Rifle Scopes Questions about current gen Kahles...

[Jimmy D in AK]

Hey fellas,

I’m thinking of picking up a K525i or a 318i... I know they upgraded the glass from the 624i (I own two of those) but is the 318 the same glass as 525?

Also

Has the CA issue been fixed with the new glass?

Thx

 

[5RWill]

Hey fellas,

I’m thinking of picking up a K525i or a 318i... I know they upgraded the glass from the 624i (I own two of those) but is the 318 the same glass as 525?

Also

Has the CA issue been fixed with the new glass?

Thx

I have both the K318i and K525i yes they're the same lens/coating/erector system. CA issue has been fixed there is still a minute bit but it's very unnoticeable and usually only when moving off axis from behind the optic. Centered behind the optic it's wonderful. There are some drawbacks to the K525i though. Most notably is the FOV, there is no way to get around it it's small and leaves you wanting. It's a step backwards from the K624i in that regard. DOF is shallow and it's pretty parallax sensitive as well but i didn't find that uncommon of the k624i i owned either. It's not one of those that i would transition from a 200yd ground hog during a match to a 660yd coyote and not touch my parallax. DOF in the entire khales lineup is a shallow IMHO. Also it loses some resolution past 20x closer to the top end like 23-25x. Nothing overly substantial but put it next to a ZP5 with both at max mag and it's noticeable. Other than those drawbacks it's a great optic just a shame that they couldn't carry over the features that made the k624i so outstanding whilst improving upon it. I guess something they tried to address is the size. In that regard they achieved their goal but obviously not without compromises. The K525i is one of the shorter 5-25 designs on the market and i do love the look without the sunshade. Ultimately though between the two the k318i is the more impressive optic IMHO but they're nearly the same price, weight, and if you have no need for ultra-short i'd stick with the k525i.

I've given thought to getting rid of my K525i for a ZP5 if i could flip it but idk i shot on 12x-16x-18x most of the time this weekend and in the intermittent mag range where almost everyone lives in competition the glass is phenomenal. I also just really don't want to move away from the Kahles turret design. I love their elevation turrets. ZP5 turrets i handled were very meh comparatively speaking but they've since been working on them from what i understand.

I know a couple of K&M shooters have stuck with the k624i due to the drawbacks of the k525i. I looked through a k624i this weekend also and oddly enough didn't notice much CA but wasn't behind it long and it was overcast.

 

[Jimmy D in AK]

Hey thanks, I truly appreciate the lengthy explaination. I bought the 318i in MSR for a hunting rifle that’ll I’ll transition to my comp rig in the off-season. Even @1K I never go above x16. I’ll be shooting the Nightforce ELR Steel Challenge in June and MIGHT look at a Kahles Competition line for that as well.

Take care

James