Contrats on the purchase....For the Scope vs. Sights.... Go with BOTH. Use QD rings on the scope and you have the sights as a back-up. You can always use the sights in the thick brush and put the scope on for the planes. I have a Blaser .375 H&H with sights and a QD mount (Blaser mount) for my Scope (Leupold HOG VX-R 1.5 - 4) and glad I have them both.
I'm in agreement with you here Grady, on fitting any Africa / Alaska rifle, both with scope and "iron" sights as well, partly in case you have to inch your way through some very extra thick bush, perhaps after a wounded animal.
More likely, you could fall and bash a scope, then one can press-on hunting, with no need to trek back to the hunting car, much less clear back to the rifle range, by simply removing the damaged scope and use the "iron" sights.
On my first ever safari, I brought a spare scope, zeroed to my rifle and ammunition, in case I broke my primary scope.
Both scopes were in the original pattern Talley brand lever rings, plus my rifle had iron sights on it (Model 98 Mauser, in .300 H&H / 180 gr Nosler Partition bullets) that, also were regulated to my ammunition - I was ready for everything, from a civil uprising to meteor strikes.
At this stage, no meteors have hit my scope so, I no longer bring a spare scope, only the one that's on the rifle in the first place and "iron" sights, as my back-up aiming system.
However in all truthfulness, I've gotten to where I prefer to just book with a PH who, among other stand-out personality strengths, offers a proper rifle for rent (Philip Hennings of Namibia, posting here in this forum is one of these, as is Hannes Swanepoel of South Africa).
As far as hunting with open sights in the first place, this is definitely a possibility but, it greatly reduces the hunter's opportunities, for most species, in most conditions.
Elephant, from what I understand (wish I could afford to hunt them) are pretty much the only specie in Africa that a person might possibly be better off hunting them with no scope on the rifle.
Even buffalo are best hunted with a scoped rifle.
That being said, for my one and only buffalo hunt, I brought only an open sighted rifle, (Army & Navy, .450 No2 NE, side by side double) plus I shot so called "plains game" with it as well.
However, in prior discussions with my A+ PH (Hannes Sawnepoel) for my buffalo plans, he assured me that he was positive he'd get me a decent crack at a rough old bull, within 30 to 80 paces, no problem, due to the plentiful herd that, wanders in and out of The Kruger Park, on the concession we were to hunt.
He did though tell me that, of my rifles (he's seen my collection here in the states, because he visits Anchorage each year) personally, he would bring a .375 or larger caliber, bolt action rifle, with a low powered scope on it.
This because, if the "bull of a lifetime" is located, the rifle scope will make what would otherwise be a "marginal" to "not a good idea at all" shot, relatively easy.
On a prior non-dangerous game hunt, I brought a double, in .375 H&H that was claw mounted with a 2.5x scope and just for nostalgia I carried it with the little scope off, and thereby shot more than one or two animals with only the open sights.
Admittedly, of the dozen or so animals bagged on that particular safari, I used my rifle, primarily with the scope in place.
Blah, blah, blah-out,
Velo Dog.
and a bit of experience , and getting on too much now to have the patience of examinations these days . cheers mike
