I have a Ruger #1 which literally rocks you from the bench.

Which scope would you suggest in the 1-6 or 1-8 or somewhere around there? It needs to be made like a tank.

Giasou, I think that the Leupold 1.5-5 VXIII would be a good canditate, wide FOV and good eye relief I don't have any experience with any of the 1-6 or 1-8 scopes.
BB

I've only fired a few shots from .458s and one or two from the Lott - and they all kick a bit. However, Ray Atkinson believes that the 458 Lott is where scope destruction really begins.

As I recall he said some variables were rattling "like a BB in a box car" by 100 shots. His experience with fixed powers was not much better and Leupold got so sick of him sending scopes back they made him a special 2.5x and said he wouldn't wreck that one because the reticle was under the turrets.

Though some modern scopes have the reticle in the 'first focal plane', adding stuff to the front of the erector tube is likely to make it even more vulnerable to recoil inertia. Therefore, I infer that they made him an old-timey, reticle-movement scope, possibly from parts left over in 1964. Anyway, he fired more than 1500 shots with it on the 458 Lott and 505 Gibbs without problem and then retired it to a .375.

So, what is available commercially now? Nothing like that but you might look for a standard Leupold FX 2.5 because they apparently have minimal mass in the erector tube. In variables, the Swarovski Z6 1-6x may be slightly stronger than average image-movement models because it uses helical springs behind the erector tube rather than flat springs along the side, which are more likely to break or give trouble. Over time, however, I wonder if the coil springs and recoil might push the erector tube forward, bringing parallax.

RIP, who used to be the main dude on the AR 458 Win forum, reckoned that Sightron and Nikon scopes were good - but he'd bought so many that I can't imagine any getting that much punishment. In my experience those brands have more tunnel vision than I could bear on any rifle for dangerous game.

NightForce claims its scopes handle lots of recoil but I have looked inside and seen the usual long erector tube, made of brass, though, which limits galling in variables but adds to mass under recoil inertia. They also tumble their erector springs for days, in order to prevent them hanging up on the outer tube. Their 2017 catalogue mentioned one target scope being subjected to more than 12,000 shots on a 50BMG. The only way I can see anyone doing that would be with a machine gun where recoil would be more like the vibrations of a big motor.

Personally, I would search the world for a post-WWII reticle-movement Nickel or Zeiss/Hensoldt 2.5x in good condition. Those with just one turret ran the little reticle cell in a dovetail whereby it could not move forward, back or sideways, and minimally down against a spring, under recoil. Those scopes also have very good field blending, a very important matter when hunting DG. I tape the focus and turrets in wet weather, though, because some may be less weatherproof than modern scopes.

Pecar and the old reticle-movement Kahles scopes were also very tough but the field blending and eye relief are not as good. I have found the later ones quite waterproof, though.

Thank you fellas!

I have a #1 in .458 Win. With its long throat you can about duplicate the Lott. It is a beast for sure, never could figure out why Ruger put the same stock on the .458 as on the .22 Hornet. I started with a Leupold 1.5x5 and after a couple hundred rds. the power selector locked up. Leupold fixed it and it has worked ever since but I really don't have that many rounds through it. Also I can't use the scope above about 3x without fear of getting hit by the scope. I don't think you could have too much eye relief on one of these rifles.
C.G.B.