Which scope as a new host for the THLR reticle?

[alpine_troop]

Looking at the companies that we know can and do produce reliable scopes, I think Trijicon would be the best shot for this project simply because they already bring to market a massive number of SKUs for scopes (not to mention other optics products). Adding another model or two with the THLR reticle would be a smaller ask of them, percentage wise.

 

[alpine_troop]

Oh, and I’d take 2 please

 

[Dobermann]

What kind of royalty will have to be paid to Thomas for the THLR reticle? Nightforce would likely do a run of an existing scope with a different reticle, as long as there is a commitment to a large order. Kind of like a gunwerks g7 run.

This is straight from Frank from 2017:

The Horus reticle adds $400 per scope to include the reticle and cover the license fee.

So not sure how much would need to go to Thomas. Personally, I'd hope a lot - he's offered us all so much for so many years.

I'd be happy to have $400 go straight to Thomas for every single scope that has this reticle - it's that good.

 

[Dobermann]

I think we are looking through rose colored glasses if we think 63 likes is going to convince a company to build a new scope. Honestly, I don’t think they’ll do a reticle for it either, but it’s at least a shot I guess.

Yep ... but how many SWFA 3-9s must Form/Rokslide/all of us encouraged to be bought? Surely at least 1000?

I don't know how the figures stack up for scope manufacturers, but for a lot of other boutique industries with specialty items, 1000 is pretty good going.

 

[Formidilosus]

Yep ... but how many SWFA 3-9s must Form/Rokslide/all of us encouraged to be bought? Surely at least 1000?

Easily.

I don't know how the figures stack up for scope manufacturers, but for a lot of other boutique industries with specialty items, 1000 is pretty good going.

Those are good numbers for most scope companies. The problem is they don’t hear from people that want these- they hear from their marketing people that tell them what the public wants, and generally they just copy what everyone else is doing.

Why did nearly every stock maker keep introducing the same poor designs? Why do companies keep introducing “new custom” Remington based designs? Why did it take so long for more than one company to make a proper designed Tikka ring that used the integrated dovetail? Because the people at companies by and large do not have broad based shooting and hunting experience. They’re just copying what everyone else does. It’s incestuous.

I and others have spoken to several scope companies about a correct scope- same answer “that’s not needed, and we won’t sell 50 scopes ever”….. The same thing was said by multiple stock manufactures about making a correctly designed stock for Tikkas, one just this year. They all stated that it was dumb and they wouldn’t sell 20 stocks a year…. How’s that looking right now.

If y’all want a durable and reliable scope that actually works correctly and has a usable FFP reticle, then you flood a specific company with requests.

 

[fwafwow]

If y’all want a durable and reliable scope that actually works correctly and has a usable FFP reticle, then you flood a specific company with requests.

Thanks. If we do this, which specific company, and who (or what position) within that company?

 

[Formidilosus]

Thanks. If we do this, which specific company, and who (or what position) within that company?

That’s up to y’all. Probably the most likely candidate that could do so relatively quickly is Maven. Then Trijicon and Nightforce.

 

[Brontosaurus]

Maven will be getting an email from me then

 

[Castle Rock]

The bushnell 3-12 would be the easy option, especially if they could bump it to 4-16

 

[nobody]

What say all the WKR's? Shall we gang up on Maven? I'm in on an email blast if everybody else is

 

[fwafwow]

That’s up to y’all. Probably the most likely candidate that could do so relatively quickly is Maven. Then Trijicon and Nightforce.

Is Maven already working on durability?

What say all the WKR's? Shall we gang up on Maven? I'm in on an email blast if everybody else is

Im in if we identify a person. I’m not emailing some “suggestion box” or generic “contact us” email. Maybe someone in product development?

 

[Kurts86]

I’m all for this project but I gotta say as a manufacturing engineer the fewer SKU’s a factory runs the better.

Every little change, regardless of how minor it seems, can impact tooling, fixtures, CNC/PLC programs, robot paths, assembly sequences and quickly cost 6 figure sums of money to setup. Even if the project is a go today it’s often multiple years to launch as you wait for capital budgets to become available, go thru design and manufacturing trials before it’s available to produce to sell.

If a company is remotely competent the product line manager should have to be grilled by engineering/manufacturing and a total business case created before the wheels start to turn. This is why just asking for something to be made isn’t so simple.

 

[Formidilosus]

I’m all for this project but I gotta say as a manufacturing engineer the fewer SKU’s a factory runs the better.

Every little change, regardless of how minor it seems, can impact tooling, fixtures, CNC/PLC programs, robot paths, assembly sequences and quickly cost 6 figure sums of money to setup. Even if the project is a go today it’s often multiple years to launch as you wait for capital budgets to become available, go thru design and manufacturing trials before it’s available to produce to sell.

If a company is remotely competent the product line manager should have to be grilled by engineering/manufacturing and a total business case created before the wheels start to turn. This is why just asking for something to be made isn’t so simple.

Dozens to hundreds of new scopes are introduced every year, with very few actual manufacturers making all those scopes.

 

[bojangles808]

What say all the WKR's? Shall we gang up on Maven? I'm in on an email blast if everybody else is

We should. Maybe we could get moved to the main optics forum, to get some more eyeballs and traction

 

[Reburn]

Seems easier for trijicon to put the recticle in a scope that works vs maven building a scope that works and putting the recticle in it.

 

[Kurts86]

Dozens to hundreds of new scopes are introduced every year, with very few actual manufacturers making all those scopes.

Yes and contract manufacturing means you are beholden to minimum order quantities with low volume production getting very little scheduling priority which means lead times and cash flow tied up on the front end. You also tie up engineering developing specifications, doing design approvals, initial quality checks, etc.

Lots of the optics coming on the market are what are called “open mold” products meaning you just rebrand something from a limited series of options.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

We need the open mold for the nxs 3-15 F1

 

[Kurts86]

We need the open mold for the nxs 3-15 F1

The problem I’d guess is that most open mold type optics are more Swampfox/Arken and less Nightforce.

 

[Jimbee]

I hope this doesn't work out, I'm perfectly content with my SWFAs and they're paid for.

 

[TxLite]

I hope this doesn't work out, I'm perfectly content with my SWFAs and they're paid for.

That’s not very WKR of you