Next step up?

[Trakehner]

If the scope can half moon someone, I'd think the scope is installed improperly or was wrong for the rifle. Most scopes have at least 3.5" of eye relief. I've never owned a rifle of any caliber that was possible to half moon cut a shooter of any reasonable size. Mounts matter. Installation matters.

A lot of scopes don't have that much eye relief (some are downright scary). People who shoot light kickers (AR-15s, 243 etc.) get used to getting way too close...bad habits that don't bite you on a light kicker. Some lean back looking like a drawing from 1880, because with .22s they can with no impact. If you hold the rifle lightly, it gets a chance to recoil nicely. A Winchester 95 lever action is a terrible design that has bruised cheeks for 100+ years due to stock shape.

Anyway...this scope was correctly mounted and worked for the rifle....if correctly mounted by the shooter. Who of us hasn't seen a kid shoulder a rifle and look through the incorrect eye (or creep on up to the scope scaring the heck out of us). You can't idiot/careless proof anything...but makes for an interesting "dinner & a floorshow" at the range sometimes. Some rifles do fit the description of "Kills in Front, Cripples Behind"

 

[rookhawk]

View attachment 180802 Right now I'm stuck with what I have I'm willing wallet is unable. Recoil is not bad my scope has a 4" eye relief just 1"tube I even have trouble getting into open sights my son loves the opens I have to wiggle around to get sight pitcher.
Shawn

@Shawn.54 i can already see your problem. Your mounts have ZERO adjustment range for that scope.

 

[Trakehner]

@Shawn.54 i can already see your problem. Your mounts have ZERO adjustment range for that scope.

Phew, that's scary there's no adjustment...I hope the eye relief is good when you naturally shoulder your rifle...vs. having to make a mental adjustment when you shoot.

 

[Goose Cracker]

Rook appears data driven like me. But I'm less brusk.

I was looking at all these larger bores a while back after getting my 375 H&H and finding it much easier to shoot than I expected. As far as a step up from there, my thoughts were 1. How much more muzzle energy? and 2. At what cost in recoil? Simplistic, perhaps. But Occam's Razor. All using Hornady ammo in heavier DGX bullets for comparison's sake.

All relative to a 375 H&H 300g DGX:
Caliber Recoil Energy Recoil vs 375 Energy vs 375 Bullet? Muzzle Energy
.404 Jeffery (400 at 2170) 41 10% 10% 400g DGX 4698
.416 Rem. Mag. (400 at 2400) 52.9 42% 20% 400g DGX 5115
.416 Rigby (400 at 2400) 58.1 56% 22% 400g DGX 5180
.450 N.E. (465 at 2150) 55.5 49% 16% 480g DGX 4927
.458 Win. Mag. (500 at 2100) 62.3 67% 19% 500g DGX 5084
.458 Lott (500 at 2300) 70.4 89% 38% 500g DGX 5872

So, 404J is 10% more recoil and 10% more muzzle energy vs 375 H&H but with a 400g bullet. 416R is 56% more recoil for 22% more energy. I was (arbitrarily, perhaps) thinking that 20% more energy was my "minimum" for a "step up" but the cost in terms of recoil is high. FWIW and YMMV

 

[Shawn.54]

I lucked out this time when I shoulder this rifle with my eyes closed then open them it's there no movement needed if I had to move I'd be up the creek as it stands I'm looking to upgrade but not because of fit I want more power in the scope I sometimes watch a long field and x7 is to weak can't always make out antlers.
Shawn

 

[colorado]

Just checked:

505 Gibbs
535gr bullet
2150fps
11 pound gun

82 pounds of recoil, exactly double that if a 404J

My 500 Jeffery max load is a 570g bullet at 2410 fps, 105g of powder, 11 lbs without scope. 92 ft lbs of recoil It's really different from shooting a 9 lb 375 or a 416. Not bad, just different.