New Kahles K328i
- Thread starter gamewarden
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A lot of the benefits and improvements in this scope versus others lie in the eyepiece which is a new design unique from what we are used to. It just had to be that big/long to fit the optical components.
I’ve heard some negative comments on the unique shape of this scope, and I can sort of get what they are saying, but to me it really doesn’t matter at all when the optical system is as amazing as it is.
Definitely a criticism that isn't even worth entertaining.
Kahles has clearly pushed the envelope to limit here, it should be no surprise that this effects the physical shape/size of the scope.
When there are 5 other scopes on the market sharing a eyepiece design that offers an FOV this large, then maybe it's worth considering.
But until then it's a minor inconvenience.
Do you think there is much real world advantage to an FOV this wide?
The DLR, RZR G3 and XTR3 all have some of the wider FOVs in the business, do you think there are diminishing returns when if comes to FOV?
Do you see the real world benefits being to this "feature" or is it just a nice to have?
I'm a real FOV whore and always prioritize it when looking to buy a scope, I'm wondering if I decided to spend ZCO/TT money on my next scope If I should give on of these a go.
To start off I could be considered biased regarding Kahles products since I’m sponsored by them. And i’m the guy in the video with the incredibly awkward nod/smile (Just about died when I saw someone in this thread turned me into a gif)
Anyways I have used this scope a lot recently and will always give my honest opinion.
The extra field of view can for sure come in handy, but it depends like most other things. For my part the extra field of view will mostly benefit me in hunting situations or match situations where finding targets can be difficult.
I’ve been in hunting situations trying to find deer at long range that I had just seen through my binos and the lack of fov In other scopes has been a really irritating factor. Especially when there are very few landmarks or dark lighting conditions.
For that reason I’m putting a 328 on my hunting rifle even though it’s bigger and heavier than what I had mounted last season.
I see the same benefits for PRS and especially for NRL hunter type matches.
Other than that it could be a benefit for high recoiling rifles where recoil throws you off the target, and with a wider fov the odds of not losing the target would be better.
Or perhaps at high magnification and very long shots you can see more trace in the image.
If you are shooting a PRS match at a square range or targets are easy to find then it might not matter too much.
When swapping between my 525dlr and the 328 I really do enjoy the experience of the extra fov. I guess it could be compared to the experience of watching tv on a smaller screen vs a larger screen, it just feels a little bit nicer.
For those wondering what type of mount to use for this scope, here are a few examples of how I have mounted mine.
Spuhr 6001 (36mm 0mil 30mm height)
The k328 barely fits in this mount as there is a tiny clearance between the mount and the bottom of the scope. The canted version of this mount does not fit at all as it touches the bottom.
For actions with a short picatinny rail like an impact, lone peak or defiance this mount will not work for most people. However for those with longer picatinny rails that extend beyond the action it can work.
Area 419 one piece mount (36mm 0mil 32mm height) Not the cantilevered version.
Due to the placement of the fastening clamps this mount can work for most actions. I’m running this mount on a short action impact and have one available slot in front.
Spuhr 6001 (36mm 0mil 30mm height)
The k328 barely fits in this mount as there is a tiny clearance between the mount and the bottom of the scope. The canted version of this mount does not fit at all as it touches the bottom.
For actions with a short picatinny rail like an impact, lone peak or defiance this mount will not work for most people. However for those with longer picatinny rails that extend beyond the action it can work.
Area 419 one piece mount (36mm 0mil 32mm height) Not the cantilevered version.
Due to the placement of the fastening clamps this mount can work for most actions. I’m running this mount on a short action impact and have one available slot in front.
Sounds like it is worth it then, I do quite like the SKMR4 reticle.
I usually complain about reticles being too thin (especially for hunting purpose) but the FOV ends you can go higher on the magnification than usual which negates the reticle thinness issue.
I have one, well… two of them. One is for sale on the PX because I made a mistake.
The FOV is impressive, the eyebox is not bad, a little tight at max mag, but totally fine everywhere else. It’s definitely a weird looking scope, the eyepiece is about as big as the objective.
I was able to get it mounted with a standard set of rings with proper eye relief, it is very close to needing a cantilever.
The FOV is impressive, the eyebox is not bad, a little tight at max mag, but totally fine everywhere else. It’s definitely a weird looking scope, the eyepiece is about as big as the objective.
I was able to get it mounted with a standard set of rings with proper eye relief, it is very close to needing a cantilever.
I got a Kahles 50 mm sunshade from mile high shooting supply. Used the 328 at the King of Coal Canyon this past weekend and really liked it.
Kahles 50mm 2" Sunshade 685-609
Kahles 50mm 2" Sunshade 685-609 For sale! For best price call 570-368-3920.
I think the K&M proshop has one in stock as well, and other Kahles/Swaro dealers should have them instock aswell.
One thing that is worth mentioning that hasn't really been highlighted much is the K328s performance when the sun typically disturbs the optics.
Kahles put an extra effort into making sure that the optics will not be disturbed by the lighting conditions.
Im not sure what the correct term for this is, but im sure everyone knows the pain of looking through optics with the sun in your face and there is a grayish shade that disturbs the image.
Anyways, the K328 absolutely destroys every other scope i have tested it against when it comes to this. The last comparison i did was with two friends after a match in Norway. We were looking at a target at the top of a hillside, with the sun somewhat directly above it. To the point where their Steiner and Zcomp were heavily shaded and seeing the target was a challenge. They were simply amazed when they tried my K328 where they could hardly notice an effect of the sun at all. If anyone doesn't believe me just try, It's a night and day difference.
That being said, we also tried with and without the sunshade. There was practically no difference in the image at all, so image wise there is not really a need for a sunshade. Some people could like a sunshade to ensure that there is no poi shift due to the lighting conditions, but this i have not tested myself, so i have no idea if it even matters. Sometimes i do however use the sunshade just to avoid getting rain or dust on the glass.
Kahles didn't provide a sunshade or flip caps on my:
K318i
K624i
K525i
K525i DLR
I'm not surprised when they don't provide them on the K328i. Some people like the neoprene sleeve, some don't. Some like the throw levers, some don't. Some want a sunshade or a bikini cover, or whatever.
If I want particular accessories I just buy them. It's saved me from having piles of scope accessories I don't need. /shrug
K318i
K624i
K525i
K525i DLR
I'm not surprised when they don't provide them on the K328i. Some people like the neoprene sleeve, some don't. Some like the throw levers, some don't. Some want a sunshade or a bikini cover, or whatever.
If I want particular accessories I just buy them. It's saved me from having piles of scope accessories I don't need. /shrug
I got a sunshade, neoprene cover, throw lever and parallax spinner with my 525 DLR.
A lot of these are pretty standard accessories high end scopes come with.
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I get what you are saying, it is nice to have all the gadgets included, but this is a topic that a lot of people will disagree with eachother on.
The fact is that if all this were included, the price would be higher, it's that simple.
Kahles has to make the decision of including all the accessories for a higher price or keeping a lower proce and giving the consumer the option to spend the extra money on wanted/unwanted accessories. Technically it shouldn't really matter to much in the end if the dealers put an effort into offering the accessories when purchasing the scope and it is clear that these things are not included.
I'm not sure if either approach is more correct, there are ups and downs to both.
Hi Patty, what do you think about the glass quality? Good enough to compete with ZCO and other top tier scopes? I’m seriously thinking about buying one, but for that price I’d like to read opinions from people I trust first.
Thank you! (love your MDT videos!
)Initial impressions are good, but let me get some real range time with it this weekend and report back.Hi Patty, what do you think about the glass quality? Good enough to compete with ZCO and other top tier scopes? I’m seriously thinking about buying one, but for that price I’d like to read opinions from people I trust first.
Thank you! (love your MDT videos!
Thank you! We enjoy making them
All of my scopes came with the neoprene sleeve. The DLR came with the throw lever and spinner, it doesn't come with a sunshade standard, so either you don't remember buying it or your dealer threw it in there for you.
There is no such thing as a free accessory, just an accessory that's been rolled into the purchase price that you may or may not want.
Just looked at my receipt. I never purchased a sunshade with my 525 DLR back in October of 21 from Eurooptic.
I contacted Kahles because mine showed up with nothing but the neoprene cover and I could have swore I saw youtube reviews where the said it would come with both throw levers... their reply was that the only scope that ever shipped with anything else was the 525DLR and it was just the mag and parallax throw levers, no sunshade or lense caps. Then they said that they don't even have a mag throw lever available for sale yet.
Call me cheap but it seemed kind of petty to charge almost an extra grand for the new model over the 525DLR and then not send anything with it when it's their "flagship" model especially since it would cost them substantially less to add them on their end then it would for me to buy them separately on my end
Call me cheap but it seemed kind of petty to charge almost an extra grand for the new model over the 525DLR and then not send anything with it when it's their "flagship" model especially since it would cost them substantially less to add them on their end then it would for me to buy them separately on my end
Sounds like Euro threw one in for you unless you bought it for a previous scope. Either that or you've got the only K525i DLR that had someone at Kahles throw a free sunshade in the box.
After 30 hours of 3D printing, 2 failed prototypes, and 1 dropped K328i later I managed to get a few ok pics.
I had a print an adapter for my phone holder.
I learned 2 things trying to get these:
I'll echo what has been said before the FOV really is astonishing. Swapping between it and my 525i the FOV on the 328i quickly became the standard and became a feature I was “missing” in my 525i.
In addition the turrets seem to have a noticeably more tactile feel to the clicks and the DLR really helps get to that dope number quickly.
I also noticed how smooth the parallax adjustment was in comparison to the 525i and I think a parallax spinner would not be a necessity but maybe just a nice to have.
The eye relief seems to be more generous as well especially on greater magnification.
So that's my quick .02 here are a few pics.
K328i min magnification, building @ 700yards
K525i pointed to the same location min magnification
K328i max magnification
K525i max magnification
K328i min magnification, water tower @2000 yards
K328i water tower max magnification, water tower @2000 yards
I had a print an adapter for my phone holder.
I learned 2 things trying to get these:
- I make a terrible scope photographer
- The 328i handles a drop on concrete like a champ
I'll echo what has been said before the FOV really is astonishing. Swapping between it and my 525i the FOV on the 328i quickly became the standard and became a feature I was “missing” in my 525i.
In addition the turrets seem to have a noticeably more tactile feel to the clicks and the DLR really helps get to that dope number quickly.
I also noticed how smooth the parallax adjustment was in comparison to the 525i and I think a parallax spinner would not be a necessity but maybe just a nice to have.
The eye relief seems to be more generous as well especially on greater magnification.
So that's my quick .02 here are a few pics.
K328i min magnification, building @ 700yards
K525i pointed to the same location min magnification
K328i max magnification
K525i max magnification
K328i min magnification, water tower @2000 yards
K328i water tower max magnification, water tower @2000 yards
Attachments
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Just arrived
So impressed
Plus, 2 free hats too!!!!
So impressed
Plus, 2 free hats too!!!!
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Spent some extended time on the k328i this weekend and am thoroughly impressed. Its certainly something special in regards to FOV, turrets feel nice, parallax ring is smooth. Everything about it feels like you would expect it to with such a costly scope. I compared it direct to a ZCO and felt they were comparable in image quality, the FOV on the kahles being considerably better.
After 30 hours of 3D printing, 2 failed prototypes, and 1 dropped K328i later I managed to get a few ok pics.
I had a print an adapter for my phone holder.
I learned 2 things trying to get these:
- I make a terrible scope photographer
- The 328i handles a drop on concrete like a champ
I'll echo what has been said before the FOV really is astonishing. Swapping between it and my 525i the FOV on the 328i quickly became the standard and became a feature I was “missing” in my 525i.
In addition the turrets seem to have a noticeably more tactile feel to the clicks and the DLR really helps get to that dope number quickly.
I also noticed how smooth the parallax adjustment was in comparison to the 525i and I think a parallax spinner would not be a necessity but maybe just a nice to have.
The eye relief seems to be more generous as well especially on greater magnification.
So that's my quick .02 here are a few pics.
K328i min magnification, building @ 700yards
View attachment 8432820
K525i pointed to the same location min magnification
View attachment 8432821
K328i max magnification
View attachment 8432856
K525i max magnification
View attachment 8432824
K328i min magnification, water tower @2000 yards
View attachment 8432825
K328i water tower max magnification, water tower @2000 yards
Is it just me or does the max mag pic of the building look like the 525 has more magnification? Almost like the FOV difference is because the 328 isn't actually 28x but like 20x?
Call me crazy but that pic through the 525 sure makes the building look bigger/closer at 25x than the 328 does at 28x
No. Pick some objects that are easily measurable. They measure the same mil through both scopes
And the center point to the 6ish mil mark is the same part of the building. But there's way more FOV on the 328
I think the FOV makes it look like its more mag, but in reality, its just a smaller overall picture and hard to compare.
The camera also looks much closer on the 25x. If it has 40% more FOV, then why is the picture of the 328i smaller than the 525?
Its just an optical disparity. The math and physics make what you are saying impossible, unless he was not on 28x.
Its just an optical disparity. The math and physics make what you are saying impossible, unless he was not on 28x.
