Optics for 416 rigby

[Phil Giordano]

Nice. You dont see 1 1/2 fixed optics these days. For me that just takes care of the complication of old eyes and 3 sight planes associated with open sights.

Yes, I guess it would be more or less like open sights, with the benefit of having reticle and compensating old eyes

 

[One Day...]

Open sites were used for back up hence the quick release rings.

But to your point, that is why I rescoped with 1x8 for next year.
So I dont have to remove the optic.

This makes complete sense to me. I can see the use of 1-8x if you push your .416 into PG-rifle role, and especially the Tiny Ten, although many are shot at closer range in dense cover.

I went a different route with the Blaser R8. I do not use the .375 H&H or .458 Lott barrels to hunt PG (save, as previously mentioned, the occasional impala for the pot on the way back to camp on an elephant hunt); I bolt on a PG barrel (.257 Wby or .300 Wby depending on what PG we hunt), onto which I have higher magnification optics.

Even at 8x, my 67 year cataracted eyes pain on tiny animals past 300 yards. I would have been hard pressed on this Klipspringer at past 400 yards in the vast openness of the Karoo with my older beloved 1-6x, and likely even 8x. I do not remember what magnification I used, but I certainly cranked up the Zeiss 4-16x. But of course it was on the .257 Wby barrel, not on the .458 Lott barrel

PS 1: and since most folks asking for advice on scoping a .416 have DG in mind, my recommendation on 1-6x being amply sufficient on a .416 was aimed at this application. Nothing wrong using a .416 to hunt the Tiny Ten, but it remains rather uncommon . But now that Zeiss, Swaro, Leica, etc. make outstanding 1-8x glass, there is certainly no downside to it, except price, which seemed to be a criteria for poor English man, hence the thought of a good used Zeiss 1-4x (which are very, very good glass by the way)

PS 2: one word of caution with the current trend of straight tube 1-6x, 1-8x low cost scopes intended for the AR 15 / AR 10 market. They are not built to resist DG caliber recoil. A friend of mine experienced this recently with a Sig Sauer scope identical to the one that performs otherwise brilliantly on my short AR 10.

 

[One Day...]

I've been exclusively a Leupold guy for 50 years and yet to have a failure.

With that said I wanted something they don't make and something that's not as expensive as a rifle so I thought I would give this Sig Sauer 1x8 a try on my 416 Rigby Ruger rifle.

I'm going to start shooting with it next week.

I can't get myself to spend thousands on European glass. Maybe I'll regret it, maybe I won't.

View attachment 664396

See above PS 2 ftrovato. It would be great if you can report after 100 rounds or so. My friend's was on a .458 and that proved too much...

 

[coreydb]

The Vortex Razor line of scopes handle the 416-both the Rem Mag and the Rigby. The Razor line is commensurate with their Leupold counterparts and both are in the same price range. The Razor Gen II HD-E 1-6X24 JM-1 BDC Rifle scope was designed for the big game and DG calibers and I have one on my own rifle. It never changed zero after 40 rounds, one Cape Buffalo, Sable, Hartebeest, and Golden Wildebeest.

​

 

[CBeck]

I went with a hawke frontier 1-8x24 on my 375. So far I’ve been quite pleased. As good a glass as my leupolds and 4 full inches of eye relief.

I’d also consider a German precision optics 1.5-9x35

Hawke I believe is a UK company.

 

[Neil Molendyk]

Trijicon AccuPoint 1-4x24 or 1-6x24 would be great.

couldn't agree more. put that scope on my CZ 550 416 Rigby and used it on Cape Buffalo, giraffe and sable. I never took it off 1x for all the shots taken. With the Talley QD rings it went back to dead on after taking it off for followup on the Cape Buffalo. Didn't really have to but going into the bush looking for him, not really knowing where he was, I thought going old school with the iron sights was the route to go

 

[CBeck]

Me too. No option for those on the Ruger that I'm aware of.

I believe Alaska arms does but I fail to see the benefit. I’m right handed and prefer my levers on the right. Easier to check lever tension, when it’s slung over my shoulder I don’t have levers digging into my back or if I carry it across my stomach they don’t dig in to my belly…it keeps the left side of the rifle smooth…..thats just me

 

[poor English man]

This makes complete sense to me. I can see the use of 1-8x if you push your .416 into PG-rifle role, and especially the Tiny Ten, although many are shot at closer range in dense cover.

I went a different route with the Blaser R8. I do not use the .375 H&H or .458 Lott barrels to hunt PG (save, as previously mentioned, the occasional impala for the pot on the way back to camp on an elephant hunt); I bolt on a PG barrel (.257 Wby or .300 Wby depending on what PG we hunt), onto which I have higher magnification optics.

Even at 8x, my 67 year cataracted eyes pain on tiny animals past 300 yards. I would have been hard pressed on this Klipspringer at past 400 yards in the vast openness of the Karoo with my older beloved 1-6x, and likely even 8x. I do not remember what magnification I used, but I certainly cranked up the Zeiss 4-16x. But of course it was on the .257 Wby barrel, not on the .458 Lott barrel

View attachment 664492


PS 1: and since most folks asking for advice on scoping a .416 have DG in mind, my recommendation on 1-6x being amply sufficient on a .416 was aimed at this application. Nothing wrong using a .416 to hunt the Tiny Ten, but it remains rather uncommon . But now that Zeiss, Swaro, Leica, etc. make outstanding 1-8x glass, there is certainly no downside to it, except price, which seemed to be a criteria for poor English man, hence the thought of a good used Zeiss 1-4x (which are very, very good glass by the way)

PS 2: one word of caution with the current trend of straight tube 1-6x, 1-8x low cost scopes intended for the AR 15 / AR 10 market. They are not built to resist DG caliber recoil. A friend of mine experienced this recently with a Sig Sauer scope identical to the one that performs otherwise brilliantly on my short AR 10.

Wise words in p2 one day. On my many searches, when typing in 1-8, most result are tac- swat bollox sites. No interest.
Delta scopes come up a lot, any experience of these? A friend has a couple of stalking scopes by them, very good.

 

[Sika98k]

A Zeiss Duralyt in 1,2-5x36 with an illuminated reticle might suit you. No longer made but I picked mine up on eBay for reasonable money.

 

[rnovi]

On my .375 H&H I have a Leupold VX6 1-6 firedot - love that scope.

On my .416 I have two scopes ready to go: a Leup VX3 1.5-5x heavy duplex (1" scope) and an Leup VXIII 1.5-5 illuminated Circle Dot (30mm scope). Both scopes are in Ruger Rings... It just happened that I had them both in the safe...I figure that's plenty good for my needs.

 

[kukusya]

I went with a hawke frontier 1-8x24 on my 375. So far I’ve been quite pleased. As good a glass as my leupolds and 4 full inches of eye relief.

I’d also consider a German precision optics 1.5-9x35

Hawke I believe is a UK company.

View attachment 664572

German Precision Optics run by ex Zeiss CEO. German company but optic assemble in China. Regarding their 1.5-9 scope its long scope, its 1” longer that specs. It might interfere with front sight. Scope cost varies to a couple hundreds depending which country order from. As example ~ 1000$ US, and from optics-trade. UE around 5-600$

 

[Tom Leoni]

Get a nice Zeiss Conquest V6 and you will never look back. It's perfect, and you will never need better quality or more magnification--well worth the extra few hundreds you're going to spend.

 

[skydiver386]

Vortex scopes vary in quality with their price. Most here, myself included would steer you to a Leupold. Most of my CZ550's wear Warne or Talley mounts. One CZ550 will wear a Swarovski Z8i, almost double the initial cost of the rifle.

 

[DLSJR]

My .416 is topped with a Leupold VX5 in 1-5x with Firedot reticle. It’s been very good for buffalo hunting, especially the Firedot as that a ‘game changer’ for dangerous game hunting. After discussions with my PH, Alan Vincent, I am considering putting the same scope in 2-10x on it. We both feel that it might be a better option.

 

[Hunt anything]

My .416 is topped with a Leupold VX5 in 1-5x with Firedot reticle. It’s been very good for buffalo hunting, especially the Firedot as that a ‘game changer’ for dangerous game hunting. After discussions with my PH, Alan Vincent, I am considering putting the same scope in 2-10x on it. We both feel that it might be a better option.

On my scopes when set at 1X I have developed a mental block and the first thing I see is the front sight post, not as bad if on 2X and non existent on 3X. As a result when following wounded game or in extremely thick cover I use 2X. Fortunately I haven’t had to track any wounded DG in thick cover but if I did I would probably try to use 1X.
This is the same with my Trijicon 1-4 X24 or the Leupold 1-6 X24.

 

[neckdeep]

Leica 1-6, Warne, Talley or Alaskan Arms mounts

I would put that combo up against another mentioned in this thread, especially when you consider the money

 

[BigHill]

Swarovski Z8i 1-8x24.