I was curious what brands you have used in africa and what brands your ph's recommended?



What brands did you or they recommend against?



I am expecting

Leupold to be popular as well as swarovski and possible schmidt & Bender

Don't know about zeiss?



also in the latest outdoor life, the s&b zenith flashdot 1.5-6x42 was given a "POOR" rating in the lowlight test. I thought these were used to take leopard at night?



thanks

Ray,

I still miss the Zeiss Diavari 1.25-4 X that I had on the 378 Weatherby I sold some years ago. I found no use for that rifle but I never used a better scope in my life.

I have settled on Leupold 1x4, 1.5x5 and I still like and use the old discontinued 3X fixed scopes, also have a neat 7/8" tube Leupold Alaskan 2.5X....

I have never found the higher priced scopes any better than Leupold, but a lot of folks in this world of ours judge everything by its price...and scopes by their power, they will even put a 4x16 scope on a featherweight carbine hunting rifle...

Just an observance I have noticed over the years, I find it odd but don't really care if it serves their need and makes them happy...

SAKO 75

I do the most of my hunting with a Leupold 1-4 X because I cannot afford a Zeiss.

Sako,

I have used Leupold, Kahles, Trijicon and Swarovski scopes in Africa.

The only brand requested by a PH was the Trijicon. Man/Magnum reviewed their AccuPoint 3-9X40 scope, and my PH for an upcoming RSA leopard Hunt, Danie van Graan of Engonyemeni Safaris, thought it would work well for leopard. (The AccuPoint has fiber optic and tritium illumination of the aim point.)

I didn't use it on that hunt, but I did get a leopard with it three years later in Zim.

jim dodd

Big money for oversize clunky foriegn scopes on a hunting rifle is ridiculas IMO...albiet they have splendid optics..

After trying them all at one time or another, I settled on the Leupolds in 1x4, 1.5x5 and the old 3X for most of my hunting..I have a couple of 2x7s, one on a 300 H&H, one on a 6x45 L-461 Sako custom and a 7X fixed on a 222 Sako...A 2.5 Leupold Alaskan on a 30-30 Marlin with Talley QDs..

I doubt that you can do better than a Leupold, and the guarentee is the best in the world on any product..

I like the standard duplex cross hair and I dislike tech crap like battery operated dots, range finders and such bunk...toys are for boys!

leupold,leupold,leupold.

The only specialty scope you might need is for leopard. Just before dark a 40mm objective can be the difference between a shot and no shot. For a 375 a 1.5-5 or a 1 3/4-6 with a 3.5-10 in a seperate set of rings for the leopard blind.

Like everybody on this thread I buy Leupold 1.5x5's whenever I find them at a decent price, and use them on everything .375 on up (4x's for most everything outside of varmint rifles). I was thinking about the fixed 2.5x for a .458 Lott (or whatever I build in that horsepower range).
Does anybody have any experience with that scope? Hold up ok? Decent eye relief?
Thnaks,
JCN

Jim,

Thanks for the suggestion, but I doubt the Leupold data is the same as the Docter in question. I did get a phone number out of Natchez that may have the infomation.

I've put Leupold vx 11s in 2-7 x 33 on all my big game rifles and my 22 magnum. It does everything I need at a cost I can live with.