Swarovski z6i 1-6x24 on 375 H&H

[damundsen87]

Alright I'm finally getting ready to order my 375 and I am trying to decide on the scope. I am leaning towards the swarovski. I will be getting the winchester safari express. Other options that I am looking at are the leica visus 1-4 and the leupold 1.5-5 vx3i. Any experience with any of these scopes would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Opposite Pole]

I’ve got a Leica Magnus 1-6 on my 375HH and Visus 1-4 on my 9.3x74R double. Both nice scopes but for 375 I reckon a max 6 or even 8 magnification is better. My Leicas do not have open style ballistic turrets or reticles with holdover marks which is a shame. For my double that’s fine but it would be handy on 375 as while not a long range cartridge by today’s extreme meaning of the word it can still shoot quite a way. There’s an interesting S&B 1-8 scope with CC mode that shifts parallax adjustment to 35m when turned to 1x and to 100m in other settings. Might be worth a look. As for Swaro, don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone complaining about one.

 

[BeeMaa]

I just returned from safari with my 375H&H CZ550 wearing a Leupold VX3i 1.5-5x20.
I will say that my PH had some concerns with a scope only going up to 5x, he would have preferred more.
I took shots beyond 200 yards with accuracy and effectiveness using Swift 300 grain A-Frames.
That being said, I was at my limits and needed just a little bit more.

I want 1x for the close in stuff and I'm also looking to hunt Buffalo on my next trip.
The 1.5x worked well for me in the Bushveld and would probably be fine, but having true 1x would be better IMO.
At the same time I want to reach out to 300 yards and my rifle and ammo are capable of it...it's me holding things up.

I am now looking at a Swaro Z8i 1-8x24 with the 4A-IF reticle.
The only hurdle being the Department of Finance authorization request is yet to be approved.

If I were to do it over again, I would get a 1-8x24 and 30mm tube from Zeiss, Swaro, S&B, Trijicon...etc.
I just like Swaro, their illuminated reticle on the Z8i and their customer service.

 

[rookhawk]

Alright I'm finally getting ready to order my 375 and I am trying to decide on the scope. I am leaning towards the swarovski. I will be getting the winchester safari express. Other options that I am looking at are the leica visus 1-4 and the leupold 1.5-5 vx3i. Any experience with any of these scopes would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Leupold 1.5-5x20 scope and a 1.5-5x32 scope...same scope, one gets a bigger housing to accomodate illuminated reticles.

I also have had about a dozen Swaro 1-6x24 Z6i EE scopes. One of them sits atop my go-to .375HH for safaris as we speak, another one on my 7x57 single shot.

Please please don't buy the leupolds, they display fine at noon on a bright day in a gun showroom, they SUCK in low light. I relegated my last one to my Ravin crossbow and it isn't usable in the 30 mins before and after dark that is legal shooting hours, even at just 40 yards. For a $300-$400 scope, you could do much better with literally anything else I can think of.

If you have the money, buy the new 1-8x24 Z6i Swaro instead. I think its the finest scope in the world if you have $2000 to spend.

I have taken shots up to 345 yards successfully on game with the Swaro 1-6x24. 6 power is all you need for shooting anything anywhere in the world IF the glass is good. The leupold at 5x isn't good glass and the light gathering is pathetic. Zoom isn't your problem, glass quality is your problem.

If you want your cake and to eat it to. (you like ferraris but can only afford chevy's, that is), buy a used z6i 1-6x24 for $800-$1200.

Last word: Make sure to buy the EE model! (extended eye relief!)

 

[damundsen87]

Ok leupold is out. I have swaro glass on all of my other rifles so I am definitely leaning that way. I was also looking at the leica magnus and it is intriguing as well.

 

[Dirtdart]

A straight tube scope will most likely give you all the fore and aft movement you need to get the proper eye relief.
A wide field of view on the bottom end of your scope can be a very desirable feature hunting animals in close quarters dangerous game or not.
If you have the funds the 1-8's by Swarovski or S&B are hard to beat. The Zeiss Victory 1-8 has nice glass but I personally can't abide by that big tube (36mm) on my rifle as it looks out of place.
The Swarovski Z6 is an excellent choice also but if you put it next to the Z8 you can see a difference.
I would mount a Swarovski 1-10 on everything if they made it but only after they came out with a 1-12 and the 1-10's were going on the cheap.

 

[Red Leg]

So first of all - regardless what a PH may think, a 6 power scope will handle any shot at any game animal as far as you can effectively shoot a .375 with a 300 gr bullet (300 yards and a bit). I should add, that I have carried a lot of variable power scopes on a lot of different rifles in a lot of different places over the years, and I am not sure that I have used higher than 6x on any shot I have ever taken with any caliber at any game animal larger than a prairie dog. That said - the .375 is the quintessential all purpose rifle for Africa. All purpose can definitely include a shot at an Oryx or Hartman on the next ridge where 6x magnification would be an improvement over 4x. I have also taken some near dusk shots where quality optics like Leica, Zeiss Victory, Swaro, and S&B can make a meaningful difference. I personally use a Leica Magnus 1.5x10 on my .375. I believe that I get just a bit more low light definition than I do with a straight tube, and I do not see any meaningful difference between 1 & 1.5x. I never hunt on that setting - even in thicker terrain. I am typically at 3 or 4x to facilitate shot placement. If following up an animal, my African rifles are all equipped with quality open sights and quick detachable scope mounts. With a bit of searching, there are some good deals on the Magnus right now. https://www.scopelist.org/Leica-Magnus-Riflescope-15-10x42-L-4A-BDC-53203.aspx All of that said, you will not be unarmed with a Z6. My favorite bear rifle, a 9.3x62, wears one and I see no need to change it.

 

[TMac]

Regarding the top power needed to execute a 300 yard ish shot, I suspect it will vary by person. For me, my variable scopes stay at about 5 power. Most of my hunting is Mule Deer / Elk in open country. I’m good to over 400 yards at a deer sized target at 5x. I practice to 600 and regularly shoot at 300 with my scope on 5 power at my range.

There have been a number of times I had only enough time to get a good steady rest and fire, between 325 and 380, only once over 400 (415 ish). Had I first worried about my power setting and taken time to mess with it, there are several very good MD that would have lived another day. I’ve also used the same 5 power setting to take two of my best bucks at 10 & 30 yards. So I spend my precious seconds getting rock solid and not considering the power setting, vs rushing my shot after picking my magnification.

So to me it is all about the confidence and competence of the shooter. One begets the other in the best chicken and egg fashion...

 

[Opposite Pole]

Leica recently introduced new range of scopes called Fortis that I believe are going to replace the Magnus range so there might be decent deals on Magnus scopes on at the moment. I bought my Magnus second hand, it’s the first illuminated edition and what I don’t like about it is that it’s very easy to accidentally turn the illumination on or off while carrying the rifle. Certainly not end of the world but the Visus and Fortis range have a different system. Some people suggested Swarovski 1-6 EE. I disagree with this suggestion for 375HH as it’s not a hard recoiling cartridge and with EE version you gain extra eye relief at the cost of roughly 20% lower field of view. On a .40 cal rifle sure but for 375 not worth it in my opinion. 1-6 scopes tend to be a little lighter than 1-8 scopes but not drastically so. 1-8 Swaro or S&B might be worth looking at.

 

[rookhawk]

Leica recently introduced new range of scopes called Fortis that I believe are going to replace the Magnus range so there might be decent deals on Magnus scopes on at the moment. I bought my Magnus second hand, it’s the first illuminated edition and what I don’t like about it is that it’s very easy to accidentally turn the illumination on or off while carrying the rifle. Certainly not end of the world but the Visus and Fortis range have a different system. Some people suggested Swarovski 1-6 EE. I disagree with this suggestion for 375HH as it’s not a hard recoiling cartridge and with EE version you gain extra eye relief at the cost of roughly 20% lower field of view. On a .40 cal rifle sure but for 375 not worth it in my opinion. 1-6 scopes tend to be a little lighter than 1-8 scopes but not drastically so. 1-8 Swaro or S&B might be worth looking at.

Swarovski 1-6x24 z6i Field of View difference between standard and EE models:

42.5-6.8 m/100 m 127.5-20.4 ft/100 yds
33.5-5.4 m/100 m 100.5-16.2 ft/100 yds

At 100 yards you see 4.2 feet less field of view if you buy the Extended Eye Relief model

Unlimited mounting options via the 5" eye relief rather than 3.8" eye relief is really important to me, it may not be as important to others.

 

[Opposite Pole]

Swarovski 1-6x24 z6i Field of View difference between standard and EE models:

42.5-6.8 m/100 m 127.5-20.4 ft/100 yds
33.5-5.4 m/100 m 100.5-16.2 ft/100 yds

At 100 yards you see 4.2 feet less field of view if you buy the Extended Eye Relief model

Unlimited mounting options via the 5" eye relief rather than 3.8" eye relief is really important to me, it may not be as important to others.

Yeah but at 1x it’s 27 feet. Down to personal preference and availability I suppose. Personally I wouldn’t walk past either on a good deal. If I decide to scope my 416 Rem the 1-6 EE would be my first choice, but not really needed on 375 IMO. Having said so my 375 is a Blaser and my scope is Leica 1-6 with a rail thus offering a lot of flexibility in mounting. Sorry about hijacking the thread but does anyone know if there are rail mounts available for Win 70 Safari? I much prefer rails to rings.

 

[Shootist43]

Although I have only one scope for all of my rifles, for the 375 H&H should on consider having two scopes? One for DG up close and another for PG at distance. To me this seems like a very viable option given the roles that this caliber is capable of. With QD /QR mounts on both, switching would be a non issue and could possibly bring some piece of mind in case of possible scope damage in the field.

 

[Tucketed]

I would put in a vote on the Swarovski. My career for almost 40 years has been in the optics and Photonics industry. Every manufacturer has access to the same glass manufacturers, Schott, Ohara and CDGM and few other smaller players. All of these companies make excellent and equal glass these days. AR coatings are very well understood and performance extremely good. In my opinion it really comes down to the optical design. Swarovski and the other European scope manufacturers excel here. Leupold, NF, Trijicon and Vortex are great and I am not bashing them just my two cents

 

[dchamp]

I have a Swarovski Z8i 1-8x24 on a 9.3x62 and absolutely love it. One of the best features in the Z8i line is their optional turret. It is easy to put on and take off and yet is very robust, a must have if you anticipate turret adjustment.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Interesting post and responses. For nearly 30 years I had a 4x fixed power on my 30-06. Killed antelope and coyotes over 300. Yards consistently.
Today on my 375 H&H MRC I utilize the 2 scope system as Shootist43 eluded to. Both Leupold VX-6. 1 for DG is the 1-6x and the other for PG is the 2-12x. Either will work if push comes to shove.
I’ll have to admit neither is regularly used at their highest power, but I had the 2-12x installed for my croc hunt...12x at 90 yards worked perfect!
For my Cape buffalo, the 1-6x set on 1x for a 30 yard active shot...again perfect!

Just my thoughts, but the key to any quality scope is the marksman and his knowledge of the game behind it. JMO.
Best of luck in what ever you chose!

 

[Gsxrmike]

I vote Swarovski. I have numerous scopes including 4 Swarovskis and the Swarovski scopes are superior. Put one on your rifle and you’ll never find yourself wishing you had something else.

 

[Brandon.Gleason]

I've a Z6i 1-6EE on a CZ550 .375 that I took to Africa in 2017. It was a great combo from what I've experienced. I've very comfortably shot out to 200yds with it (limits of my club's range). I wouldn't hesitate to set the gun up the same way again.

 

[damundsen87]

Thanks for all of the responses gents. I think swarovski it is. I use several of their other products and am gonna save my pennies and dimes.

 

[Dwight Beagle]

Please please don't buy the leupolds, they display fine at noon on a bright day in a gun showroom, they SUCK in low light. I relegated my last one to my Ravin crossbow and it isn't usable in the 30 mins before and after dark that is legal shooting hours, even at just 40 yards. For a $300-$400 scope, you could do much better with literally anything else I can think of.

Maybe your eyes and Leupold aren’t the best match. I have a Meopta and a Zeiss that are better in low light than my VX-3 1.75-6x32 but I can see well enough with my VX-3 to shoot past legal light.

 

[rookhawk]

Maybe your eyes and Leupold aren’t the best match. I have a Meopta and a Zeiss that are better in low light than my VX-3 1.75-6x32 but I can see well enough with my VX-3 to shoot past legal light.

The 1.75-6x32 Leupold you have is a hundred times better than the 1.5-5x20. The latter, the one that I own (and the 30mm tube version) is the single worst moderately expensive optic I've ever owned. (well, not counting Vortex but that's a different pile of stories)