Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Mule Deer: scope for .375 Ruger

John,

I am putting a new scope on my .375 Ruger African for a bear hunt next year. The Zeiss variable I had went back to the factory. I usually go with a Leopold, but do you have a reliable scope to recommend?...Please and thank you...

jim

I am not John but do know a little about bear hunting, scopes and the 375 Ruger.
My 1st choice is the little 2 1/2 X Leupold compact. It is tough and lightweight and if you need to magnify a bear more than 2 1/2 times you need to stalk closer.

My 2nd choice is a tossup between the 1-4 or 1.5x5 Leupold Vari-X

SWFA Super Sniper 1-4x or 1-6x. The reticle's illumination uses a 2032 coin battery, lasts about a week if left on. The cap contains a spare battery. If you can't see that reticle's red ring on 1x you're too blind to be hunting anything.

Jim,

Pretty much what Phil said, though I'd also throw the 3x20 Leupold into the mix as a choice, probably before the variables but also probably behind the 2-1/2x.

I forgot to mention the Leupold 3x and two of my hunters this past spring had them on their 9.3x62 rifles, as did I.

How does the 2.5x and the 3x compare?

I had an older 3x on my rifle and like it better than the new version due to a bit longer eye relief on mine. The 3x has a larger eye piece, which may be of benefit for some folks but if the 2.5 is set up correctly there is not much to choose between them optically. The 2.5 is a little lighter weight, smaller and cheaper.

And the longer eye relief and lower magnification of the 2.5x gives it a more flexible "eye box."

I have both the old and new versions of the 3x and though there are differences due to the slightly higher magnification/narrower field of the new version, I haven't been able to tell much difference when hunting. Do like the click adjustments and brighter optics of the new version, but never found the old one hard to zero.

JB and Phil, Thank you two for your recommendations...

jim

Well on my lite 375H& Sako I ran a low power bushnell on it, then for a lark I put a 1.5x4.5 Tasco world class on it, and have not failed it yet, so it stayed on and has been on for a quite a while and more than a few loads, from 235 grain bullets up to 300 grain Partition bullets, or 300 grain barnes.

So it works for me.
Haven't lost a bear or moose yet with it, most hunting up the Alaska Highway.

Fixed power equals less issues. That being said on my 9.3X62 I have a Burris Signature Safari 1.75X5. Bullet proof. Another scope that I trust is a Kahles Helia 2X7X32. Both in a #4 reticle. Unfortunately both are no longer made and only available used.

Not Mule Deer, but my 375 Weatherby wears a Leupold VX-I 2-7 that suits it well.

Education thru humor. I could really enjoy being in your camp. I'm assuming black bears are not rioting in your neck of the woods.

I'm not Mule Deer either but have a Leupy 2.5-8 on mine. It rides at 3-4x most of the time but really like the higher magnification for sighting it in - thats about the only use for higher power on a larger cartridge rifle. This is my second 2.5-8 on a hard kicker and they've held up fine.

That 1.75x5 sig safari was one of the best scopes Burris ever made. I have a posilock version on my Ruger African.

Yeah, that 1.75-5x was a very tough scope. I used one on a bunch of hard-kicking rifles, including a .416 Rigby, and never had a problem.

Just went to Leupold's website and didn't find any 2.5x or 3x scopes except for the scout scope, and I don't want t scout scope. Where do you guys find these scopes? Would love a little fixed-power Leupold on my Marlin 1895G.

Look for the 2.5 under the Compact line.
The 3x is a custom shop item, OR in stock at SWFA.

I didn't know Leopold was making a fixed 3X again, so I went to their website and used the search function. No joy on the 3X search, but 2.5X finds their FX-II IER 2.5X28 and the FX-II Ultralight 2.5X20. Is the 3X a Custom Shop option?

thanks...

jim

3X Leupold can be purchased from SWFA