DarkLordOfOptics
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If I could have only one... riflescope?
season kick-off
December 08, 2023

As we get to the end of the year, I go into my "if I could have only one" mode, where I reflect back on what I saw during the year and see if my previous year's selections changed.
I usually set up different scenarios, from "everything is banned and you have to adjust" to "my wife figured out how much my guns cost and I have to get rid of everything and keep just one" to "I love my kids more than my guns and since they need to go to college, I am on a budget"
I'll go into the firearms choices at a later point in future installments.
Given that I am the self-appointed Dark Lord of Optics, rather than of barrels and triggers, let's touch on the scopes.


There are are some new entrants here anyway.  These are the designs I have losely dfined as "crossover": reasonable magnification range and light enough to put on a hunting rifle in a pinch.  3-15x or similar is a good magnification range here.  I want these scopes to have zero stop and reticle illumination for low light use.

 

Starting with a "my wife does not know how to get into my safe" scenario...

For quite a few years now, my choice for a "money no object" general purpose precision/hunting scope has been Tangent Theta TT315M and that has not changed.  This scope essentially defined this category and is still the best optimized option overall.  https://bit.ly/41dz6c8 A slightly thicker reticle for low power use would be nice, but aside from that, I have no complaints.

Honorable mention goes to the new March 1.5-15x42.  An updated version of it with an improved reticle is enroute to me at the moment.  I suspect it will be the premier allround choice if you also use clip-ons.  It is going to settle on my Fix in 8.6 Blackout as soon as it gets here.  A true general purpose scope for a true general purpose rifle. https://bit.ly/48bftUC

In the mid-range ("I like nice stuff, but want to stay married" scenario), there are a couple of good options depending on what is important to you.  If you want light weight, Vortex Razor HD-LHT 4.5-22x50 is still it https://bit.ly/41uPd5v and EuroOptic still has a 15% off discount on these.

Both Tangent and Razor are really intended for centerfire calibers, so they do not have a ton of adjustment.  You do not need all that much adjustment to cover the supersonic range of 308Win or 6.5CM.   

If you want to do a bit everything including subsonics and rimfire and do not want to pay for the March, the new Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44 stays within the general crossover size envelope while offering 45mrad of elevation adjustment for around $1600 https://annexdefense.com/delta-stryker-hd-3-5-21x44-rifle-scope/  This is arguably the most full featured scope of the crossover type available at the moment south of $2900 that still squeezes under 30 ounces.

Moving further down into the price range, let's call this scenario: "I want my kids to go to college and they not qualify for a scholarship"

This used to be pretty much where Vortex PST Gen2 3-15x44 https://bit.ly/489K8kZ lived alone and barely contested.  However, now we have the illuminated version of the Tract 2.5-15x44 that is quite good https://tractoptics.com/riflescopes/toric-uhd-30mm-2-5-15x44-ffp-illuminated-mrad-mrad-hunting-rifle-scope for similar money.  Vortex has notably wider FOV.  Tract has more adjustment range and all the turrets lock up.  Pick your poison.  Vortex reticle is more precision oriented.  Tract leans more toward the hunting side of things, but both cross over nicely.

Burris XTR3i 3.3-18x50 is a touch more money than Tract and PST Gen2, but less than Razor and Stryker.  Performance-wise, it is definitely in this conversation and the weight clocks in right around 30 ounces (similar to the Tract).  https://bit.ly/3XVF8Ld  35mrad of elevation adjustment range make it viable for lots of applications.

Going further down in price, you start losing some features, so you either have to put up with weird illumination schemes, strange reticle ideas, lack of zero stop, etc.   That's probably worth a separate discussion.  SWFA used to have a couple models squarely in this price range, but while they are getting revamped, the field is sorta open.  There are some solid choices there like Element Titan 3-18x50 and Primary Arms GLx 3-18x44, but both have reticle-related quirks I find annoying.  If you have to drop down in price a little, I'd steer you toward Vortex Strike Eagle 3-18x44.  It also has a reticle illumination scheme I am not big on, but it is less objectionable here due to the reticle design https://bit.ly/3tOI03l

Going further down in price than the Strike Eagle, you start giving up on more features: no zero stop on SwampFox Warhawk or no reticle illumination on Element Helix, for example.  Once you get into this budget level, shopping used will let you retain features without sarificing quality.  If you mostly hold with the reticle, SwampFox Recce Mil reticle in the 3-15x50 Warhawk might be up your alley https://bit.ly/46UENgi 

 

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Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44 Wrap-up

This scope comes up a lot since I really like the configuration. It is time to do a final wrap-up of it.

It is one of my favourite scopes on the market today, especially for the money, since I naturally lean toward general purpose-ish designs. Still, while the 3.5-21x44 Stryker is relatively compact and light, it still clearly leans toward the precision side of things, which suites me very well.

https://annexdefense.com/optics-and-optic-accessories/delta-optics/

00:10:25
The 40s: SwampFox Recce MRAD Reticle in Warhwak 2-10x44

As is usually the case, I am taking my sweet time with the 40s comparison. There are several reasons for that. One is that I am busy. Another is that I really like this very underappreciated riflescope category and want to make sure I am doing the right thing with them. Yet another is a simple fact that I insist that I spend a LOT of time with each scope before I can recommend it and there are quite a few scopes to look at for this comparison.

Swampfox Warhawk 2-10x44 is sort of an odd duck here in many way. In terms of magnification range and objective size, it is right at home in this lineup. However, it is a bit big and heavy for the mag range at just under 13" and just under 30 ounces of weight. It has a lot of adjustment range at 35mrad, but has no zero stop. On the other hand...

It is sub-$500.
It has very good Apparent FOV at 24 degrees.
It is a lot better optically than I expected.
It has a very solid reticle with a clever illumination scheme.

The way this scope is set ...

00:08:40
AR-15 Handguards with integrated Arca rail

I had a couple of ARs I wanted to set up for long range training. There is more to do with them, but I started out by swapping out the handguards for models with an integrated full length Arca rail. Larger flat on the bottom of the handguard helps it settle on the sandbag and makes it easier to shoot off of a tripod. I also found the ability to slide the bipod to different positions occasionally helpful.

The two handguards I have been testing are:

Fast Track my Catalyst Arms: https://www.anarchyoutdoors.com/fast-track-arca-precision-rifle-handguard-ar-15-rpr-only/?ref=fl0iza41

IWI/CMT HDM https://alnk.to/8iWcTQE

Both work well once installed, but IWI/CMT was ultimately less of a hassle to get properly lined up.

Fasttrack barrel nut arrangement is a little goofy and getting properly lined up took some trial and error. Here is the video they made that shows how it is set up. I was going to do my own, but once I got it all aligned, I did not want to mess with taking it up and ...

00:19:29
PA PLxC 1-8x24 SFP Blem

We are finally going home tonight and as we wait for the flight, I decided to check my email.

One of the first things I saw is an email from Primary Arms about their Summer Clearance event. In there is a cosmetic blem SFP 1-8x24 with the fiber illuminated reticle for just over $1k. That is an exceptionally good price for this scope: https://alnk.to/ei43zXN

There is quote a lot there aside from the PLxC, like the blem Geissele handguard for ~$210: https://alnk.to/aLKTXFp

Here is a link to the rest of it: https://alnk.to/3nj4LpX

I did not look through everything, but there is quite a lot that's interesting int he first half dozen or so pages that I flipped through:
https://alnk.to/aLKTXI2
https://alnk.to/5Q7GuSW

Sig P320

I just got an e-mail from my local range that they are banning any and all use of the Sig P320 due to the appearance of the gun going off by itself.

I have not been following the P320 saga very thoroughly, so I did a quick search to try to figure out what's happening and then called a friend of mine who is more on that side of the gun industry than I am and has better insight.

Here is a gyst of it.

There is a good number of anecdotal accounts of P320 going off on its own, including the incident that resulted in the tragic death of an airman in Wyoming a few days ago.

Neither Sig, nor the various government entities nor any of the 3rd parties were able to re-create ANY of these incidents.

A large number of P320s were retrieved, tested and abused. That includes the actual firearms that the incidents happened with.

Noone, to the best of my knowledge, has been able to make any of them go off without trigger manipulation.

What does that mean? That means that we do not know what is true ...

Leupold Scope dump at CDNN.

I just got an email, multiple models and reticles for 3HD, 4HD and 5HD scopes. You need call to get prices.

https://www.cdnnsports.com/optics.html?manufacturer=LEUPOLD

Scoping Gas Guns
an interesting question that acme in via PM

I received this question via a private message and thought it was interesting enough to answer it in some detail.  I have been thinking a lot about appropriate optics for gas guns recently, so this came it at the right time.

 

Here is what I ahve been messing with last few days:

 

Above: 18" WOA barrel 5.56 AR-15 with Burris XTR PS 5.5-30x56 on it.

Below: 22" Satern barrel 224Valkyrie AR-15 with Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44 on it.


For obvious reasons, I am not posting who asked the question, but what I'll do is send him a link to this article, so that he gets an answer and we might have a good discussion.
Here is what I received:

Had a question for you
I have a Knights Armament SR25 6.5CM with a 14.5" barrel - I plan on shooting 100 - 600 yards at targets at 100 yd intervals
I am favoring the TT 315P with an Aimpont Acro mounted on top -( see you liked the TT315M) - would that be enough magnification?
I saw the SB SB 5-20 which offer more top end - I like the turrets on the Tanget and tooless Zero - what are your thoughts between the 2?
If I stayed 400 and under - how do you see the TT315P with the Acro Red dot against the SB 1-8 Short Dot (saw your review on that)

There isn't really enough information in the question for a simple answer, so let's consider a couple of options.

What is the gun for? 

For shooting medium range (out to 600) with occasional close range use?  If yes, go with a conventional scope and offset or piggybacked RDS.

For shooting at close distance with occasional med/long range use? If yes, so with a nice LPVO like the above mentioned S&B Short Dot 1-8x24 https://alnk.to/3J8vlFv.  It is quite capable at long range, but where it will really knock your socks off is up close and personal.

The question of what is enough magnification is pretty personal.  For me, 3-15x is plenty, but I shoot a lot off of the tripod and off of barricades which likely influences my decision.  For that, my 3-15x50 TT315M Tangent works great and 6mrad of elevation is plenty.  https://alnk.to/gVNkUXB  175gr #08 out of a shoter tube will drop in the 5 to 5.5mrad range at 600 yards.

For a dedicated long range semi-auto, other than the looks, there isn't much downside to a larger scope, which is why I set up Burris' XTR PS on the 5.56 AR pictured above.  It is for my son to learn to shoot at distance and to us in next year's BOTC match.  https://alnk.to/gp33YuR

If I were setting up an accurate semi-auto and wanted a high mag scope for it, I would likely lean toward March 4.5-28x52. https://alnk.to/dLjHgjh  It is compact, relatively light and very good optically for any use other than the dead of the night (for which we should be using clip-ons anyway).

S&B Short Dot is a very nice scope, but March is a newer design and, other than the lowest light, has an edge in terms of image fidelity and stray light control.

TT315P Tangent is a veyr ncie scope and toolles turrets are appealing.  However, there is a weight penalty to that.  For me, that was not worth it.  I ahve 5-25x56 and 7-35x Tangents and those toolless turrets are spectacular.  However, in a 3-15x50, I am quit ecomfortable with simpler 6mrad per turn knobs on the TT315M.

 

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A morning with a chronograph

When I tell people that I am using Hornady's factory ammo for matches, I get occasionally surprised looks.  Occasionally.  Most of the time, I get fairly condescending looks from handloaders who would not let a factory round pollute the chambers of their precision rifles if their lives depended on it.

To be fair, if I had the time, I might be reloading as well.  I might be able to do better than modern factory ammo, but the truth is that I am not a quarter MOA shooter, so a lot of that would be lost on me.  The UKD matches I fidn most interesting can be done by a competent shooter with a 1MOA gun.  I am working on that first part.  I reload when I have to, but if I can get factory ammo that's not outrageously expensive and that shoots well, I will go with that every time.

I looked around and realized that I have about 600 rounds of Hornady 147gr 6.5CM factory ammo from two lots.  400 rounds from one that I will use during the match later this month.  The remainder I will likely use up practicing prior to that.

I woke up early and snuck out to the range while my family was still asleep earlier today.

I set up in the 100 yard tunnel we have.  I took my four shots to zero with the lot I plan to use for the match.  Then I fired a six shot ~0.7MOA group.  That's accurate enough for my purposes.

Here are the chronograph results:

It is slow, but accurate and consistent.

Then I shot a five round group of Hornady 147gr ammo from the other lot.

Both of those lots are not too shabby for factory ammo.  POI was within 0.2mrad between the two lots, all laterally.  

 

I had some other ammo on hand, so I fired two five shot groups with Berger 144gr hybrid target ammo and Sako TRG 136gr.

Here is what I got for five rounds of Berger:

That's not a ton of statistics, but it is a data point.  The group was ~1.1MOA

 

Here the data for the Sako TRG 136gr ammo:

This ammo showed some mild pressure signs, but not too significant.  

Again, this is not a ton of data, but Hornady is looking pretty decent here.

I'll repeat the zero retention and consistency tests a couple more times between now and June 18th when we head to Wyoming.

I might pick up a couple more boxes of Hornady 147gr from a different lot to get some more data.

More to come.

 

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First PRS Match is behind me
High Noon at Del Norte

My first PRS match is officially behind me.  It was, I think an officially sanctioned regional PRS match at the shooting range called Del Norte about an hour from me (just east of Rio Rancho).
As I discussed previously, rather than using the rifle I originally prepared for it, I ended up having to change gears at the last moment and slapping a 5-25x56 Tangent on my daughter's 6ARC MiniFIx.  A lightweight 16" Proof barreled 6ARC is not an ideal set up for PRS competition, but, in the grand scheme of things, the rifle did hot hold me back at all.  I had a couple of weights that fit the Q-cert handguard, so I slapped them on there as well, which got the rifle to right around 12lbs.  The balance point was almost where I want it, but not quite.  In all other ways, this was a very handy rifle to shoot.  I am actually thinking of getting a couple more weights that I can stack on it (Sawtooth weights are stackable), so that I can shoot some future local matches with it.  It shoots Hornady's Black 105gr ammo very well (it also shoots 108gr ELD-M and 103gr ELD-X well, but I had a larger supply of Hornady Black ammo on hand).

It chrono'ed pretty consistently for factory ammo.  Here are the measurements for a 20 shot group.

If I were to take out the fastest shot, SD drops down to 8fps.  

In terms of wind performance, it is a 5mph rifle, so slightly better than the 308 ammo I was going to use originally, but not as good as the 6.5CM that was my intended match rifle for this year (we make plans, but then life happens).

I do have to admit that I really enjoyed shooting the match with the MiniFix.  So much so, that I am seriously thinking of building another one for myself, since this rifle is technically my daughter's.

The closest shot we had was a bit over a couple of hundred yards.  The furthest was around 1150.  That was a bit challenging for the 16" barreled 6ARC, especially since the terrain there is tricky and wind is doing strange things.  Morning was relatively quiet wind-wise, but then the wind becamse gusty with changing directions.

It was a one day match with about 30 shooters (six squads) and ten stages.  The 17 year old kid who won the match was in my squad with his dad.  Apparently he is on the US team, so it should not be surrpising that he won.  He was very good.

Overall level of the shooters in the match was quite good.  I really was not sure what to expect.  Somewhat paradoxically, the only matches that I have shot in so far are the much larger two day NRL Hunter matches.  In those, I am just out of the bottom third in terms of skill level.  In this match, it was pretty much in the same spot, I think.  

The terrain was a little bit like Cameo, I think (I have been there, but not shot there), with some angle changes and sufficient vegetation to make getting on target occasionally troublesome. 

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