a Leupold 1-4x on a Winchester Super Express .375 H&H,a Zeiss 4x on a Remington .375 RUM and a Weaver 3x on a Winchester SS .375 H&H.

What I like about the 1,75 is MUCH better light transmission that the 1.5X5, that said, light is not an issue w buffalo.

I used one of these on my .375 H&H last trip and ended up leaving it with my PH who had been coveting it. Never wished for anything else.

Leupold also makes a straight 2.5x. Weaver used to make a 2.5x,it would be a good choice too,if you can find one.

Lots of good info here already, I have a 2.5-8 matte Leupold on my 375, it guides the 270 gr TSX's at 2780 fps to a 200 yard zero, it sits in steel Talley QD rings, the barrel iron sights are dead on at 50 yards with the 300 gr BBW #13 solids, BTW, the solids zeroed at 50 are on at 25 yards too, I can't tell/shoot/see any differences between the two yardages.

This is another combo that would work for all game anyone would point a 375 H&H mag at anywhere in the world.

tmc0304, jorgeI nailed it! Several good choices, but the 1.75-6 would be hard to beat. memtb

I hunted Africa last year and had a Leupold VX-3 in 1.75-6x on my 375 H&H. I shot Impala and Blesbuck @ 200 yards on 1.75x. The PH had me set the scope up to 5 or 6 for Kudu in the mountains, which ended up at a 270 yard shot on a trotting Kudu bull.

The 375 H&H makes a lot of sense. Even for plains game animals. If the distance is going to be far, I don't see any harm in running a 2.5-8x36, 3-9x40, 2.5-10x40, or even a 3.5-10x44. I've tried the M8 4x, 1.5-5 vx3 and the Zeiss conquest 3.5-10x44 on my 375 H&H and have to say I prefer the power range of the 3.5-10x44 more than the others. I see the 375 as a powerful cartridge that has medium to long range capabilities as well as short range capabilities, thus making the higher power scopes very useable in the field. However, this is coming from a 3-9x40 lover. Started out on one and will probably continue using them for as long as I can... Of course YMMV...

You bet BSA, QD's unscrewed, and irons in the thickets.

gunner500, May I supplement your last comment! If I were going with QD's, I'd do exactly what BSA suggested( we use 3.5-10 Leupolds), and use QD's with a low power scope for back-up or close work. Plus, a quality,low power scope "trumps" irons in low light situations. memtb

Thanks for all the advice

Of course, but I shoot steel at 500 yards with ladder barrel sighted Sharps rifles, 8X on the big end has always been plenty for me, especially when most animals we shoot 375's at are as big as a couch , plus I love detaching scopes and shooting express sights with solids.

I've got a VX-II 1x4 Leupold for sale. Matte with Duplex. PM if interested

Lot of good advice, lots of options.

For longer shots, as mentioned, a little more power may be what you want.

My M-70 SS .375 H&H wears a Zeiss Victory 1.5-6x42 in Warne QD's, the gun has NECG irons. It's a larger scope but the glass is great and the 42mm objective is good in any light.

I had a VX-6, 1-6x24, #4 Illuminated. The #4 reticle was too heavy for longer shot, IMO. I sold it. If I got another, it would be a Firedot duplex, the std. duplex is heavy enough. The VX-6 is a great scope, great eyebox and glass quality close to the Victory. It's 30mm and larger, like the Victory.

For smaller scopes, I have several, any of which would work.

One is an older 1.5-5x20, another is a vintage M-8 3X that I sent back for cleaning and #4 reticle. Older scopes but good scopes, both pretty well known to be bullet proof. Glass not Victory or VX-6 quality but plenty good.

Another two are a VX-3, 1.75-6x32 and a VX-3, 2.5-8x36.

IMO, there is no right or wrong choice, just the one that suits you and does what needs going. With QD's, you can take a couple, never a bad idea.

DF

Forgot to ask, what gun did you get?

DF

How do you like that scope? I've read good and bad and am thinking about putting one on a rifle used for close up work.

Rev,

It's a great scope, low power for offhand and quick shooting, 6X for longer shots. It's relatively compact and light weight, has a great Duplex reticle and excellent glass. It would be hard to beat on the OP's .375 H&H, has fairly long ER.

It's a good scope for a bunch of applications, general hunting, etc. I really like mine. It's on an 8 twist .22-250 Shilen/Mohawk that's my truck gun. I had a CDS retrofitted; it's good for fast, quick shots at hogs, etc., good for longer, more deliberate shots at whatever...

It would look good on a 7x57 Florida hog gun, about ideal, IMO...

DF

Yeah, that's sort of what I'm thinking. It might go back to Leupold for a German 4 or Post and Duplex, but I'm thinking it would go great on a M70 Featherweight launching a bunch of 175 grain RN bullets at some piggies in close quarters.

My 1.75-6 is on a SA. Check on how it will fit a LA without having to go to a rail or offset bases, etc. That would be my only concern.

It's pretty long, looks like it may work OK. You never know until you check it out. This Mohawk isn't exactly a LA M-70...

The relatively long ER allows it to be mounted forward, which helps with the LA.

You mentioned good and bad stuff you'd heard. What's the bad?

DF

DF:

I believe the mounting distance is the same as on the 2.5-8. That's what's sitting on it now.

RM

OK, you've answered my question.

It'll work.

DF

That the eye relief isn't even as long as the 2.5-8. But that had to be a misprint on the Leupold website. I don't know what the specs are for the 3i. I haven't looked.

By the way, if I don't put it on the FWT it can always go on the MRC. It's a short action.

I haven't done a lot of comparing, but it doesn't seem short to me. It's sure longer than a Bushnell 4200; I can easily tell the difference. I would have guessed the 2.5-8 and 1.75-6 ER's were the same, or close.

Leupold printed info is famous for not being exact...

DF

I figured it had to be wrong. That 1.75-6 was Finn Aagaard's favorite scope so it must be uber on a 7x57.

Dang, I'm starting to talk like Ingwe.

Careful...

DF

As long as you stay away from the 6.8spc,you'll be fine.

Exorcism?

Yup,can do that also.

Going on a Winchester Model 70

As long as you stay with 7x57's, owning several is OK, even "uber" Loony...

But, when one day you realize you have several .223AI's, including McFlames, let us know.

We may need to put together a Campfire intervention...

DF

Then y'all can do an exorcism...on me!!

How many .223AI McFlames in your safe..??

DF

How about a 2x4 instead?

A Leupold 1x-4x is on my Winchester M 70 Super Express .375 H&H.

Always a good choice for a big gun.

Good scope and tough.

DF

Yup,have one on my .460 Wby.

Pics of the .460 and Leupold 1x-4x.

Where's the one with the dead wabbit?

DF

Right here,no scope though.

First rabbit killed with my .460.

Probably not a lot of blood shot meat there.... . I remember shooting a rabbit (cottontail) with my 338 win mag. Put it right behind the shoulder and made a nice little hole going in and going out. Rabbit was DRT and you could eat up to the hole.....

BSA,I shot some rabbits with a .340 Wby,had pieces parts falling out of the sky.

DF,

That or a 300 magnum on rabbits is precisely how you decorate the landscape shrubbery for the Holiday seasons.

Yup!

Another good one that no one thinks about is the Vortex Viper PST 1-4x24 . I had this scope on my 458 lott and it held up. The glass is just as clear as a VX-3 and it is tough. It has 4" of eye relief and this particular reticle is amazingly fast to point and shoot.


Reticle

For a 375,you would be good with anything from 4-10 power, depending on the game and landscape.

The only thing is it is a little heavy, but that didn't seem to bother me and they have THE best warranty. Yes, even better than Leupold warranty.

You see ole Elmer not using a scope on his wabbit gun, either.

DF

Elmer was a far better man than I am.