Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scope for a .338 Win Mag?

Have a new .338 in Ruger No.1. Looking for ideas on the right scope choice for it. Thinking of a VXIII 3.5-10.

Have a Leupold 2.5x Ultralight on my Super Grade .338 Win mag.

Good idea.

I have a 1.75x6 VX III on my .338.
Was used a lot in the boreal forest hunting moose.

I ran a Leupold 2.5x8 on two .338's and wouldn't change a thing.

Good power range, small package and great eye relief.

This.

VX-3, 2.5X8X36

I had to use extension rings to get the variable scopes far enough away from my face to avoid getting whacked above the eye during recoil from my light 338s. One time I got scope eyebrow anyway shooting uphill from a bad rest. The extension rings worked OK but now I'm back to the fixed power scopes because, without the variable ring, they can be mounted far enough forward using standard rings.

I have a new Tikka T-3 Big Boar .338 WIN MAG on its way and plan to use a VX-2 2-7x33mm CDS. Figure the 2x power for pig hunting in the brush but 7x should be good for all the rest.

On my .338 WM......a Zeiss Conquest in the obsolete 2.5x8x32.

SWFA 3-9 is what is on my 338 WM. They are bomb-proof and exactly what I need/want for hunting.

That being said, I used to run an old Leupy M8 6x42. If I was going to get a Leupold for a big kicker like the 338 WM, I would get a fixed power 6x or 4x. They are much more rugged then the variable scopes. I absolutely destroyed a Vari-X 3-9 on my 338 and had to send it back to get rebuilt. IMHO, it is not worth the risk of having a scope blow up on you when you need it, that is why I got the SWFA.

This or if you have the money the VX6 2X10.

I always ran Leupold VX-I/2 3-9-40 on mine and never had any issues. Weight, size, eye relief was good. I shot the crap out of them as well with no issues.

Lot's of good info and idea's there! Thanks for your input.

+1 or +2 or whatever... I have a VX3 2.5x8 on my custom 700 in .338. Perfect match.

If you go that route, check out the new Weaver Grand Slam 2-8x36...looks promising.

I mounted a Swaro Z6i 1.7-10 x42 on my .338. It has served me well in Africa.

I have a Bushnell 4200 3x9 on my model 70 338,have used it for several years with no problems.

I run an Elite 4200 2.5-10x40 with Fire fly reticle on one and a Burris FFII 3-9x40 with ballistic plex reticle on the other (Pre 64 model 70 "Alaskan"). Here's how she shoots with that glass:



I've never had a problem with these Burris FFII's or the Elite 4200 series scopes either. Good scopes for the money...

I have used three scopes on my .338 ( a Rem AWR) and liked them all. Started with a B&L Elite 4200 2.5-10, later a Kahles Helia-C 3-9, but now have a Swarovski habicht 3-9x36 on it in Talley LW's. I like this scope the best, lighter than either before, good eye relief and better (in my opinion) glass.

Leupy fixed 3x or 4x. My .338 has killed every variable I have used except one. A Leupy Vari-X III 2.5-8x I bought new in 83 for the same rifle. It worked fine but I didn't like how close it was to my face in the Ruger rings. I switched to a M8 4X eventually after several different variables went kaput. Its far enough away I can shoot prone with no worries and has never bobbled. Also it seemed I would set whichever scope I had on 4x and forget about it anyway.