• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Rifle Scopes Kahles K18i arriving finally

MSTN

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 31, 2010
1,222
2,301
MIDDLE OF ARIZONA
mstn.biz
Just got in my first Kahles K18i with 3-Gun reticle. Going to a 3-gun shooter in Florida. Really like the long power lever for rapid use. If it's too long for your tastes, a shorter one comes in the box with the scope, as well. Incredible glass, great reticle design, and Arizona daytime bright dot!!! More coming, too.



IMG_8621.jpeg
IMG_8624.jpg
IMG_8625.jpeg
IMG_8626.jpeg
IMG_8620.jpeg
 
Please review your findings on this scope after you have it a while I am interested.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tchitcherine
Thank you for sharing your input on the scope.
 
Great optic. The glass is quite good. Impressive FOV. Decent eye box at 8X. Simple but smart reticle.

I'm quite happy with it.
How would you rate it's 1x performance to a K16i?
 
Have you tested it out yet? I was thinking of getting one of these for my new lightweight hog gun
 
I'm liking it tremendously. Like every Kahles, the glass is extraordinary. It's the easiest LPVS to use at 1X I've tried. Getting to 8X with the new longer lever is effortless. Surprisingly, the longer lever hasn't gotten in the way like I was afraid it might.
 
Great optic. The glass is quite good. Impressive FOV. Decent eye box at 8X. Simple but smart reticle.

I'm quite happy with it.

many pain points, or things you dislike about the optic?
 
I've got an early K16i. also an excellent scope that I still use regularly. When I do a side by side comparison with the K18i at a given power, the newer K18i is brighter, sharper - just vivid. I imagine there have been some subtle engineering and materials advancements happening over the years.

This is not science - just a subjective POV of a really old guy who wears trifocals and does not even own a resolution chart - looking at two scopes.

A current K16i is likely just as good as the new K18i at the same power.
 
I wish they would have built this on a 34 mm tube and added tactical type turrets to compete with the Nightforce ATACR.

How do you think it compares to the ATACR or new Trijicon VCOG 1-8x? Frankly I am not that impressed by the ATACR on 1x. At 8x it shines but 1x is not great. The VCOG 1-8x has much better glass than the vcog 1-6x for sure

Oh and yes, my Kahles 1-6x beats them all in glass clarity and at 1x :)
 
None that I could tell. I still
need to buy one. I managed a little bit of trigger time with my friend’s and it was generally good through the full
mag range.

I really think Kahles could have knocked it out of the park with a 34 mm tube + their glass. I love my 1-6x. Combine their glass with a 34 mm tube and you would have a monster
 
still waiting for mine. Going to hang up the S&B short dot I have been using for +10 years.

does anyone know what size Tenebraex covers fit on this? the K18 isn't listed yet. not sure if they are the same as the K16...

thanks
 
I think it would weigh a good bit more with a 34mm tube. As is its only about 75g heavier than the 16. I’m definitely grabbing one of these soon.
 
Would love to see the S&B CC 1-8x, Vortex 1-10x, and Kahles 1-8x go head to head.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tna9001
I’ve been looking through both the K18i and the vortex Razor Gen III... and I can’t help but notice how dim in comparison the Kahles is.... I feel like I have to use the Kahles on level 9, or max brightness in sunny conditions... not sure if it’s just my scope that has this “issue”
 
I’ve been looking through both the K18i and the vortex Razor Gen III... and I can’t help but notice how dim in comparison the Kahles is.... I feel like I have to use the Kahles on level 9, or max brightness in sunny conditions... not sure if it’s just my scope that has this “issue”

you mean how dim the illumination is? or the image through the glass?
 
you mean how dim the illumination is? or the image through the glass?
I’m referring to how dim the illumination is, I almost can’t notice it’s on until 5 power on the Kahles... I don’t think that’s normal... because from what I was told the K18i is even brighter than the K16i
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mk32784
Thanks Escanor. I’ve been looking to compare these two.

They are both great scopes. Both serve different purposes with the Vortex being FFP and the Kahles SFP. Glass is better on the Kahles, but that’s nit picking... to me the glass on the Vortex is really good too. Chromatic aberration is less apparent on the Kahles, but I have to put more time behind the scope to say that definitely. The Kahles has and auto shut off feature after approx 2 hours after the brightness has been adjusted, so if that’s a feature you appreciate you can keep that in mind.

Personally I like the turrets on the Vortex Razor 1-10 better. They are more tactile, larger in diameter, and include numbers on some of the hash marks. You can tell the Vortex Razor 1-10’s goal is to be good at close range while having more capability and options at longer ranges. The Kahles in comparison excels better up close With its wider field of view, reticle design, SFP tech, and weight (though I can’t tell much difference between the two in weight when it comes to actual use). The reticle I have for the Vortex is the MRAD version... so with the more precision oriented turrets, combines with FFP tech, the extra 2 power (9 & 10), as well as the etched reticle with holdovers that include numbers... it’s easier to be more precise at range with the Vortex... though someone proficient with SFP scopes shouldn’t have an issue reaching out at range. The reticle I have in the K18i is the 3GR, and being SFP, the etched marks are only good at max magnification. Note that unlike the vortex, there are no numbers on the holdover marks on the Kahles.... but I would also note that the etched reticle on the Vortex are really only useable from 5 power and up (though it could be used at lower power with some squinting of the eyes).

I Kahles is longer than the vortex without included sunshade, but when you put the sunshade on the vortex it will become slightly longer than the Kahles. As mentioned before weight difference is almost negligible to me. And at standard prices in the United States without any deals you are looking at the Kahles to be $500-$700 dollars more expensive. While on the topic of price, the Kahles comes included with both a long and short throw lever, as well as a scope cover. The vortex comes included with a throw lever and optional sunshade.

To me the illumination is brighter on the Vortex by far. The Kahles Scope I own, when on the highest illumination before max brightness, is as bright as the Vortex on 4 - 6 illumination (the vortex goes up to 11). On the other side though, the Kahles illumination is crisper, with less blooming effects. It’s as if the dot just “glows” on the Kahles, where the Vortex dot “shines”.

with my unscientific testing... the eyebox and eye relief for both scopes on 1 power seems to better on the vortex, but as power increases the Kahles performs better than the Vortex. Now remember, this is my unscientific testing, so take that information however you want to. I’m sure others can chime in with their experience and testing. Also at 1x both scopes have similar warping towards the edge of the glass.

Hopefully this information helps, and just for clarity I’m not a professional scope tester... I’m a guy who likes quality optics and guns... your average joe.
 
I have not been behind a K18i but have used a K16i with 3GR reticle. I did not find the illumination particularly bright. Interesting because the Swaro Z6i which is essentially the same scope is much brighter.
 
There must be a lot of variation in reticle illumination out there. A lot of that is simply due to battery condition, in my limited experience. For example, my older Kahles K16i just got a new battery and is literally twice as bright now. But, there could be more to it than just batteries.

Recently, I had the chance to spend some time behind two brand new Nightforce scopes, an NX8 and an ATACR F1, both 1-8x24. I found the NX8 as bright on setting 6 (out of 10 total) as the NF ATACR F1 1-8x24 is on its brightest setting. Go figure....

In retrospect, I should have swapped the batteries in these two to see if it made a difference.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lash
There must be a lot of variation in reticle illumination out there. A lot of that is simply due to battery condition, in my limited experience. For example, my older Kahles K16i just got a new battery and is literally twice as bright now. But, there could be more to it than just batteries.

Recently, I had the chance to spend some time behind two brand new Nightforce scopes, an NX8 and an ATACR F1, both 1-8x24. I found the NX8 as bright on setting 6 (out of 10 total) as the NF ATACR F1 1-8x24 is on its brightest setting. Go figure....

In retrospect, I should have swapped the batteries in these two to see if it made a difference.
I think the difference you’re seeing between NX8 and ATACR is normal. Multiple other posts have reported the same.

I was told by the owner of the Kahles that the 3GR reticle is not as bright as the SM1 but I haven’t been behind both to verify.
 
I will say this - the red dot illumination on my old SB PM II is way brighter... it is the brightest on any scope of this type I have direct experience... too bright for me at the highest settings. The Kahles is perfectly for use me/my eyesight...
 
The s&b shortdot is the og of LPVs getting it right 20 years ago with FFP and daylight bright.
Why it has taken everyone else so long to figure out this basic formula is beyond maddening. Have owned about 15 lpvs over the years trying to find the right one and finally vortex gets it right with the razor 3. There are some issues to nitpick but considering its features, price and warranty support there is nothing else that comes close. Almost feel bad for NF, they snatched the crown from the ATACR8.
 
well I have finally enough time to make a more grounded assessment... The scope really works for me, particularly effective for both centerfire and .22 rf applications. Field view, clarity and reticle all work well together.I like it so much I bought one for my trainer and match gun... oh yeah - got the Tennebraex covers!

mtLt3fI.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: lash and MSTN
well I have finally enough time to make a more grounded assessment... The scope really works for me, particularly effective for both centerfire and .22 rf applications. Field view, clarity and reticle all work well together.I like it so much I bought one for my trainer and match gun... oh yeah - got the Tennebraex covers!

AAdland K16i covers fit the K18i as well.
 
finally in a position to give my feedback on the Kahles K18 vs the C1-8 short dot cc...

I bought the short dot after the Kahles and man, I wish I looked first. I was comparing the Kahles to my old 1 - 4X PM II...

the short dot absolutely, unequivocally crushes the Kahles... not even close for me. I thought the Kahles was tops and I do like the reticle but side by side at every power range the PMII pulls away. clarity and sharpness are astounding... I switched between rifles and I found the PMII to be quicker. At 1X it seems perfect for me; no noticeable distortion. tomorrow I will be shooting with a guy on a NF ATACR... it will be interesting!

eZ9lj44.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sabre672
finally in a position to give my feedback on the Kahles K18 vs the C1-8 short dot cc...

I bought the short dot after the Kahles and man, I wish I looked first. I was comparing the Kahles to my old 1 - 4X PM II...

the short dot absolutely, unequivocally crushes the Kahles... not even close for me. I thought the Kahles was tops and I do like the reticle but side by side at every power range the PMII pulls away. clarity and sharpness are astounding... I switched between rifles and I found the PMII to be quicker. At 1X it seems perfect for me; no noticeable distortion. tomorrow I will be shooting with a guy on a NF ATACR... it will be interesting!

eZ9lj44.jpg

Thanks for the update. How does the Short Dot compare to the 34 mm tube ATACR or Trijicon 1-8x?

When I looked through it in 2019, I was not impressed and thought it needed a 34 mm tube like it’s 1.5-8x26 cousin.
 
finally in a position to give my feedback on the Kahles K18 vs the C1-8 short dot cc...

I bought the short dot after the Kahles and man, I wish I looked first. I was comparing the Kahles to my old 1 - 4X PM II...

the short dot absolutely, unequivocally crushes the Kahles... not even close for me. I thought the Kahles was tops and I do like the reticle but side by side at every power range the PMII pulls away. clarity and sharpness are astounding... I switched between rifles and I found the PMII to be quicker. At 1X it seems perfect for me; no noticeable distortion. tomorrow I will be shooting with a guy on a NF ATACR... it will be interesting!

My experience is different. I bought the K18i first, then the S&B Short Dot Dual CC. The K18i is incredible, even better than the K16i, which I owned for several years. It is lighter than the SD Dual, far superior in FOV, easier to get behind at 1x (SD Dual has a noticeably thicker black ring at 1x), has a smoother mag ring and very nice included throw lever (for the price, S&B should have included one with the SD Dual), and I liked the two dots on the 3GR reticle (some might not). Both have super bright red dots at 1x (the K18i has a MAX LIGHT setting). The SD Dual's red dot has a slightly annoying loss of brightness when you're not exactly directly behind the scope. The glass quality is slightly better on the SD Dual, but you really can tell only at 8x .

It was very difficult to decide between the two. If I hadn't found a super deal on the Short Dot Dual that reduced the price difference to only about $1K, I probably would have gone with the Kahles 18i. I just could not justify paying almost $2K more, given the differences between the scopes, In the end, I chose the SD Dual because of its FFP (for all the usual reasons), much better reticle at higher mag, and better turrets, along with S&B's reputation for durability. And, hey, I now own a Schmidt & Bender :cool:

But for me, the SD Dual did not unequivocally crush the K18i. (BTW, my K18i is for sale on the Optics forum now).

YMMV.
 
  • Like
Reactions: heron163
Eurooptic had a special on the short dot which made the delta between the two ~ 1K but I would have bought it anyway after comparing them side x side... curious as to what scope you are going with if you are selling your Kahles...

oops - saw you got the short dot!


I will find out how it compares to the NF this weekend...
 
Last edited:
Eurooptic had a special on the short dot which made the delta between the two ~ 1K but I would have bought it anyway after comparing them side x side... curious as to what scope you are going with if you are selling your Kahles...

oops - saw you got the short dot!


I will find out how it compares to the NF this weekend...

I'd like to hear how you think the ATACR 1-8 measures up agains the 18i and Short Dot Dual.
 
This weekend, I did the NF and the short dot... I picked up the rifle and shot out to 200 and was dead nuts so it was a pleasant experience. Set up for the NF was a knights SR-15 w/ 16 barrel so it was an easy rifle to shoot anyway...

I really like the short dot at 1 X with the single dot, At 1X in the NF, the reticle is effectively like a single dot so it is close... I couldn't really tell if the larger tube on the NF made any difference... maybe because I now have a bit more time on the short dot and have really got the focus handling set up it seems more natural to me but the NF is close... I have to say better than the Kahles... the double dot on the Kahles hasn't really made much of a difference yet at match time as the farthest I am shooting is 300... my impressions - your may vary but I don't think you would be disappointed with the NF... the guy tried mine out and said if the price were the same he would have gone with the short dot FWIW... practice time/ familiarity with the set up have a bit to do with your preferences as well/
 
  • Like
Reactions: lash
... the double dot on the Kahles hasn't really made much of a difference yet at match time as the farthest I am shooting is 300...
??
The second illuminated dot on the Kahles is for CQB.
 
  • Like
Reactions: freedom71