Rifle Scopes Kahles Gen3 624i Review (Amazing Optic)

[Vamike9]

Well guys I recently picked up a Gen3 Kahles SKMR3 after speaking with CSTACTICAL and many other knowledgeable people in the industry.
I must say that after owning many top tier optics, this scope outperforms all of them. The tracking(ccw) is spot on, optical resolution is amazing and it's not too heavy.
The turrets are very nice and the reticle is level with the turret tracking. However, the real reason I'm writing this it's because I was so impressed with the optical resolution.
I love Vortex, NightForce and many others, yet, Kahles has earned a place on my precision setup now.
Curious about what you guys think about Kahles optics because much of what led me to purchase one was the great feedback.
Take care

 

[nfoley]

My main 3 rifles which I shoot often all have the Kahles k624is on them. Tried most everything but the Kahles keeps winning out for me, has everything I need and I simply have not had any issues with any of them. Still have a gen 1 that is going strong, no issues!

 

[Opticsspecialist]

I really like to Kahles 624i. All the performance is there as far as optics and mechanics. They are also very unique with the center mounted parallax. This offers great versatility for both right and left hand shooters. The Gen 3 come with the option for the left side windage, another unique feature for right hand shooters.

 

[CSTactical]

Well guys I recently picked up a Gen3 Kahles SKMR3 after speaking with CSTACTICAL and many other knowledgeable people in the industry.
I must say that after owning many top tier optics, this scope outperforms all of them. The tracking(ccw) is spot on, optical resolution is amazing and it's not too heavy.
The turrets are very nice and the reticle is level with the turret tracking. However, the real reason I'm writing this it's because I was so impressed with the optical resolution.
I love Vortex, NightForce and many others, yet, Kahles has earned a place on my precision setup now.
Curious about what you guys think about Kahles optics because much of what led me to purchase one was the great feedback.
Take care

I'm glad we were able to help you out! Feel free to call us if you need more assistance in the future.

 

[kujuak]

I am glad you are pleased. I don't feel so crazy now having put one on my RPR and one on my new (BIG SMILE), AI/AT. Very comfortable scope and the SKMR3 reticle works really well for my old guy eyes!Now all I have to do is reload, shoot, clean rifle, repeat.Only problem is that when I look through all my other scopes it's like looking through a dirty, fogged window.

 

[texas_vet00]

Love me some Kahles with SKMR3...

 

[EasternNChunter]

Sounds like Kahles upgraded the G3 over the G2 which was not an impressive scope.

 

[Vamike9]

Most definitely, I'd say that the optical resolution and brightness has no equal anywhere close to the $3,000-$3,600 range.
The tracking is outstanding as has always been the case. I love NightForce, but even I now have found the Kahles to be a new favorite.

 

[Vargmat]

Vamike9: The Kahles k624i scopes I have looked through have shown a very shallow depth of field and CA. I also know of several that has gone back to the factory because of tracking issues. Which is a shame, I really want to like the k624i but their history puts me off.

 

[Vamike9]

Even though Kahles optics in general are very high quality, Gen3 models are another level all together. Anything man-made can break, however, the Gen3 optics quite simply amazed me.
They tested the Kahles at precisionrifleblog.com and found that it tracked better than many other well known optics known for great tracking. Yet, the difference between that scope and the new Gen 3 is better optical quality.
I hope this helps you guys.

 

[Vargmat]

Vamike9: It really does not matter what prb.com says. It does not change the fact that I know of several scopes that did not track and went back to the factory because of it.
The poor depth of field and CA I noted was on a Gen 3 Kahles. Im not saying it has horrible glass, but its hardly the best glass going.

Schmidt & Bender and Hensoldt and Minox are all nicer to look through, if you ask me. But then again everyone has opinions, right?

 

[Vamike9]

You are exactly right in that we all see things differently. In the same way, I myself and apparently many others are seeing a dramatic difference between this optic and others at its price point.
As mentioned in your prevoius post, it takes optics costing close to $1000+ more than the Kahles to compete with the Gen3.
We've all seen optics that fail but my Kahles hasn't let me down yet. That's why I stand by it.
Thanks for your opinion though, that's why I started this thread to get different views good or bad.
Take care

 

[IanHusaberg]

I've looked through a friends 624i gen3 with the skm3, that was on his Ruger RPR 6.5. He has a S&B 3-27 with the H-58 on his Sako M10, he said he was thinking about selling the S&B to buy 2 more Khales. The reticle was amazing in the Khales, it reminds me of the Vortex AMG ERB-7C? I was impressed and has made me start to rethink a lot of my ideals of a great scope. I immediately looked to see if there was a MOA equivalent. I couldn't find one? Next was the 30mm tube. Do we always need a 34mm tube or a 56mm objective lens. No, I don't think so. The ELR magnums do call for this, but there is a happy middle ground for the right scope for the right rifle. I do like to see somethings change like the parallax on the top of the scope instead of on the side. Shake it up a little and change things around!! The only thing not appealing to me is the price.

 

[TygerAR]

My understanding Is that the 624i a steel body? It would seem more durable than Aluminum scopes but a little bit more heavy. What's anyone's opinion or does it even matter? Sorry for the question but this will be my first scope in the $3K range, my most expensive scope currently in a Nightforce NSX.

 

[Vamike9]

TygerAR,
CSTACTICAL will be able to help with any technical questions you might have.
I can assure you that most of the $3,000+ optics I've owned are very durable.
Good luck,

 

[CSTactical]

My understanding Is that the 624i a steel body? It would seem more durable than Aluminum scopes but a little bit more heavy. What's anyone's opinion or does it even matter? Sorry for the question but this will be my first scope in the $3K range, my most expensive scope currently in a Nightforce NSX.

The current K624i's bodies are aluminum and If you have any other questions than please feel free to call us at 916.670.1103 and we'll be happy to answer them.

 

[tsu45]

What are the differences between the Gen 2 and Gen 3?

 

[adb77]

Has anyone put this scope thru prolonged hard use? If so how was the reliability?

 

[dbransco]

I'm intrigued by these scopes as well for the reticle and optical quality; however, I have heard less than desirable feedback regarding durability. The few people I have spoken to at matches really enjoy the scope, but have set them back for tracking and several have taken small spills and have not held zero. Has anyone experienced this. I don't have much experience with them, but when checking them out briefly at match or such they didn't give off a durable feeling to me.

 

[SRPowah]

I am curious what some people consider hard use and durable. If you drop a 15 lbs rifle scope first from a bench onto a concrete pad, I would expect you to double check and rezero with ANY scope out there. Accidents happen and can take out any scope through dumb luck. Judging by the amount of people running them in PRS matches, I am willing to say they hold up just fine for people who aren't too careless. I looked every where before purchasing one and did not hear of any Gen 3's getting sent back after a spill (may of changed by now). In any case, Swarovski should take care of it. This comes from someone that purchased one and had a small bit of floating debris in his k624. I contacted them and they had a shipping label to me that day, a new scope in my hands 3 days later. I am considering selling my K624 and going to a Nightforce 7-35 simply because I am a mag whore... but damn I really like this scope.


Gen 1 and 2 did have tracking issues, yes. Gen 3 has some new guts and I guess they have been spot on since then. Worst case is you return it to your dealer of choice, or find a buyer. If someone isn't into the PRS where rifles arguable see the most abuse, they will surely love the optical clarity and reticle.

 

[Vamike9]

As for durability/reliability, many factors must be considered before labeling an optic unreliable. One of the most common issues is a loose or unreliable mounting system. That includes the ring mounts and the base.
Furthermore, we must mount the scope properly with correct torque settings.
This is not to say that there aren't some unreliable optics made by every scope manufacturer, they are man made after all...

 

[Baner]

Think they are okay, had 3 sofar. But there are scopes that beat it when it comes to optic quality. To name a few, Minox zp5 tac 5-25x56 and S&B PMII 5-25x56, Also March in some areas.

But then there is quite a jump in price too.

/Baner

 

[cageli]

100% agree with Baner as that's exactly my experience too. One thing K624 does do better than SB 5-25 or ZP5, is the FOV. But if you look for resolution, CA and other in the view factors, it is not top tier and the difference is obvious for spoiled eyes.

That said, I still think K624 is a very nice scope to look through, reasonably priced and extremely friendly to lefties. It is definitely worth the money and will make owners happy and proud.

I have no experience with durability, direct or indirect.

 

[Vamike9]

Here's a link below to a very thorough review from one of the most experienced shooters.
This review was for the Gen2 SKMR2.
The Gen3 SKMR3 is much better still.
Hope this helps you guys with yet another review.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou..._Q3dwuO4-oceoBVKQ&sig2=oB2Dsd9uI6xixg0JxCPfdQ

 

[CSTactical]

I am curious what some people consider hard use and durable. If you drop a 15 lbs rifle scope first from a bench onto a concrete pad, I would expect you to double check and rezero with ANY scope out there. Accidents happen and can take out any scope through dumb luck. Judging by the amount of people running them in PRS matches, I am willing to say they hold up just fine for people who aren't too careless. I looked every where before purchasing one and did not hear of any Gen 3's getting sent back after a spill (may of changed by now). In any case, Swarovski should take care of it. This comes from someone that purchased one and had a small bit of floating debris in his k624. I contacted them and they had a shipping label to me that day, a new scope in my hands 3 days later. I am considering selling my K624 and going to a Nightforce 7-35 simply because I am a mag whore... but damn I really like this scope.

Gen 1 and 2 did have tracking issues, yes. Gen 3 has some new guts and I guess they have been spot on since then. Worst case is you return it to your dealer of choice, or find a buyer. If someone isn't into the PRS where rifles arguable see the most abuse, they will surely love the optical clarity and reticle.

When you're looking for the Nightforce 7-35 let us know at 916.670.1103, we have them in stock! https://www.cstactical.com/p/5524-Nightforce-ATACR-7-35x56-F1-Mil-R.aspx

 

[AK49]

I probably missed it, but when did the K624i Gen 3 version hit the market? Also has anyone here done a tracking test on this scope?

 

[alaskalanche]

I probably missed it, but when did the K624i Gen 3 version hit the market? Also has anyone here done a tracking test on this scope?

I tested mine (MOA version). Needed 50.25 MOA dialed to equal 50 MOA.....I can live with it.

 

[5RWill]

I honestly couldn't tell that much apart from the Gen II razor i looked through and 624i, though idk if it was Gen 3. How do you tell which gen it is? Based on reticle or something else?

 

[gr8fuldoug]

For those that are looking we just got another delivery of both the Kahles K624i 6-24x56 CCW - SKMR #10611 Right Windage and #10612 Left Windage. Seems they come in and go out very quickly these days.
Please give us a call to discuss these great scopes.
Merry Christmas

Thank you for your continued support.
If there is anything else we can assist you with please let me know.
Doug
Camera Land
720 Old Bethpage Rd
Old Bethpage NY 11804
516-217-1000
Please visit our website @ www.cameralandny.com

 

[kthomas]

Think they are okay, had 3 sofar. But there are scopes that beat it when it comes to optic quality. To name a few, Minox zp5 tac 5-25x56 and S&B PMII 5-25x56, Also March in some areas.

But then there is quite a jump in price too.

/Baner

"Optic quality" is one of the least important factors, at least once you are at this level of optics, and yet the most talked about.

Besides the subjective nature of what makes a scope "look nicer" through the lense or not, the mechanical features are much more important. There isn't that big of a difference between scopes once you get up in the top tier. I've looked through a lot of them, as a lot of you have.

People are funny with scopes. Every 6 months there is a new board favorite. Right now Minox is the hot new thing in town, and will be until half of the "in crowd" runs their dicks all over it, until the next thing comes around.

I'm amazed at how much people are concerned about "optical quality" on this board, its always the #1 priority when talking about scopes. Makes me think that there are just a bunch of safe queen rifles on this board.

 

[Kevin1]

Vamike9: The Kahles k624i scopes I have looked through have shown a very shallow depth of field and CA. I also know of several that has gone back to the factory because of tracking issues. Which is a shame, I really want to like the k624i but their history puts me off.

I have a Kahles Gen3. I can set parallax at 600Y and not touch it during a match. Even at max magnification, everything will be clear between 400 to +1000Y.

 

[AK49]

any opinions on their SKMR3 reticle ?

http://www.kahles.at/verwaltung/uploads/20170109185159K624i_SKMR3.pdf

 

[NorthWesterner]

I love my kahles 624i SKMR reticle. awesome glass and very user friendly, clicks are awesome and everything is where it should be. top paralax is the business!.

 

[kthomas]

any opinions on their SKMR3 reticle ?

http://www.kahles.at/verwaltung/uploads/20170109185159K624i_SKMR3.pdf

I love it. It's my favorite reticle for PRS type shooting. Love the center dot, the 0.2 mil graduations, the tree reticle for holdovers. You can be very quick and effective with this reticle.

 

[flatland1]

I've owned several K624i scopes, both Gen 2 & 3. Sold two of my Gen 2 scopes after the Gen 3s were announced - not because I really wanted to sell them, but in both cases, because the buyers of a couple of my custom comp rifles wanted the K624i that was mounted on the rifles they bought. Was able to get one NIB Gen 2 to replace one I sold at a huge discount, so went that route instead of spending more on a Gen 3. So, bottom line - have two Gen 3s & one Gen 2 on Bighorn rifles, all with the AMR reticle. I really don't see a lot (if any) difference in optical quality between the 2 & 3 - they are hands down the best optical quality scopes I've owned. And none of mine have ever given me any tracking issues - but then I'm rather fond of my Bighorns & Kahles scopes, so take precautions not to get them banged up. I've had the opportunity to compare my Kahles with NF Beast, S&B PMII 3-27x56, Leupold Mk 8, Premier - if any of these scopes had better optics than the Kahles, it wasn't enough better to make me really sit up & take notice. But then, I'm 66yrs old, and though I had excellent vision 30yrs ago, I don't know that I'd be able to tell the difference between a Kahles & S&B today, even if there's as much as some shooters claim. All I know for certain is that I really appreciate the optical quality of my Kahles scopes, and absolutely prefer the click/detent feel of the K624i knobs to anything else I've handled.

 

[nfoley]

Gen 1/2 scopes did not have tracking issues, and the gen 3 scopes do not have "new guts" - sorry but that is not correct. Differences were primarily new coatings and reticle options. With gen 3 came new scalloped turrets and option to switch windage to either side of scope.
I have been using the kahles scopes for several years, probably around 10k rounds thru various versions. They just work.
Comments about "optical quality" on the high end scopes are subjective. I have yet to look thru anything that makes me think I could identify/hit targets any better/quicker than the Kahles.

 

[AK49]

Update... Swarovski is the parent company of Kahles as I understand it...

apparently swarovski is somehow involved with Kahles warranty service... perhaps since Swarovski is the US distributor for Kahles...

http://www.kahles.at/us/contact/

 

[CoyoteKilo]

As someone with a Vortex Razor and possibly looking to make a change, has anyone had durability issues with the Khales? I read someone who was talking about tracking/turret failures being an issue?

 

[AK49]

As someone with a Vortex Razor and possibly looking to make a change, has anyone had durability issues with the Khales? I read someone who was talking about tracking/turret failures being an issue?

That was probably a S&B PM II you heard about

 

[davidwiz]

I've shot most of the high-end optics (with the exception of the Hensoldt) in PRS settings and find the K624i has the best eye relief, eye box and field of view for me.

 

[wigwamitus]

This review (2014) has the Kahles 6-24 with 2.6 to 2.8 inches of eye relief ... this seems short for larger caliber rifles ... .300WM and up ... did this aspect get updated and I missed the memo ?

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2014/...omics-and-experience-behind-the-scope-part-1/

 

[Threadcutter308]

I'm just delighted to see that there are so many different viewpoints on this thread, yet everyone has remained civil and respectful of each others opinions.

When one is looking at the various offerings of different manufacturers in this product class, it seems that each and every one of them are superb. I think, when you get to the high level of quality and performance that all these scopes represent, the (downside) differences are very minor. But, those differences are where peoples emotions seem to come into pretty serious play. I prefer my Minox ZP5 MR4's, but, they are not perfect. The glass is top notch, the tubes are rugged and the MR4 reticle is great. I'm not so jazzed about the clicks of the turrets, but that isn't a real high priority for me. I would have liked to have had numbers on the parallax knob, don't care if they are calibrated for distance or not. However, with those items that I'm not enthralled with, does that mean I think it's an inferior product ? Not at all. Would I look at Kahles, SuB, Nightforce, TT and Hensoldt in the future ? Sure. If the playing field is at the same level as when I bought the ZP5's, would I buy ZP5 again ? Probably. A shift in the field would cause me to re-evaluate though.

I looked at the TT 5x25, but just couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money. Would the TT have been my "perfect scope" ? Possibly, but the difference in what I would have had to pay for the TT vs the ZP5 was substantial enough that I went with the ZP5. It was a personal choice, but I can also understand how someone would be delighted with TT after having spent more for them. I am very happy with the ZP5's and I hope that anyone that has purchased another manufacturer's scope in this price range is equally as happy with their purchase. There is no doubt that Kahles builds a spectacular product and that it should appeal to a great number of people. Congrats on your purchase.

 

[lennyo3034]

Just recently went to a Gen3 with AMR from a S&B with H2cmr.

The kahles just seems much easier to get behind. Setting the diopter was easy and I like the image more than the PMII. The image is most clear when parallax is dialed out.

Im still on the fence about the AMR, as I think I would have liked the SKMR3 more but it's miles better than the H2cmr, which I hated.

 

[ejg]

I have a very early (2011) Kahles with mil3 reticle. We hunt every weekend from Sept till end Feb in our hills and the Kahles has taken it's share of abuse. Rest of the year is only long range plinking and vermin shooting. I had some issues zeroing my new 300wm and took the Kahles off. When shaking it there was a rattle inside and I sent it to Austria for a check/repair. Also chose to get a MSR reticle fitted which seems close to the P4LF in my 3-20x50 Ultra short. Hope to have the scope back in a week or two. For hunting I prefer the illumination of the MSR over the SKMR3
My verdict is that the Kahles is very easy and fast to get a good sight picture. Parallax figures seem spot on. Very good at dusk and dawn or rain/foggy situations. I have off-hand shot several deer with mine and also one deer running full tits. Turrets click great, no need to look up, just count clicks.
I am also using a 3-20x50 Ultra short, optically once one is settled in behind the scope she is just as good as the Kahles. Maybe not quite as quick to get parallax set. The low lockable elevation turret is a real bonus in a hunting scope that gets whacked around or constantly rubbing against the rucksack. The Kahles turrets are often at a wrong setting in those conditions.
If my life depended on it I might choose the 3-20x50 Short PMII like the one I have. Then again I'm looking forward to getting my Kahles back with the changed reticle.

edi

 

[cro789]

Ejg sir did you ever get your scope back and how do you like it now