Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Scope for 375 h&h

For years I have wanted a 375 H&H with a plan to use it for elk and bears and possibly Africa one day. Got a little play money in the pocket and no time like the present so the search for a rifle is on.

Looking for advice on alpha level glass to put on it as I know nothing about scoping a big bore type rifle.

I like straight 30mm tube scopes with a 24mm objectives on my H&H length actions. Power ranges of 1.1-4, 1-5, 1-6 types. The straight tubes allow me to adjust for my eye relief without extension rings. Individual scopes are like cartridges, everyone has their favorites.

I would go with either a straight 4x or a 1.5x5.

I ran a VX-II 3-9x40 for the longest time on mine. Then switched a few years ago to a VX-5 1-5x24. No flies on either one.

1.5-5x20mm in Talley's on mine going on 20 years now...

I put a VX3 1.5x 5 on mine. If I had it to do over again I would put the 2.5x 8 on it instead. Particularly when sighting in or just shooting for fun I have come to prefer more magnification as I get older. I have never hunted with that rifle, or rather, I have yet to hunt with that rifle, but most of my hunting here in Montana is in pretty wide open spaces where the extra magnification would also help. YMMV.

Unless your plans “only” include very close range shooting......it’s darn hard to beat a Leupold 2.5-8 scope. Low enough power for close shots, with plenty of magnification for the maximum ranges you’re likely to use your H&H for. I used one on my 375 AI for many years, held up under the recoil very well, and was used on game (including varmints) from approximately 15 feet to elk at 400 yards....could easily be used on big game to 500 yards.

About 7 years ago we went to 3.5-10 Leupold’s, as our hunting areas changed, giving opportunities for much longer shoots and less opportunities for close range shots! memtb

i have had a 3X Lyman All American scope with a post and crosshair reticle on my Krieghoff .375 H&H double rifle for 50 years now and have never wanted anything larger.



Were I to pick a variable, it would be a Leupold VXIII 1 1/2-5X, like the one I have on my Krieghoff 9.3X74R double rifle.

I've had a 1.5-5 Leupold on mine for over 20 years. Never fails, rarely have to to adjust it and can easily hit rocks out to 300 yards. Farthest I have taken it.

2.5x8 Leupold on mine.

I like the 2.5x8 (VX3). It sits low on the rifle and doesn't snag much. There is plenty of field of view at the low end and enough magnification at the upper end to work at distance or for range work. I do wish it were a little brighter but I can live with it. I wouldn't dream of going with anything lower. I did try a Meopro 3x9 for a while and while I preferred the glass I ended up swapping the VX3 back because the slightly smaller scope just fit the rifle better for it's intended use.
You owe me 2 cents.

For light gathering, this one is pretty good. One Africa hunter commented this would be a great leopard gun, M-70 Classic .375 H&H with Zeiss Victory 1.5-5x42 in Warne QD's. It has NECG irons.

To me, the 1.5-5x20, while much lighter and handier, just doesn't have the dim light advantage of the larger scope. This rig has been posted a number of times. I realize the scope cost more than the gun, but I got it used for about a third of retail. They're out there. I got the gun here on the Classifieds, had Karl Kampfeld chop to 21" and flute. That helped the balance and handling a bunch. NH Classic .375 24" barrels are too heavy IMO. But they shoot way too good to swap out. Some smiths don't want to turn down a barrel that has screw holes for sights. And, staying with the original contour is a good thing for the EOM stock. I generally don't like Tupperware, but the shape of this one is pretty good, handles well. I did re-do the "hot glue" factory bedding, replaced it with Steel Bed. I tweaked the old style M-70 trigger to a clean 3#'s with min overtravel, which is about as light as I'd want on a gun like this.

DF

Dirtfarmer,
The Zeiss Victory 1.5-6x42’s are great scopes. The 42mm does have advantages over the smaller objective same quality glass.
This is probably a scope that would work for me, on any of my rifles.
But, for my H&H length actions, I don’t have the room to get the eye relief that I like. And that is for rearward movement of the scope, with the bases and rings that I use. Therefore, I stick with the straight tubes with the 24mm objectives. I give up some low light advantages, but for my distances and game it has not been severely hampering.

My son has one of the Zeiss 1.5-6x42’s his M70, 375 H&H and 375 Ruger. Works for him on the H&H with the same bases and rings that I use. He really likes that scope and #4 reticle.

If everything fit right for me, I would try a 2-10’ish type with a 42mm objective. Provided that it offered 50’ or greater field of view on the lowest power. I really like the 90’ and more field of views, when really up close.

Ditto the recommendation for the Leupold 2.5-8x36mm Vari-X III of the past that I used in the 1980's to take caribou at 350 yards with a .340 WBY
on a .375 WBY used as a Kodiak Deer Rifle, and on the featherweight .375 H&H that knocked around Alaska in 1990's and Botswana in 2001,
and on the wildcat .395 Tatanka (.395/.416 Rigby) that went to Tanzania in 2010 for plains game.
I own 7 of those scopes in various finishes and reticles, and selected it originally because it just seemed right. And it was.
I have never busted or sent one of those back to Leupold for repair or replacement, though I cannot say the same for other Leupold scopes.

There is a rich little Arab prince that uses that make of scope,
He claims to have used one for over 20 years straight on the same .375/404J wildcat rifle for annual month-long African safaris.
At one time, he claimed he had never had to adjust the zero after 2 decades of that abuse, including at the hands of his sidekicks and camp staff,
including an annual end-of-safari camp staff shooting contest in which some will bang the scope with their noggins.
Hard to believe even a Leupold 2.5-8x36mm could take that kind of licking and not miss a tick or a tock.
The Arab hardly ever missed, and was admittedly gifted in his abilities with shotgun and rifle.

That scope has a tube length that will barely fit into the CZ 550 Magnum OEM ring spacing.
It will work on just about anything.

I have only had one embarrassing miss in my life, on game, and it was not with a Leupold 2.5-8x36mm Vari-X III.

Here's the 2-10 version on my .300 Win Mag Ed Brown Damara in steel Talley QD type rings without the levers. Gun has no irons, so doesn't need QD levers.. This type Talley can be removed without loss of zero.

DF

My .375s ... the first was old, a 3 digit serial numbered Win 70, and wore a receiver sight, not optics. After that, the rest, 'til the last, had Leupold VariX II 3-9Xs 1" tube, 40 mm objective, scopes on them. Good balance for my use. The last had a Leupold 4.5-14X B&C, non-AO, 1" tube, 40mm objective, in Leupold dual dovetail B&R. Plenty of eye relief even at 14x, and enough magnification for load workup. At 4.5X, as much field of view as I could use. So .. might not be someone else's choice but it fit me perfectly.

Tom

I have a M8 -4x on mine and I think that's a nice scope for a 375. I prefer fixed power scopes, but I have variables - only because they're easier to find. Any variable on my rifle will stay at one power, usually between 4x and 6x - except prairie dog rifles.

Yep, the 2.5-10x42 is a favorite. I have one with a # 4 on a M70 Classic 7mm WSM. And an unmounted 2.5-10x50 with a # 40 illuminated reticle. I use the Talley detachable with screw lock on all my M70’s, without or without sights.
The 375 Ruger & 416 Rugers, due to the shorter distance between rings; I have used 1.5-6x42 Kahles & Zeiss, 1.5-8x42 Schmidt & Bender, and various 1.1-4x24’s.

I have no issues with the 1.1-4x24’s. I have had a Kahles 1.1-4x24 on a 375 Ruger for many years. A Schmidt & Bender 1.1-4x24 on a M70 stainless re-barrel 416 Remington. A Swarovski 1-6x24 on a M70 375 H&H, and other straight tubes on other rifles.
I like the straight tubes. I generally hunt where 225 yds is the absolute maximum shooting distance, usually much closer.
I have variables up to 10x with 42-50mm objectives on some rifles through .338 caliber. But, also have a straight tube or two on some also.

If, I were going to use my 375 H&H for a multi-purpose rifle, I would mount a Swarovski 1.7-10x42 Plex reticle with or without illumination. I consider this scope a pretty much do-all, set & forget for me. Great low end field of view, plenty of high end magnification for me, and excellent optical view to me. Eyes differ and tastes differ, and both have a habit of changing over time.

Edit to add:
The Swarovski would be with the 2nd generation Plex. The first generation was way too thin.

I have a meopta 3-9x40 on my stainless classic.

I started with a Leupold VXIII 1.5-5 on my 375 H&H Dakota. Hunted with it for (7) African safaris.

I switched to a Leupold VX3i 2.5-8 and have enjoyed it much more. My last hunt in Zambia I took my open sighted 404 Jeffery Dakota for Buffalo, and my 375 with the 2.5-8 for all the rest of the PG. Shooting at 200 yds. and longer, I appreciated the higher power vs. the 1.5-5. As it turned out, the closest we could get to my Buffalo was 100 yds. I handed off my open sighted 404 for my scoped 375 so I could get the precise bullet placement I wanted, and killed the Bull. 300 gr. SAF through the heart. Dead with one shot. I'm not sure at all that I could have shot as precisely with the 404. I have taken two Buffalo with my 404 on other safaris at closer ranges.

I did the same thing years ago in Zim hunting Buffalo, handing off my open sighted Ruger 458 Lott for my scoped Ruger 375 H&H on a long shot with a successful conclusion.

For me, I always take a 40+ caliber for DG, so the 375 is used as my PG rifle (and DG backup, if the big bore has any mechanical problems, or if I need a scope for distance).

If I were hunting DG primarily with the 375, I guess the 1.5-5 would be just fine.

My most used 375, a 20” barrel 375 Ruger, has a 1.1-4x24 Kahles on it. It has been in place for many years.
I am tempted to put a 1.5-6x42 Kahles or Zeiss on it. But, I keep going back to “don’t fix what ain’t broke”.
I have a 375 Ruger, 23” barrel, with a Schmidt & Bender 1.5-8x42 Stratos with FD-4 reticle. After sending this scope back and replacing the illumination control to a rotary dial, is a favorite scope. The H&H actions, as mentioned prior I use straight tubes.

The illuminated Leica Magnus 1-6.3 straight tube, in my opinion is an outstanding scope. I have one on a 416 Ruger.

The Swarovski 1-6x24’s with #4 illuminated also seem very good. I have one of the no longer made EE versions on a 458 Lott.

The Schmidt & Bender 1.1-4x24 with the FD-7 is also a great scope in my opinion.

The Leupold 1-5x24 Vx5 HD with standard duplex optically seems pretty damn good. And that is comparing with all the above mentioned. I put this on a Marlin 45-70, not sighted in yet. But, for me it would be just as good on a 375 H&H.

I've got a 2-7x Bushnell on mine and it's allways on 7x. Very rarely it will touch my head if I shoot in from a sitting position ie sitting on the ground and supporting my elbows on my knees.

1 3/4 to 6 leupold on mine and the last elk had no idea what hit him. or the last 20 to 25 hogs. the heavy cross hairs work really good in low light or foggy weather. probably have 3 to 400 rounds out the old gun. be well, D O M I T !

For the price of one S&B scope that I own, I could buy a dozen Nikon P3 3-9x40mm BDC Shotgun scopes with 100-yard parallax.
They have 5" of eye relief.
They have replaced the old SlugHunter and InLine scopes from Nikon.
I shot over 400 rounds of .458 WinMag with one of those Nikon SlugHunter scopes, some 50-yard-3-shot bugholes with over 6000 ft-lbs muzzle energy on an 8-pound naked .458 WM loaded long-COL.
The slender O-ring in front of the objective lens started to extrude on the old SlugHunter, though it was still holding zero.
I sent it back to Nikon and pronto they sent back the new P3 shotgun replacement, the improved version, no charge.
Now has better adjustment turrets and covers of machined aluminum alloy instead of plastic.
I have continued to pound that Nikon P3.
No problems.
The cross-hair and 4-circle BDC reticle works nicely.
My only gripe about it is that it has short tube length for mounting so may require extension rings if not on a Picatinny base,
and it is a little bulkier and heavier than a Leupold 2.5-8x36mm, yet the latter allows longer ring spacing in mounting.

Illuminated reticles: OK for light recoil rifles but never seem to be covered by manufacturer warranty. Must be a reason for that.

All-time favorite scopes I would put on any rifle or have one of them as backup scope for any rifle, ring-matched and pre-zeroed:

Leupold: 2.5x20mm ... got 6 of them
Leupold: 1.5-5x20mm ... got 3 of them
Leupold: 2.5-8x36mm ... got 7 of them

Nikon: 1-4x20mm ... got 4 of them
Nikon: 1-4x24mm ... got 2 of them
Nikon: 1.1-4x24mm ... got 1 of them
Nikon: 3-9x40mm P3/Shotgun, SlugHunter, InLine ... got 4 of them

Leupold: 35 mounted (various)
Sightron: 15 mounted (all different models, no clear favorites, good scopes)
Nikon: 18 mounted (latest purchases)
Add a few Zeiss, NightForce, and S&B.

I knew Leupold first, then discovered Sightron, and lately Nikon has been coming on strong in the durability category.
Those are best for my money and kicks.

A 1.75-6x Leupold has done everything I needed on mine. I like the idea that if I accidentally leave it on 6x I can still make almost any shot. Keep in mind the 375 shoots about as flat as a 30-06 with 180 grain bullets so don't go too low on power although a 2.5 or 3x would not handicap you much if any on longer shots. Capstick stuck a 3-9x Bushnell on his and I thought that was nuts, but after seeing how versatile the 375 truly is it makes perfect sense.

My choice: 2.5x fixed. Nothing variable.

Unlike larger calibers, the 376 has some range capability. I'd use a 3-9 or something similar, unless only Cape Buffalo are on your menu.

Using 350gn projectiles, the 416Rigby makes a fine plains game cartridge too, although more so out of convenience.

I have a 50 years old Winchester 70 in 375 H&H that has its original scope, an equally old 2-7x28 Leupold Vari-X with a post and crosshair reticle. I'd put a newer Leupold 2-7x with a heavy duplex reticle on a new 375. I put a pair of them on a matched pair of Interarms Mark X mannlichers that I put together in 7x57 and 9.3x62, intending to take them of Africa in place of the 6.5x55 and 375 that I took the first time.