I was planning to put my Leupold VXIII 1.5 - 5X on my .404, but looking around I felt that there might be better choices with (maybe?) a little more eye relief.

Looked at the Leupold VX-5HD 1-5x24mm and it is possibly a better scope for this application? I intend to use this rifle for Cape buffalo.

Any other suggestions? I'd like to keep it at $2k or less, so I can afford the ammo for practice.

Thanks,

AT

I have the VX6 1-6 on my 404. It is pre HD, but still a great scope. It is a true 1 power, so I can shoot with both eyes open if the buffalo dung hits the fan. I also have the illuminated reticle which is great on a dark background (buffalo).

Here's my .404 on a SSB Magnum Oberndorf action. I still haven't discovered who built it, although I'm fairly certain that it started out as a .375 H&H and only had the barrel changed when it was "converted" to .404, leaving the task of having the feed corrected to me after I bought it.

The name of the original maker probably was lost with the original barrel.

The scope is a Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-5X, and I'm very pleased with it.

I have the VX6 1-6 on mine and love it. Low power for the big stuff close and 6x if I need to stretch in out for a unexpected plains game shot.

Very nice rifle there, Xausa!

On my Jeffery I mounted a Leupold FX-II 2.5x20 (sku# 58450).

It's compact, very light weight, and the fixed 2.5x is plenty of magnification for shots inside 200-yds, and most likely the shots I'd take with this rifle would be inside 100-yds.

More scope than that is just extra weight ...

I mounted it in the lowest 1" rings I could find for a CZ 550 action, the Alaskan Arms mediums.

Yep, xausa has another nice one there.
Is that a Dakota Arms rear sight on the barrel?
Looks like it.
I am afraid I will never be developing a taste for G&H mounts, however. Too expensive for my taste.

My 404 Jeffery wears a Leupold VX-III 1.5-5x20mm also, but in Leupold QRW mounts.
Perfect.
I can put up with the fatter-tubed scopes, but I like the lighter weight better.
For sheep hunting with your 404 Jeffery, consider the Leupold VX-III 2.5-8x20mm
which has survived for decades on Saeed's .375/404 Jeffery.
Or about any Nikon you like for way less than you budgeted. Get a spare scope in identical mounts and still have plenty of money left over for ammo.

Rip ...

I have had good luck with the older Swarovski 1-6 EE...they were the ones with 4.5” eye relief that they discontinued for some reason. I found a few older demo models from Natchez Shooter supply that were priced reasonably...they still have them listed from time to time.

I have both the Leupold VX6 1-6 illuminated reticle and on another rifle the VXIII 1.5-5. Both are mounted with leupold QRW mounts which have worked well. The 30mm tube is notably more bulky and the mounts are not as low as I would like. Both setups have been reliable. The VX6 is a very nice scope, however.

I am a huge fan of the Schmidt & Bender Zenith 1.5-6X42MM. Just bought my second 1.5-6X42. Going to try the 1.1-4 S&B Flash Dot on a upcoming hunt this Spring. All of the S&B scopes have been 100% reliable and rugged . I find the 6 power ideal for the upper end of magnification for all of my hunting except some mule deer, elk,antelope and sheep.

Thank you all. Much appreciated.

AT

Leupold VXIII 1.5-5

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:


Leupold VXIII 1.5-5

I have the same scope on my 500 Jeffery. No issues with recoil and plenty of eye relief.

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:


Leupold VXIII 1.5-5

Very nice, Alf!

Well, since I already have a Leupold VXIII 1.5-5X... guess I'll use that! Thought there might be another make/model that would be preferred.

I do not like very low power scopes - unless necessarily need for a specific purpose.

My rifles have the Leupold 2.5-8, and have had years of use with excellent results.

Saeed: Great choice but problem is many of the scopes we like are no longer made !

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Saeed: Great choice but problem is many of the scopes we like are no longer made !

I have a dozen of them right here!

We normally have around 100 different scopes in our stock, and the ones I like I keep!

Ditto on VX6 1-6 or any other good 1-6 or 1-8. You can easily keep both eyes open on 1 power. Not so easy on any higher power. For longer shot you have 6 power (or 8.) 1-4 is common variable but 6 is really a lot more than 4. I have 1-6 in Leupold, Swarovski, Meopta, and Vortex, and all are excellent. Meopta is the nicest one. All are 30mm.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I do not like very low power scopes - unless necessarily need for a specific purpose.

My rifles have the Leupold 2.5-8, and have had years of use with excellent results.

On my 7mm RM I have a Schmidt and Bender 2-10X Summit. On my Dakota .257 Roberts I have a Leupold VXII 2-7X. My Ruger No. 1 in .257 Roberts will wear a Leupold variable when it is finished. On my 6.5 X 55 I have a Leupold M8 4X. The .404 is for DG and I will use the 7mm RM for plains game. Also planning on a .338-'06 For elk and PG. I will probably use a Leupold 2-8X on it. Horses for courses.

After fitting a red dot sight to my 404 back in the early 80's I then just swapped it for a Leupold 2x EER scope to fit on the same bridge mount as the red dot sight. No work needed on the bolt handle and access to the magazine much better than having a scope fully over the top.

I find the low mounted little Leupold is super reliable, has very good optics and can use with both eyes open or one closed if preferred. Release the scope and the Weaver bridge mount perfectly matches the profile of the safari sight standing leaf (see 2nd photo) so nothing to distract when using the open sights. Several people have had a shot through the 404 including a lightly built woman and apart from getting a real surprise with the recoil at least they haven't had issues with eye relief, or lack of it

Also simple to change back to a reflex type sight at any stage if so desired with this set up. Not to everyone's taste but has suited me for a few decades.

Ouch !
Weaver base on that 404 ? that hurts man ! That hurts !

quote:

Originally posted by Alec Torres:
I was planning to put my Leupold VXIII 1.5 - 5X on my .404, but looking around I felt that there might be better choices with (maybe?) a little more eye relief.

Looked at the Leupold VX-5HD 1-5x24mm and it is possibly a better scope for this application? I intend to use this rifle for Cape buffalo.

Any other suggestions? I'd like to keep it at $2k or less, so I can afford the ammo for practice.

Thanks,

AT

Trijicon 1x4 with the green post. Perfect for buffalo!

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
After fitting a red dot sight to my 404 back in the early 80's I then just swapped it for a Leupold 2x EER scope to fit on the same bridge mount as the red dot sight. No work needed on the bolt handle and access to the magazine much better than having a scope fully over the top.

I find the low mounted little Leupold is super reliable, has very good optics and can use with both eyes open or one closed if preferred. Release the scope and the Weaver bridge mount perfectly matches the profile of the safari sight standing leaf (see 2nd photo) so nothing to distract when using the open sights. Several people have had a shot through the 404 including a lightly built woman and apart from getting a real surprise with the recoil at least they haven't had issues with eye relief, or lack of it

Also simple to change back to a reflex type sight at any stage if so desired with this set up. Not to everyone's taste but has suited me for a few decades.

The 'scout rifle' set up is intriguing. Not sure that I could get used to it after many years using a conventional scope set up. Did you find it at all difficult to adapt to?

AT

I had used open sights and traditional scopes for years and used the open sights on the 404 when hunting buffalo but it was more of a novelty that I mounted the Weaver base and a one of the original Single Point green dot sights on the 404. The old Single Point, if you have seen them, are very much like a small scope and mounted up in the same Weaver rings as seen in the photo of the Leupold set up.

It was not hard to make the transition as the sight picture through the scope is the same as with any other scope except you are conscious of the field of view outside the ocular lens. A similar visual sense is obtained when shooting any scope with both eyes open, as some shooters do or when shooting open sights for that matter.

The 2X magnification is obviously different if used to using 4X plus but there are 4x and vari power EER scopes available now. Back when I changed to the Leupold pistol scope on the 404 that was about all there was available then. The Leupold and Weaver base and rings have been on the 404 for nearly 40 years now and have never moved or given any issues. The Single Point sight was good for closer range fast shooting but pretty hopeless on the range when developing loads etc. If you took too long in taking a shot your eyes would lose the dot. Unfortunately I sold by Single Point but am always on the lookout for another, would like to set one up in another set of rings so I could swap over from the scope occasionally just for fun.

I find the small low mounted scope and positioning very good in terms of not altering the carry and balance of the rifle and although the ocular lens is sitting out over the magazine well, the setup certainly makes charging the magazine much easier than a normal scope setup would. I’m left handed, so is probably of more benefit to me than perhaps a right handed user in terms of loading the magazine.

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Ouch !
Weaver base on that 404 ? that hurts man ! That hurts !

Maybe to some but a gun to me is purely a tool, albeit you can have nice ones or dogs but ultimately they have a job to do.
As mentioned in my reply to Alec that Weaver setup has been on the 404 for nearly 40 years with never a problem and I can remove and replace the scope without any material affect on POI. The screwed and epoxy glued base has never been off the rifle since I installed it, a testament to my brilliant skills

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Ouch !
Weaver base on that 404 ? that hurts man ! That hurts !

Maybe to some but a gun to me is purely a tool, albeit you can have nice ones or dogs but ultimately they have a job to do.
As mentioned in my reply to Alec that Weaver setup has been on the 404 for nearly 40 years with never a problem and I can remove and replace the scope without any material affect on POI. The screwed and epoxy glued base has never been off the rifle since I installed it, a testament to my brilliant skills.

Actually, because it appears to fit the rifle so well - a very low-mounted, very compact EER scope - I like it.

You've basically got yourself a .404 "Big Bore" Scout Rifle that rivals Jeff cooper's old Big Bore scout that he hunted Africa with.

If I recall correctly, he called that one the "Lion Scout." Forgot the caliber now, but it was larger than .308.

The scope on my 404 is in what I refer to as a semi scout position rather than well forward along the barrel commonly associated with scout scopes.
The ocular eyepiece on my Leupold is only about half a scope length forward than that shown in ALF's photo with a normal scope.

Well it just so happens that a Weaver base is about the only option if you intend to use iron sights unless you think a very high island sight is acceptable, I don't..plus I have never had a problem with Weaver rings and bases and seems all the long range boys and police snipers and AR shooters like them..but I do like a talley QD and the little peep that attaches to the rear base..Its just hard to find a scope base that allow you see the front sight is a problem that has yet to be addressed by scope mount makers as most don't use irons is my guess..The exception to the rule is the wonderfull claw mounts and the G&H side mounts, both clear the receiver, but at one hell of a cost..

the 1x4 or 1.5x5 Leupold is a good scope on a 404 or any 40 caliber My all time favorite DG scope is the 3X Leupold, the 2.5 Leupold Alaskan or if the recoil is in the 458 Lott category the only scope I would use is the 2.5 Leupold Compact, or a receiver sight might be the best as shots won't be long, and they are tough sights. If Finn Aaagard ever used any mounts other than Weaver, Im not aware of it and I saw about every rifle he owned I think..and he was rough on rifles, not as rough as Phil but close!!