Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Some SWFA Testing....

We sent one of each to Frank Galli of SnipersHide to put them through the paces down at Rifles Only. Here is some of his initial feedback.


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Super Snipers arrived and as luck would have it, we have an 8 day Precision rifle class with a group of Rangers. As always happens, a Leupold on the Mk11 Mod0 broke so I have the 3-9 mounted on that rifle. The Ranger is going to use this scope all week. His quote zeroing it just now, "way too easy".



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Scope has been awesome so far, the shooter is really enjoying it, class is still going on and the Super Sniper continues to march while others have not been so lucky.

Tonight we did a short night fire and the SS through a PVS 26 is outstanding, really beats the system's supplied scope by a wide margin, hands down heads and tails above what they are using.

Went to 1,000 yards with it this morning and on the flat base of the Mk11 Mod 0 the scope had all the elevation necessary, about 11.2 mils, the scope topped at 11.8 if I recall correctly.

But its been trouble free and operating flawlessly for the class, 8 days of torture and nary a complaint



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They give them, Leupold 3.5-10X FFP M3 stuff, which the guys liked the SS better, I had them check it out and give their opinion, the SS clearly won the night. (and the lower rings of the SS offset it really bad compared to the others, and still it was a better picture.




So far about 3 down this week, one hard core, two with annoying issues but enough to be dangerous operationally... bad enough when they get back they will have to be replaced, as they aren't holding zero, one even bouncing roughly 4 MOA every single day, at first he needs to add the 4 MOA & then if not that day, the next he has to remove it. Those with stripped screws don't do anyone any favors either.

The SS is smoking them easily if you ask me or them.



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I spent the day shooting the 10X HD and like it alot, the 3-9X worked out perfect for the soldier, it was tits on and worked out great for him.

You guys scored with the design and the fact that both are under $1000, well under I might add, make them not only a great buy, but a best buy if you ask me.

I played with the tracking all day and it couldn't have gotten any more accurate, first rate. I even took the caps off to look inside, burly, really nice big brass wings, not like the cheesy plastic junk in the IORs.



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The soldier who shot the 3-9X42 shot it out to 1,000 and I shot it out to 800 and both of us commented on how there was no issue with the parallax, in fact he was quite surprised by the fact, and checked it over and over to be sure he was seeing it right.

Its very good for a fixed system.



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Summary,

These scopes are dead nutz on target, they are the right size, have the right features and address the "Under $1,000. decision" in an outstanding way.

You see it in the reticle and dial it, the round hits exactly where you want it too.

The clarity is excellent, as the scope has been moved to a new company for SWFA and they are producing a well made product at a reasonable price. Edge to edge clarity is first rate, there no issue with eye relief as it's quite forgiving.

The size is perfect for an SPR type rifle or even a hunting rifle and will work on your tactical rig for an entry level scope. I have the 10X HD on a light tactical bolt action and really like the way it looks on the rig. The parallax for the 10X is where the power ring is for the 3-9X so you have a similar set up.



I just shot the rifle out to 800 and it's flawless, dial on my dope, hold for the wind and it hits in the middle. No trying to figure out why my dope isn't right.

The 3-9X on the Mk11 worked great. The training continued, the soldier had confidence in the optic so everything worked out perfect from the use and abuse standpoint. In fact the soldier was part of a 3 way tie for top gun --- no issues.



Frank Galli
http://www.snipershide.com

Great bunch of comments.

Frank and Stick are the same height, I wonder if......

Don't recall having less than 20 MILS of remaining erector on a Fixed Phuqqer and a flat base,after zero.

42+ is my record...................(grin)

So your tester put a new scope through it's paces for a few days. But all he really tested were the adjustments.
And "as always happens, a Leupold on the MkII Mod0 broke..."
Gee, sounds like Leupods are very unreliable. Must be the most unreliable scopes made, etc.
Funny the services use alot of them. The US Army has used them since the mid 80's after getting Leupold to build a scope with the specs they wanted and worked as it should. In fact, the Army just did that again with the new 1.1-8X, Mk.8. Nobody else could make one that worked as it should. So how is that possible ?
The above comments don't say which Leupold. It also doesn't say how old it was or what it's history was.
Nice try RD. Too bad some of us know what real level playing field testing looks like. E

I know these real life tests are terribly upsetting to you so perhaps you should ignore them. Granted Form and his ilk subject scopes to demands far greater then you would in 10 lifetimes, however the SWFA SS scopes are being tested against scopes intended for the same use and abuse. Actually, they seem to fail miserably.

Most people don't like to shoot, and most people that shoot generally aren't twisting knobs. When you start spinning knobs up and down and working over the springs in a scope, that weeds out the junk. I thinking plunking holes in a paper target at 100yds is boring. Therefore I shoot distance and "use" the scope. Most scopes just don't last in that application. Comforting to hear SWFA do, especially considering their cost!

E. the scope that does come with M110 is (IMO) a POS. We had to have guys tape the battery compartment so it wouldn't vibrate loose, screws for the W/E would back out or strip, wouldn't hold zero, wouldn't track correctly and a bunch of other problems. Honestly about the only thing I liked about it was the TMR reticle. When given the option everyone in my detachment replaced them with a Nightforce.

That 6x milquad does a lot of things well.

Damn E, you really hate results don't you???

There are many here that know what a level paying field is but, you aren't one of them!!! You use the word "us" pretty loosely!!

What would you know about "leveling the playing field" when your "testing" consists of 4 Leuolds scopes. Your "tests" consist of flipping though the pages of the latest Cabelas catalog.

I have shot a leupold vari x 2 on my 243 for about 11 years. it has the target knobs, and I am hunting coyotes with it year around. Longest shots have been 600yds, with a lot of shots between 300, and 500 yds. I have never had a problem with the quality of glass, but have found that over time the erector springs begin to fail. I also had a 3 inch POI change occur this spring between 6x and 18x. It took sending it back twice to get it fixed. I bought a SWFA 3X15 this spring and have been running it through the gauntlet, to see if it would hold up. After the initial sight in, I twisted the knobs along ways in every direction, and have done so several time since, often practicing out past 600yds. Usually about 5 to 5.5 mils. The short of it is,that after nearly 4 months, I have yet to resight the gun. That was never the case with my leupold. It was often off just a little bit, but that little bit on a coyote at 500 yds is generally all it takes to miss. The quality of the glass has been exceptional, and I like the metal internal parts, as opposed to plastic, or nylon, no question. A stouter more reliable scope. If anything changes, I will be the first to post it.

I think I only 15 of them,though more are en route.

Pard had the shot of the day today,hitting a sub basketball sized rock his 2nd attempt,in swirling winds with his Montucky 223AI(OEM spout punched),75 Hornie HPBT and 6x MilQuad...at the 1425yd line.

Their erectors track like they have eyes and I flog on them daily.

Getting ready to load 90gr Skinners for a pard's Montucky 243Win,wearing a 6x MQ and will have it out past 1K,here directly...................

wow that is some shooting

RD,
Thanks for posting.
One of my favs.
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/7854362/1

dave

Is that a 3x9 in the picture?

If talking about Tanner's pic, it is a 3-9.

Hip shot a 90gr Skinner out the Montucky 243,then bumped the charge 1gr,shut it down and loaded 50 Virgin Lapooey 308's wearing false shoulders. A square kiss is at 2.790" COAL,which couldn't be better news and they tripped the chronograph at exactly 3300fps.

Gunned a hasty 250yd zero,slapped around some 400yd paper and took it long. I was thinking it was a 6x MQ,but it's a 6X MD and has 62.5 MOA remaining on the erector from zero ala LW's. That's 1575yds on the erector and it'll reach right at a mile with the windshield added. 5 Mils of full value wind happens at the 1675yd line.

That bullet is far and away the best 10" pitch and yet another Sleeper is capably arranged. There were 500 of 'em in tumbler,getting their pretty coats on.




Hint................

Damn, that's impressive