Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Optics? What’s on your big bore, express, DHR?

What are you using and why? What are you avoiding and why? Likes and dislikes?

Of what’s out there today (new and obtainable used) what would you buy? Thanks.

1.5-5x20mm on the .375 H&H. Rugged. Around 1,000 rounds now down the tube with no issue. I tend to have it on 5x from the bench, but leave it on ~2x in the field.

1.5-4x20mm on the 400 Jeffrey #1. Mostly as an experiment to see if it will eventually puke. So far, so good. I just leave it on 1.5x. It's more than this cartridge needs.

2.5x20mm on the 9.3x62mm. Simple, rugged, though only 275 rounds down the tube. Taking the setup with me to Africa in the next couple of months chasing Cape Buffalo. Afterwards, I plan to swap scopes between the 400 Jeffrey and this rifle as I think it will be a better fit.

I used two VX6 1-6's on my 375 and 404 Jeffery the last time in Africa. Both of those rifles are gone.

My 416 Remington is going to get a Trijicon 1-6, and a backup Leupold VX6 1-6.

VX3 1.5-5x20 on my .400 Whelen with the Heavy Duplex. Seems pretty useful from in-your-face close to out further then I would ever shoot something with a low velocity round.

1.1X4 S&B on my 458 Win mag

IX8 LPVO Tract Toric on my 416 Rem mag

My preference is the 1X8

Swaro Z6 1X6.

My .416 Taylor wears a VX II 1-4, but that scope is going to be replaced by a Trijicon Accupoint 1-4 to match what's on the 9.3x62. The trijicon is a definite step up from the Leupold. My .375 has a Vari X III 1.75-6. It crapped out years ago and was sent back for re-education, and has been functional since.

@Puddle. Are the scopes you referenced Leupold's?

My 375 has a 2.5 - 8 Leupold, I had a 1-5 X 5 but my eyes needed a little more magnification for taking a shot through a window in the brush. The extra magnification helps to see unseen twigs and stuff. On th elower end 2.5 is about perfect for me.

Burris fullfield posi lock original 1.5 x 5. Duplex

Would prefer a post as they are my favorite but Burris want swap reticle anymore.

I leave it on 3x most all the time.

Yup

Currently this is my lineup, though arguably my rifles are all mediums and I haven't used them for animals other than brown bears and moose within Alaska.

I've a Leupold 4x28 on my .375 H&H.

I have a Leupold 2.5x8 on my .400 Whelen.

I have a Zeiss 1.8x5.5 on my .416 Remington, though I've mostly hunted that rifle with a Leupold 3X.

For me, anything that brackets 3-4X is fine from the muzzle to as far as I intend to use those rifles. All of the scopes have a "duplex" type reticle.

M8-4x with FX2-6x as back up scope Leupold quick detach bases/rings on my 375H&H AI. Iron sights on 45-90, 45-70’s, & 375Whelen AI.

Thanks Puddle.
Looks like Leupold is well represented.

Leo 2.5-8x36 on 375 H&H w/ Leo 1.5-5x20 as spare
Leo 4x33 on 416 Ruger w/ Leo 2x20 as spare
Leo 1.5-5x20 on 9.3x62

Iron sights on all of them as well

To the guys with the 1.5-5 Leupolds, can you comfortably shoot with both eyes open on 1.5?

Yes. Ditto at 5x.

Ditto with the 2.5-8x36 that's on there now. Ditto with the 1.75-6x32E that was on there before.

-Chris

I do.

I move scopes around at times. But, presently:

2ea illuminated 1-6x24 Swarovski EE on 458 Lotts

1-6.3x24 illuminated Leica Magnus on a 416 Ruger

1-4x24 illuminated Schmidt & Bender Zenith on a 416 Remington

1-6x24 non-illuminated Swarovski Z6 on a 375 H&H

1-8x24 illuminated Tract Toric on a 375 Ruger

1-5x24 HD non-illuminated Leupold on a 20" Marlin 45-70


Optically have no complaints with the aboves. Mechanical time will tell.
I have a 458 Winchester to decide on what scope. I am currently leaning towards a 1.1-4x24 Kahles. But undecided. I have a few lower powered straight tubes to place somewhere.

I have also use an illuminated 1-4x24 Zeiss HT on a 416 Ruger. No complaints, just wanted a couple of more magnification steps. I think, the 1-5 and 1-6 are my favorite power ranges. Though this 1-8 Tract is definitely growing on me. But, 5 & 6x are about perfect for me.

1.1 - 4 Kahles on the 700 in .458WM

1.5 - 6 Kahles on the 700 in .375 RUM

1.5 - 6 Kahles on the 721 in 9,3 x 62m

The AR-10 in .458 Lott/American will get a Holsun 510C to start with (may change it out later)... bullet and shotshell loads are getting played with.

Nikon African Monarch on my 375. Also have a 1.5-5 Leupold for the 375 but like the Nikon much better.

1-4 Trijicon Accupoint, Green BAC reticle. 460 Weatherby
Fixed 6x Leupold AO 378 Weatherby
Ruger #1 450 Nitro Express - Irons
Ruger #1 458 Win Mag - Irons
Weatherby 416 - Undecided

Tony

2 - 7 x 32mm Nikon on my Ruger #1H in .458 Win Mag. Ideal range for me and a very tough scope. Sadly, Nikon is out of the rifle scope business now. By now, probably 1000 rounds. Previously on my #1 in .45-70 LT (Long Throat) with ballistics equivalent to a .458 but in a much lighter rifle.

3 - 9 x 40mm Bushnell Elite on my 9.3 x 62 Tikka Lite. Since I'm a dedicated black bear and wolf hunter, I need lots of light on the edge of darkness in thick bush.

3 - 9 x 40mm Diamondback - for the same reasons on my .35 Whelen.

Previously, I've owned a couple of fixed 4x 21mm Burris with 5" eye relief, one on my former #1 in .45-70 LR and another on a CZ550 in .458. Excellent scopes.

Generally though, I find the 2 - 7 x 32 Nikon ideal for most situations.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

My 416 Rem M70 wears a Burris 1.75-5X Signature Safari duplex reticle with Posi-Lock.

.411 KDF - Swarovski 4x
.404 Jeffery - Meopta 1-6x42
9.3x64 - Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40
.370 Sako Mag - Meopta 1-6x24
.376 Steyr - Leupold 2-7x FireDot

Merkel 140AE 450-400-3" Nitro Express - Karl Kaps Classic, 1-4x22 non-illuminated FFP heavy #1 reticle
Sako Kodiak .375 H&H - Kahles Helia 5, 1-5x24mm SFP Illuminated P-Dot
Verney-Carron Impact Plus takedown bolt action, 9.3x62 - Noblex ( Docter Optic) Inception, 1-6x24mm SFP Illuminated #4
Beretta Silver Sable 9.3x74R O/U double rifle - Schmidt & Bender Stratos, 1.5-8x42mm SFP illuminated #4

They are all good scopes, no complaints or problems. My favourite of all is the Kahles. Simply wonderful.

In 1988 I installed a Leupold VariX lll 1.5x5 standard duplex on my .416 Taylor. Lots of load development and lots of use in Africa and no problems. Looking back, there were several occasions when a heavy duplex would have been a better choice. But overall, I have no complaints.

Weaver V10 on my .375 Bee.

Just wanted something in that power range that was light and had clear glass. Very inexpensive and has been flawless for 16 years.

I have a Leupold VX6 2-12, illuminated reticle on a 375 H&H. I got this rifle and scope last fall and so far I am really happy with the performance of both rifle and scope.

Burris 1.75-5x32 Sig Safari #4 posilock.

I use a fairly lightweight 9# 1 oz. (Scoped, loaded, slung), Win. Model 70 in .375 AI as my only hunting rifle. As the vast majority of my hunting is in fairly open country offering shots as far as you dare to make…..it’s wearing a 3.5-10 Leupold CDS in Leupold Quick detachable base/rings. As a back up scope or if spending more time in thicker stuff…..a 2.5-8 Leupold also in QD’s already zero’d and ready to hunt!

Obviously, if you were going to spend much more time in really thick stuff, it may be worth considering a lower powered variable such as a Leupold VX3HD 1.5-5 or a Leupold VX6 1-6!


I’ve used Leupold’s for over 40 years on fairly heavy recoil rifles……and have never been disappointed. I like to keep my rifle as light as possible/reasonable….and generally, the Leupold’s are among the lightest.

If doing it over again, I wouldn’t change a thing……unless of course, I won a very large lottery and money was no object. That said……I still want light and quality! 😉 memtb

Leupold 2.5x8 on an FN Sako in 375 Weatherby

BTW, I'm working through the details of a .416 Ruger build and this time, instead of automatically defaulting to something Leupold, I'm gonna take a fresh look at what's available in 1-4x, 1-5x, or 1-6x.

Something along those lines, anyways.

Leupold Patrol 6HD on my Ruger M77 RSM 416 Rigby. I am enjoying shooting it (really) and I am getting better with it each time. August hunt to Mozambique for Buffalo and Croc. Have older Zeiss 3-9X40 on my M77 RSM 375 H&H for croc. Thots? First Safari.

Swarovski Z6i 1-6x24EE on a 375 H&H. Previously wore a trouble-free Leupold Euro-30 1.25-4x20. Back-up NECG irons.
Kahles Helia RD on a 458 Lott. Back-up NECG irons.
Express sights only on a 470 NE double.