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Rifle Scopes Kahles K16i 1-6x24 30mm

sawman556

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Minuteman
Mar 16, 2012
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Bucks County, PA USA
Can anyone give me their thoughts on this scope? I don't understand the reticle and turrets, is this MOA or mrad? .15???

Is this a good company that stands behind their products?

Do they take a beating?

Anything you could add would be appreciated.
 
Hello,

Here is some additional info on this scope.

The click value is .15 Mil, or roughly .5". It is a MIL based click adjustment. Regarding the reticles, we offer two MIL based reticles as well as a MOA based reticle and the G4b which is the most popular among our 3-Gun competitors. Durable, the scope is very durable and not 1 scope in 3 years of use in the US has been returned for a failure.

If in the event you were to have a problem, we are standing by to assist you with the repair or service needed. Call us anytime!

Please let me know if you have any additional questions, if you would like, I can also get you in contact with one of our competitors who can attest to the performance and durability of this optic.

Regards,
Ken
 
Thanks for the response. I was actually looking at Kahles K15i. Kinda want to see one first hand but that isn't going to happen. I'm stuck with the mind-numbing experience of shipping optics back and forth with a vendor.

My biggest concern is what the turrets feel like and the reticle.

I'm not a 3-gunner if that matters.
 
Our customers have been very happy with the K16i. Didn't have a single return last year. If a guy was calling back it was to order another one. With the price decrease this year, it makes a great product even better. The K15i is going to be an awesome deal and we can't wait to get some.

Ken and Jeff are some of the best in the industry in terms of customer support.
 
The 1-5 are coming very soon but still not yet available in the US. Should have them very soon though. Having the opportunity to look through one really is a must. Incredible field of view and the brightest illumination available in a 1-6. The turrets are very user friendly, and easy to adjust with positive clicks, that feel very tight and positive. Regarding reticles, we have the general use Si1 in MOA or the SM1 in MILS. both are great reticles, not to busy and enough holds to take a 556 well beyond 300M.

Regards, and let me know if you have any additional questions,
Ken
 
Very very soon they will arrive and with the demand we have seen on the 1-5 so far, you might consider asking if they can put your name on the first to get one. From what I have seen and heard, I think they will sale very quickly especially with the price of just 1990 retail. Largest FOV in a 1-5 and the brightest illumination available.
 
Sawman,

I have been fortunate enough to have been given the 1-6x24 to T&E for the last year and I am very impressed with the optic. Lens quality and clarity are superb and crisp. Looking through this optic for a long period of time offer little to no fatigue to the shooter. The adjustments being .15 was a first for me and it wasn't bad to work with. One of the suggestions I made during a meeting at SHOT was for this to be changed to a .1 for the US market, which I believe will happen. I have beat this optic up, as few weapons of mine see little use and this has been spot on from day one. The adjustment from 1 to 6, or anywhere in between is simple and the movement is pure.

Definitely a keeper and I have enjoyed time on this optic.

Be safe,
FourNineThree
 
The k16i is the best low power variable on the market IMHO. The reticles are fantastic, glass is crystal clear and the illumination control (bright, daylight visible) is very well designed.

Even if you're not a 3-gunner, this is a tremendous scope for an AR-15 or AR-10.
 
How can Mike have them in stock but they're not yet available in the US??? Was there a earthquake or somethin' I napped through???
 
Sawman,

I have been fortunate enough to have been given the 1-6x24 to T&E for the last year and I am very impressed with the optic. Lens quality and clarity are superb and crisp. Looking through this optic for a long period of time offer little to no fatigue to the shooter. The adjustments being .15 was a first for me and it wasn't bad to work with. One of the suggestions I made during a meeting at SHOT was for this to be changed to a .1 for the US market, which I believe will happen. I have beat this optic up, as few weapons of mine see little use and this has been spot on from day one. The adjustment from 1 to 6, or anywhere in between is simple and the movement is pure.

Definitely a keeper and I have enjoyed time on this optic.

Be safe,
FourNineThree

Thanks for chiming in 493! I don't get the .15 thing but at least it's in mils. .54" clicks???
 
Would the K16i with the G4b reticle work okay (have enough holds) out to 500 yds using 77gr ammo out of a 16" barrel. What would be your approx zero ? Are there any new reticles planned for this scope in the future ? I wish they would offer a BRT-I reticle like in the Swarovski Z6I 1-6x24 . A legitimate question, why would someone choose the 1-5x over the 1-6x ?
 
Would the K16i with the G4b reticle work okay (have enough holds) out to 500 yds using 77gr ammo out of a 16" barrel. What would be your approx zero ? Are there any new reticles planned for this scope in the future ? I wish they would offer a BRT-I reticle like in the Swarovski Z6I 1-6x24 . A legitimate question, why would someone choose the 1-5x over the 1-6x ?

Yes, my buddy has been running a k16i with GB4 on his AR-15 for over a year for over a year. The other day we were playing around on our range's long distance range and he was using the reticle to consistently hit 1.5-2moa targets out to 725yds. I think he uses a 200yd zero.
 
Would the K16i with the G4b reticle work okay (have enough holds) out to 500 yds using 77gr ammo out of a 16" barrel. What would be your approx zero ? Are there any new reticles planned for this scope in the future ? I wish they would offer a BRT-I reticle like in the Swarovski Z6I 1-6x24 . A legitimate question, why would someone choose the 1-5x over the 1-6x ?

I can check the ballistics on your load against he G4b reticle and see if it will take you out that far. If you would shoot me a pm with your, load velocity and I'll run the data. The 1-5 is a great optic and at the asking price of 1900, you get incredible performance just not the reticle selection in the 1-6.
 
FYI Euro Optic will have the K16i on display at their booth at the 2014 NRA convention/ exhibit next weekend in Indy.
 
Last edited:
Here are my experiences from the past year and 3-4K rounds:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST YEAR:

I saw the Kahles K16i 1-6x24 scope for the first time at the GPEC law enforcement expo in Leipzig last fall.

Handled it again at the SHOT Show and talked to the Kahles staff.

Through co-operation with the Finnish importer, I now have one in my hands.

Kahles_K16i.jpg


To give you a little bit of background where my comments are coming from, I have been on the Finnish Open class national Practical rifle team since 2009, alternate member for this season.

Have used various other small power variable scopes in my work also, as we manufacture sound suppressors I shoot quite few thousand rounds in testing every year.

This first range trip was just zeroing and just feeling out the scope on the range for the first time. Shooting drills and speed more oriented to my practise regimen will follow later this week.

This particular scope has the G4B reticle, which in my opinion is the best of the available options for Practical / 3-gun shooting

opplanet-kahles-g4b-reticle-general-usage.jpg



The reticle and the dot are in the second focal plane. The dot size is very small ( 2cm at 100 meters / 6x zoom )

Therefore the dot does not cover for example a 20 cm / 8 inch plate at 300 meters.

The optical quality, clarity and brightness are excellent, however I am no optician
icon_smile_wink.gif


The extension lever on the magnification is ok, but I might modify it to be longer.

The adjustments are 1/2 MOA at 100 meters and are under caps.

Kahles_K16i_s_d_t.jpg



As mentioned, I did not really focus on shooting speed this time, but this was produced at 100 meters ( prone / bipod ) by pulling the trigger as soon as the dot settled in from recoil:

Kahles_K16i_nopeaa_ammuntaa_100m.jpg


At 300 meters I was checking the dope as I had not shot this particular load at that distance, but this is what the first 5 shot group looked like:

Kahles_K16i_eka_300_m_kasa.jpg



Overall the scope left me with a really good first impression, the only thing I can quickly think is that I would like to see a locking BDC turret.

As I have been competing with a S&B Short Dot LE for the past few seasons, really easy to adjust the turret and to check the zero with one glance.

However this is a very small gripe for me.

I believe this scope will give the Z6i 1-6x a run for its money.


LATER USE 2013:

June 2013, just shot the Danish Open rifle match in Copenhagen, made a couple of mistakes and that cost me the medal this time and dropped to 5th.

The match overall had 13 stages from 5 meters out to 300 meters, with the 300 m stage having targets between those distances.

I did utilize the T1 on certain stages and shooting positions where the scope had to be on higher magnification to immediately engage further targets.

I am very confident in this scope overall.


LATER 2013, 2014:

More experiences with the scope, with an additional three Level II / III matches.

Was leading the Nordic Rifle Match last summer, up til the second to last staqe, where I unfortunately had a DQ.

The scope proved to be excellent overall in use over there again.

This season we have had two national level rifle matches here in Finland.

Placed 3rd in both matches.

In the previous match had a bad malfunction on a long stage, costing serious points + a couple of own brain farts.

So cost me the fight for 1st/2nd place.

On this Sunday in Helsinki, I shot a clean match with no penalties and the match had pretty much all the current top Finnish rifle shooters, apart from Raine Peltokoski.

Stages were primarly off hand to 20-50 meters and 150-300 meter stages, not that much up close and fast, as it was in the previous match.

Very tight match with the top 3 being with 8 match points / 1,5%

Still, no complaints about the scope, technical or otherwise.
 
Here are my experiences from the past year and 3-4K rounds:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST YEAR:

I saw the Kahles K16i 1-6x24 scope for the first time at the GPEC law enforcement expo in Leipzig last fall.

Handled it again at the SHOT Show and talked to the Kahles staff.

Through co-operation with the Finnish importer, I now have one in my hands.

Kahles_K16i.jpg


To give you a little bit of background where my comments are coming from, I have been on the Finnish Open class national Practical rifle team since 2009, alternate member for this season.

Have used various other small power variable scopes in my work also, as we manufacture sound suppressors I shoot quite few thousand rounds in testing every year.

This first range trip was just zeroing and just feeling out the scope on the range for the first time. Shooting drills and speed more oriented to my practise regimen will follow later this week.

This particular scope has the G4B reticle, which in my opinion is the best of the available options for Practical / 3-gun shooting

opplanet-kahles-g4b-reticle-general-usage.jpg



The reticle and the dot are in the second focal plane. The dot size is very small ( 2cm at 100 meters / 6x zoom )

Therefore the dot does not cover for example a 20 cm / 8 inch plate at 300 meters.

The optical quality, clarity and brightness are excellent, however I am no optician
icon_smile_wink.gif


The extension lever on the magnification is ok, but I might modify it to be longer.

The adjustments are 1/2 MOA at 100 meters and are under caps.

Kahles_K16i_s_d_t.jpg



As mentioned, I did not really focus on shooting speed this time, but this was produced at 100 meters ( prone / bipod ) by pulling the trigger as soon as the dot settled in from recoil:

Kahles_K16i_nopeaa_ammuntaa_100m.jpg


At 300 meters I was checking the dope as I had not shot this particular load at that distance, but this is what the first 5 shot group looked like:

Kahles_K16i_eka_300_m_kasa.jpg



Overall the scope left me with a really good first impression, the only thing I can quickly think is that I would like to see a locking BDC turret.

As I have been competing with a S&B Short Dot LE for the past few seasons, really easy to adjust the turret and to check the zero with one glance.

However this is a very small gripe for me.

I believe this scope will give the Z6i 1-6x a run for its money.


LATER USE 2013:

June 2013, just shot the Danish Open rifle match in Copenhagen, made a couple of mistakes and that cost me the medal this time and dropped to 5th.

The match overall had 13 stages from 5 meters out to 300 meters, with the 300 m stage having targets between those distances.

I did utilize the T1 on certain stages and shooting positions where the scope had to be on higher magnification to immediately engage further targets.

I am very confident in this scope overall.


LATER 2013, 2014:

More experiences with the scope, with an additional three Level II / III matches.

Was leading the Nordic Rifle Match last summer, up til the second to last staqe, where I unfortunately had a DQ.

The scope proved to be excellent overall in use over there again.

This season we have had two national level rifle matches here in Finland.

Placed 3rd in both matches.

In the previous match had a bad malfunction on a long stage, costing serious points + a couple of own brain farts.

So cost me the fight for 1st/2nd place.

On this Sunday in Helsinki, I shot a clean match with no penalties and the match had pretty much all the current top Finnish rifle shooters, apart from Raine Peltokoski.

Stages were primarly off hand to 20-50 meters and 150-300 meter stages, not that much up close and fast, as it was in the previous match.

Very tight match with the top 3 being with 8 match points / 1,5%

Still, no complaints about the scope, technical or otherwise.

Glad to hear that you are enjoying the Kahles. I agree with you (and so do our numbers) that the K16i is giving the Z6i a run for its money. They have put a great instrument together with a good selection of reticles.

We stock the gambit of of K16i as well as K15i Kahles rifle scopes. Give us a shout if you have any questions.

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