So, in light of my admitted gun buying addiction, I went and bought a remmy 798 in .375 for no better reason than the price was right. So for my next question, who here has some experience hunting dangerous game and what scopes would you recommend? I plan on trying the irons so I at least have a feel for them in the event of a scope failure, but I want some good glass up top so that I can be fairly assured that my shots are accurate. I'm willing to spend some money, but I am by no means well enough off to go with the likes of a nighthawk or a zeiss etc. I'll take whatever opinons and advice ya'll have to offer. Thanks.
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Dangerous game scopes have been traditionally low power. Some hunters used fixed power with 1x just to have the crosshairs. My uncle used a 1x by 3x variable in a side swing mount. If I were to hunt dangerous game I think I'd go with the side swing option. YMMV

Charlie

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SWCA # 2294

You should be able to find a nice used Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-5X for $250-300. Get good detachable mounts (Warne, Talley, Leupold…). Even 5X is too much magnification for a dangerous game scope, so set it at 1.5 or 2X and duct tape it down.

My philosophy is, no equipment is too good if your life depends on it.



I've never been to Africa (and I'm not going), but we do have a zoo nearby.

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"I also cook."

<-LMAO !
I hope the local zoo keepers are ok with your safari plans lol.
To be fair I live in Kansas, so it ain't exactly like we're having problems with roving herds of angry water buffalo out on the prarie. But I figure if I get lucky and win the lottery or something some day I'll take the chance and get a little old school safari action under my belt before I die

You misunderstood, I'm concerned about escapes. Plus, I've seen the movie Tremors.

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"I also cook."

Weaver makes a V1-3X scope that is very highly thought of by competitive shooters and they are fairly inexpensive at under $170. It is one of a few scopes that is a "true 1x" with zero maginification so you can easily track moving game and use it basically like a red dot sight. Next up the ladder would be a 1-4X Leupold but they are actually about 1.3X at the lowest setting and not near as fast on moving game as the Weaver.

Contact Aimpoint and see if they have a model that they think is suitable. You can get a 4X magnifier, but just leaving it stock and following the little red dot is probably your best bet. You could also contact Trijicon and see if any of their ACOGs might be suitable. Your big problem would be that the nice ones are set up for either 5.56mm or 7.62mm, not big game calibers. But you can piggy back a Docter Red Dot or smaller Aimpoint to them.

Better field of view on the electro optical sights than traditional scopes, and you'll be up close anyway. Lots of people for lots of years just used iron express sights of course. The Aimpoints and Trijicons see lots of use against hostile humans (most dangerous game and all that), but Aimpoints were sold as hunting scopes prior to seeing widespread use for military applications.

So how is the Remington Mauser???? I've never seen one in the flesh. Aren't they made overseas somewhere???

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Yeah, they were made by Zasatva but I haven't seen mine in the flesh yet either since I'm stuck on an oil rig in WV right now lol. I'll be sure to post a review once I pick it up from my FFL.

I wouldn't even consider a battery powered sighting system for dangerous game!!!!!
K.I.S.S. rules...

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In dog years I'm dead.

in the words of Elmer Kieth on dangerous game.
"first you get in close." "when you think your close enough, get a little closer"

good, solid no BS bet your life on it cause ya have to iron sights

Leupold m8 3x would be hard to beat.
THe Remington mausers I've seen had a nice, smooth action. The barreled action looked good. The wood was horrible.

If you don't want to spend lots of money try an older Weaver K series fixed power scope. K-1, K-2, K-3 . They are available on ebay for less than 100. they are strong and take recoil very well. I have a K-3 that has been on a .458 Win, .300 Win and a .270 Win. and it now sits on a Mini 14. The K-1 I had was loaned out to a friend with a .45-70 Siamese Mauser. Still holding up well.

I saw a Leupold that would be perfect,think it's a Mk4 or such:
30MM tube,simple circle with a dot in the center,battery that illuminates the dot if needed,enough eye relief so that you don't get the gun stuck in yer skull.

When I scope my .375 carbine that's what I think I'll go for.

GatorFarmer mentioned Trijicon, and I'd supplement what he said with a very hearty recommendation. First of all, forget the ACOGs, they have fairly limited eye-relief and there's no way I'd want one on a real hard-kicking big-game rifle. As has been mentioned, they are great on 223 or even a 308 if you pick the right one, but not on a 375, no way.

But......Trijicon makes some game scopes, and one that is really great is the TR24 series, the 1-4x24 variable. It has a 30mm tube, so greater light-gathering ability than a 1" scope, and an illuminated reticle that doesn't require any batteries, so won't die on you at some inopportune moment like batteries invariably do. Eye relief is good and optics are great. I have one and love it.

Mine has the laminate stock, which does look ugly as home made sin. But something that ugly just begs to be used. If it gets some love scratches along the way it's all good to me.

I had a Weaver 1-3X on my stainless .375 Model 70 for a long time. I recently sold the scope, and I plan on replacing it with a Kahles 1.1-4X, if I can find one. If not, I'm looking at some other high-end, low-power variables. I never really had a complaint about the Weaver, but think the gun deserves a little better. I'm using Warne bases and rings.

after owning more than a few big rifles with various scopes,here is my suggestion. if you are really serious about hunting things thatbite back,get one of the leupold 1.5-5 variables and leave it set on 1.5 when hunting in close. use a quality quick change mount because things can happen. zero your iron sights for the load you will be using. buy a second scope and use the same rings and zero that scope. remember-things happen at the worsed times. i always used swarovski myself but there are other good ones. plan on spending more for the scope than the rifle and buy from someone who actually knows about dangerous game. one last thing, practice a lot over a long period of time. big rifles kick big and most people take some getting used to.

With my current financial status it will be many many years til I have to worry about using it for real against some 4 legged creature intent on doing me harm. I will have many hours of practice to dream about the real thing before it actually happens.

That should do it....

The best scope for dangerous game buffalo, jumbo up close which is how they should be hunted is no scope at all but a white or ivory bead on the course side and a shallow v rear with point of aim at 50 yards. If you cannot see well enough to use open sights you need a low power 1 to 1.25 scope with a hugh field of view. The very best scopes for this are the European type Schmidt Bender, Zeiss, etc. They have 30 mm tubes and a wide field of view so can can quickly pick the animal up for a second shot. If you are not properly prepared to stop ( sometimes a technically dead ) animal in its tracks which more often than not requires a second shot your professional hunter may have to finish the job.

I would not hesitate to use a lighted reticule and have a Schmidt on a 416 for just that purpose now that my eyes are no longer up to open sights.

Large enough caliber 416 or larger, initial shot placement, fast follow up shots as required.

PS one of the best ads a high end scope maker had was something to the effect only a wealthy man can afford a cheap scope!

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Len

What Chad said...great minds thing alike. Less than $300 should get you a nice Leupold 1.5x5.



Gotta be prepared for those Jurassic moments.

Cheers,
Sam

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I have a Leupold Vari-X III 1.75-6x32mm on my .375 H&H and really like the combination. While I haven't hunted dangerous game, like some of the other posters I hope to someday, I do have field experience with this rig. On the 1.75x setting the field of view is very wide and moving game is picked up instantly. The 32mm objective is nice allowing good performance at first light and in the shadows of dark woods without being too large and unwieldy.

The ability to dial in 6x for a long shot is nice to have if it's ever necessary. The combination of this scope and caliber is so versatile that it has become my primary field rifle. If I ever make it to Africa, it will be reassuring to have spent a lot of time hunting with the rig I'll be using.

If you're concerned with low light conditions, Q beams work better than trijicon sights

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A stinger works even better and can be carried on your belt

Sounds like you guys in Louisiana really know how to hunt.

Ironically, my hunting spot in Louisiana is on a pipeline right of way, so I can actually make shots out to several hundred yards lol. But the q-beam might get those DNR boys perked up if they saw that in use.

Ours aren't too keen on that sort of thing either......LOL


On a serious note, a couple of hundred yards is not out of the question for the .375 if the rifle's accuracy and the shooters need/desire is there. Check out a ballistics table, particularly the 270 gr. loadings, if you're interested.

I think a .375 might be overkill for an 75-80lbs N. Louisiana whitetail, or even one of my bigger bodied KS bucks for that matter lol.

Well I've got a Nikon Monarch Gold 1.5-6x with a 30mm tube mounted on my Winchester 70 in .375 H&H. Unfortunately I don't think Nikon offers that scope currently. The rifle has open sights and I have the scope mounted in a set of Warne quick detachable rings. I like the combination a lot, 1.5 for hunting up close in the thick stuff and the ability to go up to 6x for plains game if needed. And if things really go south, pop the scope off and use the irons.

Be careful when mounting the short tube low powered scopes on a long magnum action. I had a little bit of trial and error with mine. Even though the Warne bases were reversible, they still placed the rings longer than the straight section of the scope tube. Burris reversible Weaver style bases corrected the issue and still allowed me to use the Warne rings.

Nonsense! Kill it, clean it and bury it all in one shot. It makes you a more efficient hunter.

LMAO! Wondering what kind of meat damage we'd be talkin' with that plan lol

actually a 375 with a dangerous game type bullet will just bore a hole straight through with no expansion. think 45-70 with hard cast bullets. should work great for those giant deer out on the plains and down south.

This has been my experience. A small entry wound leads straight to an exit wound that runs about the size of a quarter to a 50 cent piece. No bloodshot meat, you can eat up to the hole. Those looking for theatric kills need to look elsewhere. Truth be told, my hunting partner's .270 tears them up worse.

I'm by no means advocating the .375 is necessary or for everyone, but if you ever wish to hunt larger or dangerous game with it, any field time using your rifle can't be a bad thing. Besides, the best part of the joy in having our toys, whatever they may be, is using them.


kscardsfan, we're drifting off your original topic. You'll have to let us know if this is getting irrelevant.

No I'm enjoying all the discussion. I'm not that serious of a guy to begin with lol. BSing is half the fun of guns, hunting, fishing, baseball, and pretty much anything else guys do. I am now thinking about posting a want ad on the forum for a good used low power leupold and some extended mounts to secure it on this beast. Someday I am hoping to drop a good sized water buffalo and some of the various plains antelopes with this set up and my trusty old ruger 77.

Have fun!

It sounds like we're going down the same path. Mine was bought after I realized I had all my practical hunting rifle needs covered. The plan was maybe someday I'll get to go on a hunt where it's needed. After my first trip to the range with it, I had to take it into the field. It's been down the slippery slope ever since!

If you haven't shot yours yet, you'll find the recoil isn't bad at all. I'm saying that as someone who's not afraid to admit I don't like recoil.

What would you compare the recoil to? I shoot 3.5" shotshells on a very regular basis (avid waterfoweler and semi regular turkey hunter). I'm mostly worried about scope cuts, hence the extended mounts and long eye relief considerations.

I know perceived recoil is very subjective but I'd put it below a 3.5" shotgun shell for sure. Well below if your shotgun is a pump. I'd say comparable to a 12 gauge 3".

I think you're on the right track with the eye relief. My .375 really doesn't jump around, but it's good to have a little insurance room in the event some hunting situation puts you in an odd shooting position. I think I'd get more laughter than sympathy from my hunting buddies if I came back to the cabin with a semi-circular cut on my eyebrow! LOL! A friends Remington 760 in .30-06 was notorious for that.

Well in my case it's cause I have an extra long neck and a marked tendency towards crawling up the stock already so the extended eye relief is almost necessary on anything above a .22 centerfire lol. Now how exactly did your friend's 760 cut that many eyebrows?

A cheap scope and heavy reloads coupled with the drop off of the stock made it brutal. It kissed the owner twice and bit another guy once before a scope with more eye relief was installed. A switch was made to factory loads when the scope was swapped too.

As I typed this, I remembered the guy that borrowed it wore glasses. Extra ouch and Extra $ to fix em!

The sorry triggers in the 760 series of rifles probably didn't help that condition at all either lol.

gregintenn wrote: "Leupold m8 3x would be hard to beat."

I have such a scope, and I have used it on my Husqvarna 1900 in 9,3x62 (Slightly lower in power than a H&H 375, maybe like a .35 Wheelen).
It works well under most hunting situations, but 3x is a bit too much magnification on very close distances (too narrow field of sight), and to little on longer distances, as when you try to adjust it on the shooting range.

It is now replaced by a Tasco 2-7x32 that according to my opinion works much better on close and long distances.

For dangerous game i would recommend a variable scope of good quality as Leupold 1,5-5x20 or Zeiss 1,5-6x42.
I would not recommend a Tasco for dangerous game, for quality reasons.

Look at your photos: that's spelled Zastava, and they're a very well known maker in Serbia. Also make Tokarev-derived pistols, etc.

The Mauser action is what you want, but may need smoothing. (It will wear-in some.) Lube and cycle the bolt. Shooting seems to wear-in a bolt better than just cycling it at home, and will seat the locking lugs better. I'd probably have bought a CZ or a Winchester M-70, but think the Zastava is probably good value for money. They may use an opened-up standard length action, but even some Rigby .416's have been made on opened-up std. length Mauser actions.

The price of a good scope is trivial compared to the price of a safari! Be VERY WARY of used optics. At least, bring a powerful flashlight to the gun show and look around inside the scope or binocular, and see if there's internal hazing. That happens when some careless owner leaves the instrument out in a hot car and rubber from the seals vaporizes onto the lenses and prisms. The maker or a repair place may or may not be able to clean it off. Even Zeiss was only partially successful with a used monocular that I sent them, a classic one made about 1960.

Used scopes also may have been dropped. Look for loose reticles and move the scope around a little and see if the reticle moves. Can you hear things moving inside?

I prefer the Euro reticle sometimes called a 4 or 4A. It has three thick lower crosshairs and a thin top one. This gets you on target very quickly, but gives a better view of the target than a heavy top reticle. It also allows seeing the crosshairs in fairly dim light.

I prefer Swarovski or Zeiss, but Nikon gives good value and Leupold has a good rep.

I hope the rifle has iron sights, too? If a scope breaks, you'll need them. However, the person experienced with a low-powered scope can probably use it about as fast as irons and it gives a better view. Experienced hunters with whom I've talked seem to agree that a low-power scope is the best.

And, for gosh sakes, wring out that rifle and scope before you go to Africa or even on a wild pig hunt here. You can buy a calendar with wild animals on it (I get one with Big Cats every year) and post it in a distant room where you can aim at it from another room. Practice manipulating the bolt while keeping the rifle at your shoulder. I wish I had a dollar for every person I've seen lower a rifle to work the bolt...

Let us know how this works out. I've never seen one of those Remington Mausers, and am curious.

T-Star

You mean a Cape buffalo. Water buffalo are Asian, although they can be hunted in Australia and one area in South America.

T-Star

Someone say dangerous game?

Here's my personal solution, a 45-70 lever with a 2.5x scout scope tossing 425g cast boolits @ 1700fps.



If you can't do it with something like this, it's time for a new occupation.

+1 what Winger said, Leupold Vari-X III 1.75 X 6 X 32mm; it's a great scope that i use on my Marlin 1895 .45-70 Gov't.

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Here's the new Leupold Custom Shop 3X20 Big Bore.

I agree with a good low power variable leupold or the trijicon with the amber delta reticle. I am leaning toward the trijicon because it should be a faster sight acquire than a cross hair.

Actually, I had one living next to me about 15 years ago. Her other distinction was she was the only female on the local list of deadbeat dads...

At the time I had a nice little .458 (but no scope.) Those things are surprisingly accurate, but they kind of kick. When someone asked why I had a gun that big, I pointed out that I was worried about the neighbor chick rampaging thru my garden. Of course for anyone to have and hold that much body weight, veggies probably weren't on her menu.

We don't need an excuse for a gun. Because its there is adequate. I learned my lesson on eye relief long ago. More is better.

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