I have ditched a kimber .308 and picked up a sako 75 in 7mm STW wanting to know what scopes folks are using. I am thinking at this stage 4.5-14x40mm Leupold VX111 Longrange with Boone and Crocket Reticle, my friend has that scope on hi rem 700 in 7mm RUM and its a nice scope.

I just want to see what others like.

Critizcise the above chocie if you want but provide Reasons

Nice choice. I'm not sure you need that much magnification to clearly see and sight on anything that is large enough to shoot with an STW, but it's probably not too much of a handicap, either.

That is exactly the scope I mounted on my 7mm STW when I first got it. I hunt in very open country and shots are almost always 200+ yards, so I thought that I would like the higher magnification. I soon found that the higher magnification means a more restricted field of view and more critical eye placement. I also found that anything I couldn't see clearly to shoot when magnified 9 times was simply too far away to shoot. Also, an adjustable objective is somewhat disadvantageous on a hunting rifle as it is guaranteed to be set at the wrong distance when game actually appears (at which point fiddling with your scope should be the last thing on your mind), and it is an additional system that is subject to moisture infiltration or breakage. Thus, I changed the 4.5-14 out with a 3-9X and have been totally happy.

Choosing the 40mm over the much hyped 50mm objective is very wise. The 50mm offers no advantage in a hunting rifle and forces the scope to be mounted so high off of the reciever that your eye no longer easily aligns with the sight picture when your cheek is place properly on the comb.

I certainly won't dis your choice as the 4.5-14 is a great scope, but a little "less" may actually be a little "more" in a hunting rifle.

Best of luck.

I've got a 4.5-14 B&C LR on my STW as well.Its a good match, though I would be happy with a plain old VX111 3.5-10x40.

I've got two Sako 75's & both have 4.5 X 14 X 40 Leupolds on them. One is the AO objective and the other is the VXIII without the AO for the reasons mentioned above. If hunting larger game, just did not want to have to play with the AO. Also have a Remington 700 in 7mm STW that I use sometimes as a long Range Coyote gun & has a 5.5 X 15 X 50 AO on it, but again that sometimes limits me but is awesome to play with - super accurate.

I went through this same scenario recently. I'm building a 7 STW and couldn't decide between a 4.5-14 or 3-12x40. I finally decided that the extra magnification wasn't needed for big game. I decided on a new Nikon Monarch with the side parallax in 3-12x.

I was in a hurry this AM so I did not finish my thoughts, but I agree that you could get by with a 3.5 X 10 for most uses - I just wanted to have the extra boost if needed.

leupold mark 4 6.5-20x50

Sightron SII 4-16x42 on my 7mm STW

I often wonder why people say all you need is a 3-9 scope. I have really good vision and don't wear glasses and I feel like that 9 power is not always enough. I have had a 4.5-14 Leupold on my STW and it was a fine scope. The crosshairs were a little thin in the darker hours that I would have liked but they do offer heavy duplex among other reticles. I got turned on to the Bushnell 4200's for value and quality, that is currently what is on my STW and I am quite satisfied with it. It is a 4-16x50. Do I need 16 power all the time? No , but when I do it sure is nice when I decide to crack down on deer at the 400 to 500 range. Now you cannot use the 16 power at dusky dark but you can always back off to collect more light. The only thing I would like is a ballistic plex on my 4-16 so that it would be easier to determine hold over on the long shots, but with the STW it isn't too bad because it is a flat shooter.
Bob in TX- I have a 4-16 SII just like yours on a 22-250 and it is a nice scope also. Sightron has really impressed me with their quality and their awesome no excuse, no haggle warranty.