Rifle Scopes Swfa 10x?

[Boltyboi]

You laugh, but my first bolt gun was a owned-by-two-people-before-me Savage 10 FP 26" inside a Bell and Carlson Medalist Tactical with a SWFA 10x on top.

Shot 175 SMKs unbelievably well with IMR4064.

Me: that sounds like a nice rig.
Also me: am I white trash?!

 

[Money Waster]

I have the SWFA SA 10X on my JP Precision AR .22lr rig. Shooting at the 1/4” plate on a KYL rack situated near tall grass in the background and in the shade, I have a really hard time seeing the plate at 50 yards. The plate simply gets lost in the lines of the background grass. With my USO LR17, the 1/4” plate is clearly visible under the same conditions. Having said that, I still recommend the scope for people on a budget. Under brighter lighting conditions it performs just fine. I don’t see me ever getting rid of it as it definitely has some utility.

 

[WhiskeyWebber]

I've had my SWFA 10X on my 5R 308 for 12 years and it has held it's zero over 3000+rounds. Glass is not great but it is serviceable and I can still dial out to tag steel at 1000 with it.

 

[EJ1001]

I bolted a 12x on my Tac a1 and took it out to Blue Steel Ranch for a class. I never felt under scoped at any distance I shot. I dialed that thing up and down for two days straight, tracked perfectly and held zero. The only time I found the scope limiting was shooting into the early evening, with some back light on the horizon, trying to pick out the target hangers in the brush. The glass was just not clear enough nor had enough resolution to find the targets in that lighting environment.

I thought I just sucked finding targets; i just could not find anything anymore - my eyes just tired? - then my instructor let me look through his Razor. It became 'clear' as to why...

Still love that $300 scope, but I need to up level my optic if I am going to invest in anymore formal training so I can maximize the experience.

 

[ken226]

A cool review comparing some high-end optics to the SWFA 10x.

The SS 10x is the last scope reviewed..

 

[Basher]

A cool review comparing some high-end optics to the SWFA 10x.

The SS 10x is the last scope reviewed..

You meant comparing some LOW-end optics to the SWFA, I assume? Because the other scopes that guy had were hot garbage.

And I have to be honest, I realize $300 isn't a small amount of money, but an SWFA is not an "expensive" optic, haha. They're about the best budget optic there is out there, but they're definitely not "high-end!"

 

[ken226]

You meant comparing some LOW-end optics to the SWFA, I assume? Because the other scopes that guy had were hot garbage.

And I have to be honest, I realize $300 isn't a small amount of money, but an SWFA is not an "expensive" optic, haha. They're about the best budget optic there is out there, but they're definitely not "high-end!"

Yea that was a cross between humor and sarcasm. That guy's funny though. He reviewed an IOR scope and said "It tracks like a nearsighted injun".

 

[ReplicaSnipers]

so you're saying it's Leupold quality glass? eh. I guess. for 250 bucks it's about the same grade of Japanese econoglass as what's in my mk4's that cost much more.

Are the Mk4's really that bad?? I was wanting one for a while to put on my M21 replica but sounds like I dodged a bullet so to speak?

 

[ReplicaSnipers]

Nikon and Weaver are out for me. Weaver made some great scopes, but now that they are out of business, they turned over warranty to Bushnell, for now...

Weaver have a very, very long history of going out of business! I still use a lot of their old K2.5's and 3's as fill in scopes for Sniper replica builds and for their age they are very good glass but that was another era and It's been a very, very long time since I've looked through one and been anywhere near impressed. A friend of mine has owned a few and every single one crapped out on him. He switched to secondhand Pecars and never looked back. You just cannot beat German and Austrian glass. I have a plethora of old Swarovski, Kahles, Pecar, Zeiss scopes and they still look amazing 40+ years later. For a hunting scope give me a Kahles Helia 3-9x42 S2 absolutely any day over a new scope of any modern brand for the same money.

 

[Darayavaus]

Are the Mk4's really that bad?? I was wanting one for a while to put on my M21 replica but sounds like I dodged a bullet so to speak?

I've never owned or looked through a leupold that would qualify as a "good low light scope".

otherwise, they're fine for normal daytime shooting, just like the SWFA is.

 

[kwelhand]

Dang... all these years it looks like still, no one can beat 10X SWFA...

 

[Esoteric Junkie]

Kenko Tokina, the makers of SWFA, Sightron, Vortex and many others, make good product in their respective price categories.

EJ

 

[ReplicaSnipers]

Kenko Tokina, the makers of SWFA, Sightron, Vortex and many others, make good product in their respective price categories.

EJ

That 'Tokina' of the camera lens company of the same name?

 

[Esoteric Junkie]

That 'Tokina' of the camera lens company of the same name?

Yes.
EJ

 

[db2000]

Are there still any of those FX-1000 Nikons? I saw them for 339.

The Athlon stuff in that price range isn't bad. SWFA fixed power scopes aren't bad. They have a reputation, its from when the market was much thinner though. I remember a time when the SWFA HD was the only option in its price range for FFP mil/mil. Things have changed drastically since then and dollar for dollar you can get a lot more now days. Especially by watching for older generation scopes. The competition in the industry has them coming out with new scopes at a very fast pace, at which time people and vendors start dumping the older gens for cheap. Some of the best deals are coming from retailers. Call some Snipershide vendors.

IMO: Grab a used SWFA fixed, should be around 225. Wait and watch for a deal, then resell the used SWFA or keep it for a back up.

I have 2 of the FX1000 6-24x50 and they are great. Track excellent. Glass rivals my Leupold VX3 at 20 power in low light. Return to zero is flawless and has set screws on the turrets to set zero. Nice clicks on the mrad. I don't use the illumination but its bright and has off settings between each brightness level.

 

[cro789]

Thats great but isn’t Nikon going to stop making scopes?

 

[db2000]

Thats great but isn’t Nikon going to stop making scopes?

Yes, I'm unclear how this will affect the warranty, which is currently a "no fault" policy.

 

[cro789]

I think they will have to honor warranty for 10 years. I think.

 

[xsn10s]

After current events I decided to limit, or stay away from purchasing Chinese made products. So I purchased a sample list side focus 10X today during their Memorial Day sale.

 

[Mr. W]

I am somewhat new to the long range game. I bought the SWFA 10x and the 16X fixed scopes. Glass quality may not be on the high end, but it works very well for the price unless like stated above in low light conditions. Out to 1200 yards I am happy with these for the price shooting torso sized targets.

 

[xsn10s]

Okay I've been glassing the hillside a bit over a mile in varying lights from my backyard for a month and the SWFA 10X is useable. Not the brightest or clearest scope, but definitely useable. Compared it with my old Leupold VariXIII LR 4.5-14x50 and the Leupold is noticably brighter and clearer. But I have not problems seeing crows at 1.3 miles with the SWFA. Mounted on a 22-250 I have and shot steel out to 800 yards with Hornady 55 gr SP loads this 4th of July weekend. I didn't had any problems spotting my splatter at 800 yards. And any corrections I made by dialing the knobs were spot on.

 

[Lange Carabine]

If you are poor white trash shooting a second/third hand Savage its a great scope.

Hey! I resemble that remark