Heavy scope on 375 H&H

[zakiwi]

Hi there,

I'm thinking of putting a second scope on my 375 H&H ... I installed Leupold QD mounts the first time round as I knew that I would be going in this direction ...

So the current scope is a 3-9 Leupold VX2 and is works well, but I'm wanting to hunt a bit further (using 260 Accubonds) and have been thinking of a Sightron S3 3.5-10 scope for that load. I have it's big brother on my 7mm Rem Mag, and I really like these scopes, but they are heavy (about 21 ounces) ...

I've read that it's not a good idea to put a heavy scope on rifles with heavy recoil as it places undue stress on the scope mounts.

What are your thoughts??

[A-R]

Hi there,

I'm thinking of putting a second scope on my 375 H&H ... I installed Leupold QD mounts the first time round as I knew that I would be going in this direction ...

So the current scope is a 3-9 Leupold VX2 and is works well, but I'm wanting to hunt a bit further (using 260 Accubonds) and have been thinking of a Sightron S3 3.5-10 scope for that load. I have it's big brother on my 7mm Rem Mag, and I really like these scopes, but they are heavy (about 21 ounces) ...

I've read that it's not a good idea to put a heavy scope on rifles with heavy recoil as it places undue stress on the scope mounts.

What are your thoughts??

The practical difference between a 9x and a 10x scope is very small. I do not see the advantage of that little more magnification. But if the optical clarity, turrets, recticle etc. are better suited, that makes a big difference.

Yes, heavy scopes do put a lot of strain on the mounts, especially on the larger calibres. But there are other factors influencing the equation as well, including rifle weight, shooter's build, shooting position etc. So the best advice would be to try it and see if will hold. If the base screws are thightened with loctite (222), you should be fine.

[zakiwi]

Hi AR,

The idea is to use that rifle with 3 loads and 3 corresponding scopes;

1. A soft 235gr load for close range (150m) bush hunting for small to medium game (up to kudu cow)
2. A medium 260gr Accubond load for longer range (out to 300m) for the same classification of game;
3. A hot 300gr load for the big stuff.

I want to use this rifle for all 3 purposes at any time (I hunt 5-6 times a year in a range of environments from thick bush to open country) and the idea is to have a scope zeroed for each load. I'm thinking that I'll use the current Leupold VX2 for the 235gr load (Load 1), to get a Leupold VX3 1.5-5 for the 300g load (Load 3) and to perhaps get a Sightron S3 3.5-10 or a Leupold VX2 4-12 scope for the 260 Accubond load (Load 2);

I don't mind getting the 3 scopes if it means that I can use the rifle for the various purposes without re-zeroing the scopes, and according to Leupold, the QR Mounts should go back to zero (within 0.5 MOA ... but this is still to be tested). I like the Sightron S3 for longer range as it's the same system that's on my 7mm Magnum and it's easy to dial the shot in from drop charts and the Mildot reticule is very useful for ranging, however if it's going to wreck the scope mounts, then perhaps the VX2 4-12 is better (as it's lighter). The VX2 4-12 does not offer a Mildot reticule, but the LR reticule does provide some ability to compensate for range.

This is all to compensate for the fact that my 7mm Magnum is stuffed and requires a new barrel ... which is going to cost quite a bit and hence will be out of action for some time ... AND to put myself in a position where I can get the best use out of a rifle that I really do love.

Hope that makes sense.

[G-force]

Maybe consider one scope that can do it all like the March 1-10X24 scope:
http://marchscopes.com/hunting-1-10-x-24-scopes.html

[Desperatezulu]

Three scopes for 3 loads sounds crazy! With all due respect, outside of dangerous game what on earth (including NZ and Africa) are you going to shoot between 0 & 300m that your 260gr AB won't work for?
If you want to do this just because you can, then knock yourself out. But otherwise common sense would suggest simply re-sighting your current scope for the different loads. In reality you're going to need to test/sight-in each time you change scopes because the QR mounts may have shifted your POI, despite what Leupold's marketing blurb might say.

This is all to compensate for the fact that my 7mm Magnum is stuffed and requires a new barrel ... which is going to cost quite a bit and hence will be out of action for some time ...

Are all these scopes not going to cost quite a bit too?

As G-force says - your solution probably lies with getting one 'right' scope, assuming you don't already have it. Good luck!

[Sweet]

(subscribing to this thread, as I am pondering the same question)

One reason to have two scopes is that (IMO) scopes and mounts are the most delicate part of any hunting rifle "system" - I put QD mounts onto my 375H&H for exactly both of those reasons (I want to be able to revert to iron sights if my scope gets stuffed in the bush, AND I want to have a second scope to compliment my 1.5-5x20 Leupold that I would use for most bush applications).

My recent joy at finding that my rifle is actually quite accurate (thanks to Dale SH, with his help on my loads), makes me want to use it for longer distances (like Kalahari type ranges) - which is something that the 1.5-5 Leupy is not really suited for.

[zakiwi]

Three scopes for 3 loads sounds crazy! With all due respect, outside of dangerous game what on earth (including NZ and Africa) are you going to shoot between 0 & 300m that your 260gr AB won't work for?

Fair point ... I've been struggling to get 260AB's lately, whereas the 235's are easy to find ... Anyway ... It's no biggie as I found 3 boxes on the weekend, which should last me 2-3 years ... I suppose I was just interested in understanding if a 20-21 ounce scope would wreck the mounts on a 375.

Are all these scopes not going to cost quite a bit too?

Yeah ... They're not free ...

[A-R]

This is all to compensate for the fact that my 7mm Magnum is stuffed and requires a new barrel ... which is going to cost quite a bit and hence will be out of action for some time ...Hope that makes sense.

How much would a good barrel, say a "Blue Mountain" (is the name right?) cost you? Probably not more than a half-decent scope?

The idea of 3 scopes for 3 poads does make sense, but we are not that spoilt, that we can play with so many toys.

Another option would be to zero with one scope, and just write down the turret positions for each load. Then, when you change loads, you just dial in the correct zero. Will work for longer ranges too.

[zakiwi]

How much would a good barrel, say a "Blue Mountain" (is the name right?) cost you? Probably not more than a half-decent scope?

I'm looking at about $2000 all up with the gunsmithing to true the action, bolt face and locking lugs and a high quality barrel.

Another option would be to zero with one scope, and just write down the turret positions for each load. Then, when you change loads, you just dial in the correct zero. Will work for longer ranges too.

Agreed ... hence my attraction to the Sightron S3, which has exceptionally good tracking.