Rifle Scopes Last day of the SWFA sale - talk me out of that new ultralight

[stilesg57]

$300 for a 9.5oz 2.5-10x variable. For a lightweight mountain gun in 6.5 Creed. Would put the rifle at 6.5 lbs scoped, which sounds wonderful to scramble up hills with. Talk me out of it.

One note: I don't have any particular SWFA love -- they screwed me out of $20 on a Burris RT-6 they knew was defective, sent to me anyway, then charged me to mail back -- but there's no denying my 10x SS has been a GREAT scope especially for the money. Any thoughts on how this new ultralight is likely to shape up?

EDIT: here's the link btw: https://swfa.com/swfa-ss-2-5-10x32-ultralight-rifle-scope.html

 

[dhbwa]

Look at the eye relief.....

 

[stilesg57]

Yeah it looks pretty tight (and the eyebox on my 10x42 is my biggest complaint on that scope relative to comps like VX-2 Leupolds), but even in a featherweight rifle the Creed doesn't kick THAT much...

The 2-10 Weaver V series I was looking at for this rifle only has 3.6". It's 1.8oz heavier but does has 38mms of objective. LOW-made, and a little cheaper than this new SWFA. Hmmm.

I'll probably decide at like 11pm tonight, ha.

 

[koshkin]

It is a pretty nice little scope.
http://opticsthoughts.com/?p=2258

While the Weaver V-series is a respectable design that has been around forever and a day, I think the new SWFA Ultralight is a bit better optically. Durability is difficult to determine, it being a new scope.

ILya

 

[TexasTightwad]

What makes you think SWFA knew the Burris was defective? I live very close to them. I've stopped in a couple of times, but have not bought anything (pretty small retail store that is 1/10th of the building). The retail guys seem friendly and knowledgable though.

 

[stilesg57]

It is a pretty nice little scope.
http://opticsthoughts.com/?p=2258

While the Weaver V-series is a respectable design that has been around forever and a day, I think the new SWFA Ultralight is a bit better optically. Durability is difficult to determine, it being a new scope.

ILya

ILya you’re the best — I’ve loved your blog for awhile now and should’ve guessed you’d already had a go at this little guy. Just what I was looking for, thanks!

What makes you think SWFA knew the Burris was defective? I live very close to them. I've stopped in a couple of times, but have not bought anything (pretty small retail store that is 1/10th of the building). The retail guys seem friendly and knowledgable though.

It was clearly already returned and haphazardly repackaged in a banged-up original box. Not NIB from the factory for sure; missing the factory seal. There were obvious flaws (multiple large blacks specks in the glass) and it was the only one in stock, so pretty clear it was a return they were trying to flip again.

I’m sure they’re nice people, retail is a brutal business and a 99% success rate still means someone out of every hundred loses out, it’s just pretty clear they tried to pull a fast one at my expense. If you know it’s broken please don’t send it my way and lock me in for the return shipping

I’ve decided not to order the ultralight tonight. I’m still upset enough over the wasted $20 to not also be a guinea pig for a new product that I don’t need right away, ha. Thanks for the thoughts and input all, this is why the Hide rocks!

 

[Tiger_Shilone]

Non-adjustable parallax set at 100 yards, no go item for me. IF it had AO I'd have ordered 2.

 

[ddavis]

A low power variable with fixed parallax, a simple duplex reticle, capped turrets. Wow, really groundbreaking stuff here. I'm pretty sure every scope mfg has been making this scope since the dawn of time. I know people don't like Leupold because their higher end scopes don't live up to the price point, but I'm pretty sure they've dominated the 3-9, 4-12 lightweight market for quite a few decades now.

 

[patriot07]

A low power variable with fixed parallax, a simple duplex reticle, capped turrets. Wow, really groundbreaking stuff here. I'm pretty sure every scope mfg has been making this scope since the dawn of time. I know people don't like Leupold because their higher end scopes don't live up to the price point, but I'm pretty sure they've dominated the 3-9, 4-12 lightweight market for quite a few decades now.

Honest question because I’m not at all familiar with this market segment: what other options are there for a Japanese-made, sub-10 ounce scope with good glass under $300?

I do wish they had put a mil quad reticle in it.

 

[TexasTightwad]

It was clearly already returned and haphazardly repackaged in a banged-up original box. Not NIB from the factory for sure; missing the factory seal. There were obvious flaws (multiple large blacks specks in the glass) and it was the only one in stock, so pretty clear it was a return they were trying to flip again.

That stinks. I can undertand your hesitancy to deal with them again. It is odd that they charged return shipping on a defective item.

 

[steve123]

$300 for a 9.5oz 2.5-10x variable. For a lightweight mountain gun in 6.5 Creed. Would put the rifle at 6.5 lbs scoped, which sounds wonderful to scramble up hills with. Talk me out of it.

One note: I don't have any particular SWFA love -- they screwed me out of $20 on a Burris RT-6 they knew was defective, sent to me anyway, then charged me to mail back -- but there's no denying my 10x SS has been a GREAT scope especially for the money. Any thoughts on how this new ultralight is likely to shape up?

EDIT: here's the link btw: https://swfa.com/swfa-ss-2-5-10x32-ultralight-rifle-scope.html

I don't do business with them anymore because of a similar experience, except worse, and I lost more $ than that, and that doesn't take into consideration the first bad experience with the return on a defective scope.

 

[patriot07]

These bad experiences with SWFA are nearly unbelievable. I have had to deal with them a couple times on warranty stuff and they’ve bent over backwards to help. I know others who have had similar experiences.

 

[steve123]

A friends parallax knob fell off on his SWFA 3-15FFP. He sent it back for repair and they replaced the scope.

It's the other brands I had problems with, a Falcon 10-50 with wobbly knobs and a Sightron 10-50. I won't go into the rest, long stories which I prefer not to rehash.

If I say there is something wrong with a scope, there is, I'm the one that paid the money for it, I'm not going to fight about it over the phone to get my money back and I don't want to be forced into store credit BS, and there is much more to the story.

There are plenty of other venders to buy from.

 

[Bakwa]

Resurrecting cause I'm curious. Any updates on these scopes? Any more hands on experience?

 

[Gtscotty]

I'm also kind of curious what the draw is to the SWFA Ultralight? If it was FFP and had a good reticle it would be pretty exciting, but....

 

[koshkin]

I'm also kind of curious what the draw is to the SWFA Ultralight? If it was FFP and had a good reticle it would be pretty exciting, but....

The draw is that it is a sub-10 ounce variable scope with reasonable FOV. It is a niche product, but for light varminters, hunting AR-15s, larger rimfires, light intermediate cartridge botlguns (CZ527 and the likes) it is a very interesting option.

There is really not all that much out there in the 10 ounce range that is fairly decent and gives you 10x of magnification in a pinch.

ILya

 

[stilesg57]

Ilya nailed it. There’s nothing else in this weight and mag class that’s very nice (heck, in almost any mag class at this weight). The weight is great because on my lightweight mountain rifle (oz are lbs in the Rockies) this would shave 6oz off my current Lupey while losing just 2x on the top. It’s a micro Howa lightweight in 6.5 Grendel so its losing horsepower and dropping fast after 350yds anyway; 10x is great for hunting at that range. FFP just isn’t needed or worth its typical weight gain when you aren’t shooting longer ranges and changing mag a lot.

If they release that reticle with a BDC that they sent Ilya a prototype of a couple months ago I’ll buy it immediately.

 

[koshkin]

With ultra light hunting scopes it mostly comes down to the SS, Swaro Z3 3-9x36 (a couple of ounces heavier and double the price) and Leupold 2.5-8x36 (2.6-7.7x actual and a couple of others heavier).

All three have their place and their strengths and weaknesses.

ILya

 

[Gtscotty]

The 3.5-10x40 VX-3i was kind of what I had in mind when I asked the question. I guess it's ~3 oz heavier, but offers a holdover reticle, larger objective, more eye relief and is pretty well established for hunting purposes.

I run a 2.5-8x36 VX-3i on my Kimber Montana and hunt the front range on foot, so I understand the drive for lightweight, I just didn't think there would be a terribly large market given some downsides and only 3 oz worth of weight savings (in the last place folks are typically looking to save weight). I've been wrong (many times) before though, so I asked the question.

The upcoming holdover reticle does admittedly make things more interesting. How is the glass quality, compared to say, the VX-3i?

 

[koshkin]

Optically, it seems broadly comparable to the VX-3i. Maybe a touch better.

The advantage of the SS is the lightest weight of the three and the broadest magnification range, but at the expense of objective diameter and eye relief.

It also has a really tiny eyepiece, so it works really well for rifles with bolt clearance issues, like CZ bolt guns.

As I said, it is clearly a niche product, but I find that niche compelling.

We live in a world where scope marketplace is incredibly saturated with broadly similar products too many of which trying to be a little bit of everything, so I am always interested in something that is more focused although on a narrower market segment. The SS ultralight is one of those.

ILya

 

[joshobean]

Old thread, but want to say I've hunted this deer season with the BDC version of this optic, and really liked it. Glass and FOV is excellent on 2.5 power. It definitely gets a little more cloudy though at MAX power, and you want to be looking at something 150+ yards out as that's the fixed parallax setting. I have it mounted on an SBR Grendel build with a 12" barrel. Its a great woods gun with that scope.

Took a nice buck opening day this year at last light. The little 32mm tube let in plenty of light for me at a short range shot. My only complaint is the max magnification pickiness. On the plus side the reticle is great, love the center floating dot, and its so light it will make you smile. I carried it all over Land Between the Lakes over Kentucky hills without a sling and didn't find it tiresome at all.