Recent content by calz

That is awesome ... I love it! Did you weld a picatinny rail onto that I-beam? How heavy is that thing?

A surveyor's chain is a great option. The laser distance meter I used was WAAAAYYYY overkill, and I really just used it to ensure people didn't raise objections to that part of the test ... but it isn't even close to necessary. As long as you ensure there aren't major deflections in the chain...

I just published the final post in this series, which has all of the overall scores and is an executive summary of the whole project. Tactical Scopes: Field Test Results Summary & Overall Scores | PrecisionRifleBlog.com Thanks to all the guys on the Hide that have helped me with this...

Well said. I personally will be more diligent about testing my scopes after this experience. And I think your right, the "measure of good scope or the accepted level from end user has just gone up one step."

I obviously fall in this camp too. I've written 15 posts on the gear the top precision rifle shooters are using (like this one: Best Rifle Scope ? What The Pros Use | PrecisionRifleBlog.com). Anytime you're making a major purchase, it's good to look at what experts in that field are using ...

I'm all about full disclosure, so I listed where each scope came from in the first post: Tactical Scopes: Field Test Overview & Rifle Scope Line-Up | PrecisionRifleBlog.com I totally get what you're saying, and honestly I REALLY wish I could have bought 5+ scopes from random retail shelves...

Great point. I couldn't agree more. The results I'm publishing are just one piece to the puzzle, and as I'm writing the summary of the entire test (which will likely be the one post most people read), I'm hoping to encourage this type of balanced approach. I'm definitely going to reiterate that...

The Hensoldt ZF 3.5-26×56, Kahles K 6-24×56, US Optics ER25 5-25×58, and Valdada IOR RECON Tactical 4-28×50 were all perfect at 5, 10, 15, and 20 mils on my click calibration test. The Hensoldt was the only one of those 4 that had any measurable amount of reticle cant, and it was only 0.5%...

Well, that is a good question. Here is an excerpt from Part 1 of the mechanical results: I have to say that I was impressed with the American Rifle Company (ARC) rings. I talked with Ted Karagias, president of ARC, at SHOT Show this year ... and he is one of the smartest guys I've ever met...

Yes. It fires projectiles and has significant recoil, so it will work. Yes, it might have been better to try it with a 338. One guy suggested I use a 50 cal. I'd be up for using either if someone will send me one and pay for the ammo! Remember, I'm just some guy doing this in my spare time, out...

I actually didn't adjust it, but I don't think it could have been set on the one I had. Bushnell advertises the adjustment on the XRS scope I tested to be 50" at 100 yards. I tested it to actually be 73" at 100 yards. It seems unlikely that it would be that if the zero stop was engaged, but I...

Well, I finally was able to publish more of the mechanical results. MAN, this is time consuming! This post might have taken longer to write and create all the diagrams than any other. Lots of technical stuff for sure. Hope you guys find it helpful. Tactical Scopes: Mechanical Performance Part 2...

Great question. The Horus CATS targets I used are configured in USMC mils. I'm not sure what the manufacturers configured each scope for. I've never heard of any high-end scopes configured for army mils, although cheaper manufacturers may do that. USMC mils seem more standard, and I think that's...

I just posted part 1 of the mechanical results. As far as I know, this is the first time any data like this has been published. I found it enlightening. Tactical Scopes: Mechanical Performance Part 1 | PrecisionRifleBlog.com

steve123 Couldn't agree more. If I had to pick just one turret for the best overall size and feel, it'd be the March. I did try the March 10 mil (as well as the MOA version), because I had some mechanical issues with the first scope they sent (MOA version), so I asked them to send another one...