It's a stretch for me to post this question, because I ought to be able to figure it out for myself. But the rifle in question is in Colorado and I am in Mississippi for a bit. And when I get back to Colorado, I don't have long before I head to South Africa.

I would especially appreciate hearing from anyone who has used this scope -- it's the new model of Leupold's 3X and has the heavy duplex reticle.

The scope is on a 375 H&H magnum that I "created' with a buffalo hunt in mind. Long story short, I decided that for about the same money, I would get more enjoyment out of treating my sons to a plains game hunt. So that's the agenda. I have other rifles, and know I don't need this one for what I'll shoot, but it just seems this rifle ought to go to Africa. And it shoots 270 grains Barnes TSX's into great groups at 2650 fps.

I would not expect to shoot over 250 yards, but shots that long are possible because of the terrain. I'm not into super magnification and mostly shoot 6X's and 4X's on other rifles.

Of course I could put another scope on it and get it sighted in, but then I wouldn't have the comfort of having a scope that has proven it stands the recoil as the scope I have on there now has. I know 375 H&H isn't the biggest kicker in the world, but still ....

Appreciate any thoughts, especially from anyone with the same scope!

I don't have the same scope, but I would be very leery about breaking in a new scope on a trip to Africa. Hope you and your boys have a great time!

I wouldn't shoot at game with any 3X scope. The minimum scope I use is a 4-16X.

As far as I could see it and make an ethical shot. It depends a lot in your skill and comfort level.

A kudu at a couple hundred yards should be doable, but a dik dik might be another matter.

I've taken several deer at 200-300 yards with a Weaver K-2.5. Of course the K-2.5 has a standard duplex crosshair.

A couple of my coyote guns have 1x4 Leupolds on them and a couple of them have 1.5x6's and I don't never remember cranking them up all the way and feel very comfortable out to 300 yards.

My drilling has 1.5x scope on it and would again feel comfortable taking the 7x57 barrel out to 300 on a deer sized animals with a good rest(sticks).

I do get out and shoot them at that range regularly.

This is at 100 yards with a K-1.5x scope. I'd have no problem taking it to 300 yards.

300 yards on bigger animals; 200 on small antelope.

I'd not feel handicapped shooting hoofed critters at 250 yards in the least with a 3x. I would feel handicapped shooting at hoofed critters at 250 yards if I hadn't been practicing at 250 yards with said arrangement.

I'd feel the same if it were a 10x too.

The farthest I've taken a big game animal specifically with the new 3x Leupold is right around 300 yards, but its magnification is actually around 3.4x if I remember correctly.

I've killed pronghorns at 400 yards with a 2.5x, and caribou at 350 with irons, so wouldn't feel too handicapped with the 3x beyond 300. Of course, it would depend on the animal, light conditions, etc.

Most of my hunting rifles have 3-9 x 40 scopes mounted. When hunting the scope is set at 3x. When hunting in a ladder stand over an Alabama hay field the shots are frequently 250+. My Montana Mule deer was ranged at 220 yds. Not a problem with a 3x if you practice throughout the year.

Have used a 3x [or less] for the past 38 years and never felt underscoped out to 350. Nearly all my variables are shot on 3x as well. Spend some range time and practice practice pratice.

Thanks for the replies! I think this is doable. Of course when I get back to Colorado I'll take it out to the range and shoot at longer distances to see how it looks and feels. I've just never shot this particular combination past 100 yards because I never though of this for anything other than short range hunting. But as I sat here in Mississippi and thought more about it, I increasingly wanted to take this rifle to Africa. I have several others that are ready to go if need be.

I don't shoot thousands of rounds a year as some here do. But I do shoot a lot and have a fair bit of hunting experience, having started when I was 8 and am now 73. I'm conservative and think of my personal shooting limit at an unwounded animal as 300 yards. I pushed that a bit for an Ibex that I shot with a fixed 6X. And when I took that shot, I never thought, "Damn, I wish I had more magnification!" I have one 2.5 - 8 scope that I keep because it has a Premier Reticles modification in it. All my other scopes are fixed 4's or 6's.

I checked the specs on the Leupold 3X, and Mule Deer is correct that the actual magnification is 3.4. That's not far from 4X. And that would make a target at 250 yards appear to be less than 75. I grew up shooting iron sights and still do pretty well at 100 with them.

I would think that early in the year it will be pretty green in SA anyway so your shots won't bee too long. Make your PH work to get you close and quit riding around in the buckie.

So far the furthest has been around 220 on Deer. Friend took one at 150 with the same rifle.

Your scope's magnification shouldn't cause problems, but the coarse reticle might, especially on longer shots and/or smaller animals. That reticle covers up a LOT of target, which can make a precise hold difficult. I used a Leupold 2.5x with a coarse duplex reticle on an Daniel Defense M-4 in a Pat McNamara class a couple of years ago. That carbine shot just over 1 MOA from the bench with a standard-reticle 4x Leupold, but it was much harder to groups that small with the 2.5x/coarse duplex combo. The coarse duplex was great for shooting on the move and other fast work, but checking zeros and getting decent groups in the BRM portion of the class was far harder than necessary.

To figure this out in your case, I'd get an idea of the size of the smallest animal you plan to shoot with this rifle and the typical distances at which that game is normally taken in the area where you'll hunt. Your outfitter can probably tell you this off the top of his head. Then shoot some groups with your 375 at those ranges and you'll have your answer.


Okie John

Farthest for me has been about 250. That was on a buck.

400 yards or so reticle permitting. A scope is an aiming device, not a telescope. Actually seeing an object clearly is secondary to being able to see just well enough to direct a bullet to the point of aim.

I've shot deer in excess of 300 yards on 3x with a 3x9 scope. I've hit targets with that setup much farther than that.

Like someone said, the heavy reticle might be more of a problem than the magnification.

I have the same scope with the post and duplex reticle on my 9.3X62. I shot it last week at about 250 yards at water filled gallon milk jugs. I was able to hit them from hunting positions with that scope just as well as I could using other rifles with scopes set at 6X. (Regardless of magnification, I need more practice!)

Simply try your rifle at longer ranges and see if it works for you. Then as others have said, practice, practice, practice.

Good luck on your trip and after it give us a report!

As far as I could consistently, shooting from hunting positions, keep the bullets on a paper plate.

Michael

Thanks! I've been with this outfitter before. He doesn't allow shooting from the truck and that is why we chose him. His byline is, "Come prepared to walk and stalk the game." We drive to hunting areas and then park and leave the truck. There are canyons in this country, and that is where longer shots can come in -- cross canyon shots. Two years ago I took animals at distances from 60 yards to 250. Most were about 180.

All: Thanks for the additional replies.

I agree with the idea that a scope is an aiming device, not a telescope, and have never felt the need for huge magnification for my limit of 300 yards or so. I see lots of responses here from folks who shoot lower powers.

I shoot a lot of rifles at longer ranges, both at targets and on hunts. I've just never shot this 375 H&H with this scope past 100 yds. But I have shot groups of less than an inch with the set-up. I will shoot it longer just to confirm my comfort.

The reticle may be a concern, but I've shot very small groups with it at 100, and don't have any small animals on my list. My primary goal is to share this hunt with my sons, alternating going out with them. I'll probably shoot two or three animals myself, but nothing smaller than a Red Haartebeest. I shot the smaller animals that I wanted (Impala, Springbok, Bushbuck, Mountain Reedbuck, Warthog) last time.

That's what I call the ultimate field position. Shooting a Deer at 250 with a 3x, while on a Buck. I gotta lot of practice to do.

Back in the day I killed a couple of groundhogs with my old k3 weaver One was about 200 and the other about 300 yards. Also blasted a lot of rocks at a old strip mine site out to probably 300 yds. I would expect a newer Leupold would provide similar performance with brighter sharper images. The one caveat might be if you have a really heavy reticule but on big game you should be well equipped. Never been but it's my impression that guides in Africa generally tend to hunt a bit closer than we do on Internet forums. My friends that have been to Africe tend to talk about shots at 50 yds to 150 yds.

There goes John again bragging about shooting game at 300 yards+ w/open sights. Hell I have trouble killing them at 100 w/a scope. powdr

Battue once again i am reminded...you can't get sloppy with sentence structure and how you say things on here. My bad and I got called.....

+1

Absolutely. I've shot scores of deer with a 3x Leupold some at ranges well over 300 yards. I no longer have that scope but I rarely use any variable scope I own over 4x.

WoodsyAl, I would be comfortable out to 400 yards with a flat shooting round like a .270 Winchester and a bit less with something like the .375 that you are using.

About ten years ago I shot a deer with a .270 that had a Leupold 3.5-10 with a duplex reticle. I shot from a ranged distance of 381 yards and at the shot the deer didn't fall so I fired again and it dropped immediately. Both shots were well placed. The funny thing is that in my excitement it never occurred to me to dial the scope up from 3.5x. As Mule Deer points out, the 3x Leupold is actually a 3.4 so it is a really interesting comparison in my mind.

Thanks! The more I think about it, I just cant see how an actual magnification of 3.4X isn't plenty for deer-sized game to the distances I would shoot in Africa.

pretty easy. however far you are capable with it.

No more no less.

I like a lot of X at times, but I"ve killed out past 500 with irons easily too....

You are definitely challenged or incredibly blind.

My stable currently has two 3X scopes, El Paso Weaver and M8 Leupold. I do not see the power as a limiting factor, so long as target visibility is OK. Both are duplex. One is on a .30-30, the other is slated for a 9,3x62. Target size, velocity, and trajectory is important to distance. I like low power scopes. They frequently keep me from trying things that the cartridge was not designed to do. I have a bunch of 4X scopes as well.

jack

I certainly wouldn't burden myself with a larger variable as either model 3x is about perfect for big game IMO with the ruggedness to withstand some knocks. It's my go to scope for big game.

I have several M8s with one on a Talkeetna 375 and a CZ 9.3 as well as the new model on another CZ 9.2x62. I thought the German reticle to be a view hog but easily took a large bull moose at 380 yards last fall. Having said that, my longest shot was on a crippled moose with peep sights.

I have hunted with younger hunters that insisted on having a Hubble scope on their rifle and they took forever to get a shot off........were they trying to weasel the reticle in between hairs?.......I suspect their high magnification was making it difficult to get a good eye relief for a full sight picture.

I have several Leupold 3x scopes, they're one of my favorites. I've never felt handicapped by low power scopes. The last caribou I killed was at 250 yards with a 2.5 Weaver post and crosshair. The shot went where I intended it and the caribou dropped.

I think too many people get hung up on the telescope aspect of a rifle scope and forget that it's primary function is a sight, not a spotting scope or binocular. At the ranges most game is killed a 3x scope is no handicap.

250-300 yards if I had a very steady rest.

Second.

I feel very comfortable at that magnification even in low light in this range with 55 year old though still 20/20 eyes. Zeiss Conquest at 15 mins either side of sunrise or sunset, not so much outside of that.

My second deer (1962) was across a canyon with a 2.5 Weaver with a lee dot on a 300 Savage. I estimated about 275 yards. Must have been close to that as the bullet wrecked the top heart and lungs.

What did I learn? The rig was appropriate, and never shoot anything other than a trophy across a canyon. Recovery was challenging without horses.

jack

The first F'in thing I'd do with the 3X scope (or any other scope) would be to clamp it in a gun vise ( with the bolt out), and lock in on a target 300 yards or so away. (The 300 yards doesn't have to be measured with a micrometer- anything about that distance is fine).
Then, I'd move my head slowly from side to side, and see how much parallax the scope has. I'd do this because I've seen some scopes, including Leupold that have LOTS of parallax at 300 yards, and some that have almost none. If the scope doesn't have a lot of parallax, the 3X will take you a long way out. I have killed antelope past 400 yards with a 4x, and woodchucks past 200 with an old Weaver 2 1/2.
As far as the heavy duplex being a hindrance, unless African game animals come with one inch bulls eyes and grid squares painted on their sides, the heavy duplex will be much more of a help than a hinderance in the field.
When you are sighting in the 3X Leupold, if you use black or blue tape vertically and horizontally "outline" the reticle at whatever range you are shooting, you'll be surprised at how precisely you can aim.
Good luck.

I've killed deer at 250-275 with a Weaver K2.5 before. I'd stretch a 3x Leupold at least that far on deer.

....And they sit so light on top of the rifle. They work past the average range most shoot big game, carry easier for a walk around hunter and in most cases will often improve balance.

Fixed 3, 4 and 6x offer much, but most refuse to go there.

^^^^^^^

Amen Battue!

Fred,

Another way to make an aiming point for heavier reticles is to make an X, rather than a cross. The X doesn't have to be particularly heavy to make it possible to aim pretty precisely,

+1

Some folks must be limited to 20 feet with open sights if they need that much power


Have hunted with 2.5x and could easily shoot 200+ yards, I would be confident your 3x (3.4 per Leopold) would be fine to 300...

I have shot coyotes to about 350 yards with my scope set to 3x. I seem to make better shots with less scope power on shorter range shots. maybe because I am not worrying about how much the cross hairs are jumping around.

John
Thanks for the tip- My method requires a different target for each distance- Yours will make it more simple

Fred

Yup.

I've used the 2.5x Leupold quite well out to 300 yards, but felt that was about as far as I was comfortable using the little scope. Would have preferred my 6x at that range.

Regards, Guy

When I'm walking I carry my variable scope at 3x like a lot of guys do and wouldn't adjust it if any close to deer size animal was spotted at 300 yards that wouldn't stay there long. If it was much past that i would probably bump up the magnification.

I used to win bets with a 100 year old 30-30 Winchester hitting a deer sized rock at 400 yards first shot every time. Of course there i was cheating and knew right where to hold, but the same is true for any shot if you know what your gun does and have lots of practice 3 power scopes are not going to limit you much.

The only real limitation is quickly determining if a questionable animal is legal to shoot (number of points, brow tines, etc.) without having to come off target.

Bringing this old post up to report what actually happened. I did take the rifle with the Leupold 3X and heavy duplex reticle. I shot a Nyala at 130 yards, a Black Wildebeest at 150, and a Kudu at 240. The first two were of course easy. But the Kudu was fine too, and at no point when I was trying to get the shot did I think I needed more magnification or a finer reticle. I would have felt comfortable pushing a bit further with a good rest if I had to.

I can understand.

He does Start at 4x...
OP ~ answer is 3.4 x 100 = 340 yards

Shot a double on crows with a 6x - 300+

I would go as far as 600-700 yds only on deer sized game with a 30-30 Winchester, if I were hunting elephants I prolly would go out to 1000 with it. I only use open sites out to 4-500yd range with the ole turty turty!

Woodsy with your experience of using irons and low power scopes, it would seem 300 yards and maybe more would be fine in the right conditions. If you get the cross hairs on an animal I think your experience will let you know if you can take it.

Too much magnification gives me more problems than low power. I don't have a lot of experience with heavy reticles, but I'll pass along a tip you may already know. When shooting at long range targets with a heavy duplex you can use the top of your horizontal cross hair as the aiming point and it doesn't obliterate the target, of course you'll need to do it when your sighting in at closer range as well. It is the same principal as using the top of your iron bead as the zero point rather than the center of bead.

Good luck for you and your sons in Africa.