SWFA SS Optical Quality

[Formidilosus]

How do you find the Mil C compares to the Mil R for a field reticle?

The Mil-R is significantly better in poor light/conditions. The Mil-C is a long range reticle that is only usable in low light and/or broken terrain with illumination. The Mil-R is usable for close range and low light/broken terrain without illumination by bracketing between the thicker posts.

Mil-C



Mil-R

 

[Helislacker]

The Mil-R is significantly better in poor light/conditions. The Mil-C is a long range reticle that is only usable in low light and/or broken terrain with illumination. The Mil-R is usable for close range and low light/broken terrain without illumination by bracketing between the thicker posts.

Mil-C
View attachment 582017


Mil-R
View attachment 582018

I hadn’t realized they were so different. I had glanced at both briefly, but didn’t notice the difference was so significant. Time to offload the 4-20 Mil C for a 4-16x42 Mil R.

 

[KenLee]

Mil vs Moa and reticle arguments aside, the $650 in hand 56mm Accupoint at 400 yards or less is the most usable low light scope for the $ available, imo.
I couldn't help myself after looking at the pics.

 

[atmat]

I hadn’t realized they were so different. I had glanced at both briefly, but didn’t notice the difference was so significant. Time to offload the 4-20 Mil C for a 4-16x42 Mil R.

The mil-c with illumination just looks like a standard duplex at low zoom. It’s not a great reticle but I don’t know that I’d take a loss just to move to Mil-R

 

[Helislacker]

The mil-c with illumination just looks like a standard duplex at low zoom. It’s not a great reticle but I don’t know that I’d take a loss just to move to Mil-R

Gotcha. Fortunately I don’t think I’ll take a loss. I don’t know what the prices are in the US but I’ve got someone I can get an ATACR 4-16x42 new for $2600 CAD through and last time I checked I should be able to easily sell my 4-20 for $3300 used.

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

30min after legal sunset- it’s dark.

Scope 1:
View attachment 581868


Scope 2:
View attachment 581869


Scope 3:
View attachment 581870


Scope 4:
View attachment 581871


Scope 5:
View attachment 581872




Scope #1 was the “brightest” or tied with #4, yet was totally useless without illumination- a deer would have had to be inside 20 yards and just center it in the scope. Scope #3 was the dimmest with a grey soft hue to everything, and it had the second hardest to see reticle. Scope #5 was second dimmest, however had the easiest to see center of reticle of any of the scopes. Scope #2 was second in brightness, and had the boldest reticle that could be used anywhere in the woods. Scope #4 was tied with scope #1 for brightness, but had a usable reticle that could be bracketed out to around 70-80 yards on a deer.


The scopes-

View attachment 581874


Scope 1- Zeiss LRP S3 6-36x56mm. This scope was the first that lost ability to aim at a deer in low light and broken terrain. It was the brightest maybe edging out the Trijicon just a touch (tied), however was useless to aim with.

Scope 2- SWFA 6x MQ reticle. Was second brightest at 30min past sunset, reticle could be used to kill a deer in everyplace I could aim.

Scope 3- Leupold VX3 HD 3.5-10x40mm Duplex. Second scope to be removed for not being able to kill a deer, but due to “glass”. Was dim, with a grayish hue. Reticle was still usable, however positively ID’ing an animal could not be done.

Scope 4- Trijicon Credo 3-9x42mm duplex. Tied for brightest, and third for reticle visibility. Just a touch brighter than the SWFA, with a reticle that was a bit harder to use at very last light.

Scope 5- Burris Fullfiled II 3-9x40mm B-Plex. The second most visible reticle and the most visible center. However while still able to see a deer at 30min past sunset, ID’ing the deer was not possible.



At 30min last sunset, in order from best (that is lasts longest being able to aim at and kill a deer) to worst, left to right-
View attachment 581875

View attachment 581876

For usability the SWFA and Trijicon were about tied, though I did prefer the thicker reticle posts in the SWFA. The Burris was in the middle- usable maybe, but definitely struggling. The Leupold and Zeiss were by far last, but for different reasons.


Just as a comparison, I grabbed a S&B 8x58mm to see. At 45 min past legal sunset the SWFA was barely usable, Trijicon had lost its reticle, the Burris was too dim to see anything, the Zeiss had no reticle at all visible, and the Leupold was gone due to “glass”…. However the S&B 8x56mm was totally usable- by far the best out of all of them.

S&B 8x56mm almost an hour after legal light:
View attachment 581877


Best to worst-
View attachment 581878




Without question the scope that would have cost me the least animals was the SWFA 6x MQ.

Have you used the Accupoint line at all for reliability? I realize they are SFP and capped turrets. But the fiber optic seems very nice for N. Idaho timber.

 

[Formidilosus]

Have you used the Accupoint line at all for reliability? I realize they are SFP and capped turrets. But the fiber optic seems very nice for N. Idaho timber.

Not in the Field Eval as presented on this forum. However, in using them for shooting and hunting, Trijicon scopes are about what most believe good scopes are- not necessarily totally bombproof, but in general they work correctly and hold zero.


They are viable hunting scopes.

 

[grfox92]

What are your thoughts on that Burris Fullfield for reliability? @Formidilosus

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[mxgsfmdpx]

You killed 2 deer AZ in the same season?

Sorry poorly worded. My rifle was used to kill two coues bucks. I killed a nice 3x3 and my hunting partner used my rifle to shoot a spike buck (he had missed one with his the night before). Turned out to be his scope was way out after bouncing around in an ATV for 5 days. He has since switched from that Leupold Mark 5 to a Nightforce SHV.

I killed 4 other white tails last year as well with that rifle/scope (Minnesota). 6 bullets and 6 dead deer. Most during “low light” conditions as close as 30 yards and as far as 530 yards.

The SWFA fixed 6 is a no frills, workhorse of a scope with well above average “clarity” especially in low light. With a reticle that’s very usable in those conditions as well. If they made a twin to that scope in 8x50 I’d probably buy 4 of them instantly.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I think there was a 3-9 last summer too from a fng. And maybe @wind gypsy had a 3-9 rotate the year before that?

Correction, it was @Antares who had a 6x reticle rotate recently.

So I’m in the camp of “don’t shoot at living shit after dropping a rifle”. Always have been.

I also don’t regularly drop my equipment like some guys on here claim to do regularly (most is BS to validate their argument on the internet).

Last year in Arizona we had a problem with Yellowjackets at our base camp. I was still hunting around camp when the other guys and gals were having lunch and taking naps. I was carrying my rifle in my right hand ready for a quick standing or kneeling shot. I felt a sharp pain in my hand and looks down to see a Yellowjacket had stung/bit my hand multiple times. Natural reaction was to fling my hand hard and shake off the the stupid thing. This sent my rifle flying to the ground. It landed on a mesquite brand/ground on the windage turret with full rifle weight plus me basically throwing it at the ground.

Went back towards base camp and got a target up before we took off for the late afternoon/evening hunt. The rifle and scope were still dead nuts on at 200 yards. POI hadn’t moved one bit.

Reason for the long story is my fixed 6 would be one of the “newer” scopes that may have “reticle” issues. One season of hard hunting, one hard drop onto turret, hundreds of miles in the jeep/atv, lots of miles on horseback, and a few plane rides later, I haven’t adjusted it once yet.

 

[Formidilosus]

What are your thoughts on that Burris Fullfield for reliability? @Formidilosus

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Nothing special. They lose zero with heavy use like most things. I haven’t seen a complete failure with one though.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Reason for the long story is my fixed 6 would be one of the “newer” scopes that may have “reticle” issues. One season of hard hunting, one hard drop onto turret, hundreds of miles in the jeep/atv, lots of miles on horseback, and a few plane rides later, I haven’t adjusted it once yet.

I have 2 newer batch 6x, and a black box 3-9. So far so good. With the perpetual back order situation I'm considering picking up a spare to float the difference if I have one go down at an inopportune time.

 

[amassi]

I have 2 newer batch 6x, and a black box 3-9. So far so good. With the perpetual back order situation I'm considering picking up a spare to float the difference if I have one go down at an inopportune time.

I got an email 7/29 that the 3-9 was back in stock, still shows as back ordered.


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[KenLee]

I have 2 newer batch 6x, and a black box 3-9. So far so good. With the perpetual back order situation I'm considering picking up a spare to float the difference if I have one go down at an inopportune time.

Everyone should have at least one good spare...or a safe queen rifle that's ripe to pilfer from.

 

[Gone4Days]

Sorry poorly worded. My rifle was used to kill two coues bucks. I killed a nice 3x3 and my hunting partner used my rifle to shoot a spike buck (he had missed one with his the night before). Turned out to be his scope was way out after bouncing around in an ATV for 5 days. He has since switched from that Leupold Mark 5 to a Nightforce SHV.

I killed 4 other white tails last year as well with that rifle/scope (Minnesota). 6 bullets and 6 dead deer. Most during “low light” conditions as close as 30 yards and as far as 530 yards.

The SWFA fixed 6 is a no frills, workhorse of a scope with well above average “clarity” especially in low light. With a reticle that’s very usable in those conditions as well. If they made a twin to that scope in 8x50 I’d probably buy 4 of them instantly.

I figured Mexico! Nice job

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I got an email 7/29 that the 3-9 was back in stock, still shows as back ordered.


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That's surely a glitch, I ordered a 3-9 on 1/17 and don't have shipping info yet.

 

[Mtnmilsurp]

That's surely a glitch, I ordered a 3-9 on 1/17 and don't have shipping info yet.

I ran into the same thing with a backordered 6x last month. Wendy told me they were holding off on shipping the 6x until a 3-9 I also had on backorder was ready to ship. I asked if she could go ahead and send the 6x and she shipped it that day. Still waiting for the 3-9. Maybe you have something else backordered too?

 

[matthewmt]

I was informed by swfa that it is a glitch that is happening.

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[amassi]

I was informed by swfa that it is a glitch that is happening.

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Thanks for checking


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[amassi]

That's surely a glitch, I ordered a 3-9 on 1/17 and don't have shipping info yet.

No doubt
I don’t remember signing up for a 3-9 notification either


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