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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting rifle scopeGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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| One of Us |
What scope do you prefer for a bolt action rifle used for cape buffalo ? Fixed or variable power. Illuminated reticle ? Size of scope ? | ||
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| Administrator |
Leupold 2.5-8X is what I have on my rifle. It has been on for many years. I use that rifle for everything, works absolutely great. | |||
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| One of Us |
Leupold VX6, 1-6 X, heavy reticle, non-illuminated is the scope I used for 3 Cape Buffalo. Great scope, tough, very good glass. On my next 375 H&H I will mount a Swarovski Z6, 1.7-10 X which has illumination. It has clearer glass and should aid my ageing eyes. Both scopes have 30 mm tubes. Hunting.... it's not everything, it's the only thing. | |||
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| One of Us |
A swaro Z6i 1-6. | |||
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| One of Us |
Leupold 1.5x5, Duplex. Never needed more power. | |||
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| One of Us |
I think if you told us the caliber you may get a better advice. Because with a 375 you can shoot out to 200+ yards comfortably so would make sense to have up to 10x scope on it.
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| Administrator |
I have shot animals at over 500 yards with mine. | |||
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| One of Us |
I have a Zeiss Victory HT 1.1-4 in Alaskan Arms quick removable rings on my Heym 416 Rigby. The 1.5-6 would also be an excellent choice. The reason I chose the Zeiss Victory scope was to obtain the lowest possible mounting of the scope. From my experience most hunters look at the scope power, field of view, etc to select a scope. Especially for dangerous game, being able to rapidly acquire the target while shouldering the rifle is a critical as the scope's characteristics. I lost a close in shot on a plains game hunt when I could not rapidly obtain a view thorough my Swaro Z6i due to the scope rings having to be so high for the large scope eyepiece to clear the bolt. This high mounting did not provide a firm cheek weld to position the eye directly behind the scope. This led to having to move the head around a bit to find the view through the scope. I put a Zeiss Victory HT 1.5-6 on the rifle which lowered the scope almost a quarter of an inch. I now have a good cheek weld, less felt recoil as the stock does not come up and slap my face, and with the quality optics 6x is more than adequate even for long shots if one should present itself. | |||
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one of us |
I have the same scope on my 375 H&H and have shot game out to 300 yards with it. Frank "I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money." - Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953 NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite | |||
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| One of Us |
Same as Saaed. 2/5 x 8 Leopold Tim | |||
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| One of Us |
I have the same scope on my 375 H&H, Leu. 2.5-8. Perfect scope for that caliber/recoil, for me. However, my 40+ caliber rifles are light, the way I like them (8.5 lbs). The recoil is ‘present’ and I can’t seem to stay away from the eye-piece bell with that scope, or even my Leu. 1.5-5. So, I am using a fixed 2.5 Leu. on them, and I love it! Eye relief is a full 4-4.5” on that scope. Some may say a fixed 2.5 is too small, but I don’t shoot DG at long range, so I don’t mind the small magnification. The Duplex scope sight is a heck of a lot better than open sights, for me. I also hunt with two rifles, a big bore and a medium. When the distance has been too far for my big bore, I hand it off and take my medium with the Leu. 2.5-8. This arrangement seems to work for me. YMMV. | |||
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| Administrator |
My rifle weighs 9 pounds with a scope and ammo. I always carry it myself. Never allow anyone else to carry it. | |||
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| One of Us |
I do the same! | |||
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| one of us |
Tom, I found the 2.5x8 Leupold to be the best compromise after using 1x5 and 1.75x6. If you're shooting a 375 or 416 you won't need a second rifle. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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| One of Us |
Trijicon 1-4 USMC Retired DSC Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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One of Us |
Variable - 1x to 2.5x on the low end and 5x to 8x on the high end. Anywhere in that continuum is fine. I find the 1.75x6 to be a happy medium. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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one of us |
Something close to 1x on the low end. 1-6x would be about perfect for any situation. I have 3 Leupolds that are 1-4 or 1.25-4 on different guns and I have never had trouble reaching out there with any of them. Although, they seem to have lost some of their magnification lately. Can’t imagine why they would do that as I get older! | |||
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| One of Us |
I like Leupold 2.5 x 8, have them on more than one big bore. Plenty of magnification for longer shots. Karl Evans | |||
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| One of Us |
scope will go on a .458 Lott | |||
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| Administrator |
I don't like 1 or 1.5 scopes. I can see the end of the barrel, and that tends to be very distracting for me. | |||
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| One of Us |
I’ve had things go south with a rifle on safari, so I have always taken two rifles. For that reason, I take a medium, not a small bore as the second rifle. I have sometimes taken all my game, DG included, with the medium, and never used the big bore. I once took a 404 Jeffery and a 375 H&H, and never used the 404. I have also taken a 458 Lott and a 9.3x62, and used the 9.3 on both the PG and DG, never touching the 458. Having said that, I have used both the 404 and the 458 both on DG. Having a good medium, capable of taking DG, also allows me to use the medium for smaller PG. I agree that all game can be taken with a big bore, but having a suitable medium for both, doubles my pleasure on safari, while also providing a back up rifle, in case one rifle goes down. Of course, one may then use a camp rifle if your PH has one, but I have never had to resort to that, nor would I enjoy the experience. I want to take my trophies with my own rifles. If I am not mistaken, I believe Saeed has stated that he brings two of his excellent 404-375s on safari. I apologize Saeed if I am incorrect on that account. While a one-rifle battery is simplicity itself, I believe in the maxim, ‘One is none and two is one’ philosophy, and Murphy’s Law, ‘If anything can go wrong, it will’ and it’s corollary, ‘At the worst possible moment’. I therefore am more comfortable hunting everywhere, America as well as Africa, with two rifles. Boy Scouts taught me ‘Always be prepared’. Some of life’s lessons are learned very early in life. As I last stated in my previous post, YMMV, and I would never state that how I hunt, is the way anyone else should hunt. We should all hunt the way that makes us the most comfortable, and that makes the most sense to each individual. Good hunting to you all. | |||
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| one of us |
That’s good advice on 2 guns. I hunted with a member here in Tanzania. I had a 470 NE and a 375 H&H. I’ll probably not pick that combo again. Too limiting on the double as far as range, and the 375 wasn’t my first choice for Buffalo. He had a 338 Win Mag and .416. That was the perfect combo. I wound up shooting his guns more than mine. In an emergency, I wouldn’t hesitate to use a 338 on Buffalo. | |||
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| Administrator |
Yes I take rifles. Same caliber and one load for both. I try to keep it simple. | |||
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| One of Us |
I have one on my CZ 550 .458 Lott, works very well. Shot Buffalo from 30 yards to over 100 yards with it. Karl Evans | |||
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| One of Us |
My second rifle will be a .358 Norma mag | |||
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| One of Us |
I’d definitely go with a Leu. 2.5-8 on a 358NM as well. What a great two rifle battery; 458 & 358. Even sounds good! I have a 358NM I bought a while ago but have not hunted or even shot it yet. Need to fix that! I have taken a 35 Whelen to Africa a couple of times, with great satisfaction. The 358NM just has to be better. Ammo hard to find in Africa? Sure, but so is 35 Whelen. Take what brings you joy. | |||
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One of Us |
Unless there is a buffalo on the end of the barrel  | |||
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| One of Us |
Trijicon 1x6 with a green triangle is my first choice, have them on all my DG rifles. Member NRA, NFA,CSSA,DSC,SCI,AFGA | |||
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| Administrator |
I think shooting something very close very fast depends more on instinct than aiming. You have one chance of getting right. | |||
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| One of Us |
For something a little different I have a little 2X EER Leupold on my 404 Mauser. Not everyone's cup of tea but the scope replaced a Single Point OCE sight I had on the Mauser originally. Although I only had open sights when using the 404 on buffalo, I have used both the single point sight and Leupold scope on several deer and goats. The 2x Leupold is very clear optically and has never given any trouble in the near 40 years it has been on the 404. The scope is fixed power so no chance of having it on high magnification when facing an angry buffalo as my friend did with his Kahles scope when we were on buffalo, and you can use it both eyes open. The 2x magnification and Leupold duplex reticle is fine for precision aiming at smaller game at any reasonable distance you would use a 404 at. I wouldn't shoot buffalo at any more than 50m anyway, I prefer a good stalk more than the shot, but each to their own. Like others have posted, if I was fitting a vari power scope for buffalo I would be looking at a low power minimum and no more than 6x maximum with 20mm objective lens size. Field blending of the scope is important too for close range shooting i.e. you don't want a big black ring covering the field of view. The 2x EER Leupold in the image below is good in this regard. View, as seen when sighting through a Leupold 2x EER scope mounted on Mauser 404J.  | |||
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| One of Us |
I agree with Bwanajay, the Swaro Z6 1x6 is my go to scope. I have one on my .416 and my main light rifle .30-06. But I'd add the recommendation of an illuminated reticle, at least on the heavy rifle. especially if you hunt cats, but it's great for buffalo too. Crank it down to one power and turn on the lights and you have a red-dot. Faster than open sights for old eyes like mine. Yes, as Saeed points out, at a true one power, you can see the barrel of your rifle, but that's never bothered me. If you are at one power, you probably have the red dot on and are focused on that. | |||
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| Administrator |
A friend wounded a buffalo, he had a double as we approached it lying under a tree. The buffalo jumped up and started towards us from about 8 yards. We both fired. The buffalo dropped dead. I hit it in the brain. My friend hit it in the knee! He said afterwards that he had pulled the trigger too fast as he brought the rifle up. Our PH said "good thing you had an old buffalo hunter next to you!" | |||
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| One of Us |
Zeiss Duralyt 1.2 x 5 x 36 on my .375 The illuminated dot gives instant target position. On my every-day.308 is a Leupold VX R 3-9 also with an illuminated dot. Nowadays I wouldn't buy a new scope without illumination or a 30mm tube. In low light conditions the dot can make the difference between life and death. (usually for the beast) | |||
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| One of Us |
Have a Meopta 1.7X10X42 German #4 Illuminted dot on my 375 Weatherby. Only Meopta I have and really like the scope. Love the reticle! EZ | |||
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| One of Us |
i like your approach and it seems to work well ... in the past you had a nightforce scope for one of your rifle did you went back to the 2.5-8x36 too? | |||
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| Administrator |
No I put a Nightforce on the second one to compare with Leupold. I prefer the Leupold, but there is nothing wrong with the Nightforce. Both work fine, but personally I prefer the Leupold . The Nightforce is claimed to have better low light performance. Not true in our visual tests. | |||
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| One of Us |
That is so true. As I get older it is quite interesting how more power and any tiny increase in glass quality seems like the way to go. If you own a gun and you are not a member of the NRA and other pro 2nd amendment organizations then YOU are part of the problem. | |||
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one of us |
I use one rifle a 416 Rem. that wears a VX6 1X6 scope and can't think of anything I would do differently. DRSS Member | |||
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One of Us |
I love the 1-8x24 Exos a lot. Mac | |||
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| Administrator |
A friend called a while ago. He was being pestered by crows on his farm, went and bought himself a powerful PCP air rifle. He knows nothing about guns, and apparently explained his problem to the man in the shop, with instructions he wanted the most powerful rifle available and the biggest scope. He explained to me that he was having problem seeing anything clearly through his scope, and cannot keep it stable. He actually asked if they made scopes with stabilizers! I asked him to bring it over. The rifle was a very good - an FX - and he had (wait for it!) a scope on it. It was 14.5-48X ( I cannot remember the exact numbers, but definitely a 48X at one end.) He is a doctor. I explained to him putting that scope on an air rifle is akin to a patient coming to him to treat an ingrown nail, and he cuts his leg for him! He laughed. I replaced his scope with a small Bushnell, and he left very happy. | |||
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