Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Scopes for heavy kickers

After reading John Barsness’ article on the realities of scope manufacture, I tried to post a question there; but it didn’t take. I am not a shooter enamored of high magnification scopes and can take or leave a variable. My favorite scope on a Winchester 7x57 has been the Leupold M8 2.5 fixed power, but it seems to be no longer offered. I have not used a scope on a rifle with heavier recoil than a .300 Magnum. My .338 Winchester and .375 H&H rifles have been shot with iron sights. (I may be one of the last shooters who actually hunts with aperture sights on some occasions.) My eyes, however, are not what they used to be. My question is: What is a good recommendation for a fixed low-power scope for harder kicking rifles? I am particularly interested in the ruggedness of the scope.I shoot these rifles several hundred rounds per year. Not as much as some; but probably more than average.
On a separate note; I recently acquired a pre-64 Model 70 atop which was mounted a Weaver KV60 2.5/5x scope. There is limited information on this scope. Any comments or information would be appreciated.

Like Tom Dempsey and Sebastian Janikowski?

Sorry. I don’t know who those people are.
If anyone would like to address the question, I’d appreciate it.

wrongtime, the logical answer would be a new Leupold FXII 4X33 if you like the 2.5. That or look on ebay for a used 3x Leupold. powdr

I've used several types of scopes on .375 H&H and also the .404 Jeffery.....the scopes ranged from seriously cheap to the higher end Leupolds.....all of them worked fine.....

If I was to put a new scope on a .375 H&H today it'd be this one.....yes it's a variable but they are extremely reliable and no one says you have to use the variable part....just set it where you want it and forget it.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019637556/leupold-vx-freedom-rifle-scope-3-9x-40mm-matte

Either a Leupold 1-4x or a 1.5-5x.

Have Leupold 1-4x on my .460 Wby.

I use 6x42 Leupolds on most of my rifles that I consider brisk "kickers": .300 WM, .340 Weatherby, and a .358 Norma. This has been discussed ad nauseam around here, but the 6x42 has gracious eye-relief and a very generous eye-box making it easy to get behind. I have a Leupold 2.5 Compact on a very lightweight 45/70 and it works pretty well, though it's a far cry from the 6x42 optically. I use an older M8 3X on a trim .416 RM and much prefer it to the 2.5 Compact, though I've often considered exchanging it for a 6x42.

Over in the Optics Forum one of the posters says that the Leupold VX3 1.75-6X is the "toughest variable power scope they make".
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...bout-the-leupold-vx3-1-75-6#Post13091944

I have used the same Leupold 2.5-8 on my rifle until about 5 years ago (22 or 23 years), when I upgraded. The scope never gave a problem, with quite a few rounds fired in that period of time. My rifle (unbraked, 9.0 pound .375 AI) using a recoil formula....has approx. 3 times the recoil of a 30-06 of equal weight. I satisfied that Leupold builds a pretty recoil resilient rifle scope! memtb

Thank you all very much for the replies. Sounds like I’ll be staying with Leupold.

I have an old 505 Gibbs that has broken the cam/cams? in two 1.5-5 Leupolds, I've been told here the Leupold 3X scopes from the custom shop will indeed hold, since I'll shoot couch sized animals with that rifle at less than 50 yards, I'll just use the iron sights, it's a bruiser in more ways than one.

We had a BSA 4X on a .450 Marlin Guide Gun. Only $29.99 and that thing never did quit!

Good for you but I’d want to spend more for my scope than the money in gas it took to get to where I was hunting. To the OP, I’ve been very happy with my old VX 3 1.75-6 on a .375. Well over 1500 rounds by now.

I’d look for an older M8 4x or 2.5 from EBay. Those along with the M8 6x’s seem to be the only scopes I can’t break from Leupold.

just buy a Nightforce scope, I have nightforce scopes on some heavy recoil rifles no problems ever.

I've used Leupold 1.5x5; 2.5x8; Nikon Monarch 2.5x8; Zeiss 3x9; Weaver 1x4; (Bushnell Sportview 4x on a .458 held up beautifully, about $24 at the time!) Burris 2x7, and the Leupold 2.5x. I tried to stay around the lower powers on the .40 and up calibers, the 8-9X was fine on the .375s. Good luck to you pard!

Agree on the Leupold M8s, and I’ve found the 4x28 to be bullet proof. I have owned and used them since 1972.

The only issue is the graduations on the adjustments are not that great, and it often takes more time and ammo to sight one in. But once set, zero doesn’t move, IME.

Have had a 6-20X Leupold on my 30-378 for about 15 yrs. Worked fine, but I swapped it out to try one of the Ziess Z-plex units this spring. Might put the 6-20 on one of my ground squirrel 22 LR's. Have not fired the Ziess yet.

My most authoritative stomper is a Marlin Guide gun in 45-70 that I made the mistake of hopping up the loads. 2.5X Leupold Scout scope there, and it's been rock solid.

Probably my hardest recoiling rifle is my Guide Gun .45-70 with 400 grain Speers over a large dose of Varget. I have had a Leupold (VX1?) 1-4 Shotgun/muzzle loader scope on it since new, more than 20 years. It’s never so much as hiccuped.

Have a 1-4 leupold for 125 shipped. If you wanted to spend the cash
A nightforce is the tuffest.