I am about to buy a scope for my new 416 Rigby. I have read a lot of threads, but haven't found any informaton on a Leupold VX3 1.5-5x20.

It's a well-regarded scope.

Search on "Leupold 1.5".

The 'VX3' may be limiting your results.

George

I have one on mine, plus a second as a backup (haven't needed it yet). No problem with this scope/caliber combination.

I've got one on my .404 jefferey & it has about 150rds under it so far w/o incident. I think they are just about perfect for .40 & up rifles, lots of eye relief & enough clear magnification to make any reasonable shot.

The 1-4 leupold is also an excellent scope to consider.

It will hold up just fine.200 rds atop my 425 express and its usually raining up here. The only hitch is drying little end with big fingers. JT

quote:

Originally posted by Niels:
I am about to buy a scope for my new 416 Rigby. I have read a lot of threads, but haven't found any informaton on a Leupold VX3 1.5-5x20.

That would seem to be the most often used scope on .40-ish bores of any in the world, I would guess. Must be something right about it.

I use one on a .416 Rigby and a .404 Jeffery.

It will work fine provided the scope mounts do not engage right over the front reticle. Mine did and I broke it a couple of times. Leupold repaired it but told me to use different mounts. I went with a longer scope instead and used the same mounts.

Erik D,
I use a Leupold Vari X II 1-4 on my .404 Jeffery.
Have some 200 rounds through the barrell wirth no problems

Husky

Niels, you may want to look at the thread linked below in which I present the different technical specs, as published by Leupold, on their low power variable scopes. I have two VXIII in 1.5-5X20mm Leupolds, one on my 416 RIgby and one my .375 H&H. Lots of rounds through the .375 and no problems. So far the 416 has only about 100 rounds through it but no problems I can detect as of yet.

Leupold scope comparison

a .416 rem broke something in my 1.5x5. Leupold repaired it and it's worked fine ever sense.

Happy to hear I am about to make the right choise. The 1.5-5x20 Leupold it will be then. Mount will be Talley Qd for a CZ550 mag. By reference of so many of you.

Thanks a lot for all the help. I have shot the gun yesterday, for the first time ever. doing a break in routine I couldn't get that many shots of at a time. You know one shot ...clean, One more... clean etc. but when I got to the two shot cycle I tried the gun, with the newly installed irons, out on a running moose target. 80 meters. That worked just fine.. One bulls eye and one right next to that. So it seems like Irons are just fine if the scope breaks down on me.

Niels.
Sorry to call you Erik D...
Wasn't he (Erik D) going to procure a large medium bore?

I practise also a lot with the ironsights. It's amazing how good groups one can shoot with them! Or are we just getting lazy with those scopes???

Remember as a teenager how we shot Swedish Mauser 96 6,5x55 at 300meters with iron sights. Groups arond 3-4"....

Husky

I have one on my Ruger No. 1 and Ruger 77 .416 Rigbys and yes, they hold up very well.

Yes it will hold up fine....I recommend the 3X fixed Leupold, 1.5x5 Leupold or 1x4 Leupold, on all big bores up to but not including the .458 Lott, from that point on I suggest the Leupold 2.5 compact, the worlds toughest little scope....

I have seen some of you posts recommending that scope before. I have looked for it, but haven't found it yet.
It is a 2.5x fixed Power Leupold compact M8, right?

I've seen its predecessor the Vari-VIII 1.5-5X20 (of which I have one on a .375 Chatfield-Taylor) referred to in one of the better US shooting magazines as one of the finest dangerous game scopes available.

Cheers & God bless,
magnum308

quote:

Originally posted by D Hunter:
It will work fine provided the scope mounts do not engage right over the front reticle. Mine did and I broke it a couple of times. Leupold repaired it but told me to use different mounts. I went with a longer scope instead and used the same mounts.

Good advice from D Hunter.

I also broke the front objective lens on my VariX III 1.5-5x by placing the front ring on the lens. Leupold fixed it and I changed rings & mounts so it wouldn't happen again. That was on a 458 Win Mag.

I sold the 458 Win Mag and bought a Ruger RSM M77 416 Rigby. Used the same 1.5-5x scope on the 416 Rigby without any problem. I also use my 1.5-5x on another .458 Win Mag I have and I will be using a different 1.5-5x on the 404 Jeffery that I am having built. It is a great scope for the bigbores.

Tim

Mine broke on a 416 (maybe coincidental), but leupold fixed it.

500 rounds and counting on my 416 Rigby with zero problems. Off to africa with it in 17 days....but I'm taking a spare scope just in case. jorge

I had one on my 600 Ok for awhile. (+/- 100 rounds). It held up just fine. If it can take the 600 a 416 should be no problem at all.

Just be sure the rings are lined up well. Also, I always lap the rings as well and don't over tighten.
JMHO

John

The only scope I will use on the Lott or bigger calibers is the 2.5X Leupold Compact, I have trashed all others both US and European on those big bore rifles, the guts will come loose sooner or later, within 250 rounds is my estimated experience, sometimes right off the bat...

Best advise is use a ghost peep on any rifle over 458 Lott and IMO the 458 is a real good canidate for irons IMO.....Look at it this way, at the ranges these big brusers are used a good ghost peep is just as good, makes for easy carry and it fast for the shots.

I see these scopes come apart every year, and guess what, its with the guy that was sure he was in fine shape with his high dollar chosen scope, and just as he looks at his first Cape Buffalo....

Bought a used one for a backup on my .375 and now use it on my 416.

I've had one on my Brno 602, in 460wby for quite some time now.
I have fired several houndres of shots with it, and with a lot of "full-power"-loads. It have newer shown any signs of weakness!!

I really like Leupolds. I have one on my 416 Taylor as well, without any problem.

So, I believe it can manage the recoil from a rather kind 416 Rigby.

My 510 wells trashed a weaver 4x, but the Leupold 1.5-5X has held together just fine. Even the weaver bases and rings are doing OK after several hundred rounds.

Just sent my 1.5 x 5 off to Leupold. Fogged up after mounting on my new .375 Ruger. Same deal as above. The rings were too close to the objective. OOPs

A friend of mine had to send his back to Leupold 2 or 3 times. It was mounted on a Blaser 416 RM. However after I shot a Blaser 416 I did not figure the recoil would have caused the problem. I now beleive that carring the scoped rifle around on the ATV in the rough country of his deer lease is what caused the problem.
He did a LOT of riding around on the ATV.

I have fired 500 plus rounds in a 416 Rem Mag with the 1.75 X 6 Leupold with no problems

Well- I just sent mine back to Leupold with a lens separation after two hunting trips on a .375 H&H. It held zero just fine, just had a major lens separation. I have had problems with these scopes before on .45 and bigger rifles. You also had better know how to mount them or you'll crack the front objective.-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by Maineguide1:
Just sent my 1.5 x 5 off to Leupold. Fogged up after mounting on my new .375 Ruger. Same deal as above. The rings were too close to the objective. OOPs

What do you mean Too close to the objective? I have not found any instructions that says the rings have to go some place particular.


Niels

If you put the front ring over the front lens on a straight tube scope like the Leupold VariX-3, 1.5-5x you can "pop" the seal around this lens when you tighten up the front scope ring. I've done it as well and had to send mine back to Leupold. Leupold recommends that you don't place the front ring over the front lens for that reason.

I've seen two scopes broken on African trips- fortunately not mine. Both were on 416 Rem's but the damage was probably done during the flights. Make sure you hand carry all your optics (good QD mounts will put them back to zero) and always take a backup scope-just in case. Good shoot'n

quote:

Originally posted by MHC_TX:
If you put the front ring over the front lens on a straight tube scope like the Leupold VariX-3, 1.5-5x you can "pop" the seal around this lens when you tighten up the front scope ring. I've done it as well and had to send mine back to Leupold. Leupold recommends that you don't place the front ring over the front lens for that reason.

Thanks, but I have never heard of that before. Scopes are sometimes mounted in so called clawmounts (mostly in here in europe), the front ring has to be situated out there in the end of the scope in such a mount and I have never heard of any problems with that. It is mostly european scopes over here. Is that the reason....

It is all the same about moving the scope in the rings.... I bought a VXII 1-4x20 and it is so small that there is no margin for movement that will allow the front ring to be placed away from the objective.
(Talley rings for CZ mounted on a CZ 550)
So far no problemo, but I did feel the power dial get tighter as I applied torque to the rear ring.

Trust me - if you tighten the ring hard with Torx screws over the objective lens it WILL crack the lens - I've sent scopes back to Leupold about 4 times (1-4X and 1.5-5x scopes)to have the objective replaced - you'd think I'd learn the lesson! It's a real pain because on all of my big rifles the only way to be sure to avoid the problem is offset rings - so far I've not gone to the hassle of changing my lapped rings etc - I just avoid tightening the front ring as much as i used to. My S&B tube seems robust enough to not suffer - but it's built heavy as the proverbial brick outhouse!Charlie.

Many claw mounts are soldered to the steel scope tubes, no compression problems there.

Use clear or black silicone adhesive or 3M brand "Liquid Electrician's Tape" as an adhesive in the rings and then no worries about them being loose and you do not have to overtorque the screws. I do it routinely with any scope on any rifle.

We make a large number of heavy rifles, especially in .416, .458 and .511 caliber. The low power Leupolds are a good choice --espcially true in terms of eye relief. We have put Swarovski and Schmidts on big bores also with good results. The Scotchcoat advice is good; you can pick it up at any electrical supply store. Use the best rings you can buy, keep them off the front lense, and you should avoid problems.

quote:

Originally posted by Niels:
It is all the same about moving the scope in the rings.... I bought a VXII 1-4x20 and it is so small that there is no margin for movement that will allow the front ring to be placed away from the objective.
(Talley rings for CZ mounted on a CZ 550)
So far no problemo, but I did feel the power dial get tighter as I applied torque to the rear ring.

will the front lens crack immediatedly when torque is applied or will it happen later?

ups forgot... one more question.... how far away from the objective should the front ring be placed as a minimum?

Ideally, one should stay about 1/2" behind the "golden ring." However this is impossible in many cases. Therefore, use the adhesive in the rings and do not over torque the ring screws.

Degrease the rings and scope tube. Smear a light coat of the adhesive on all bearing surfaces of the ring inside. A little dab will do ya. Tighten until the adhesive squirts out all around both sides of the ring. Wipe off any excess that is showing and clean up. It will be undetectable most of the time after assembled, mounted and hardened. Do both rings.

I like the clear or black automotive silicone adhesive.

If you want to disassemble later, unscrew the ring screws and carefully break the rings free without damage to scope or rings.

The silicone adhesive can be easily removed from the inside of the rings with a bronze brush and Gun Scrubber solvent with a little elbow grease. If any silicone adheres to the scope, this can be removed with a thumbnail or wooden scraper and Gun Scrubber and a paper towel.

With this sort of seal between rings and scope, you have no worries about stray oil, penetrating solvents, or moisture getting in there. Ring screws still need checking periodically to make sure they are still tight, of course.

I have not cracked a single objective lens and have used plenty of these little scopes on lots of hard kickers, with silicone adhesive.