Is there a general rule of thumb for what optics should go on certain calibers of guns?. I have a 7MM Mag, and a .300 Ultra Mag that I will be installing Leupold scopes on, but what magnification? any input would help

Kind of depends on what you are planning on shooting. For big game at moderate ranges a fixed 4X or 6X might work just fine, or a variable 2.5-8X or 3-9X, 3.5-10X. If you want to try shooting longer ranges at targets or smaller critters, I wouild look at the 4.5-14X now being offered. I have had a 3-9X Burris on my .270WSM for the past 2+ years and haven't felt handicapped hunting deer, but have decided to upgrade to a Nikon Buckmasters 4.5-14X so I can see rockchucks better at 300+ yards. Like I said, it depends on how you plan on using your rifles. Both of them certainly have long range potential for targets or game and you may want to scope them accordingly.

If you are looking for a hunting scope look for a GOOD hunting scope. Nikon,Burris,Zeiss,S&B,Swavroski,ect. make the best hunting scopes.
If you want to punch paper in daylight hours only,you could try a leup(old),since they do well when pampered for benchrest use. They are not bad for that specific task. Overpriced,yes. When it breaks you can send it back and since punching paper isn't a seasonal endeavor,you won't loose valuable hunting time.

I personally prefer at least a 4.5-14 on the Magnums.

Leupie scopes don't magnify as much as some other manus from the ones I've shot w/ (IE 14X in my Zeiss and Nikon scopes brings things in much closer vs the Leupie, seems like 14X should be 14X regardless) so, I might would even get an 18 or 20X on the high side in a Leupie. You couldn't hardly go wrong w/ a 4.5-14 on those two.

Good Luck

Reloader

quote:

Originally posted by small fish:
If you are looking for a hunting scope look for a GOOD hunting scope. Nikon,Burris,Zeiss,S&B,Swavroski,ect. make the best hunting scopes.
If you want to punch paper in daylight hours only,you could try a leup(old),since they do well when pampered for benchrest use. They are not bad for that specific task. Overpriced,yes. When it breaks you can send it back and since punching paper isn't a seasonal endeavor,you won't loose valuable hunting time.

Perhaps you never saw the post I did about the Leupold scope my son had mounted to his M4 in Iraq when his Humvee was hit by an IED that flipped the vehicle end over end and sent it down an embankment. His rifle was found about 75 feet from where he landed and the only thing that was hurt on the scope was the Butler Creek lens caps.

That same scope just finished 18 months of daily banging in and out of vehicles, being dropped, dragged, thrown, smacked into walls, and generally beat to hell. It certainly ain’t any prettier...but it still works just fine.

I don’t know where you get your information that Leupold scopes are fragile, but that certainly has not been my experience or the experience of the thousands of guys that use them in Iraq and Afghanistan every day.

M1Tanker has a Leupold scope that is on it’s fourth tour in Iraq...it just keeps getting passed from soldier to soldier as they rotate in and out of country.

I have a 7MM Remington Mag. I use a 3.5 X 10 X 50 on it works really well. Not a 300 Ultra but a 300 Weatherby and it has a Leupold Vari-X II 4 X 12 both have worked well for me for several years now. Shot animals out to 500 yards with them.

I do not mean to imply that the other brands mentioned are not also good reliable and sturdy scopes...but stating that Leupold scopes are fragile or unable to stand up to field use is utterly ridiculous.

I have a fixed power 6 X 42mm Leupold. It has better light gathering ability than most scopes including European scopes, better eye relief than almost any of the European scopes and as good durability as most scopes costing three times as much. I think it is the best quality/value for price of any scope out there. If you order it from http://www.premierreticles.com you can get the reticle of your choice, including holdover dots for your custom load. You will have to spend thousands to get anything equivalent from a European maker.

I have hunted four western states, British Columbia, and Alaska and have used a 7mm Rem Mag with a Leupold vari-x 2.5-8. I have found it to be an excellent hunting scope for big game. The smaller objective works well to get the rifle in/out of scabbards when on horseback. I recently purchased a new VX III 2.5-8 for a semi-custom 338 win. I am putting together. So I guess if the first one has worked for 24 years I can only hope it's replacement will also. Good luck

I own 9 Leupolds and after 34 or 35 years of hard use 1 died,I sent it in on a monday and they sent a brand new scope the following tuesday of the next week.I dropped my ruger with a Leupold on it over board,I marked the spot and went back the next day and dove and retrieved it,its still working just fine.Some on the forum must have had a bad experience with Leupold to hate them so much but I love mine.I bought my first one Dec 29,1969,didn't mount it till Jan 3,1970.You could do worse than Leupold.Drop-Shot

quote:

Originally posted by Thunder:
Is there a general rule of thumb for what optics should go on certain calibers of guns?. I have a 7MM Mag, and a .300 Ultra Mag that I will be installing Leupold scopes on, but what magnification? any input would help

No, there is no general rule of thumb as to what scope power or type to use on a particular CALIBER. The scope power and type is determined by what you intend to do with the gun.

Either of the calbers you mention could be used for long-range hunting, and either of them might be called on for use in close-in situations. Neither of the calibers you mention would normally be used for small game or varmints.

Assuming that you want good hunting flexibility and are hunting game no smaller than deer or antelope, then you should consider a "medium" power variable -- something in the 2-7x up to the 3-10X range for either rifle. No deer will be too small to shoot at with precision at 7-10 magnification at any reasonable range, and the low end of not more than 3.5 gives you adequate FOV for close and fast shooting such as you might experience in dense timber or swamp.

You will be disadvantaged in hunting situations with a higher power scope, due both to its larger size and to its more critical eye placement. Save the higher power variables with their adjustable objectives and outsized objective bells for varmints and targets; there's no place for them on a dedicated big game rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Drop-Shot:
I own 9 Leupolds and after 34 or 35 years of hard use 1 died,I sent it in on a monday and they sent a brand new scope the following tuesday of the next week.

DropShot: I can't keep track of how many Leupolds I own, but the oldest is a 1965 model. I can't make any comment about Leupold's service because I've never needed to use it in 41 years, but I'm glad to hear that it really is there if I ever need it.