Tested 12 Scopes Today

[Ledd Slinger]

Ok if we want to beat around the bush and have a play on words just to get in a comment, then yes you are right JRS, a lot of companies use the same manufacturers for "glass".

However, there are different grades of glass. But the bigggest difference that separates top tier optical companies from the rest is coatings. The coatings have everything to do with light transmission, stray light control, contrast, resolution, color rendition, fringing/CA, etc. Then there's grinding the surface angles, polishing, alignment, indexing, and all the other stuff that goes into making a lens after a company receives the blocks of Schott glass.
Kahles does not have the same coatings as Swarovski glass. Meopta has their own coatings as well. Might be the same Schott glass, but due to top secret coating recipes and application processes, the view through each company's optics is definitely different.

The new Kahles 3-18 and 5-25 supposedly have Swarovski glass in them, or should I say "Schott glass with Swarovski grinding, polishing, and coatings"... The K1050 does not.

 

[JRS]

Google this: playing with light - SCHOTT AG

This explains where Swarovski gets the optical glass they use, along with other SCHOTT products they use.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

"Glass" is down this list for me. There are scopes on the market that dont even use hd or ed glass that have better resolution than scopes that are using much more expensive HD glass. Optical design is as or more important than simply the quality of the lens used IMO. So who makes the "glass" really doesn't impress me at all, performance does. While Kahles and Swaro may buy their glass from the same place (for example), they may even use the same grades for all I know, there is a difference in how those scopes "look", quite different. If this stuff matters to you, you have to spend time with them in the real world, spec sheets wont tell you what you need to know.

 

[Jet]

Tested a new Vortex Golden Eagle yesterday with 15 shots fired and there was no movement. I've tested a few of these and all have been solid.

 

[JFrank]

Tested a new Vortex Golden Eagle yesterday with 15 shots fired and there was no movement. I've tested a few of these and all have been solid.

Good to know,
Thanks for posting Rich.
J

 

[bman940]

I have been putting rounds under my Beraga 6.5CM using Meopta's ZD 6-24x56 for 3 months now and I am thoroughly impressed. Some of the best glass I have ever used. The 6-24 is clear through all magnification settings. The 56 mm obj is excellent for low light conditions and has allowed me to dispatch swine well after sunset. Meopta is definitely not a household name but they are working on making the kinds of scopes that shooters have been asking for. I don't do any sales, just passing along some info I thought might be useful.

 

[X-Caveman]

Tested a new Vortex Golden Eagle yesterday with 15 shots fired and there was no movement. I've tested a few of these and all have been solid.

Awesome to hear. I tested mine a few months ago and the reticle was drifting - mainly left. Took about 8 shots to finally settle and accumulated about 1/4 MOA total drift - way too much. I called Vortex & was treated politely and professionally. I was given a RMA & sent it in. About 2 weeks later I had it back. They replaced the windage turret, calibrated parallax & did something else - I can't remember, some sort of cell lock ring. Doesn't matter to me. What does matter is that they owned it and fixed for $0. While I haven't put it back on the checker, the groups and match scores that I've shot since - as well as the way the new windage turret feels, tell me it's fixed. Top notch customer service.

I'll put it back on the checker if/ when I suspect somethings awry. It's about impossible to check anything in TX this time of year, anyway.

 

[beemanjohn]

I bought one of the early Golden Eagle's and it had a poi shift. I sent it to them to repair, and four days later I had a new scope in hand. It has been rock solid. Pretty hard to beat that kind of service.

 

[Mudder]

For those of us that are new to this, can you explain how the testing is done?

Is there anyway to get a false reading?

 

[ridgeway]

Sent in a Vortex GE and back came a brand new, sealed in box scope in under 2 weeks!

 

[Jet]

For those of us that are new to this, can you explain how the testing is done?

Is there anyway to get a false reading?

There is some info on the forum on this subject and can be found with a search.

Need to have a dual scope base. Field and Cave https://fieldandcaveoutfitters.com/ sells them. A frozen scope (not mandatory but makes it easier) is also required. Mount up the frozen scope and the scope you want to test and get them to co-witness on the same aim point (I use graph paper) at 50-100yds. Fire a shot, place the frozen scope back to its point of aim then take a look through the scope being tested. Does it still co-witness? If not, it moved. Some scopes are solid, some move once then settle and there are some that move a lot.

False readings can occur if you have mirage. Cool no mirage mornings are important. Not having the rings secured could be another. The process is fairly simple to do, just need the right equipment.

I'll normally test in the early winter and fire form brass at the same time. Gives me time to get a scope sent in for repair if needed and get it back in time to verify before the next shooting season starts.

Good Shooting

Rich

 

[KenOath]

There is some info on the forum on this subject and can be found with a search.

Need to have a dual scope base. Field and Cave https://fieldandcaveoutfitters.com/ sells them. A frozen scope (not mandatory but makes it easier) is also required. Mount up the frozen scope and the scope you want to test and get them to co-witness on the same aim point (I use graph paper) at 50-100yds. Fire a shot, place the frozen scope back to its point of aim then take a look through the scope being tested. Does it still co-witness? If not, it moved. Some scopes are solid, some move once then settle and there are some that move a lot.

False readings can occur if you have mirage. Cool no mirage mornings are important. Not having the rings secured could be another. The process is fairly simple to do, just need the right equipment.

I'll normally test in the early winter and fire form brass at the same time. Gives me time to get a scope sent in for repair if needed and get it back in time to verify before the next shooting season starts.

Good Shooting

Rich

How do you move the frozen scopes reticle to where you want it on the target, or is the frozen scope on an adjustable base?

 

[Mudder]

There is some info on the forum on this subject and can be found with a search.

Need to have a dual scope base. Field and Cave https://fieldandcaveoutfitters.com/ sells them. A frozen scope (not mandatory but makes it easier) is also required. Mount up the frozen scope and the scope you want to test and get them to co-witness on the same aim point (I use graph paper) at 50-100yds. Fire a shot, place the frozen scope back to its point of aim then take a look through the scope being tested. Does it still co-witness? If not, it moved. Some scopes are solid, some move once then settle and there are some that move a lot.

False readings can occur if you have mirage. Cool no mirage mornings are important. Not having the rings secured could be another. The process is fairly simple to do, just need the right equipment.

I'll normally test in the early winter and fire form brass at the same time. Gives me time to get a scope sent in for repair if needed and get it back in time to verify before the next shooting season starts.

Good Shooting

Rich

Thanks a bunch for the info rich

 

[Jet]

How do you move the frozen scopes reticle to where you want it on the target, or is the frozen scope on an adjustable base?

Adjust your rest to get it back on POA.

 

[X-Caveman]

How do you move the frozen scopes reticle to where you want it on the target, or is the frozen scope on an adjustable base?

You don't. It seems strange at first, but it does not matter where the bullets land. Now if you don't have a frozen scope, once you find two without relative movement, you can use one of them as your reference scope - just check it periodically. For me, it's a IOR36x. It's solid, has fewer moving parts, and a smaller objective than my other scope that has never moved when paired against it (March 10-60).

Using the IOR as the reference, I make the bullets land about 1" lower than POA. If you have gross movement & a straight shooting rig & ideal conditions, you can shoot groups alternating which scope you aim with. Group shapes can help you confirm which is the mover. Most scopes won't move enough for this to be helpful, but some may.

Scope checkers are useful tools for so much more than testing POA holding. Tall target tests, box tests, checking POA stability with magnification changes, qualitative glass analysis of two scopes, using a scope as a spotter, lapping rings, mounting scopes, etc. I have even zeroed scopes with one without even needing to go to the range. Take the zeroed scope off the rifle, mount it on the checker next to the new scope that you want to put on. Dial the new scope to the same POA as the old scope, mount new scope on rifle... It'll be close enough for sighters at your next match.

 

[X-Caveman]

@Ledd Slinger uses his in his comprehensive optics reviews on this forum. search them up!

 

[fatelvis]

Tested a new Vortex Golden Eagle yesterday with 15 shots fired and there was no movement. I've tested a few of these and all have been solid.

After buying two of them, I’m happy to hear they tested well. Like Scotty P from We Are The Miller’s movie says “ No Ragrets”!

 

[ngb1787]

Tested 3 NF Competitions a year ago. All were rock solid. Tested with .284