quote:

When my Leupold 1.5-5x croaks after enough 500 Jeffery rounds, I will definitely look at Nikon for a replacement. I will use Leupolds lifetime warranty and put it on our Marlin 336 30-30 though

Good idea and good application of the company policy.

I've used 2.5-8 Leupolds over the years on 270s and 338s, as a happy camper. I've also learned to have backup scopes in Africa as I've had a some scopes go bad (Redfield, Weaver, and ?? can't remember). My wife, on the other hand, as a recent devotee of hunting and shooting is sporting the 5-inch eye relief models above on her 270 and 375 Ruger, because we want her delicate eyebrows to be given every advantage.

Here is a picture with her 375 after firing



For comparison she took one of me, too, after firing the 500:



4-inches of eye-relief would work, but five has been appreciated.

I have a VX6 6-24x on a 375 RUM that I use for 1000 yard targets, 350 gr Sierras at 2600 fps. So how soon should I figure on having it go TU?

RayB-
Just use it as long as you want, as long as you can. It is a great scope and may last a lifetime.

We all live with our choices and I am not so worried about scopes in NorthAmerica. They can be replaced overnight, in most cases. (For Africa I would carry a backup.) The VX6 is a nice scope with an illuminated reticle option. Its 3.8" eye-relief can work as long as you are careful.

I've used 3.8" eye-relief on 416's that were loaded quite a bit hotter (6200ft#) than the the 375RUM, with never a scratch. But I'm careful with my shooting position and keep my head fairly vertical and as far from the eyepiece as I can.
And I now prefer the 5-inch eye relief scopes.

While on the subject of big bore scopes and eye relief,
have any of you used the Quake scope eye recoil pad?

It is a very inexpensive ($3), one size fits most, soft rubber piece for a scope.

If a scope hits you in the eye that little piece of rubber will just make a slightly mushier cutting instrument than a bare scope. Burris used to put a little rubber ring on the eyepiece for the same purpose I suppose. Can't hurt though and it is $3.00 so not much ventured.

I just won an auction for a leupold vx3 2.5-8 to go on my whitworth .375 h&h. I am excited how it does with the Alaskan arms rings and bases on that rifle.

I use a Nightforce 2.5x10 nxs on my 450NE Ruger No 1. I called Nightforce and they told me they challenge me to break their scope with any rifle. I believe them. I also have a couple Nightforce 1-4.
I also use the Leupold 1.5-5. Very tough as well.
https://mobile.twitter.com/wed...334269042690/photo/1

The rubber ring on the ocular end of the scope makes a big difference. I've been using them for years. If the scope hits you in the head with that rubber ring it will not cut you and the blow is cushioned. Anyone that says that it doesn't make much difference simply doesn't know what he is talking about.

Schmidt Bender Zenith 1.1 x 4 Flash Dot with S&B rail mount on my Mauser M-03. It has 67rds of 416 Rem (400gr A-Square) and 78 rds of 500gr Hornady Softs and solids. No issues.

quote:

Originally posted by swampshooter:
The rubber ring on the ocular end of the scope makes a big difference. I've been using them for years. If the scope hits you in the head with that rubber ring it will not cut you and the blow is cushioned. Anyone that says that it doesn't make much difference simply doesn't know what he is talking about.

I agree Swampshooter; if the scope doesn't have that ring, a Butler Creek flip up cover serves the same purpose.

The rubber rings in a big bore just bludgeon one to death!

Anyone have experience with a Trijicon 1-4 on a .416 Rem?

I have one on a Ruger RSM 416 Rigby and have had no issues with it
I have taken it twice to Africa for buffalo and Tuskless

Ray
I am waiting on the video of a 458 Lott and a stock crawler with a rubber ring on his scope. My life experience leads me to believe a scope ocular accelerated by a Lott will compress the rubber down until it cuts a eye brow. I am certainly open minded enough to watch it proved wrong. I still have a scar on a cheekbone where a helmet and padding was compressed enough to cut my cheek. The helmet was much less sharp than a scope.
I also think of 16 ounce gloves and hands cutting eyes rather well.
Good shooting to all.

I agree. I've been scoped with the rubber pad attached to the ocular and it still cut right into my forehead. It may make a difference if the scope lightly glances your head, but if it hits with any authority, the rubber pad doesn't do squat.

I had a 1-4 trijicon on my 458 lott and it held up fine and the eye relief was just enough to be good, but not enough that it wouldn't tap you if your being careless. it's an excellent DG scope or regular hunting scope as far as that's concerned.

I'm using a Vortex viper PST 1-4 and it seems to be working well. The eye relief is plenty where you don't have to be careful. the only down side is the tube is a little short for magnum actions and a little heavy, but I made it work on my winchester 416 remington, bedded the bottome half of the rings and added rosin so I could tighten it down to normal specs and keep it from slipping.

The leupold FX 6x42 or 4 powder would be a good candidate also.

Like I was saying
5 inch eye relief
Super super rugged
And great glass at reasonable prices. Inline by Nikon.

quote:

Originally posted by drongo:
Anyone have experience with a Trijicon 1-4 on a .416 Rem?

Yep love it--to me its more about the stock fit than anything- if you are crawling your stock you need to shorten it

quote:

Originally posted by Sean Russell:

if you are crawling your stock you need to shorten it

Or get a scope with longer eye relief. And train your eye to rest where the scope begins to come into focus.

A big bore is for large dangerous game, therefore optics in low light is important as well as toughness. Fir me that Spells Schmidt & Bender in 1.1X4 or 1.5X6X42.

I thought most big game hunters were experienced enough not to excessively crawl the comb of a big bore. DUH.

quote:

Originally posted by FFemtRN5287:
I've had good luck with two Leupold Euro-30 1.25-4x's on a 375 and a Lott.

+1

I have a Leupold 1.25 X 4 Euro-30 on my .458 WM...never had a problem. Lots of rounds over quite a spell.

The problem of scope destruction starts with the 458 Lott and gets worse as you go up..I trashed a bunch of scopes with my 505 Gibbs IMP, Only Leupold made them good btw...but after 2 old 3Xs and one 4X going bad Leupold sent them all back repaired and gave me a new 2.5 Compact and said you won't break this one..I still have it and its been of a 458 Lott, a 500 Jefferys and is presently being used on a 577 wildcat...still working..Its indestructible IMO..

On the 416s and even with the .458 Win. I would think any good scope would work, The 458 would be borderline iffy, not sure about it, but the 458 Lott can give problems..

quote:

Leupold made them good btw...but after 2 old 3Xs and one 4X going bad Leupold sent them all back repaired and gave me a new 2.5 Compact and said you won't break this one..I still have it and its been of a 458 Lott, a 500 Jefferys and is presently being used on a 577 wildcat...still working..Its indestructible IMO..

I think that the Nikons are the scopes that have earned the title "indestructible".

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:

quote:

Leupold made them good btw...but after 2 old 3Xs and one 4X going bad Leupold sent them all back repaired and gave me a new 2.5 Compact and said you won't break this one..I still have it and its been of a 458 Lott, a 500 Jefferys and is presently being used on a 577 wildcat...still working..Its indestructible IMO..

I think that the Nikons are the scopes that have earned the title "indestructible".

Would those be the Nikon fixed power scopes?

Thanks,
Jerry

Jerry, both the variables and the fixed power Nikons seem to bear up...haven't noticed in difference. I like the older Nikon African 30mm variables.

Surpisingly, those include variable power Nikon scopes.

Try to find Michael458's experiences somewhere in terminals and in other threads. He hasn't been able to break a Nikon and shoots a few thousand big bore/year.

Thanks buddy, the reason I ask is I had a Nikon Omega go tits up on a T/C inline, 150 grs of loose 777 kicked the guts outta that damn thing.

quote:

Originally posted by jerry mcdonald:
Thanks buddy, the reason I ask is I had a Nikon Omega go tits up on a T/C inline, 150 grs of loose 777 kicked the guts outta that damn thing.

Everything made can fail, it's percentages that count. I have back-up scopes in Africa, though I haven't needed any in the last decade.

Absolutely!

The leupold vx-3i 2.5-8x36 will not fit the whitworth Mauser.

My 375H and 416Rem wear Nightforce 2.5-10x24 NXS with FC-2 Reticle. My 458 wears a Nightforce 1-4x24 FC-2.

No issues.

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Masters:
The leupold vx-3i 2.5-8x36 will not fit the whitworth Mauser.

Can you explain that?
I've heard of some issues with mounting that scope and some ring and base combinations won't work but I'm pretty sure some ring and base combinations will work.

It will fit the Whitworth, you need the set with extension rings with some scopes..The whitworth is nothing more than a Mauser 98..

I used to shoot .50BMGs in competition. shot over 2000 rnds/ year in a 26lb light gun off of bench rests and bipods. People learned early on that only Leupolds and Nightforce WERE THE ONLY scopes that could stand up to that level of abuse along with Badger rings. These guns broke everything, scopes, rings, bases mounting screws etc. they were fired more than a hunting DGR gets fired in a lifetime. IMHO the recoil of a .50 in a 26lb gun is about the same as a .458 Lott or 460 weather by in a hunting weight rifle. Newbies Usually showed up with Nikons and other scopes they thought were bulletproof but usually had them break after and during a match.Very frustrating and I usually packed a spare scope and rings to get them going again.
My .600 overkills all wear leupold 2.5 compacts and have never had one break. Same thing for the 12ga from Hell. Some people seem to learn faster than others. For any DGR from .458 win up, I'll only recommend a leupold or nightforce.

I'll stay with Nikon, thank you, for 500 and 416 loads over 6000 ft#.

Point is, if you shoot enough all scopes/ mounts eventually fail. The important thing to understand is the interval between failures. We have had enough experience here to have identified those combos that last the longest under severe recoil. Everyone here is free to do whatever they want though!

quote:

People learned early on that only Leupolds and Nightforce WERE THE ONLY scopes that could stand up to that level of abuse along with Badger rings.

quote:

Originally posted by Vaquero:

quote:

People learned early on that only Leupolds and Nightforce WERE THE ONLY scopes that could stand up to that level of abuse along with Badger rings.

Then those people didn't try S&B scopes

And Michael458 had to send back Leupolds on a weekly basis when he was doing his terminals testing. But not one Nikon.

Please supply the exact dates and scope models that were sent back on a weekly basis for our edification!