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

Another scope that hasn't been mentioned is the fixed 4x. It is still as good as ever.

That's the one I like (Leupold 4x) when I don't feel confident about one of several of the last Weaver 2.5Xs I have. I prefer the view and size the Weaver offers over the Leupold. The Weavers have never given any trouble even on the light Ruger #1-S I've shot a good quantity of heavy 45-70 loads through. But�. is it snobbish to think that these $130 scopes are inferior, quality-wise, for this purpose?

I feel a bit silly giving my opinion after John and Phil gave theirs. Like bwinters, I also installed a 2.5-8x36 on my .375 Ruger Alaskan. It's my moose rifle for hunting here in northern BC. I like to lower end for the thick stuff but also like the versatility of being able to crank it up to 8 for load development and if longer shots present themselves. Mine is set up more as a general purpose large game rifle than a dedicated bear/dangerous game rifle though.

Steve, you are not silly at all as the 375 is quite versatile. Since the original question was about a scope for an upcoming Alaskan bear hunt I recommended my choice as an ideal scope for that rifle and that purpose.

Yeah, for general hunts I've used variable scopes up to 3-9x on my .375's.

Whoops! My bear hunt is next year for sure, but I am going to Oregon to chase black bear. Perhaps another year to go to AK for a serious bear. Thanks for the help anyway...

jim

I have a Leupie M8 gloss in 3x with a dot, that I would sell, if anyone is looking for one.

I also have a Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x36mm duplex on my 375 Ruger Guide Gun and like it. Elk hunting in the timber I had it on 2.5 power Last week did a damage control deer hunt and took a mule deer doe at 150yds. with it on 6 power.

It's a custom shop. Call them.

The main scope on my 375 Ruger Alaskan is a Leupold FXII 4X33 HD in low Alaska Arms QD rings. It's backup is a Leupold 2.5X also with a HD, although I don't anticipate needing it any time soon, but you never know, this one could be the first 4x Leupold that I've owned that could possibly fail....

Yeah, it's hard to break 4x Leupolds. I've owned plenty, some mounted for decades rifles that kick as hard or harder than a .375 Ruger, and have yet to encounter any problems.

Just went to Leupold's site again. I didn't see a category for "Compact" riflescopes. I did find a 2.5x20 Ultralight in the "Rimfire/Ultralight" category, but no compacts. Is it possible this compact line is discontinued now?

Just might have found my huckleberry for the Marlin 1895G. It's the Leupold 4x28 FX-I Rimfire. It's just the right size and X for my guide gun. Now just need to go write a note to Santa.

The Ultralight line is Leupold's new name for what were previously called Compacts.

That 4x28 "rimfire" is a trim little scope, actually about 3.5x. It used to be offered as the 4x28 Compact for centerfires, with a slightoly different parallax setting, but eventually not many people were buying them under that name. I used one on my .375 H&H on my first safari, and it worked very well.

Good to know, JB! I'm slated for Zimbabwe next August, combination Cape buff and plains game. I'm planning to take my 375 Ruger African as my sole rifle and shoot everything with it. I have it scoped currently with a Leupold 2.5-8X VX-3, which I figured will work for longer shots on the light stuff and close-in work for buff.

A lot of good choices obviously depending, too, on what you are hunting and expected ranges.
Another choice might be the relatively new Leupold VXR 2-7x33. My 375 currently wears this scope which has a Duplex reticle and two dots on the vertical reticle below the crosshair which for a 375 and a two hundred yard zero gives you three more reference points (including the tip of thick part of vertical reticle) corresponding to three, four, and five hundred yards.

With a load featuring a 260-grain AB or a 250-grain TTSX the above seems to be a pretty usable reticle.

This is a scope I picked after years of elk hunting out west which is where it will be used but it would work well for plains game also.

I used my Ruger Hawkeye African .375 in August on a combo DG-plains game hunt. My .375 also wears a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x, and was used both at 8x for shots approaching 300 yds. to an up-close and personal shot at 10 paces, at 2.5x. Can't imagine a better scope choice if shots are varied in distance.

George, thanks for the heads-up on the VXR. I've been thinking about testing a scope with a red dot feature, but that's a secondary consideration to having reliable standard optics. Your comparison of Rockies elk hunting African plains game seems apt to me, it had occurred to me also.

I'm always amazed by the value of Tasco World Class scopes. It has to be the best cheap scope available. Maybe an article could be written about economy scopes

James, many of these mentioned will work fine. I used a 1.75-6, Leupold VX-3 with a 4a reticle on plains game and it was perfect in the grey Namibian bush. But that rifle and scope went down the road through no fault of their own; rather, my own fickleness.