Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Not enough scope?

Input from you seasoned Africa hands please!

First Africa hunt is scheduled for early next summer. Plains game. South Africa. Am particularly interested in gemsbok, kudu and of course.... WARTHOG!

Had planned on taking my much appreciated .375 H&H Ruger Number One. It's become my "bear rifle" and I really like it. The rifle shoots well and I have no problem shooting it or hunting with it.

Recently though I stumbled across a rather nice custom Model 70, also in .375 H&H. I was not looking for it, but it went home with me anyway. Today I topped it with a little 2.5x Leupold, stolen from one of my lever action rifles. It's mounted in QD rings. I shoot the iron sights well at 50 yards, not so great at longer distances.



The lightweight little scope is a favorite of mine for modest distance hunting. It has worked well for me out to about 200 yards in the past.

Is it enough for gemsbok & kudu in South Africa? Likely hunting gemsbok west of Kimberly and kudu might be on the Eastern Cape.

I was sorely tempted to mount a 6x Leupold, with the 36mm obj. Often I hunt with a fixed 6x, and really enjoy using them. My 6x 42mm Leupold has too big an objective bell to clear the quarter rib on this rifle, but I think the 36 will just clear it.

What do you experienced African hunters say?

Oh, and yes, I realize a .375 is not needed for plains game. My good old .30-06 would likely do just fine, but by golly, I've got a .375, so it's going to Africa. The question now becomes which one, and with which scope?

The Number One has a 1.5-5x Leupold BTW.

Thanks! Guy

Guy- Ingwewife successfully completed her first two African Safaris with a Leupold 1-4X variable that I had set on 2.5 power (To this day she doesnt know it is a variable and has any other settings.... )

I have done three safaris with iron sights only....

Guess what I'm gonna tell you.....

Oh....the 1.5-5x Leupold is not to be despised, the remainder of my safaris were all conducted with that scope alone....

What Mr. Leopard thong said....Except I'll add with the exception of sitting in a cat blind in low light... For your stated application, you have a good choice.

Guy,

Why don't you go out and shoot some varmints with the scope during the interim and see how it works?

A lot depends on the shooter's eyesight. Mine is OK, even though I wear glasses. I've personally taken several pronghorns with 2.5x scopes out to 350 yards with no problems, and one caribou with iron sights at 350.

Most African hunting, especially plains game, isn't done in as dim light as a lot of North American hunting. A lot of people would hesitate going after gemsbok in open country (as much of it is around Kimberley) with a 2.5x, but oryx stand right out and are a hell of a lot bigger than pronghorns. The real test would more likely be kudu in the Eastern Cape, where it can be real brushy and the shots can be across canyons.

Personally, I wouldn't hesitate, but I've used irons exclusively on one safari, as has Ingwe on one or two, and ANY scope is something of an advantage over irons. I prepared for that safari by taking my .375 (now your .375) shooting prairie dogs. I suspect your confidence level would go up considerably after taking some rodents and maybe a coyote or two with the 2.5x.

On the plus side of the 2.5x Leupold is that they apparently never break. Phil Shoemaker has been using one for many years on Ol' Ugly, his .458 Winchester, and used it out to 400 yards on animals his clients wounded. Oh, and I have one on my own .375 H&H!

I've hunted Africa just once so I am no expert. I used a .375 (just because) with a 1.75-6x Leup. I took nine plains game species, the furtherest of which was a very nice Kudu at about 200 yards. Because this was very brushy country (and most of the shots were in closer), my warthog was taken at about thirty yards and we stalked to within about fifteen yards without shooting of several eland. My scope never went above 2x. Incidently, I had a 4a reticle (Leup's own version) and that turned out to stand out very well against the ubiquitous brown-grey background of Namibia's winter.

The scope will work...just take it. I have a 1-4x leupold shotgun scope. It went to RSA, in 2008, on my 45-70 GG. The scope was then mounted to my Ruger no.1 375 H&H mag, and went to Zim, in 2011. That scope helped me take 7 head of plains game, plus tuskless ele and a cow cape buff. As long as the shots are 200 yds. and less, no issues. JMHO.


maddog

Huh.

Seems I may need a new scope for my poor old .30-30 now... Just keep this 2.5x on the Model 70. Okay!

John, "your" .375 Number One did a mighty fine job on a rockchuck last summer at about 100 yards, with a 300 gr Sierra and the 1.5-5x. I have no idea what the scope was set at when I shot. The rockchuck however was setting somewhere else after it was hit.

Terrible problem to face, having two good .375's but I'll do my best to cope.

Jorge - I did not know that "Ingwe" meant "leopard thong." It's got to be very difficult to remove a leopard's thong!

Guy

Guy, take the no.1, trust me, you'll be glad you did.....



maddog

Not many are capable of it.

How do you think I got the handle?

That to me, is the optimum power range for a 375. I have the same scope on one of mine. With it I've shot buffalo at 25 yards to a kudu at 350.

damn I wanna go to Africa so bad. My number one begs me for it everytime I open the safe. The other 375 H&H stainless bolt gun begs for a bear trip to Alaska too. Maybe one day.

You win't gettin' younger and Africa ain't gettin' cheaper....

MD, don't you think a 6X would be better, or maybe a 12X? What about a timer:)

Walking across/through/on/in Alaska's tundra won't be easier in ten years either, unless your mommy is overseeing your computer time at the moment.

Those tussocks will kick your azz.

very true fellas, just can't swing the $$$ at the present. I'm hoping in a year or two I can have enough saved up. I don't wanna skimp when I go. I know I cant afford a DG hunt but I wanna be able to make the most of it whenever I get to go

You have several options, the only wrong choice is not to make the trip!

The 2.5X will work just fine, although I'd prefer a little more magnification. Personally, I'd gladly hunt the rest of my days with a fixed 6X if that's what I had and never have an issue.

As for clearing the quarter rib with your 6 x 42 - try high rings!

What is so incredible about a 375 is the versatility. Especially for me after I fell in love with the 270 TSX. All of the scopes suggested work. Some might lend itself better to certain areas but it comes down to what the user limitations are if any. As MD suggested to practice on varmints with the scope setup to see what you can do but more importantly build up the confidence in your ability.
South Africa geographically is diverse. The Eastern Cape is wide open. On my trip their I had two scopes set up on my 375 as my trip would take me to different parts of Africa to hunt. I have never taken the same scope to Africa on a 375 twice which probably has more to do with the 375's versatility or maybe the magic of the 375 as there is no perfect scope for it. I have taken two scopes on two trips as I had leopard and buffalo on one trip over and a lion in Zim along with plains game in the Eastern Cape on another trip. The Eastern Cape can have some longish shots. I also tend to be a rifle and scope looney so I can use that as an excuse to over prepare for a hunt

Guy, I'll help you out with this letter to your wife:

Dear Santa,
All I would like this year for Christmas is a Leupold 2.5-8x36 & a set of Talley QD Rings. I've all ready got the perfect rifle to mount it on, thank you by the way, and I should be all set for the trip to Africa...I promise!

I love you Honey!
Guy