quote:

Swarovski Z6i 1.7—10 X 42 for me.

Same here for my Leopard hunt if it occurs in August.

Swarovski 1.25-4x 30mm is on my hunting rifle. Have a good hunt planned for July-August if Zim is open and Emirates is flying there.
Cal

I have zero experience in a leopard blind. But tons of experience sitting in a German high seat for hogs.

The difference between a Japanese or American rifle scope in zero light and a 3-12x56 made in Germany, Austria or Czech is dramatic.

I would get a hold of Bobby Tomek in the wildboar hunting page here on Accurate Reloading. He is probably this website's foremost expert on what rifle scopes are the best for low light situations. As he is always testing them.

Meopta Meostar R2 2-12x50 RD will give the more expensive Euro scopes a real run for their money in poor light. Better than most of them in fact.
Review here https://www.gunmart.net/scopes...a-meostar-r2-2-12x50

I would agree, I own this one: https://www.eurooptic.com/Meop...6-RD-Riflescope.aspx Not an ideal leopard blind scope as it has too much magnification. But damn is it bright! We have used it on a tripod to look at the stars many times with the kids.


A friend has one of these, it is amazong: https://www.eurooptic.com/Meop...flescope-575700.aspx

quote:

Originally posted by 300SAKO:
Looks like my Zim leopard trip for this year is not going to happen til next April. I was planning on using camp rifle this year, but will take one of my own next spring. Probably my 300 Win Mag with 200gr Accubonds. Possibly my 338 WM with 200gr Accubonds.

Hunting Bubble Valley.

My PH is recommending a scope with a 50mm obj and illuminated reticle.
Thanks

You have the best answer In the last sentence above!
...…...…………….. MacD37

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
I would agree, I own this one: https://www.eurooptic.com/Meop...6-RD-Riflescope.aspx Not an ideal leopard blind scope as it has too much magnification. But damn is it bright! We have used it on a tripod to look at the stars many times with the kids.


A friend has one of these, it is amazong: https://www.eurooptic.com/Meop...flescope-575700.aspx

Those Moepta scopes look like a good option. Will check them out. Did a quick search and couldn't find the 50mm obj version with the 4K or 4C reticle.

Thanks!

Doug at cameraland ny has a Burris Four X that was built for the European market and is unavailable anywhere else that I can find. 3x12x56, 30mm tube with #4 illuminated reticle. $350
I have one on a bean field deer rifle for dark thirty hunting and it is awesome.

Check it out.

quote:

Originally posted by 300SAKO:

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
I would agree, I own this one: https://www.eurooptic.com/Meop...6-RD-Riflescope.aspx Not an ideal leopard blind scope as it has too much magnification. But damn is it bright! We have used it on a tripod to look at the stars many times with the kids.


A friend has one of these, it is amazong: https://www.eurooptic.com/Meop...flescope-575700.aspx

Those Moepta scopes look like a good option. Will check them out. Did a quick search and couldn't find the 50mm obj version with the 4K or 4C reticle.

Thanks!

I had a 2-12x50 with an illuminated 4K reticle so they do make them.

A little late to the thread but I still have hope of making it in mid July to the BVC with Mr Sharp and our date with Mr Spots. Naturally he gave me the same info and I chose a German made early Zeiss DL in 3-12-50 illuminated. Rifle will be a pre 64 FWT 338-06 and the 210 Barnes TTSX.

I had hoped you earlier cat hunters would have fed up a big Tom for me. John is a big fan of the 50’s it seems. Being 76 I am holding my breath on this decision/trip. It will be my second with John in the BVC. He is a joy to spend time with and time is running short.

quote:

Originally posted by muygrande:
A little late to the thread but I still have hope of making it in mid July to the BVC with Mr Sharp and our date with Mr Spots. Naturally he gave me the same info and I chose a German made early Zeiss DL in 3-12-50 illuminated. Rifle will be a pre 64 FWT 338-06 and the 210 Barnes TTSX.

I had hoped you earlier cat hunters would have fed up a big Tom for me. John is a big fan of the 50’s it seems. Being 76 I am holding my breath on this decision/trip. It will be my second with John in the BVC. He is a joy to spend time with and time is running short.

Hope you do make it over there this year! I pm'd you over on Campfire but you must not make it over there often. Was hoping you could save a good one for me Let me know if you make it over. Would love to chat with you about your hunt.

I am no expert but I have shot 5 leopards. The only one I did not recover was shot with 300 and a scope without a lit recital. Personally I like a slower bullet,I put the biggest hole I can put in one. My 416 works great. Lit recital a must!!!

Good luck I am jealous of anyone hunting Mr spots.

5 leopards is a lot closer to expert than I will probably ever be...

I guess I could just take my 375 H&H with 300 gr A Frames or 250gr Partitions out of the 338 WM instead...

quote:

Originally posted by 300SAKO:

quote:

Originally posted by muygrande:
A little late to the thread but I still have hope of making it in mid July to the BVC with Mr Sharp and our date with Mr Spots. Naturally he gave me the same info and I chose a German made early Zeiss DL in 3-12-50 illuminated. Rifle will be a pre 64 FWT 338-06 and the 210 Barnes TTSX.

I had hoped you earlier cat hunters would have fed up a big Tom for me. John is a big fan of the 50’s it seems. Being 76 I am holding my breath on this decision/trip. It will be my second with John in the BVC. He is a joy to spend time with and time is running short.

Hope you do make it over there this year! I pm'd you over on Campfire but you must not make it over there often. Was hoping you could save a good one for me Let me know if you make it over. Would love to chat with you about your hunt.

I will stay in touch and will get back to you over at the fire as well. I am going to wait on S Africa to open up and see what the status of things are in Zim at that time. I am NOT taking chance of spending 14 days in Zim or SA QUARANTINE.

quote:

I am NOT taking chance of spending 14 days in Zim or SA QUARANTINE.

Or both.

I heave never had a issue with leupold. I hunt domestic hogs all the time. Night is night despite what ever you are hunting.
If you are inclined to acquire a European scope you might consider a Meopta R2 1.7 X 10 X 42 at about 1/2 the cost of a Swar.
I really like their illuminated German #4 dot.
Nothing wrong with Leopold VX 5's and 6's. I have no 50 mm's but quite a few 42 mm and 44 mm on big guns with never an issue.
I use them along side my Leica and Zeiss binos and cannot really tell any difference. As far as Swar binocs they are great from an image perspective but have found them less than robust). I have two of their Z3's scopes and they work just fine on 270-7mm category of rifles.
How old are you and how good are your eyes?
Good luck on your hunt!

EZ

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
How old are you and how good are your eyes?
Good luck on your hunt!

EZ

50yo. Was quite nearsighted for many years. had corrective surgery about 15yrs ago and have had some drift, but get by well without glasses for everyday wear. Now I need readers though...

Thanks for the info.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Barton Hege:
I have a Meopta MeoStar R1 1.5-4x42 on my Brown Precision .375H&H and I couldn't be happier.A great performer in low light and repeatable accuracy as expected.

I just cannot figure out what a "Leopard scope" is all about especially when the shooting distance is hardly ever more than 50yds.

One hears a great deal of bragging shooting out at 300yds. and above with a decent Leupold or Swaroski, others brag at shooting similar distances with open sights yet, when it comes to Leopard, its suddenly a game-changer and sweat beads miraculously appear.

The only reason behind flunking a shot at one chomping away at the bait lies solely on the shooter and not his equipment; you can mount the Rolls Royce of scopes and still flunk the shot and you all know the reason why.

If you cannot shoot at low light then shoot your Leopard at day-break; if your PH is worth his salt, he ought to know the feeding habits of a cat and if need be, can break the itinerary and actually educate the cat to feed at different times.

There are other little secrets of the trade that some if not most know about, one of which I will part with: set the bait against the setting of the sun with an open skyline and you will gain anywhere up to 10 precious minutes; observe the background in the East against the West and you will see which darkens first.

It might save you some good money that will cover or go towards an extra trophy fee.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
I just cannot figure out what a "Leopard scope" is all about especially when the shooting distance is hardly ever more than 50yds.


It might save you some good money that will cover or go towards an extra trophy fee.

when a leopard comes to bait when the sun is gone, and all you can see is his outline, one needs to have as much light gathering in the scope, and it makes little difference that you can see his outline, but you cant see your sights, or the reticle in your scope. The illuminated point of aim on the crosshair may mean you get your cat on your last day of your safari. At forty yards you may see his outline but not your crosshair without that little red dot on the plex.
I'll scope mine with a lighted crosshair, if it's ok with you!
............…............…..

quote:

when a leopard comes to bait when the sun is gone ....

That then would be shooting during the hours of darkness, not permitted in most places and in those that do, the use of artificial lighting would most likely not be an issue.

An illuminated reticle does not qualify the optic as a "Leopard Scope" as it can be used for any other animal during low light conditions and the only advantage of the reticle is to pinpoint the center of the cross-hairs (on a silhouette).

Is that the reason why most DG/DRs have a flip-up "moon bead" ?

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

when a leopard comes to bait when the sun is gone ....

That then would be shooting during the hours of darkness, not permitted in most places and in those that do, the use of artificial lighting would most likely not be an issue.

An illuminated reticle does not qualify the optic as a "Leopard Scope" as it can be used for any other animal during low light conditions and the only advantage of the reticle is to pinpoint the center of the cross-hairs (on a silhouette).

Is that the reason why most DG/DRs have a flip-up "moon bead" ?

The sun is gone doesn't mean it is after legal hunting is closed. The twilight time between sun down and darkness. You can still se the target but may not be able to see iron sights, or the cross hair reticle in the scope against your target unless it is illuminated.
Many times just the tree's background of other trees may shade the leopard just enough before actual sun down to make placing a shot correctly unlikely.
Many backgrounds make reticles hard to see in heavy bush. My take is why not give yourself the advantage over obstacles that may make you only wound the cat, and make it suffer, or cause a dangerous follow-up or loss of a wounded cat because you didn't take advantage of a lighted reticle. I've hunted in areas where it was hard to see my iron sights at 12 noon because of places where the canopy was so dense it was like twilight in the middle of the day.
Considering the cost of a leopard safari. The addition of an illuminated sight is tiny compared to the cost of having to book another safari to get your cat and having to pay the trophy fee anyway for a lost of a wounded cat with a botched shot.
Opinions are like A-holes everybody has one! The above is mine only and not a rule anyone is required to follow!
……………………………………………………………………………. MacD37

I've got many an hour sitting in the dark. Since the advent of an Illuminated Dot (make sure it's adjustable to dim down, although I'm quite sure most modern ones are), a good quality Euro scope of 2.5-10 x 50 will surely suffice. One of my favorites is a Zeiss, but I have many others including Swaro, S&B, Kahles, Meopta, etc and a bagful of Leupold.

I'd be inclined to think that a Meopta 1.5-6x42 with Illum Dot would work just swell out to 50m or so. I wouldn't scrimp too much on a decent scope, you can't hit what you can't see, and a marginal hit means lotsa aggravation and hours lost looking.