boar rig driven or not

8x57jrs Unifrance over and under with a Meopta 1.5-6x42 scope shooting 220 Grain Sierra Gamekings. Or alternatively my Chapuis 9.3x74r shooting 250 grain Nosler Accubonds. A leupold 1.25-4x20 sits on top of the Chapuis now but has previously been used with open sights. Good heavy bullets in both at moderate velocity. The Europeans seem to know what they are doing with regard to driven boar rifles.
 
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I use a Marlin .444 under lever with 1.25--4x20 Leopold vxr with quick release mounts and open sights and a 5 +1round mag and a Browning .308win BLR with a red dot sight . Both rifles will do the job.
Bob
 
Sounds like we have similar Leupold scopes Reiver. In fact you just prompted my memory and I have corrected my posting - the magnification is 1.25-4x20 and not 1.5-5x20 as I originally posted.
Both my rifles have quick release mounts.
 
CZ 550 stutzen 9.3 x 62, 5 + 1 capacity, Leupold 1.25-4 European No 4 heavy reticle Warne QD mounts so iron sight backup. Not a dedicated boar rig but really versatile and hard hitting on deer too.

Having witnessed REIVER's skill on Croatian boar last season with a lever action I have considered both the Browning BLR Takedown in 450 Marlin or the Marlin 1895SBL in 45-70 with a red dot, probably the Burris Speed Dot with 3MOA dot, but haven't taken the plunge yet.
 
These Leupolds seem to have a bit of a following for this sort of thing. Perhaps it's because they represent pretty good quality for the money and we don't want to invest a great deal of money in a scope that we will only use occasionally?
 
These Leupolds seem to have a bit of a following for this sort of thing. Perhaps it's because they represent pretty good quality for the money and we don't want to invest a great deal of money in a scope that we will only use occasionally?

I think they can hold their own with most makes - Uttings have my model for £319 brand new.
 
I use a Marlin .444 under lever with 1.25--4x20 Leopold vxr with quick release mounts and open sights and a 5 +1round mag and a Browning .308win BLR with a red dot sight . Both rifles will do the job.
Bob

Just out of curiosity. Which of your two is your preferred rifle for driven boar ? ... and... is the preference between them because of the rifle or the cartridge it's chambered to, or some other factor?

I have a lingering notion that a BLR in .358win with either a low power variscope or a red dot would be an excellent tool for the job.. and excellent VFM too.. but I've not had my hands on one to find out how well made they are or how well they operate/shoot. Sensible comments welcome...
 
I think they can hold their own with most makes - Uttings have my model for £319 brand new.

That's where I bought my Leupold from. Just hope that you don't have a problem with it as they are a nightmare when things go wrong. If I have any further problems with this scope I will send it direct back to Leupold and forget about involving either Uttings or GMK the importers.
I will say that GMK loaned me an identical scope in the end for a planned trip to France and promised something in the post by way of compensation if I returned the loan scope when mine was repaired. Well I returned the scope but received no compensation and even landed up arguing with Uttings over reimbursment for the postage that it cost me to return the faulty scope to them. With hindsight I should have said stuff it, got my money back through the small claims court if necessary and gone elsewhere.
It's a shame you get such lousy service from some companies in this country because the products that they sell, such as the Leupold are quite good really but even the best goes wrong sometimes. I have no doubt that Leupold themselves are a reputable company just poorly represented. In my experience based on over 35 years of shooting many of the U.S. companies provide excellant service and product back up, one of the very best being Dillon Precision. When they say they have a no B.S. guarantee they mean it.
 
This Blaser in 30/06, 52cm (20.5" barrel). Have not managed to actually whack a Boar with it yet, used a 270 and another 30/06 in the past, but this one is specifically for the boar:

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very nice i use my varberger .308win with leupold qr mount a ziess 3-12x50 for high seat but not sure that to get for driven red dot or low mag scope i will ask some germans at the weekend
 
Just out of curiosity. Which of your two is your preferred rifle for driven boar ? ... and... is the preference between them because of the rifle or the cartridge it's chambered to, or some other factor?

I have a lingering notion that a BLR in .358win with either a low power variscope or a red dot would be an excellent tool for the job.. and excellent VFM too.. but I've not had my hands on one to find out how well made they are or how well they operate/shoot. Sensible comments welcome...

I like the .444 better for driven boar as the bigger bullets work better at stoping a running pig due to big holes = faster blood loss etc. The marlin also has a larger magazine than the Blr which can make the differance . And i down load the .444 to use in my gun club indoor 25m range for plenty of cheap practice through out the year ( 20p a reload ).

Bob
 
For close up work my Laurona 9.3x74R over and under with Dokter sight stops them, got the monster in the picture at about 120 yards, but generally better for close up stuff in the Pyrenees! Tried my Blaser R93 300 Win Mag with Zeiss 1.5-6 x42 in Hungary this year and that stopped them dead and would definitely be better over longer ranges in more open country.
 
I was talking to a chap at the range the other day who uses a Marlin guide gun in 45-70 Gov't with a red dot for his boar hunting. This thing has a short (18" barrel?) and is ported. I asked what it was like to shoot. His reply with a somewhat demonic grin was "loud!"

Mike
 
I went to Hungary in January on my first driven boar hunt and used a Winchester '94 in 30-30 with open sights. It worked well for me as I dropped three pigs. I was using Remington, 150 gr corelokt ammunition.
 
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