Finally got a scope on my .416!

njc110381

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Evening guys. After a lot of thought, suggestions and ideas bouncing around in my head I finally made a decision and bought a scope for my .416. It's a Meopta Meostar R2 1.7-10x42.

Eye relief seems really good. Longer than my 1.5-5 Leupold and it's pretty clear. Handling the gun in the house the focus is fine right down to about two meters at 1.7x, plenty close enough I would have thought? It also sits nicely on the rifle and is fairly low in the mounts so cheek weld on the stock is solid. Bolt throw is close but clear and not obstructed. For now it's in fixed mounts but I will be buying some QD mounts for it before I hunt anywhere remote. These will be fine for anything I'm likely to encounter around here!

I thought I'd attach a photo as we all like to see pictures of other member's kit. I reckon it looks pretty good!
.416 Meopta 3.JPG
 
One thing to consider is the weight of the scope. How much does that scope weigh compared to most low power DG scopes? If it is heavy, that will put extra strain on the mounting system.
 
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Meopta scope isn't so popular IMHO. i haven't handled one and don't see it around much. what the experience like ?
 
Meopta seems to have a decent following in the UK. They're seen as a higher end optic. It retails at £1400 so isn't a cheap one. I think they're pretty well engineered and have good low light performance. I don't know about the shock proofing but there's no upper limit mentioned in their specs and it's suggested for dangerous game rifles.

Weight is 530g I think - about 100g more than a Leupold VX3 1.5-5x20 and 100g less than the Schmidt and Bender 1.5-8x24. It's not too heavy which is lucky, because I hadn't thought of that! It's a very good point.

My main requirement was for a low mag scope with a slightly larger objective lens. That brings in much more light at dusk, which can only be a good thing. It also gives the ability to zoom in more to identify things like the sex of an animal when they may have shed their antlers for example. More zoom is good as long as it doesn't compromise other things.
 
I’ve found Meopta scopes to be very good scopes. They can be bought on sale pretty regularly and are quite a bit of value for the money.
 
That seems like a very nice magnification range. I keep my 1x6 set just under 2 so probably about 1.7, but the 10x is a lot more than my 6x and that can come in handy.
 
Evening guys. After a lot of thought, suggestions and ideas bouncing around in my head I finally made a decision and bought a scope for my .416. It's a Meopta Meostar R2 1.7-10x42.

Eye relief seems really good. Longer than my 1.5-5 Leupold and it's pretty clear. Handling the gun in the house the focus is fine right down to about two meters at 1.7x, plenty close enough I would have thought? It also sits nicely on the rifle and is fairly low in the mounts so cheek weld on the stock is solid. Bolt throw is close but clear and not obstructed. For now it's in fixed mounts but I will be buying some QD mounts for it before I hunt anywhere remote. These will be fine for anything I'm likely to encounter around here!

I thought I'd attach a photo as we all like to see pictures of other member's kit. I reckon it looks pretty good!
View attachment 312394
Very nice mate. The few Meopta scopes I have had a squint through have impressed me. Have you had it out yet??
 
Meopta seems to have a decent following in the UK. They're seen as a higher end optic. It retails at £1400 so isn't a cheap one. I think they're pretty well engineered and have good low light performance. I don't know about the shock proofing but there's no upper limit mentioned in their specs and it's suggested for dangerous game rifles.

Weight is 530g I think - about 100g more than a Leupold VX3 1.5-5x20 and 100g less than the Schmidt and Bender 1.5-8x24. It's not too heavy which is lucky, because I hadn't thought of that! It's a very good point.

My main requirement was for a low mag scope with a slightly larger objective lens. That brings in much more light at dusk, which can only be a good thing. It also gives the ability to zoom in more to identify things like the sex of an animal when they may have shed their antlers for example. More zoom is good as long as it doesn't compromise other things.
1400 pounds is currently about $1800, so definitely not a cheap scope.
 
I have meopta R2 1-6 on my 9.3x62. No issues, clear picture.

Meopta are very popular, and generally considered good quality for the money, in my country.
I am planing to buy a 375 H&H rifle, bolt action. And at this moment, meopta is my no.1 choice for this rig, after my experience with meopta on 9.3, and considering budget limitations)
 
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Very nice mate. The few Meopta scopes I have had a squint through have impressed me. Have you had it out yet??

Not yet. Only fitted it on Tuesday and have worked pretty much every daylight hour since! I'm down in Devon fishing and visiting family this weekend and in Scotland after red hinds the weekend after. My guide in Scotland fancied a go with it so I will take it up there and zero it then. If I can shoot a decent group with the scope on I may carry it on the hill, but if not it'll be my 6.5x55 doing the work.

Good to hear some positive thoughts on the make. I didn't know all that much about them but knew they were fairly decent. If it doesn't do what I want it to I'll stick it on my new .308 (BLR underlever) and put the Leupold back on the .416 when it comes back from repair. As it stands I have more rifles than decent optics so it will get used one way or another.
 
njc110381, you are a man after my own heart. Your statement," If I can shoot a decent group with it I may carry it on the hill, but if not it'll be my 6.5 x 55 doing the work," has me laughing like crazy. Our annual family deer hunt (with rifles) begins on Nov. 15th. My son's will each be using their 35 Whelen(s), I always take two guns, this year both of them will be 6.5 x 55(s). The older I get, the more comfortable that caliber becomes!

Getting back to one of your earlier posts, how is the 416 Rigby grouping for you these days?
 
I just bought Meopta binos for a trip I didn't want to take my Swaros on, and they are fantastic. If the scopes are on the same level, which I would assume they are, I would use one in a heartbeat.
 
njc110381, you are a man after my own heart. Your statement," If I can shoot a decent group with it I may carry it on the hill, but if not it'll be my 6.5 x 55 doing the work," has me laughing like crazy. Our annual family deer hunt (with rifles) begins on Nov. 15th. My son's will each be using their 35 Whelen(s), I always take two guns, this year both of them will be 6.5 x 55(s). The older I get, the more comfortable that caliber becomes!

Getting back to one of your earlier posts, how is the 416 Rigby grouping for you these days?

I think my eyes are letting me down a bit. I struggle to get a good group with the iron sights but friends shoot it fairly well. I'm keen to see how it shoots now I've scoped it, and I'd also like to fit a fibre optic front bead to it. As it is I don't do well at all!
 
One thing to consider is the weight of the scope. How much does that scope weigh compared to most low power DG scopes? If it is heavy, that will put extra strain on the mounting system.
Good choice ....I have one and totally satisfied...My understanding is they made a lot of the Zeiss,,especially the Conquest,,of which we have two that have been totally trouble free..I just used mine in Namibia where it got bounced around for 10 days with no loss of zero...I'd buy one again..
 
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I have had Meopta R2's in 1.7-10x42mm and 1-6x24mm with the 4C reticle. The only reason that I don't have them now is that I past them on to my son. I liked the scopes, particularly the 1-6x24.
I am no optical expert, but there seemed little difference between them and the Schmidt & Bender, Zeiss, Swarovski, Kahles, and Leica scopes that I have.
I am pondering another 1-6x24mm for myself.
 
Looks like a good setup and don’t worry about the weight of the scope. That’s silly.
Meopta is a very good scope and I believe getting more popular.
Philip
 
Well I got back from Scotland yesterday. Had a great time, shot eight hinds between the three of us. My three were taken with my 6.5x55 firing 140gr Hornady SST - lovely round that and more than capable. Larder weighs were around 70kg.

The .416 is now set up. We all had a play with it (three hunters and the guide) to share the burden of the recoil when zeroing. Got it shooting an inch high at 100m and left it at that. No deer taken as I still pull the odd shot with it. Generally groups were around 2" at 100m which is ok. Loads were 96gr of RL22 under 350gr TSX, velocity still unknown but quick enough to kill anything I'll stumble across any time soon! Drop data will be gathered by real world testing so it doesn't matter.
 
Excellent, I use the 350 TSX is my 416 Ruger. So far it is my bullet of choice for my 416's.
I have only shot a young bull moose with it. The reaction to a frontal slightly quartering shot was impressive to me. Distance was about 80 yards.
The 350 TSX has been very accurate in the rifles that I have hand loaded it for.
 
@njc110381
Did you manage to test 416/meopta combination?
How does it hold? Impressions?
 

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