Hello. I will be seventy this year and I have decided for the upcoming hunting seasons to limit myself to one rifle only. I chose a Cogswell & Harrison in 300 H&H to be the rifle. I think that I have narrowed the scope choices to a Leupold 2.5-8x36 or the Swarovski 3-9x36. Both scopes are a bit on the sleek side to match the rifle. Sorry but to me looks are as important as function. A bad thing to say nowadays amongst all of the plastic. Anyway, any thoughts about my scope choices? Am I missing another scope choice out there? Thanks for your opinions. Gary

No advice, just admiration and envy.

Assuming your C&H has some vintage, you could look for a good scope from its era. If it is pre-1975, a Zeiss or Hensoldt Diavari 1.5-6×36 (or Diavari D with two turrets) would be the shot. Though such scopes can take some setting up by a skilled gunsmith, they were possibly the high point in riflescope integrity, unless it was in their fixed powers.

C&H is from about 1959.

I own/owned both of those scopes they are nice scopes. Choosing between them would not have any disadvantages, I would caution you to instead choose the power range that is most suitable rather go for looks, I find that your power range is more suited to open or semi open terrain and if any woods type hunting is to be done then they do not have enough field of view or a large enough eye box, something in the 1.5-6 x 42 range would be more suitable then, try and look through some scopes before deciding anyway.
BB

I would have a close look at the Swarovski z3 4-12x42 or the Schmidt & Bender Summit of similar size. Both are 1” tubes. Sadly we no longer get either here in the UK.

Kahles also do a similar 1” tubed scope for older rifles, but with the added benefit of a discrete dialable turret and an illuminated red dot. You might not be able to dial out to 1,000m but any sort of normal hunting range no issue. https://www.kahles.at/en/hunt/...opes/helia3-4-12x44i

quote:

Originally posted by GaryG:
C&H is from about 1959.

Thanks Gary, H&H tended to put Zeiss and Nickel Supra scopes on the rifles they made around that time. You can still find good Nickels on eBay of all sizes and ranges but they are less water-resistant than Zeiss/Hensoldt and sometimes show fungus inside the lenses, around the periphery. While this may not show when you look through them, it does indicate they've been compromised and may not be so good in wet weather.