High Recoil Scope

[clancy12]

I am considering buying a large caliber rifle in the near future such as 458 Winchester, 458 Lott, or something close to that and I need help finding a scope to withstand recoil like that. This Nikon Prostaff 4-12x40 is on sale at Midway for $165:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduc...ptics-_-0311catbanner1-_-nikon prostaff scope

I have numerous other Nikons so I know it is a dependable brand but I just don't know if this scope will be able to withstand the recoil. Any experiences or input?

 

[clancy12]

I will most likely be using it for a few hundred rounds of target practice a year for fun, so it won't have to withstand thousands of rounds a year but I also want to be able to get more than one box of shells out of the scope.

 

[Welding Rod]

Good question. I was wondering the same thing about my .416 Ruger Alaskan.

 

[Rancho Relaxo]

It may be a biased opinion, but it's my thought that probably a fixed power scope is going to be a lot tougher (for the same price range) than a variable.

 

[Float Pilot]

Leupold. 1 to 4 power VX11 or a VX3 in 1.5x5 or 1.75 to 6 power.
I have a 30-plus year old straight 4 power Leupold that was on my 375 H&H, then a 458 win mag for all that time with lots of experimental hand-loads through it.

 

[Afy]

Typically you want a higher end scope on these. Some of the people I know who use these calibers for Africa tend to lean towards S&B or Sarvoski or NF.

 

[TonyAngel]

Hey, if you're on a budget, the Bushnell elite 3200 fixed 10X is rated for .50BMG. I believe that the Super Sniper scopes over at SWFA are also rated as such.

 

[BrocLuno]

Yup - fixed magnification is always stronger. It also does not change eye relief which usually happens as you dial up the power. It would not be fun to be on a hunt when you tested your rifle on say 4X with 4" of eye relief and then dialed it up to say 8X at dusk and got nailed in the brow with the ocular ring with a gun like that. It could mess up your whole hunt

 

[clancy12]

What eye relief would be best for magnum cartridges like this? Would 4" suffice? Do you need more eye relief than 4" on something like a 458 Lott?

 

[TonyAngel]

I'd say 4" is a good minimum. I don't shoot a whole lot of high powered rifle, but I'm a small guy and do shoot a bit of .45-70 and .444 Marlin, which do have a fairly stout kick to them, although I wouldn't call them hard kicking. Having 4" of eye relief on those lever and crack barrels has been more than enough for me.

 

[Maverick223]

I use a Leupold VX-3 1.5-5x20mm on my .375H&H, it gets shot quite a bit and has held up nicely. Personally I wouldn't put a Nikon of any kind on a heavy hitter (and I happen to own & like Nikon Monarchs)...my next high recoil rifle will probably end up with a Kahles Helia CL 2-7x32mm that I have sitting in the safe. Eye relief is absolutely a consideration, I concur that 4in. is a safe minimum with proper technique (note that the aforementioned Kahles is a bit deficient in this respect).

The ones renowned for dependability and ruggedness are NF, S&B, Zeiss Diavari, and Swarovski, but i'm guessing those aren't in the budget.

 

[snake284]

All I can tell you is that I have a Nikon Prostaff with BDC reticle on a Remington 700 30-06 and I have worked up a load for it shooting a 200 grain Sierra Game King over 56 grains of IMR 4831 Powder and it kicks the bejeesus out of me at the bench. I know it won't kick like any of those, but it's no pleasure cruise shooting that thing off the bench and the Prostaff has stood up to this punishment for three years now without a blip. I think it will handle it. The only difference in the entry level Prostaff and top of the line Nikon Scopes is the optics. You pay for high end optics, but they tell me the entry level scopes are built just as tough mechanically. And another way of thinking about this is that if you spend $400.00-$500.00 on a scope and a high recoiling rifle takes it apart inside you're out a lot. But if you spend $165-$170 and the lense falls out, you won't be near as sick at your stomach. However, a Nikon has a lifetime warrantee like a Leupold so what do you have to lose either way? Put a Buckmaster or a Monarch on it. If it falls apart they'll replace it.

 

[BruceB]

What are you intending to use this beast for?

Typically, the .45-calibers are big-game rifles (emphasis on "BIG"!) but you are talking about scopes better-suited to 300-yard work, or even varminting. BIG game is usually shot at much shorter ranges than 300 yards, or even much less than 100!

The relatively-low velocity places a practical limitation on "long" shots...over 200 yards will become a problem.

The severe recoil may impose heavy strains on variable scopes, making their reliability a POSSIBLE issue. A good fixed-power glass is a safer bet, as already mentioned. truly BIG game does not need much magnification, and a 2.5 or 4-power scope will serve admirably, with the added ability of use at close range WITHOUT messing with adjustments.

My .416 Rigby carries a fixed Leupold 4X glass, and it's been absolutely satisfactory for over 2000 rounds. Typically, the fixed-power scope is less-likely to give you a "Weatherby eyebrow", as well, because the eye relief is longer and also fixed, and doesn't change the way variables' eye relief may well do.

I certainly wouldn't buy a cheaper scope because "you won't be out so much" if it fails. You're playing in the big leagues, and part of the price is that EVERYTHING costs more..if you want decent results. Buy a GOOD glass (Leupold, minimum).

Enjoy the ride....!

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

A 458 demands one of these:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/nikon_monarch_african_1-4.htm

(Illumination optional)

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

i've been told to avoid the prostaff for high recoil applications. haven't experienced failures myself, but a couple of the guys i work with have reported issues.

 

[Art Eatman]

For the usual usage of such as the .458, a low-power scope is more practical than a high-power, seems to me.

FWIW, I know from experience that 3X is plenty good for Bambi at 350 yards. And a .458 isn't generally the choice for prairie dogs or coyotes. Granted, an Austin gunsmith used his .458 on armadillos, but we already knew he was weird.

 

[CraigC]

Forget that big goofy 4-12x on a .458. It's way too much glass for most deer hunting, let alone the type of hunting a .458 would be ideal for. Consensus is that a good low powered variable is the best option. Something with 1x or 1.5x on the bottom end. My favorite is the Leupold VXIII 1.5-5x. If you plan on actually using this thing for the purpose for which it was intended, you don't want a fixed power scope over 2.5x. You'd have a hell of a time finding the shoulder of a charging Cape buffalo in a 4x scope.

 

[TonyAngel]

Yeah, if it's in the budget, the Nightforce 1-4X is one tank tough scope. The downside is that I really don't think that I'm getting 4" (probably more like 3 or 3.5") of eye relief with mine, although the FC-2 reticle is really fast and easy to pick up.

 

[Dr T]

I use one of these on my 375 H&H Model 70.

http://www.leupold.com/hunting-and-...der-scopes/vx-i-1-4x20mm-shotgunmuzzleloader/