Would you feel underscoped with a 6x in elk country?

[Adam Gibbs]

I have a 375 H&H that currently wears a Leupold 1.75-6x32. I am chosing this rifle to take on an elk hunt not because I feel like I need the 375 but because it is my lightest weight rifle I own in an acceptable elk cartridge. Will I regret only having 6x magnification?

 

[WRO]

Where are you hunting at? Big open country or the timber?

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[Lostinthewoods]

I guess it comes down to the area you're hunting.
Where I hunt in NM you would never need anything beyond a 6x as it's thick and you probably wouldn't be shooting over 100 yards.
Then there are other areas where a 300 yard shot would occur and you may want something beyond 6x.

 

[rayporter]

no
I used a 4x for25 years. only switched to a 2-7 x ten years ago.

 

[bcimport]

6 is more than enough.

 

[Ross]

As noted country contingent imo better to have more magnification should the need arise to reach out and touch them.

 

[idahohikker]

+1.

 

[jmez]

How far are you comfortable making a killing shot with the rifle? Does no good to have glass that allows you to take a 400 yard shot if you are only capable of 200.

 

[gbflyer]

I have the same scope on my 30-06 I carry for Elk. Have never felt under-scoped.

 

[slick]

I shoot a 2-7x33, so does my buddy. You’ll be fine, maybe think about practicing at some longer distances if you haven’t already


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[Adam Gibbs]

Thanks for the advice. As far as terrain, I'm not sure as I'm still deciding where to go. My plan is to kind of shotgun some OTC or easy draw hunts for a few years while building points. As far as shooting ability, I'd consider myself a fairly decent shot. I need to shoot this rifle more though, just have never had a reason to.

 

[kicker338]

Got one question from your OP. What range of cartridge's do you consider acceptable for elk ??

 

[Adam Gibbs]

Considering the choices from what I currently own, I could carry my 308 win, 375 H&H, or a 45-70. I know with the right bullets I can use any of them. The 45-70 limits me on range. The 308 wouldn't be a bad choice but it is at least a couple pounds heavier than my 375. The 375 was a impulse purchase when I worked at a gun shop. It's a rem 700 AWR. I don't remember the exact weight, but I believe it's right around the 6 pound mark bare.

 

[LaGriz]

+1 on the 6X scope being enough,

I have a Leica 1.75X6X32 on one Winchester M70, and 2X7X36 on another. My Kimber 8400 has a 3X9X42 and the Remington M700 has a 2X10X40 with a BDC reticle. All of these scopes are fine and I don't feel handicapped with any of them. That said I have yet to take a long poke at any elk. Longest shot was under 150 yards. Whatever scope you choose I would hope it has decent eye relief. Recoil from a 375 H&H weighing just over 6lbs could be brutal!

LaGriz

 

[twall13]

The last two elk I've killed have been in the timber within 40 yards. My scope is a 3.5-10x just in case I need to reach out after one but I haven't needed the 10x on elk in a long time. Honestly, if you practice with it, a 400 yard shot with a 6x scope shouldn't be unreasonable. I think you'll be fine. That said, the practicing with a 375 H&H doesn't sound fun to me, but I'm somewhat recoil sensitive.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Depends on your yardage but from what it sounds like you'll be fine in my mind since it doesn't sound like you're shooting long range where the extra magnification can be handy. Even though I prefer 3-15x, 4-16x type scopes I just use the upper magnification for longer range target shooting, I rarely dial up a scope higher than 8-10x on a hunting shot. But pretty easy to test out, put a target out at the distance you want to be able to hunt to and see how it is shooting at it. Elk are a pretty large visual object to get in your scope, just make sure from the body outline you know where the sweet spot is and don't just fling rounds "near" where you want to hit.

 

[Northernpiker]

My shoulder hurts thinking about it but I'm recoil sensitive. You'll be fine with that setup.

 

[flyingbrass]

I can shoot 1,000 yards with my 10X scope on my 50BMG but I'm shooting steel.

 

[davsco]

i shoot 2 and 3 gun matches out to 500 yds with a 1-6 scope so that is def enough power, of course depends on your eyesight. my hunting scopes (generally for whitetail but this fall should be my first elk hunt) though generally are somewhere from 2-4 at the low end to 7-16 at the high end. for me a 3-12 would be perfect.

 

[6mm Remington]

I know you will be just fine. You would be surprised what you can do with a modest power scope at longer ranges. I am a die hard fixed power guy and have three rifles with a 4x and two 6x Leupolds on them. I only recently purchased my first variable power scope ever! I put a 4.5-14x40mm Leupold on a custom rifle I had built. I enjoy the new scope but the other three still serve me just fine.

David