Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scope for a 358W?

Have a nice little light, short barreled TCR single shot in 358 Winchester. Like the gun a lot, debating the scope. Needs to be rather small scope, 50 or 56 mm lenses here, just would not look right. I do not need that kind of magnification - this is a woods gun for whitetail, probably never shoot over 200 yards. Been thinking something like a Leupold 2.5-8X36 size/magnification. Or a Maven RS 2? Or a fixed power 6X or 8X? Thoughts/suggestions/brand? Thinking best at low light dawn and dusk within size limits.

Thanx
RAS

I have had good luck using a straight 6x in similar hunting conditions.

I have a 358 Win, Mine has a Leupold VX 1 2-7 that was on the gun when I bought it. No complaints at all, never tried it right at dusk to see how well it gathers light. But in my opinion you are on the right track with what you are thinking

I used a VX2 2-7 on mine.

Have had a Sav 99 in 358 for years. Had a Weaver K4W on it for a lot of years, then a Bushell Scopechief 4x. Currently, it’s got a Leupold 2-7 on it that I bought about 5 years ago. The Leupold is a tight fit in the Weaver rings on that rifle. The other scopes were never a problem.

Dale

I like this Trijicon on my Pre-64 FWT .358 W.

This one is an AccuPoint 3-9x40. At lower power in the woods, the bright dot shows up well. At higher power, it's all this round will ever need. Glass is very good and bright.

DF

I had both a Leupold 2.5-8x36 and then a Swaro z3 3-9x36 on my .358. Both puked in short order. Now wears a Nightforce SHV3-10x42 and it works great. I love the illuminated Forceplex in dark woods.

Leupold 2-7

Leupold 3.5x10 on these 358’s

Japan made Bushnell 3200 2-7x32 with Fire-Fly reticle. Discontinued, of course, but can be picked up used sometimes and - to my mind - not to be passed up.

My Savage 99 had a Leupold 1.5x5 and my Mauser had a Leupold 2.5x8

3 358's here. 700 has a Leupold 1.75x6, Savage 99 has an early Nikon Monarch 2x7 and a converted rebarrelled Sako Finnwolf has a Leupold 1.5x5. Plenty of magnification for the ranges I use theses at. The 358 properly loaded is capable of 300 yard shots but I have never killed game over 100 yards while hunting with these guns.

The best scope I have ever owned....have one 10 years old and still has a bright dot the last minutes of shooting light....

My BLR came with a 3-9 Burris. But I have since replaced it with a Redfield in 2-7×32.
The Redfield sits lower on the gun after I replaced the medium rings with lows

I've had various Leupolds (VX2 2-7, FX 6x42, M8 4x, VXIII 1.75-6), a Nikon Monarch 4x40, and currently a S&B 1.1-5 on my .358. I doubt the S&B will ever be taken off of it.

If I were starting from scratch I'd go with the SHV 3-10 with illum Forceplex. It's not the lightest weight but it's very compact, has decent glass, a good reticle for a woods gun, and has proven very reliable for me.

Those have a great reputation for solid performance, holding zero and tracking well.

If anyone has had other experiences with these scopes, would love to hear about it.

They're not cheap, but not off the chart expensive. They are a solid value.

DF

I have a trijicon 3-9 green mil dot and I love it.

I’ve used several scopes on my .358.... Leupold 2.5-8, Zeiss Conquest 1.8-5.5.... for the last few years it’s had a 3-10x42 Swaro AV.

The Leup 2.5-8 has some good qualities for sure but it’s not great in low light. I’m liking the Swaro.

I have an early NF 3-10 SHV (non-illum) and I gotta say, it’s not great in low light either. Maybe they’ve improved the glass. In that weight class I’d be real curious to try a Zeiss V4 3-12x44. I have several other V4’s and they are really good scopes optically, including in very low light.

(I mention low light because my .358 is my jungle gun and low light performance is a key factor.... In November in the PNW in low overcast drizzle it can and does get really dark well before last legal light.)

I have a Leupold FXII 2.5X on my .358 Winchester. Works well.

A discontinued Vortex Razor 1.5-8. When I see another for the right price, I'll buy it and put it on my 358 BLR. I just put one on a 7x57 carbine.

Dan