Education on Kahles 525i please

[Syncerus1]

Hello all. My buddy has a Kahles 525i on a GW Clymer 300 PRC. He received the package from GW. He has fired the rifle less than 8 times. I offered to help hum find and correct a problem. Now I'm at a loss on how to proceed other than to contact GW. The Kahles has many attributes, I can say I've never shot a bad one. This rifle combo was delivered "pre sighted" in. The problem is it wasn't/isn't. Yesterday got it dialed in and went to reset "Zero" to the 200 yard setting. loosened the 2 allen screws and reset the elevation easily. The turret is engraved with MOA and Yards. Now the 200 yard Zero is floating 6-7 clicks above the hard stop. Kahles proudly states the Zero setting floats 3-4 clicks above the hardstop to allow for closer shots or high temps. The problem in addition to the hardstop nonsense is the yardage does NOT represent the accurate MOA. The yardage @ 525 is 15+ yards higher when dialed to 525 than the accurate MOA which is a full 2-3 clicks lower. Ditto for 625 yards except here we are closer to 20 yards difference, same 2-3 clicks MOA. Help? I feel the turret was ballistically engraved wrong for the sent 215 gr. Berger Hybrids from the factory. The chrono shows the GW loaded 215 Bergers are a very uniform 7-9 fps less than the stated velocity. No big deal and a very good overall ES for factory ammo. So how do I get the Zero reset to adjust to the 3-4 clicks above the hardstop as represented in the Kahles Manual without losing the actual zero for 200 yards?? Thanks all! I hope that didn't confuse everyone...

 

[Theringworm]

What elevation and temp did your buddy have that turret engraved for? My guess is what it was engraved for does not match the location for where it’s being shot. 525 yds at 6,000ft and 50 degrees is not the same as 1,000 ft and 70 degrees or 10,000 ft and 20 degrees. Unless shooting at that engraved elevation at temp, the turret is worthless.

Use a ballistic calculator app, a kestrel or a ballistic rangefinder and make a dope card and true it. Then throw the engraved cap away and just use the ballistic rangefinder to get dope at various ranges and conditions. Then go shooting That’s the better way IMO.

 

[SloppyJ]

Id almost promise you the reason listed above by @Theringworm is exactly the problem. Density altitude is off from what it was setup for. This is a prime example of why custom turrets are a bad idea in my opinion.

 

[Syncerus1]

It's a GunWerks package. I'm sure it was set to customers specs, but cannot verify. I too agree that the environmentals may be off, but in my BC app I cannot get the chart to match up at other than the load data/environmentals to match up in our area. The MOA's match very close, but the yardage does not. Remember the turret issue and the deastop being off 2-3 clicks, those 2-3 clicks would have everything match, I just don't know the Kahles well enough to make that happen. Go to deadstop you are 6-7 clicks low @ 200 yard from the perfect 200 yard zero. This has been driving me nuts! I guess Monday we will get our heads together and do a call with GW to get some answers. I know somebody knows how to fix this. As to Ringworm and Sloppy J you both are correct in your statement about trashing the yardage engraved turret. The problem is the MOA's and associated markings are infinitesimally small. You can barely read them in bright light, in a normal low light situation the hunter would be truly f^*ked... I live by MOA's or MILs on my optics... Keep the words of wisdom flowing guys!

 

[wytx]

Have ya called GW and asked about how they sighted it is for you?

 

[Syncerus1]

Yessir, my buddy did that first thing. Curiously GW stated 100 zero? 300 PRC? WTH?? Thqat's why he wqnted to change it to a more recognized 200 yard zero. Great gun. We zeroed @ 200 into a .55" group. Seriously except for one "flyer" they were all in one ragged hole! Flyer was just touching the group hole. If we could only solve the scope issue for zero/deadstop.

 

[turbobrick]

Yessir, my buddy did that first thing. Curiously GW stated 100 zero? 300 PRC? WTH?? Thqat's why he wqnted to change it to a more recognized 200 yard zero. Great gun. We zeroed @ 200 into a .55" group. Seriously except for one "flyer" they were all in one ragged hole! Flyer was just touching the group hole. If we could only solve the scope issue for zero/deadstop.

A 100 yard zero would be overwhelmingly the norm with a scope like that, regardless of cartridge. With that set up, your base is 100, and you'll dial for everything beyond that, super common.

 

[fisherman983]

Yessir, my buddy did that first thing. Curiously GW stated 100 zero? 300 PRC? WTH?? Thqat's why he wqnted to change it to a more recognized 200 yard zero. Great gun. We zeroed @ 200 into a .55" group. Seriously except for one "flyer" they were all in one ragged hole! Flyer was just touching the group hole. If we could only solve the scope issue for zero/deadstop.

Your dialing. Use a 100 yd zero. It's definitely easier and probably better in every way.. and if you want it to be a 200 yard zero, just turn the turret a couple clicks and leave it. Then it's det to 200 yds.

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

 

[Syncerus1]

All good info, and thank you! I like a hunting rifle to be a "less tha 300 yard" rifle, throw it up and kill it. Past that range you generally have more time to dial up a solution and shoot, especially when dealing with an animal out there 500 yards plus, time is on your side. In my experience in most real hunting situations, you have 2-5 seconds between seeing and shooting. Nothing wrong with a 100 yard zero, just weird IMHO, but maybe after talking to GW this week we'll have to make that work...

 

[bgold]

Everything that I dial gets 100 yard zero because it makes the most sense. That said, if action is that hot...holding for 200 or 300 is cake.

 

[ballistictip1088]

Problem sounds like it’s already been covered. I would also zero @ 100yards.
For a cheaper / better solution to replacing the elevation turret look up turret tape. It’s just a sticker that covered the factory hash marks on the turret. It will cover up the yardage marks which are useless anyways. If you’re shooting 15 degrees uphill that yardage mark is going to be wrong! Full value 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock winds will also effect POI and the yardage on the turret will be wrong.

 

[Syncerus1]

UPDATE: Per GW this Kahles was zeroed @ 200 for this PRC from factory. GW's customer service is beyond great. Found out they set their 200 yard zeros to have 2 MOA'S of "slop" or below hard stop @ ZERO to facilitate different grin loads with a twist of the turret. Long story short - scope is being returned for likely failed internals. We'll know the "rest of the story" in about 3 weeks... Thanks all!