Dangerous Game rifles and optics cost ratio

[Neil Molendyk]

I have two DG rifles that I have taken to Africa. One as a primary rifle, a CZ550 416 Rigby topped with a Trijicon 1-4 x 24 German #4 reticle and Talley QD rings and the other was a Ruger No. 1 375 H&H with a Trijicon 2-10 x 50 with Warne QD rings. Both scopes had the illuminated reticle, great for shooting black coloured game and low light conditions.The cost ratio on both setups worked out to about 58% firearm, 42% optics excluding the cost of rings. The Ruger was used by my son for his plains game, He is a southpaw, but also could be used as a backup on my DG if needed or bush pig at night with the big optics. Fortunately it wasn't needed for backup. Unfortunately the bush pig hunt didn't happen. I'm just curious how others have found their firearm optics ratio.

 

[USMA84DAB]

Tough to calculate for mine -

A "used" .375 Ruger Alaskan came with Leupold Vari-XIII 2.5-8x34 - $750 for the pair. The scope is about $300 used, so the rifle would be $450 - that comes to 60% for gun, 40% for scope. I seriously doubt the rifle was fired before I got it. If so, only 1-2 rounds.

I now have a VX-5HD 1-5x24 CDS firedot on it. I paid $650 for the used scope here on AH. If I use the $450 figure for the rifle, then I get 41% rifle, 59% glass. If one counted the entire $750 for the rifle, then we are at 54% for rifle, 46% for glass.

This doesn't account for the custom bolt knob I added to the rifle. Lot of shop and milling time in that effort!

.416 Ruger Alaskan - $950 used here on AH. Sports a Vari-XIII 1.5-5x20 with heavy duplex. I guess that scope is worth $300 (?) - bought it in 1997. This one comes out to 76% rifle, 24% glass. If one used a new scope at $400 (Vari-X3i 1.5-5x24), then it swings to 70/30.

.495 A-Square is not done yet

: )

 

[WAB]

My DG rifles are two custom Model 70’s in .458 Lott and .375 H&H, and a Rigby HS in 9.3x62. Scopes are two VX6’s 1-6x and a Trijicon 3-9x. The trijicon replaced a VX6 1-6x on the 9.3 as This rifle has a leopard hunt in its future. The rifle values skew the results to 10-20% for the optics. Odd thing, I have 4 Swarovski scopes, which I love, and for various reasons they just don’t mount well on these rifles. The ratio on the rifles they are on is more similar to your results above.