Your favorite scope for 338 Win Mag..

I'm partial to the Leupold 2x7, 1.5x5 and the 2.5x8. All well balanced quality scopes that will handle most anything.

My 338 is 66 years young and over the year it has worn different scopes. for the past several years it has been wearing a Zeiss 1.5-6x 30mm tube. the power fits every situation I would be using a 338.

Beck said:

https://www.eurooptic.com/meopta-meostar-r2-17-10x42-rd-4k-reticle-sfp-red-illuminated-573860

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Have you used this scope ? Any feedback thx

Another vote for the Leupold VX5 3-15 firedot. I have those on most all my rifles.

SStomcat said:

Looking for scope suggestions for the above calibre in Model 70. Intend to use it for large game in NA and mainly PG in Africa. Not a very long dstance shooter so want to keep it within 250 yards or so.

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I tell you what I have found, Leupold is the best scope for the money based on quality of the scope itself under rough handling, clarity of glass and cost and based on your 250 yards a 3-10-40 or 42 will do everything you need for a good price. Having said that, nothing beats the new Z8i if you have the money, expensive you bet but man are the optics incredible especially in low light.

As mentioned by many and they are absolutely correct, none of my scopes are without illumination. Don't think that is just for low light...I have shot two of my four Buffs in bright sunlight, yet they were in incredible shadow and without my illuminated scope would have been hard to pick up for just the right spot.

SStomcat said:

Have you used this scope ? Any feedback thx

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I own five of them. The BDC-3 reticle is the best, but those are very hard to find now. The link I sent is a drastically discounted scope too. I've replaced several Luepolds, and one Zeiss with them.

I’ve purchased my .338 Win mag in the late 70’s. It started out with a straight 4x Leupold, but by the early 80’s replaced it with a 2-7x Leupold. That rifle and scope has been thru hell. The scope, has dings, scratches, chips and the optics aren’t of the best coatings by today’s standards. I’m hoping to take this rifle to Africa at some point and It is time to update the scope. The scopes I’m considering: 2.5-8x, 3.5-10x or 2-10x Leupold, 2.5-12.5x Trijicon and 3-10x Swarovski.

I like Leupold 2x7 or 2.5x8, they are so light and the optics are more than adequate for Hunting

Sightron made a 2.5-17.5×56mm ED scope 30mm tube which covers everything from plains game thru moose up close

Beck said:

I own five of them. The BDC-3 reticle is the best, but those are very hard to find now. The link I sent is a drastically discounted scope too. I've replaced several Luepolds, and one Zeiss with them.

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I'm sure you have a reason to replace with Meopta's could you please elaborate? FYI I have never used them.

Rare Breed said:

I tell you what I have found, Leupold is the best scope for the money based on quality of the scope itself under rough handling, clarity of glass and cost and based on your 250 yards a 3-10-40 or 42 will do everything you need for a good price. Having said that, nothing beats the new Z8i if you have the money, expensive you bet but man are the optics incredible especially in low light.

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I’m sure, but that would be close to twice the price of my vintage gun maybe when I get a Rigby or something like it..

Gunnie said:

This will likely not be popular because the cheap but I’ve been thoroughly impressed with Burris scopes

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What’s wrong with being affordable, I love functional stuff that meet your needs at a lower price point

SStomcat said:

I’m sure, but that would be close to twice the price of my vintage gun maybe when I get a Rigby or something like it..

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You should be able to get a nice Leupold fire dot scope to fit your needs for around $650

SStomcat said:

What’s wrong with being affordable, I love functional stuff that meet your needs at a lower price point

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Lots of folks seem to think affordable means poor quality and in some instances it’s 100% valid. I put the 2025 updated version Fullfield 3-12x on my 7mm Rem Mag and a 2.5-10 on my 375. They offer custom dials calibrated to your ammunition and have several variations of reticle to choose from. I personally choose the basic BDC but they have some great option.

Only downside at the price point ($300) imo is the tubes are fairly short I had to use a rear swept front ring from Ruger for my 375. Not an issue on my 7mm as it’s got a rail that allows closer ring placement.

My 338 wears a Leupold Mark 4HD 2.5-10x40. I think it is ideal for those of us who prefer FFP.

SStomcat said:

I'm sure you have a reason to replace with Meopta's could you please elaborate? FYI I have never used them.

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Yes, of course. I had just purchased a new pair of Zeiss binoculars and was extremely proud of them. I kept telling my father they were the best optics we owned.

My father wasn't convinced, so we decided to put them to the test.

We took my new Zeiss binoculars, an old pair of Meopta binoculars, and a couple of Leupold VX-6HD scopes out onto the back deck. I stapled a piece of newspaper to a tree in the ravine behind the house. Starting at around 5:00 p.m., we compared each optic to see whether we could still read the newspaper. We repeated the test every 15 minutes as daylight faded, continuing until none of the optics could resolve the text.

To make a long story short, the clear winner was the old pair of Meopta binoculars. They outperformed not only my prized Zeiss binoculars but also all of the Leupold scopes. The whole exercised bruised my ego but stated me down my current path.

I ended up doing a similar test with a Meopta Optika-6 1-6x24mm (their lower end model) vs. a Leupold VX-6HD 1-6x24mm. The $600 Meopta and $2000 Leupold were basically indiscernible.

Finally, I did the same test with a Meopta Meopro R2 2-12 x 50mm vs. Meopro R2 1.7-10x42mm Vs. a Leupold VX-5HD 2-10x42mm. Zero comparison here, both Meopta's toasted the Leupold.

Rare Breed said:

I tell you what I have found, Leupold is the best scope for the money based on quality of the scope itself under rough handling, clarity of glass and cost and based on your 250 yards a 3-10-40 or 42 will do everything you need for a good price. Having said that, nothing beats the new Z8i if you have the money, expensive you bet but man are the optics incredible especially in low light.

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Try a Meopta, they are even more affordable, and I think the optics are better. Buy one, you'll never look back!

Hello

I highly recommend a Leica Magnus 1-6.3x24 scope, which allows you to shoot quickly with both eyes open at 1x magnification. If you really want to shoot at long range, its removable turret covers let you adjust the scope according to your shooting tables.


I have several Zeiss and Leica scopes, as well as the excellent S&B Polar T96, which excels in the field for shooting, even at night.

Good luck with your search