The rifle is a CZ 550 Safari in .375 H&H, and is equipped with (factory) express sights. The scope (at least for now) is a Leupold VX III 1.5-5x20mm with heavy duplex (non - illuminated) recticle.

While I am fully confident that the Leupold is strong enough and reliable enough for the job, I worry about its light gathering capability at dawn and dusk (here I can hunt from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset). All shooting will be done at 250 meters or less. The Schmidt & Bender Zenith 1.1–4 x 24 offers 4 mm of additional aperture, but at considerable additional expense (3X the Leupold). A number of other manufacturers offer 24 mm objectives, many illuminated, which I do not favour. Will the additional light provided by 4 mm more aperture be noticeable, given the hours in which I am allowed to shoot? Do you have any advice for me, should I decide to replace the Leupold?

My next question, and the one with the most immediate concern, is: which rings to use to mount the VX III? CZ, Leupold, Warne and Talley are all available to me. Since I would like to retain the use of the express sights for backup, a quick release system of some sort may be desireable. Will the Warne or Talley systems really retain a zero once removed? Are the QR systems reliable? Would it be better to forget the QR systems altogether and simply carry an Allen wrench in order to remove the scope? I would like to use the 19mm dovetail on the 550 and not worry about installing other bases, such as the Leupold QR system seems to require. With the aluminium tube of the Leupold, is it better to have aluminium or steel rings? Temperatures here during the hunting season can vary between +20 to -30 C.

I appreciate any information and opinions you may have to offer on any of the above questions. Thank you in advance for your input.

Sharptail