Hi
I am considering puting a 3x9 conquest on a .375 h&h.

Is this to much scope?

I will have 2 scopes for the rifle on quick release mounts. Currently there is a 3x Leupold on it. The scope is great but I hunt elk with it and want some more magnification?

What do you guys think

Thanks

I don't think a 3x9 is too much, especially for elk. My .375 H&H Win model 70 has a vari x IIc in 3x9 with Warne quick detatch rings and bases which compliments the rifle very well. Rodney.

I have a 3x9 on my .375 and it usually sits on 3x or 4x. For a long shot at wildebeest I cranked it up to 6x.

Namibiahunter

ti-Ought-Six.....

I had a 3-9x40 Zeiss Conquest on my Winchester Model 70 .375H&H at one time and considered the combination a fine hunting tool. It's extra long eye relief is, well; sorta condusive to avoiding a case of Magnum Eyebrow, also; if you're prone to that ailment. Anyway, mine's no longer on it becasue my South African PH fell in love with it - now it's on his .375H&H!

For the reasons you've stated a 3-9 on a .375H&H sorta lets you use it's full longer(ish) range potential which Bye-the-Bye ain't too shabby either. For North American Elk, with the today's opportunities presented & encountered IMO; a solid optical choice.

Consider the obvious - you can't crank that excellent Leupie 3X up to 9X, either.....

My M70 SS Classic in .375 H&H wears a 3-9x40 MC Conquest on Leupold QR rings. Works fine! Has done well on piggies, deer, and African plains game.

Might be a little awkward for a "jump gun" in the long grass ... but I think I'd want a larger caliber there anyway. I took the .416 Rigby for that last time. At the time I wish I had taken a .470 NE double rifle

If I were only using it for PG or NA, fine. I would not want a 3x min. mag. on a rifle that may be used for close shooting @ DG though.

I would not want a 3-9 on a .375, but I am not dogmatic about it and can see why some might want it.

Still, I think that the best scope for a .375 is a 1.5 to 6 power variable - or even a variable with a lower power range, say 1.1 or 1.25 to 4.

I use such low range variable scopes on my .375s.

In my experience, with the kind of shooting I have done and plan on doing with a .375, more magnification than 4 or 6 power is not needed.

My longest shots with a .375 have been right around 200 yards, and that is plenty far enough for a .375, IMO.

If I expect that I will need to shoot at longer ranges than that, then I will use a rifle chambered for a flatter shooting cartridge, such as a .338 Win. Mag., with a higher range variable scope on it.

On the other hand, I have used lower power settings (well below 3x) quite often for close range work with a .375, including following up lion. For that reason, the lower end magnification is more important to me than the higher.

I think your choice is sound, especially if you plan to use some of the newer 260 to 270 grain bullets for shots out to 300 yards. I have a 2.5 x 8 on mine and make 300 yard shots on target all day long. Mrlexma must be using 300 grain bullets in his .375 because the .375 is fully capable of making much longer shots than 200 yards on game. Heck, the .416's are capable of over 200 yard shots on game. I say get the 3x9 and use the .375's full potential.

Thanks,
jfm

I have a Leupold 1.75-6x on my .375. Seems to me to be the best combination for DG up close & personal and the longer PG or Elk shots.

I am not a big fan of the .375H&H, as I believe a .416Rem will do everything, and do it better, that a .375 will do in Africa. But the .375 can be a good NA rifle for Moose and bear.

I have a 2-10 on my .375 Roy. Very nice fit for N.A. big game.

I would say it depends... How close do you plan to shoot at anything. Is DG on the menu at some point? If you are looking at hunting in thick stuff or maybe DG, I would want lower magnification than 3X. I have a 1.5-5X Leupold and a 1.5-6X Kahles on mine with Talley rings. It has served well for blacktail and DG at 10-20ft as well as a blacktail at 380 yards and a wildebeest at 350. Too much magnification can be much more problematic than too little. BTW my favorite scope is a 2-7X Leupold and I wouldn't hesitate to use one on a DG rifle. JMHO

I have a S&B 1.1x4x24, with the illuminated reticle, on my 375H&H and I believe that it is the second or third best possible choice. Second best would be the S&B 1.5x6x42 - but I just don't like the large objective. Probably the best choice would be the new Swarovski Z6 in 1x6x24, with the illuminated reticle. Best of both worlds, imo.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by ti3006:
Hi
I am considering puting a 3x9 conquest on a .375 h&h.

Is this to much scope?

I will have 2 scopes for the rifle on quick release mounts. Currently there is a 3x Leupold on it. The scope is great but I hunt elk with it and want some more magnification?

What do you guys think

Thanks

Consider not using one at all.The only time you really need one,and this may sound strange,is when your in the bush.Even then,you can do without one if you have binocs.With a little practice I am sure one could shoot out to distances as far as 400yds.I had a chance at a 56 inch kudu this past summer in Zimbabwe as a small herd of bulls crossed the dry Sengwa river bed and were making their war in the bush when the last one in line stopped and gave me a chance at an offhand shot 400yds away.I shouldered my rifle,steadied my hold and squeezed the trigger,only to discover that the stupid safety was on.I am not used to hunting with a safety on and put it on at the request of my PH.If I made that shot and bagged the kudu on film,that would've been something.

I have a 2-7x Kahles on my .375 but have used a 3-9x on it in the past as well as a 3-10x. All worked well but I wouldn't want more than a 3-9x on a .375.

Hey Blacktailer how many inches is the ram pictured?

quote:

Originally posted by LionHunter:
I am not a big fan of the .375H&H, as I believe a .416Rem will do everything, and do it better, that a .375 will do in Africa. But the .375 can be a good NA rifle for Moose and bear.

Can we burn this heretic at the stake?



I have a 2.5X - 8X on mine.

I'll provide the matches...

I have a 1.5-5x20 VX III w/ German #4 and it works quite well at 300 or so. Wouldn't want to hunt whitetail at dusk with it, of course.

Though I have used the Leupold Vari XIII 3.5-10 and 2.5-8 on my Sako 375 H&H for many years, it now wears a VX I 1-4 shotgun scope with heavy reticle and find that for my needs that it's the perfect scope and at a great price point.

It's not that I can't afford a more expensive scope, becauue I can, it's that I believe that the benefit, if any on scopes costing much over $500, rapidly deminishes. Moreover, I find the European scopes too large and heavy, or ugly for my tastes. Lou

With the .375 in general which I would use for dangerous game, I want the right on top of me ability of a 1, or 1.5 power. My scope of choice is a Leupold 1.5-5. I figure if you have to magnify a game animal that you would be shooting with the .375 more than that, it's too far away to shoot at anyway. JMO

For me it isn't so much about the power of the scope as its resolution/brightness. I have used Leup 1.5-5 scopes on my bigger bores (375-458 Lott) and although they have have stood up to the recoil I find their "brightness" to be lacking in lower light situations.

My eyes are bad, and the Leup 1.75-6 or 2.5-8s with their larger objective lens helps me see the game better than the 1.5-5 Leup. YMMV.

I would go with my fav scope, the Leup 2.5-8 or your choice of 3-9. Practice shooting with both eyes open and you won't be "scope lost." I keep my scope at 4X and dial it up if called for with a longer shot. Aim small and concentrate on the reticle. Game on the ground is the goal.

John

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Lou:
Though I have used the Leupold Vari XIII 3.5-10 and 2.5-8 on my Sako 375 H&H for many years, it now wears a VX I 1-4 shotgun scope with heavy reticle and find that for my needs that it's the perfect scope and at a great price point.

It's not that I can't afford a more expensive scope, becauue I can, it's that I believe that the benefit, if any on scopes costing much over $500, rapidly deminishes. Moreover, I find the European scopes too large and heavy, or ugly for my tastes. Lou

In general, I agree with this premise. However, I couldn't disagree more when it comes to low light situations, especially for example, hyhena, leopard or lion hunting. If you want to avoid large objective lenses, the only option is top of the line 30mm tube, 24mm objective lens, expensive Swarovski or Schmidt & Bender scopes. Some Ziess and Kahles options do almost as well.

I have the Vari-X II 1-4x20mm Leupold shotgun scope on my deer hunting shotgun, and it does fine, including almost all legal pre dawn to dark situations where I would actually take a shot. But it doesn't compare with the top end 30mm tube, 24mm objective lens Swarovski or S&B. With these two scopes, I could shoot a leopard or hyhena or lion well past 1/2 hour after sunset or before sunrise, without "artificial moonlight".

I killed one hyhena in Zim in May which I could not see with the naked eye. But making the shot with the S&B 1.1x4x24 scope was no problem. While I was in Zim last month, we sat on leopard baits and left because it was too late to shoot, not because I couldn't have made the shot in the well post sunset light. No way the Leupold 1x4x20mm or 1.5x5x20mm could have matched the performance of the Swarovski or S&B.

So, what scope best suits your rifle depends on what you intend to do with the rifle.

JPK

Anybody ever use a Burris Signature "Safari"? It seems like a very good option for a big bore at 1.75x5x32.

Has the low power for wide field of view and the bigger objective for low light conditions... also pretty generous eye-relief.

I ask because I too am looking for scope options for a 375H&H.

signature safari riflescope

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
Hey Blacktailer how many inches is the ram pictured?

I honestly don't know. We never put a tape on him and he is with the taxidermist, our own Jerry Huffaker, being mounted right now. All I know is that my PH said he is the biggest ram he had ever taken in 6 years of hunting the Selous.

The 3x9 Conquest would be an excellent choice for your .375 H&H. I have a 4.5x14 and 1.5x5 both Leupold for mine.

quote:

Originally posted by ti3006:
Hi
I am considering puting a 3x9 conquest on a .375 h&h.

Is this to much scope?

I will have 2 scopes for the rifle on quick release mounts. Currently there is a 3x Leupold on it. The scope is great but I hunt elk with it and want some more magnification?

What do you guys think

Thanks

Go with the 3X - 9X if that's what you like. Consider the balance of your rifle though. Many seem to want you to prepare for African hunting, but you mentioned elk. Nothing wrong with a 3 - 9 for elk.

Also, consider Burris and Bushnell. I like the very long eye relief and light weight of my 2 Burris's: one on my CZ 550 in 458WM. It's a fixed 4X with eye relief of 5" and weighs 8 - 9oz. Another (Safari)on my Ruger No.1 in 45-70 "Improved" has eye relief of 5.5", is silver and weighs a scant 8oz. I've had it for years. It too is a 4X fixed. The 45-70 "Improved" is long-throated and equivalent to a 458WM. I hunt moose and bear with them and neither handicaps me in any way. I like their eye relief and light weight. They're also VERY tough! They've taken a pounding and never change POI. The one on the CZ is in Warne QD mounts.

Edited to add: Both rifles shoot the same bullet; the 350gr TSX. The CZ launches it at 2700+fps and the Ruger No.1 at 2400 fps. Neither are max, and the Ruger No.1 in particular is capable of another 100 fps+.

I have a Leupold VX III 1.75-6X on my M70

I think I have a Leupold 1-4 on it currently, but will change to a 3.5-10 if I am going to hunt in more open country. I think I may go to a 2-7 and split the difference. Lou

I have a Whitworth Express .375 H&H, and have a Zeiss Diavari C 3x9 scope on it. I took it to Zim in 2006 & I took 24 head of game with it in 13 days (18 were bait). I found it to be a wonderful combination. My PH couldn't believe how well it gathered light at dawn and dusk. We hunted the thick most of the time, & I never felt handicapped at all. It didn't matter if it was snap shooting a huge Bushbuck in the thick or Impala in the Mopane. Just for the record I did shoot my Buffalo with my .416 Rigby, but had the opportunity come while I carried the .375 I would have been just fine with it.

If it works for you.....go with it and enjoy.