Have experienced two scope failures on an A-bolt 375 H&H magnum. scope failures were sudden out of focus, and inability to side focus at max magnification accompanied by roughness felt in the side focus at approx 100 yd to infinity. both are top of the line premium scope models from the same company and luckily they carry a lifetime warranty. Scopes are 1.25-8X32 and 2.l5-16X50 but these failures do not give me confidence on a hunt far from home. I prefer a scope with some power because this caliber has medium range 200 to 300 yd capability. Does anyone have scope experience on a large bore rifle? Does anyone know of scopes of this magnification that have real magnum proof durability? My bushnells are advertised as magnum recoil proof. help please. Thanks.

The first question I'd ask you is who, how and with what are the scopes being mounted? This is the most frequent problem I see with scopes on large bore rifles.

Any of the top line scopes should not have issues when mounted correctly on large bore rifles or revolvers.

I have mounted scopes on the following large bores: .375H&H, .375RUM, .416Rem x2, .458Lott, .480Ruger, .500S&W. My scope of choice brand is Leupold and I prefer their QR mounts and rings; I've never had an issue. I had repeated problems with a Burris handgun scope and will never own another Burris optical scope.

I have seen aluminum mounts fail on large bore rifles in the field - Africa - resulting in the rifle being deadlined as useless for the rest of the safari. Nothing but quality steel mounts and rings are adequate for the large bores.

I have had your rifle for 15-16 years and have changed scopes on it more than a few times - that's one of the many advantages of QR mounts. For what you need on your rifle I would go with a variable scope in the 1.75-6x or a 2.5-8x range. You don't need more on a .375H&H, but if you want more magnification then consider the 3.5-10x. Each will do fine out to 300 yards on any game on which you should be using a .375H&H.

I've got a 1.5-8x32 Minox on a 375 weatherby that works great. Mounted in Talley QD lever rings. Back up is a leupold VX-R 2-7x33 mounted in same rings. I like the Minox better but both take the recoil and work great. Both of these scopes will cost less and if mounted properly work better on a big bore than the Bushnell 6500's you have broken. That 2.5-16x50 is just wrong on a light handling a-bolt 375...

I have made more then 1.000 rounds with my Swarovski 3-12x50 scope and my .375H&H - all heavy 300grs bullets and full loads... NO problem with it and I am sure this scope will last more and bigger calibers as well. It has a SR-rail mounting system instead of rings.

I've had problems with high end Bushnels on a 30/06. Never had any trouble with my Leupolds. I have Leupolds mounted on .375 Weatherby's and .458 also on .300, .338, and 7 mags. No problems yet.

I have a lightweight .375 H&H which has worn a Leupold 2-7 Vari-X IIc for 15 or more years without a problem, and more recently acquired a slightly heavier .375 AI, which wears a 2.5-8X Leupold Vari-X III. Either of these scopes (or their currently-produced successor models) offer a generous field of view (and eye relief) at low magnification, coupled with magnification at the high end which is ample for anything you would wish to shoot at with a .375.

A few years back people were complaining about the 1.5-5X Leupold as failing too frequently under recoil. It turns out that most of those failures were traceable to the front mount ring being clamped right on top of the front lens of that very short, straight-tubed scope. Improperly squeezing or torquing the scope tube at the critical point created problems.

What was it that Finn Aagard had on his old .375?
An ancient K2.5 Weaver.

Expensive features and optics never compensates for mechanical reliability.

I've had Nightforce and Leupold scopes on a 375 H&H Mag., a 378 Weatherby Mag. and a 458 Lott with no problem.

Have had no difficulty with Zeiss Conquest 1.8-5.5x38 and 3-9x40 MC scopes on .375, .416 and .458 AR rifles.

Also no problems with 2x Leupold Compact and the 1.5-4x Leupolds on big bores.

Scope quality is paramount but the attaching system is nearly as important. 13 years and several hundred shots ago, this Swaro 1,25-4x24 rail scope was mounted via Sühler claw mounts on a 7 lbs. 9,3x74R, FN-Browning CCS25 double rifle. The scope's zero is checked before each hunting season and has never needed readjustment so far.

I have had the misfortune of breaking 4 Leupold LPS scopes on a 450 Dakota. They have been stand up about fixing or replacing them but it is a pain. Since those scopes are no longer in the lineup, the last time around they gave me a VX6. I will probably give it a workout sometime this year. These scopes were mounted correctly in stress free lapped mounts and glued into the rings.

Blake

I've shot over 1k rounds (combined) of 300RUM and 338RUM with a single Nightforce 3.5x15 in Talley one piece rings - lapped and torqued with calibrated toruqe wrench.

If I were going on costly safari or far from home I would opt for NightForce rings or Farrel steel rings. Not that you have to, but I would want the comfort of one less thing to potentially happen.