Scope Advice Not Finding What I Need

Alaska Luke

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So I have a 375 Ruger coming home from the gunsmith soon. I've been using it with 1.5-4 Leopold VX scope. It's a good system, I'd just like a bit more magnification.

I want
  • Long eye relief
  • Low power, 1x would be ideal, definitely nothing over 2x.
  • Light weight
  • I don't really feel the need for illumination
  • Affordable
Here are options I've considered
  • A Leopold 2-7 scope. I had one but it got stuck on the 308 for kids to use. I could buy another one but fov seems a bit less then ideal on a charging bear.
  • Leopold 1.5-5. Small improvement, not sure its worth while.
  • I tried a Vortex 1-8. It was to big and heavy for my, it seemed to throw the balance off. And the eye relief wasn't quite enough.
So anyone got an idea for a 1-8 or 1-6 type scope that is sub $500 and sub 1 pound? I've looked but most are heavy duty military type scopes. I wish Leopold would make a simple 1-8 scope. If nothing else I could run 2 scopes with QD rings but I'd prefer to keep it simple with just one scope.
 
I just read heaps of shit (ad’s, books internet ‘but what you are asking for is available in some dearer brands .
I don’t know much about Lynx except we have an Aussie distributor presumably these are ok.
In the price point I would still consider Leupold
 
Alaska Luke -

Given:
- rain, rain, rain
- salt air (?) in your area (not sure if you will be hunting by the coast)
- short range - you aren't likely to take a 500 yard poke at a bear
- your request for 1-2X
- long eye relief for .375 Ruger (I have the Alaskan, so have shot your cartridge)

- 2.5x Leupold Scout scope? You didn't say what rifle/bases/rail you have - this would require soldering a rail to the front of the action - I have tried all manner of mechanical attachment (screws in dimples on bottom of barrel and marine tex bedding) of a scout rail, and .35WAI is too much recoil for the rail to remain in place, so a .375 Ruger will be as well.

- Get a rail and mount a 3.5X ACOG - also offers a lit aiming point which would be useful if your bear is in the shadows - they offer other/lower power options - you will have to buy used, though with your price desire - the entire Marine Corps uses these now (the 4x version) - similar circumstances - high danger in very close quarters, but one can still reach out with it if you wanted

- I have a Leupold 2.5-8x36 Vari-XIII on my .375 Ruger and have never been bit by the scope on the Alaskan. It is light, bright, and I am well pleased with it. The Ruger rings are solid.

Hope one of these will help scratch your itch.
 
i like the 2.5-8 leupolds and have two on rifles.

DSCN0025.JPG
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This might sound funny but... how about on old fashioned 2-7 Wide Angle Redfield? I'm talking about an original built in Denver CO, i.e. (60s - 1998.)
 

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So I have a 375 Ruger coming home from the gunsmith soon. I've been using it with 1.5-4 Leopold VX scope. It's a good system, I'd just like a bit more magnification.

I want
  • Long eye relief
  • Low power, 1x would be ideal, definitely nothing over 2x.
  • Light weight
  • I don't really feel the need for illumination
  • Affordable
Here are options I've considered
  • A Leopold 2-7 scope. I had one but it got stuck on the 308 for kids to use. I could buy another one but fov seems a bit less then ideal on a charging bear.
  • Leopold 1.5-5. Small improvement, not sure its worth while.
  • I tried a Vortex 1-8. It was to big and heavy for my, it seemed to throw the balance off. And the eye relief wasn't quite enough.
So anyone got an idea for a 1-8 or 1-6 type scope that is sub $500 and sub 1 pound? I've looked but most are heavy duty military type scopes. I wish Leopold would make a simple 1-8 scope. If nothing else I could run 2 scopes with QD rings but I'd prefer to keep it simple with just one scope.
Unfortunately Glass costs money and to get what you would really like will cost a bit more. I would go with Leupold 2-12 which is what I have on my .375 Ruger. I don’t think 2x is too much and you so limit the ,375 Ruger with these low power DG scopes IMO.
Hope you find something good!
 
JMO&E, but I’d be willing to spend more on good glass than a rifle. You can always tweek a rifle, but glass...you can’t do anything to fix it.
Also personally I found an illuminated reticle works great on the big bears, black bears, black Cape buffalo and anything in dark shadows or early and late.

Best of luck in finding what you want!
 
A used Leica ER 2-10, if you can find one.
 
JMO&E, but I’d be willing to spend more on good glass than a rifle. You can always tweek a rifle, but glass...you can’t do anything to fix it.
Also personally I found an illuminated reticle works great on the big bears, black bears, black Cape buffalo and anything in dark shadows or early and late.

Best of luck in finding what you want!

What's that saying "If you have a thousand dollar rifle with a two hundred dollar scope, you have a two hundred dollar rifle"?
BTDT.
 
Thanks guys, good ideas but it still looks like what I want hasn't been built yet (not exactly anyway).
  • ACOGs - I looked at these but if I recall the eye relief was short. And it doesn't stretch the range of my Leopold 1-4.
  • Lynx 1-6 - looks like a great scope but I'm not sure they are available here. At any rate its considerably bigger/heavier then the 2 Leopold scopes I have. Putting a big scope on a small rifle annoys me (my 375 is a 6.8 pound carbine).
  • 2.5 scout scope- I do have a 2.5 Leopold. It's not the scout scope but it has close to 5 inches of eye relief so its moving that direction. I like it. I can find targets almost as fast with both eyes open as I can with a 1x scope. I might try it for a while because its small, and rugged.
I do like the 11oz 2-7 Leopold. It looks like there is nothing comparable to that in a 1-8 scope. Even if you pay more you end up 50% heavier.
So at this point I'll probably just keep an eye out for a good deal on another 2-7 Leopold. But if Leopold would make a 20mm scope it 1-8 I'd be even more of a Leopold fan.
 
Mmmm, soldering on a front site rail, not sure I would do that unless you are sure that’s what you want . If you want to sell it might not be so desirable to others.
Don’t spend on a modification add it to the glass budget, you might have better luck recouping money on a good scope than a redundant modification if you don’t like it.
 
I have a Leupold 1.5x5 if your interested
 
I think the Lynx, Vixen and Hawke 1-6x30 are all pretty much the same scopes and all excellent value for money.
 

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