Rifle Scopes Best Scope For An African Safari

S

superwolf

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Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 8, 2007
30
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#1
I am building a Rem 700 Long Action in .416 Rigby primarily for an African Safari (Cape Buffalo mainly) I have planned next year. I am also planning to using this rifle for some Kodiak Brown Bear as well.

I am undecided on what optics to get. Right now I am leaning toward a Zeiss 1.1-4x24 Victory Varipoint. I am curious to know from the guys that have been to Africa, what optics would be best?
 
#3
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

Swarovski Z6 1-6x24 series is what I have used. Also the 1.8-10 seems like a very good scope. The Zeiss will be fine also.
 
#5
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

Swarovski Z6i 1-6x24 Illuminated Circle Dot, Extended Eye Relief version.

CD_I%5B190%5D.png


http://swfa.com/Swarovski-Z6-Illuminated-Riflescopes-C193.aspx
 
#7
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

I would not risk my life with anything less than a Counter Sniper scope heck just look at some of these features all it lacks is Alien technology recovered from the Roswell Crash. Heck it can resist impacts of up to 5000 times the force of gravity which will come in handy in case a large asteroid lands on top of you.


Forged and milled pure Titanium or T6061 aircraft aluminum bodies.
Impact resistance to more than 5000 times the force of gravity.
Lenses of utterly flawless transmissivity, composited to aspheric lens elements to eliminate chromatic aberrations with apochromatic lenses with Extra Low Dispersion Glass.
Proprietary-230-+485°F degree stable pure optical glass
24 step vacuum Bertrillium-Zantitium™ multicoating, raises the light transmission coefficients to beyond anything achieved to date.
Massive 56mm primary objective lenses offer nearly triple the light transmission area of lesser designs.
Vacuum and lifetime sealed with a mixture of nitrogen and rare earth gasses.
Vaporless, fogless, mirageless- unaffected by atmospheric ranges from below sea level to 5 miles above it.
Waterproof for marine-ops, dustproof for desert warfare & ergonomically compatible with arctic gloves or desert heat.
Revolutionary front and rear reticle focal plane design dramatically reduces parallax & provides an immovable reticle plane with variable power accuracy identical to fixed power designs.
Selective ranging at power allows for 1 fourth to 1 milliradian ranging, zoomable as needed on FFP Models.
Variable power illumination to the reticle-red and green and black
 
#8
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

How do those small objective lense scopes stack up against the larger objective lense scopes when it come to real world twilight conditions?? Thanks, Tom.
 
#10
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

My .375 wears a 2.5-8 Zeiss, and that has done very well for me. For your specified application I would likely go straight to one of the 1-4 category of scopes basically what your looking at.
 
#11
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

What?! You can't take a push-feed on Safari! Sacrilege! You need a good Mauser or better yet a few nice double rifles for the boys to carry.

(Sorry, I finished reading <span style="text-decoration: underline">Something of Value</span> not too long ago)

Having not been on safari myself (on the Dark Continent), I would defer wholly to the judgments of those who have (a good forum to check out). In a fanciful moment I did once purchase a 458 Win Mag custom Mauser with a safari pedigree, and it came with not one but two 1-4x scopes -- a Redfield and a Zeiss -- on claw mounts. Could be like they say: two is one, one is none.
 
#15
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

Night Force NXS 1x4 FC-2 reticle, I haven't ben on a dangerous hunt,but that is what this scope is made for, I love mine, it is fast, and if you have a little moon you can hunt this scope all night long, even with out turning on the lit reticle
 
#17
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

Not a bad idea to use QD rings in case you need to go to irons in heavy puckerbrush or experiencing scope failure. I pop the scope off all the time up here in Alaska while fishing salmon streams or doing bear guard duty in the bush. I feel having good solid irons on your dangerous game rifle are a must.
JMHO.
smile.gif
 
#18
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LFOD1776</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What?! You can't take a push-feed on Safari! Sacrilege! You need a good Mauser or better yet a few nice double rifles for the boys to carry.</div></div>

I concur!

You probably want a scope for the bear because of how you will most likely hunt them but in Africa go open sights!
 
#19
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

Before I retired and became LEO in my hometown... I went after Cape Buffalo as a "guest" of US Embassy in Kenya. (It's who you know...)

For M'Bogo (Cape Buffalo) used .458 built on Springfield '03 action. Not pretty, not expensive, but very functional and I would not have cared if the customs/airlines goobers stole it. Used Barnes Solids on handloads.

I did not use a scope, nor would I have wanted one. Shot was in heavy brush at short range (<40 yds) in rotten conditions -- thorns and brush. Single head shot and buffalo dropped on the spot. For me a scope would not have been a plus.

FYI, before the hunt, guide wanted me to hit a 3 x 5 card at 50 with the rifle. No problem w. open sights. It was his rule... no hit, no hunt. Be ready for a 'test' depending on your camp or guide.

I later got my 960lb Moose w. same rifle, loaded down, at 120 yds, also with open sights. Heart shot. Still have the bullet from that one.

I love good optics and use top notch ones in my current billet. But for that Africa trip, open sights were the rule. For that type of hunting, practice w. open sights and, unless your eyes don't let you use open sights, leave the scope at home. Just my $0.02.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
#20
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

I disagree with open sights comments....
Why do math the long way when you can use a calculator????
Why shoot irons when you can shoot with scope.....
The lion I killed charged I ended his life 3 yards from me by putting bullet in nose. I was using scope...
If you are shooting animals 50 yards and in irons could be fine. The chances you will be shooting game at 100 to 250 is great.
I would not shoot at game with irons at that distance....
 
#21
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

Thunderbolt:

I gladly run optics, especially as my eyes get older. But not under all circumstances and my Africa trip was one of those times.

I am comfortable hitting vitals w. iron sights out to 100 yds. 150 with a rest. My buffalo was standing still and I had time to wait for an opening. My moose was 124 yards and I had 10 minutes to get into a sitting position, rest rifle over a log and wait for the perfect broadside shot.

In either case, would a scope have been useful? Possibly, but I chose against and was glad I did. For Africa, I felt it was something else to get stolen or go wrong... perhaps not likely with a S&B or Leica... but I didn't have one of those. Were I going again... my eyesight at 45 isn't what it was at 35, especially close up. Rear sights are harder to acquire.... Sure, today I might pick a scope.

And the reason I didn't take a scoped rifle for moose was we were in terrible raining/snowing conditions and my partner (with whom I shared the tag) had the scoped rifle. We had agreed that he would take any longer shots and I would be able to handle backups or snap shots or shoot if his scope had issues (we were using one of the experimental -- at the time -- Adirondak Optics video scopes loaned to us by Terry Gordon... so we didn't fully trust it. As it turned out, I got a 'long' shot while he was scoping a hollow about 50 yds away from me on the other side of a small ridge. His scope worked great, but he never got to shoot at a moose.

And I still carry open sight rifle more than half the time during deer and all the time during muzzleloader season. Does it limit my shooting options to shorter shots? Yes, but on Vermont ridges, swamps, etc. my shots are almost all <50 yds anyway.

Had I been faced w. a charging animal as you were, I doubt I'd have even used sights... more likely I would have made a snap shot. At 12 feet, I don't think I would have had the presence of mind to use a scope as effectively as you did. But having never been in that position 'for real' it's an academic question. Personally, I think I would have had more trouble acquiring through the scope but that's just me.

Probably the best advice for Superwolf is to use (or not use) a scope as a matter of personal preference. There are good arguments for both options. Whatever you do, practice, practice. Not all shots will be simple, calm and un-dramatic as mine. If you can't use your gear under extreme stress as Thunderbolt was forced to do... remember M'bogo kills 200 people a year in Africa.

Cheers,

Pierce
 
#22
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

Sirhrmechanic,
I do agree with what you are saying, I feel a person is limiting himself by not using a scope. I have to admit that I did turn the gun sideways when the lion was charging and looked down barrel to shoot the lion. So, I kinda used make shift irons.
However, on the same hunt I shot several animals over 250 yrds.
I use to have a double rifle with irons and shot my rhino with it, but that was less than 50 yrds. I have since sold it.
In my humble opinion, When going to Africa A person even if he is going after one of the "dangerous seven" will be shooting more game at distance than up close.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHEN PLANNING THE TRIP IS NOT THE EQUIPEMENT ( IE. CALIBER,SCOPE, RIFLE....) IT IS THAT YOU SHOULD SHOOT THE SET UP YOU HAVE CHOOSEN. I DO NOT MEAN OFF A BENCH EITHER. BUY SOME STICKS...( LONGRASS.COM ) IMHO.... HAS THE BEST AFRICAN STICKS. AND SHOOT OFF THEM.... TO MANY GUYS GO OVER THERE WITH BIG CALIBERS AND FLINCH ETC...AND WOUND GAME INSTEAD OF KILLING THEM....
 
#24
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: harleymann02</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would not risk my life with anything less than a Counter Sniper scope heck just look at some of these features all it lacks is Alien technology recovered from the Roswell Crash. Heck it can resist impacts of up to 5000 times the force of gravity which will come in handy in case a large asteroid lands on top of you.


Forged and milled pure Titanium or T6061 aircraft aluminum bodies.
Impact resistance to more than 5000 times the force of gravity.
Lenses of utterly flawless transmissivity, composited to aspheric lens elements to eliminate chromatic aberrations with apochromatic lenses with Extra Low Dispersion Glass.
Proprietary-230-+485°F degree stable pure optical glass
24 step vacuum Bertrillium-Zantitium™ multicoating, raises the light transmission coefficients to beyond anything achieved to date.
Massive 56mm primary objective lenses offer nearly triple the light transmission area of lesser designs.
Vacuum and lifetime sealed with a mixture of nitrogen and rare earth gasses.
Vaporless, fogless, mirageless- unaffected by atmospheric ranges from below sea level to 5 miles above it.
Waterproof for marine-ops, dustproof for desert warfare & ergonomically compatible with arctic gloves or desert heat.
Revolutionary front and rear reticle focal plane design dramatically reduces parallax & provides an immovable reticle plane with variable power accuracy identical to fixed power designs.
Selective ranging at power allows for 1 fourth to 1 milliradian ranging, zoomable as needed on FFP Models.
Variable power illumination to the reticle-red and green and black
</div></div>


Not again...
 
#26
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: THUNDERBOLT68</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sirhrmechanic,

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHEN PLANNING THE TRIP IS NOT THE EQUIPEMENT ( IE. CALIBER,SCOPE, RIFLE....) IT IS THAT YOU SHOULD SHOOT THE SET UP YOU HAVE CHOOSEN. I DO NOT MEAN OFF A BENCH EITHER. BUY SOME STICKS...( LONGRASS.COM ) IMHO.... HAS THE BEST AFRICAN STICKS. AND SHOOT OFF THEM.... TO MANY GUYS GO OVER THERE WITH BIG CALIBERS AND FLINCH ETC...AND WOUND GAME INSTEAD OF KILLING THEM.... </div></div>

And that is the best advice of all.

A lot of the guides or camps will require a test/zero. Be ready for one. It would not be fun to get over there and 'fail' to be allowed to hunt.

Cheers, Sirhr
 
#27
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

I have a sightron siii 1.5-5x50. It came with a cz 550 I purchased. It would be great for low light hunting. Some great looking glass that would work well in low light. I think they discontinued this model a few years back. It would work very well in low light. However, I have never been on a hunt in Africa so take it for what it's worth.
 
#29
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

I took a Trijicon 1-4x24 Accupoint to Africa, I could not have been more impressed with the scope.

Great during daylight hours and I used it to on a night ration hunt where it was brilliant too.

Highly recommended.
 
#30
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

I don't know, I've never been to Africa (they <span style="font-style: italic">eat</span> folks there...). But I <span style="font-style: italic">have</span> been on a two-way range, and I think there probably are some crucial similarities.

My questions would be about the distances of shots and the urgency involved in obtaining an effective sighting solution quickly.

When seconds count, I like the reflex sight without any magnification. I would carry a second rifle with magnifying optics for distance shots, where time is not so much of the essence.

I like the reflex (dot) sight because I think it's the simplest and quickest means to acquire and resolve a good sighting solution while still using both eyes. IMHO, nothing works quite so well, quite so quickly, quite so consistently.

If my fanny was on the line, and something big with muscles, teeth/claws/horns, and an attitude was pissed off at me, those criteria would be foremost on my mind.

Greg
 
#32
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: razor100</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Two (2) Leupold FX2 4x retrofitted with a German #1 reticle

one on rifle

one in carryon just in case </div></div>

+ 1
 
#33
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Opticsspecialist</div><div class="ubbcode-body">there are a few good options,

Schmidt and Bender and Zeiss come to mind, personally i would take a Swarovski

http://www.sportoptics.com/swarovski-z6i-EE-illuminated-rifle-scope-1x6-24-4I.aspx </div></div>

I would say that this scope should be on your short list.
 
#35
Re: Best Scope For An African Safari

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: harleymann02</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would not risk my life with anything less than a Counter Sniper scope heck just look at some of these features all it lacks is Alien technology recovered from the Roswell Crash. Heck it can resist impacts of up to 5000 times the force of gravity which will come in handy in case a large asteroid lands on top of you.


Forged and milled pure Titanium or T6061 aircraft aluminum bodies.
Impact resistance to more than 5000 times the force of gravity.
Lenses of utterly flawless transmissivity, composited to aspheric lens elements to eliminate chromatic aberrations with apochromatic lenses with Extra Low Dispersion Glass.
Proprietary-230-+485°F degree stable pure optical glass
24 step vacuum Bertrillium-Zantitium™ multicoating, raises the light transmission coefficients to beyond anything achieved to date.
Massive 56mm primary objective lenses offer nearly triple the light transmission area of lesser designs.
Vacuum and lifetime sealed with a mixture of nitrogen and rare earth gasses.
Vaporless, fogless, <span style="font-weight: bold">mirageless-</span> unaffected by atmospheric ranges from below sea level to 5 miles above it.
Waterproof for marine-ops, dustproof for desert warfare & ergonomically compatible with arctic gloves or desert heat.
Revolutionary front and rear reticle focal plane design dramatically reduces parallax & provides an immovable reticle plane with variable power accuracy identical to fixed power designs.
Selective ranging at power allows for 1 fourth to 1 milliradian ranging, zoomable as needed on FFP Models.
Variable power illumination to the reticle-red and green and black
</div></div>

A mirage is caused by refraction of light through air of different temperatures...you can't control it or stop it because it is an inherent phenomenon that is independent of the scope...

my .02
 
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