Buffalo Scopes in 2022?

[Tanks]

A buff hunt is a big deal. Go for the tops, Leica Magnus 1-6.3 x 24i. Second choice Swarovski Z8. Don't accept less.

Trijicon and NIghtforce are top rated scopes. Additionally, they can be bought whereas the others seem to be in short supply.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

Hello all! Lurking for a while now I am finally ready to take the plunge on a trip to Africa in 2022. Long been a dream to hunt Cape Buffalo. Gearing up now and am torn on a new scope for my .375H&H.

What are your thoughts and experiences with Trijicon’s consumer line of products? I am tempted to put a Credo HX on my .375, mainly because in 2022 I can find one, and I like that MOA circle style illuminated reticle. I have a lot more peace of mind in a brand like Leupold, but I hate the reticle they offer.

leupold also have a illuminated circle reticle

 

[Jaegger]

I ‘cut my DG teeth’ w/ an entry-level Buff Cow hunt in 2021 & I immediately want to repeat that feeling & experience w/ some planned changes. I do not own a Big Boy Big Bore Gun (but I will on Round 2) & PH had a .375 H&H topped w/ a nice Swazorski 3x9x40.

My immediate take away on the close encounter @ 48-yards sight picture: big heavy black colored Buff on black crosshairs & WHERE is my cross hair center aim point “truly” located!? Black cross hairs on Black trophy.

I’m on a working man’s budget & from my experience - Illuminated reticle a must. Bushnell Forge, 1x8x30 w/ 34mm tube & Illuminated (key) German No. 4 (not busy) gets a red dot on the correct location of the black canvas.

Cant wait for Buff Round 2, “Ding Ding!” Happy Trails.

 

[Nhoro]

Does anybody REALLY ever use the qd feature? I couldn’t get myself to do it- maybe before my buff trip I’ll get some installed

If you have a 1x scope then there probably isnt any reason to take the scope off I guess.

 

[Nhoro]

I ‘cut my DG teeth’ w/ an entry-level Buff Cow hunt in 2021 & I immediately want to repeat that feeling & experience w/ some planned changes. I do not own a Big Boy Big Bore Gun (but I will on Round 2) & PH had a .375 H&H topped w/ a nice Swazorski 3x9x40.

My immediate take away on the close encounter @ 48-yards sight picture: big heavy black colored Buff on black crosshairs & WHERE is my cross hair center aim point “truly” located!? Black cross hairs on Black trophy.

I’m on a working man’s budget & from my experience - Illuminated reticle a must. Bushnell Forge, 1x8x30 w/ 34mm tube & Illuminated (key) German No. 4 (not busy) gets a red dot on the correct location of the black canvas.

Cant wait for Buff Round 2, “Ding Ding!” Happy Trails.

Good points- In addition, a scope with a red dot set at 1x can be used like a red dot reflex sight. Shoot with both eyes open and simply put the dot on target and pull the trigger.

 

[Nomadx2]

I ‘cut my DG teeth’ w/ an entry-level Buff Cow hunt in 2021 & I immediately want to repeat that feeling & experience w/ some planned changes. I do not own a Big Boy Big Bore Gun (but I will on Round 2) & PH had a .375 H&H topped w/ a nice Swazorski 3x9x40.

My immediate take away on the close encounter @ 48-yards sight picture: big heavy black colored Buff on black crosshairs & WHERE is my cross hair center aim point “truly” located!? Black cross hairs on Black trophy.

I’m on a working man’s budget & from my experience - Illuminated reticle a must. Bushnell Forge, 1x8x30 w/ 34mm tube & Illuminated (key) German No. 4 (not busy) gets a red dot on the correct location of the black canvas.

Cant wait for Buff Round 2, “Ding Ding!” Happy Trails.

Excellent incite! This is, and other comments/experience above of a species specific hunt is so valuable.

As someone looking to go on their first Buffalo hunt, understanding the actual point of encounter challenges is very important to making equipment selections.

 

[uplander01]

Schmidt and Bender, all they do is build riflescopes, and they are the best there is. I've been using many different models for 20 years. They tend to be a bit heavier, but its because they are built to last forever.

 

[Inline6]

I ‘cut my DG teeth’ w/ an entry-level Buff Cow hunt in 2021 & I immediately want to repeat that feeling & experience w/ some planned changes. I do not own a Big Boy Big Bore Gun (but I will on Round 2) & PH had a .375 H&H topped w/ a nice Swazorski 3x9x40.

My immediate take away on the close encounter @ 48-yards sight picture: big heavy black colored Buff on black crosshairs & WHERE is my cross hair center aim point “truly” located!? Black cross hairs on Black trophy.

I’m on a working man’s budget & from my experience - Illuminated reticle a must. Bushnell Forge, 1x8x30 w/ 34mm tube & Illuminated (key) German No. 4 (not busy) gets a red dot on the correct location of the black canvas.

Cant wait for Buff Round 2, “Ding Ding!” Happy Trails.

Depending upon rifle the 34mm scope can be an issue to mount. Especially if you have a CZ. Something to think about.

 

[Philip Glass]

Hello all! Lurking for a while now I am finally ready to take the plunge on a trip to Africa in 2022. Long been a dream to hunt Cape Buffalo. Gearing up now and am torn on a new scope for my .375H&H.

What are your thoughts and experiences with Trijicon’s consumer line of products? I am tempted to put a Credo HX on my .375, mainly because in 2022 I can find one, and I like that MOA circle style illuminated reticle. I have a lot more peace of mind in a brand like Leupold, but I hate the reticle they offer.

I am not a fan of Triijicon for rifle scopes. I have a close friend with one of their scopes he sent back so many times he just told them to keep it.
I only use Leupold and Swarovski. What reticle are you looking for? Leupold VX5 & VX6 are the choice for Buffalo and there are some good reticles available.
PG

 

[Philip Glass]

I appreciate your insight Folks!

I was starting to lean toward that 1-8 x28 Trijicon, until I saw that NightForce Tanks brought up! That is a slick looking scope, I just hadn't come across it before. I plan on attending SCI (My first time) Is that somthing I might be able to get my hands on down there?

I’ll be at SCI as well. It is a perfect time for you to get to see all of them and then decide.
also don’t think you can only have a 1-4 or 1-6 scope on your .375. I have a Leupold VX6 2-12 and Swaro 1.3-13X on mine. I can see everything I need to on low power yet I have a scope that can do it all. The Swaro has the red dot and circle dot setting for DG.
see you in Vegas!

 

[Philip Glass]

If you have a 1x scope then there probably isnt any reason to take the scope off I guess.

No and I just took mine off of my Ruger .375 Ruger because it was off too many times. I can’t say I’ve ever had a rifle get off zero from traveling but this one has done it to me twice now. Im going back with regular rings.
I know we can analyze it to death but once you lose confidence that’s it!
PG

 

[uplander01]

Trijicon Products
RMRS-Best
ACOGs-BEST
Pistol Sights-Best
Riflescopes--buy something else.

I used to work for them, been behind the curtain......there are much better rifle scope options for the money.

 

[crs]

ALL MY DG KILLING HAS BEEN DONE WITH UNSCOPED RIFLES at 40 yards and less.
At 20 to 40 yards, scopes just get in my way Maybe if you plan to hunt plains game with the same rifle, a quick detach scope mount would work .
When I went just for plains game, my rifle was coped and that helped on a 150 yard shot. All other shots were 50 yards or less.

 

[channelkat]

I am not a fan of Triijicon for rifle scopes. I have a close friend with one of their scopes he sent back so many times he just told them to keep it.
I only use Leupold and Swarovski. What reticle are you looking for? Leupold VX5 & VX6 are the choice for Buffalo and there are some good reticles available.
PG

For me, I think Nightforce's FC-DMx reticle is about is good as it gets. I just haven't found anything similar in an appropriate Leupold scope. I am really liking that Nightforce scope ( at least on paper...)

 

[WAB]

ALL MY DG KILLING HAS BEEN DONE WITH UNSCOPED RIFLES at 40 yards and less.
At 20 to 40 yards, scopes just get in my way Maybe if you plan to hunt plains game with the same rifle, a quick detach scope mount would work .
When I went just for plains game, my rifle was coped and that helped on a 150 yard shot. All other shots were 50 yards or less.

IMO an unscoped rifle handles better and is less likely to hang up moving through thick cover. I see the value of a scope on buffalo, but I wouldn’t use one on elephant.

 

[Alistair]

Does anybody REALLY ever use the qd feature? I couldn’t get myself to do it- maybe before my buff trip I’ll get some installed

I do.

I had a set of warne qd mounts and took the scope on and off most every trip to the range. No point having irons if you don't practice with them after all.

I've never used the irons on that rifle on an animal, but would happily fish the scope off and replace it as needed, confident in my zero based on the range testing of the system.

Also, Meopta R2 1-6x24 illuminated. Mine was lovely. Might be hard to source in the US though.

Al

 

[channelkat]

I was looking at the Trijicon Credo 1-8x28 as it is FFP. I went with the NightForce equivalent AtacR 1-8x24 instead.

Trijicon is a good scope, so if the NF was not available and on sale I would most likely would have gone with it.

Tanks,
Can I just ask about the eye box on your NF? Plenty of eye relief at magnification? BTW What kind of rifle is it mounted on?

 

[Neil Molendyk]

Does anybody REALLY ever use the qd feature? I couldn’t get myself to do it- maybe before my buff trip I’ll get some installed

Yes, absolutely, after the initial shot the scope came off as we were going into thick brush and weren't sure of what we might encounter. Besides, I practiced with the iron sights prehunt and if the opportunity presented itself, make it part of the buffalo hunting experience. As it turned out the insurance shot was taken at fifteen yards. I'd suggest taking the scope off and practising with the iron sights, you just never know.

 

[Tanks]

Tanks,
Can I just ask about the eye box on your NF? Plenty of eye relief at magnification? BTW What kind of rifle is it mounted on?

I assume you mean eye relief. It is 3.7". It is on .458 B&M but Picatinny mount so can go on a lot of my rifles.

 

[channelkat]

I assume you mean eye relief. It is 3.7". It is on .458 B&M but Picatinny mount so can go on a lot of my rifles.

I think when I asked that I had come across something that suggested the eye relief might be inadequate for a heavy recoiling bolt gun, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Narrowed it down to a couple of scopes, now just need to find one in stock someplace. Hopefully I find what I'm looking for in Vegas!