338 win mag scope suggestions please

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rmcda

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I live and hunt in BC and have recently obtained a left hand 338 win mag, and will be using it occasionally, and exclusively for hunting, Moose / Elk, Bear (leh ).

I already have a 9.3x62 which has a Leupold M8 6x42 which I have been very happy with, and feel it is a good match out to 300- 350 yards.

The 338 seems to have the opportunity to extend the range in comparison to the 9.3x62.

My primary considerations are .... eye relief, glass clarity for my old but good one eye, built to handle heavy recoil, excellent quality.

So... my initial thoughts are another fixed power M86x42 or its offspring the FX series, which offer a consistent 4 plus inches of eye relief., or perhaps a Leupold VX-1 4-12x42 which provides 3.7-4.9 eye relief. I have been used to Leupolds so i am comfortable with them, but I have also heard great things about some of the Nikon products - Monarch, Prostaff.

I also have a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 on a 30.06 and find the glass very bright and a great value, but I wonder if the eye relief will be an issue or whether it would hold up to heavy recoil.

I don't mind used or new with a budget maximum of $600 for new.

I would love to hear from anyone who has a large magnum and what you have chosen and find the best ( in my price range) for what I am looking for..
 
Nikon Monarch 3, 5, or 7's. Magnification range 2.5-10. Leupold VX3i 3.5-10 another good choice. I have a Monarch 3 2-8x32 NP on my Win M70 Alaskan 338WM. Nikon Monarch scopes have a minimum 4" eye relief.
 
I used a 3.5-10 VX3 for quite awhile, then temperarily put a 4.5-14 VX3 on for
Some load developement. Temporary has a way of turning into
Permanent; because I haven't found any real good reason to change it back. Or real
Advantage to leaving it on either. Turns out it doesn't matter much which scope I carry around set at 5 or 6 while hunting, just nice to have the Xs for lobbing them out there at the range.
 
I wouldn't use a crossfire on an important hunt. Great for plinking, you can keep the box handy in the truck for the times when the reticle rotates on a 45° angle and you need to quickly access Vortex's warranty...

Personally I would go 4-12 or 4.5-14 Leupold.
 
I have a Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 1.75-5x32mm on my 338 WM Ruger Hawkeye. Excellent scope for the money. Ample eye relief, compact, bright with good clarity -

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On my heavies, I have Leupold 2-7x33's, 2.5-8's and a 90's Burris compact 3-9x32 (on my New King:dancingbanana:). The little Burris has 6" of ER.

A Zeiss Conquest in 3-9x40 is a great choice too. 4" of constant eye relief, good glass and fairly light. I have one on one of my Whelens, love it.
 
bassman said:
That has to be the biggest eyepiece ever made :0. Any clearance issues?
Click to expand...

The trend seems to be towards larger eyepieces on the newer scope designs. I ran into the same issue looking for a scope for a CZ 455. A lot of manufacturers don't publish the exterior diameter of the eyepiece, so I had to email them to get the info.
 
I have a Leupold VXR 2-7x33 (30mm tube and illuminated fire dot reticle) on my bear rifle in 338WM. It may be slightly over your budget but a really nice piece of glass.
 
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I had a 2.5-10x Bausch & lomb 4200 series on my .378 Weatherby for years and it always held zero. They are a little cheaper than the Leupold. 4x can sometimes be a little much for stomping through the bush.
 
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