Author: Maverick2Subject: 375 H&H Scope Options
Posted: June/06/2014 at 14:57
Have you got a sense of how you'll actually use the .375H&H? I agree with a lot of the posts,that if you are setting it up as the classic "dangerous game" rifle,something along the 1-4 or 1.5-6 variablemag is a good choice. If dangerous gameisn't likely on the menu though (and realistically it's not for a lot of us)and the rifle is to be used as more of a general purpose hunting rifle than aspecialized purpose, I tend to agree more with your interest in the 3-12 and4-16 range scopes. My .375 H&H is my"go to" hunting rifle -- chosen more for the environment I hunt in (heavybrush and timber) than the particular game I'm chasing, so in 90% of my huntingit's overkill for the game animal (typically deer, elk, and moose). My .375 currently wears a 3-9, and in all myhunts with this rifle, I've never wished for a magnification lower than 3. Conversely, even though I've never shotanything with this rifle over 75 yds, I HAVE had a number of times when I wishedI had a higher magnification for looking at an animal and trying to distinguishantlers from brush, looking at him at the edge of a timber patch across afield, etc... in order to determine if he's a "shooter" buck or bull ornot. If I were more of a "meathunter" I wouldn't be as picky, but I tend to be more of a "trophy hunter"and like the ability to study the animal a bit if the opportunity allows, hencethe desire for higher magnifications. Fortunately,the current trend towards 5x + erector assemblies is opening up a lot of scopeoptions these days, allowing a relatively low mag on the bottom and a relativelyhigh mag range on top. I don't know ifyour application for your H&H is anything close to mine, but if it is andFWIW, here are my preferences and thoughts when it comes to scoping my .375 "brush"gun:
mag range approximating 3-15 -- I'll carry therifle with the scope on 3 and shoot with it that way for "fast" shots,but greatly value the ability to turn up to a higher mag when needed to studyand discern what I'm seeing.
relatively compact and light -- I don't likelarge objectives and tall turrets to snag on things in the timber, and thelighter the scope the better with heavy recoil rifles.
good glass -- a good mix of light transmission,contrast, and resolution qualities is a big plus for me in dark timber atdaybreak and dusk.
hydrophobic coatings -- hunting season for me isa high precip time, so mist and water on the lens surfaces are a problem. Walking thru the brush compounds this. (Any more, I'll tend to buy a scope with aless desirable mag range than give up hydrophobic coating. That's the main reason I didn't buy a MeoptaR1, and am excited to see the R2 line come out.)
Long eye relief -- I've had enough black eyes inmy lifetime, and don't feel the need to self-inflict one for a hasty shot withthe .375.
For the above reasons, I'm planning on re-scoping my .375 inthe next year or so. I'm playing a bitof a wait and see game on Meopta until the entire R2 line is out, but suspectI'll be moving my Leica 3.5-14x42 over to the .375, as it fits my needs on thisrifle very, very well (and then getting something a bit different for my longerrange, open country hunting rifle). If Iget the opportunity to take my .375 on a dangerous game hunt (Alaskan brown bearis on my bucket list) then I'll re-evaluate the scope at that time.
Good luck shopping -- there's a lot of cool stuff out therein the rifle scope world these days, and more coming down the pike.
Marine24 wrote:
