Recently purchased a 375 H&H for the purpose of a future big 5 hunt, and was wondering what type of power range would be good for this application. My first thought is a 1.5 to 5, or a 2 to 7 power. Also looking at a Leupold 2.5-8x36.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

YEs, yes and yes. Also consider the 1.75 to 6 Leupold; that's what i did and love it. It has a slightly longer tube between the bells and thats what made the difference between that and the 2.5to 8

I have used a Zeiss Conquest in 2.5-8x32 which works great, a Swarovski 2.5-10x42 which worked great and I have been thinking recently that a 1.5-6x40 or a Swarovski in 1.7-10x42 would be about ideal. I will say that a 1.25-4x24 is probably not enough scope for the range of the .375 and not as good at gathering light when needed.

you nailed it - variable power - if possible make it quick release -

I use the 2.5-8X Leupold on mine in Talley QR rings.

Any thoughts on the best reticles to go with that as well?
It is nice to have heavy duplex for DG but if you start shooting plainsgame at longer distances it could be tougher. I like the German #4a reticles myself. Anybody else have a preference?

standard Leupold Duplex

For my money it's the 3X9 Trijicon with the green post reticle. Started using this in 2009 and 2010. The post sight is the very best for moving targets because you maintain a full field of view...IMHO

A group friends and I use 1.5-6x42 and 4x36 Schmidt & Bender scopes with No#4 reticle with satisfaction.

We have the Leupold 2.5x8 on our two 375/404 rifles, and they have been doing great.

I prefer these to the lower power scopes, as it gives one the ability to see better if a longer range on plains game is required.

Have a 1.75 to 6 Leupold VX III siting on my M70 416 Rem Mag with QD Mounts, never let me down.

Ditto on detachable rings.
If this is to be a dangerous game rifle, you want the iron sight option. A low power variable that suits your budget would be in order.
At the high end, the Swaro Z6 1-6X, with the lighted reticle if leopard is on the menu. Comes in an extended eye relief version as well for the big boomers. The Leupold VXIII 1.5-5 has been a mainstay for many, also features good eye relief. I think the Kahles 1.5-6 is top notch as well. The S&B is a beaut, but you may not have enough room between the bells to mount it on an action that long without some kind of offset arrangement.
Personally, I prefer the German #4 reticle.
Low end power is paramount on a DG rifle, I wouldn't go higher than 1.5X on the low end.

I used a 1.75 to 6 Leupold on a 375 for years and it worked great.
I just had a new 375 built and I put the 1.7 to 10 Swarovski on it. All I can say is WOW, what a scope. I used it in Tanzania and Alaska this year.
All that said, I never felt underscoped with the Leo.

Leupold 1,75-6 in Warne QD mounts on my Brno 602. It works like magic.

I like a variable with 1.1x to 1.5x on the low end up to 4x to 6x on the high end.

I have found that having more at the high end has not been necessary or even useful.

But I have found that having a low end in the 1.1x to 1.5x range has been very useful.

Schmidt & Bender 1,5-6x42

Torbjørn

In my opinion...

2.5 - 8 Leupold VX III is the best for a 3-7-5.

The 3-7-5 is the do-it-all gun! Lesser Kudu at 300 yds to buff at 25 yds. with a dik-dik and a leopard thrown in the middle.

The above scope may not be the Master of any of the above...but...it is the Jack-of-all-applications...just like the rifle you are putting it on!

Have you considered the new Swarovski z6i in 1-6x24? With ill. reticle it must be perfect.

I would definatly go for variable power, but with as low "bottom" as possible. Since you're going to use it for big game, I would say 2,5-10x or 3-9x is a bit much power.

Another great choice is the 1,5-6x42. It has a great field of view. I have little experience with big five, but from what I've heard and read a big field of view is important. Since you're probably shooting at short range, it's great to be able to see the hole animal to place the shot precisely.

Don't know how the field of view is on the new Swarovski, but 24 objective seems a tad small.

My three rifle Africa battery wears Leu 1.5 x 5's in Leu QD mounts. I had the mount holes drilled to 8 x 32 with identical spacing so scopes can be switched to any rifle in a moment. One of the scopes has illuminated reticle. This has been very satisfactory.

Can't go wrong with a Leupold 2.5 x 8
on a .375h&h

An illuminated reticle is going to be a great help for leopard. A DG rifle must have low power for close shots. For an all rounder like the 375 you may be shooting PG at longer ranges up to 300 yards. Above all, your scope must be reliable. This all points to a high quality variable with 1-2X on the low end and 5-8X on the high end. Pick your brand from Leupold or Trijicon or any of the high end Euro or Japanesse makers. Put it in QD mounts if you must have iron sights and you are all set.

I have a 1.75-6x Leupold with a Premier Reticles No. 4 on my .416 and wouldn't change a thing. A 6x at the high end is certainly enough for any hunting with a .375.

Have a Swaro 1.7X10 With Illum 4A reticle on my 375, I can't believe there is a better combo.

Why not an Aimpoint? Wouldn't that be perfect for up-close shots at dangerous game?
After saying that I confess that I have a Leupold 1.5 to 5 on my .375. But I keep thinking about an Aimpoint. I think I'll get one and try it out.

Don Heath has used the aimpoint/trijicon style of optics and rates them highly. The dots are quite large though, typically 4 moa. And you need to remember to turn the thing on or it's useless. In low light, the dot will blind you. So proceed with caution.

I still think the ghost ring is the way to go, and also important that your rifle "fits" you like a shotgun.

quote:

Originally posted by Torbjørn:
Schmidt & Bender 1,5-6x42

Torbjørn

+1. With QD mounts and a ghost ring peep this would be my choice for a one rifle and one scope rig. If my best friend wanted a scope to bet his life on I would buy him a Schmidt. Have used them robustly in military as well as civilian spec and never had a problem, touch wood.

Good luck finding what works best for you.

I have the 1-6x24 on my 375 but have not used it in anger yet. However one thing is that the lens caps often switch on the IR while in the case or slip so you try and switch it on and the battery is dead.

Otherwise it is a stunning scope, which I hope to have more practical experience of soon.

Rgds,
K

I have a Swaro Z6 1-6 x 24, with extended eye relief. True 1x low-end magnification, great field of view, long tube body to fit magnum actions, and excellent customer care.

quote:

A group friends and I use 1.5-6x42 and 4x36 Schmidt & Bender scopes with No#4 reticle with satisfaction.

+1

Swarovski PH (Steel, what a pity they are not manufactured any more) 1,5x6x42 Reticle 4 since 1994. 5 Buffaloes and plains game too much too count. Perfect combination. Get one of these while they are still around, Swaro has replaced them by Z4.

Thanks for all the advice!

This is for my wifes gun and she chose a Trijicon 1.23-4, she felt it was the best for her eyes. Now to plan the hunt.