This summer I competed in the 2013 Sniper Adventure Challenge organized by Competition Dynamics out of Denver, CO. The event was held in the rugged high desert of New Mexico over the Fourth of July weekend.
I was shooting a custom-built AR-15 mounted with an SWFA SS 3-15x42 scope. I had heard lots of good things about SWFA from the shooting community, but this was my first hands-on experience with one of their scopes.
Due to the rules of the match, bipods were now allowed for the carbine shooter. Therefore my shooting position for the fist stage was sitting cross-legged with my rifle supported on my pack between my legs. I scored a first round hit on an 8" target at 295 yards. I hit 2 more targets at 415 yards with 2 shots each and one more at 375 yards. Needless to say after that experience, I was impressed, and I trust my SWFA scope.
The folks at SWFA have produced a workhorse scope. It performed flawlessly under pretty harsh conditions. It survived both the rugged high-desert and being transported in my Eberlestock Gunslinger II pack (which is no easy task).
The scope came with SWFA's first focal plane Mil-Quad reticle. Having the reticle situated on the first focal plane made it convenient to hold for wind regardless of the power setting. After shooting with the scope I appreciate the thought processes that went into the design of the reticle. The Mil-Quad made holding for wind very straightforward; it was easy to keep track of where I was in relation to the world. The image was bright, clear, and comparable to my teammate's Nightforce.
The dope on the SS scope was spot on. The 0.10 mil clicks were crisp and solid. It never felt like I was going to bump them off setting. The turrets felt good in my hand and were easy to operate. Setting zero on the scope was easy as well. After getting dialed in, all I had to do was manipulate a couple of set screws. The only thing I would've liked to have seen in regards to this was a zero stop.
Having a side parallax knob was very convenient, as was the gradated markings (6m to infinity). It made it easy to set the distance in a tactical situation without having to mess around trying to "focus" on the fly. The throw knob on the power adjustment was also really handy. It's one of those seemingly minor details that I didn't even know I wanted, but once I had it, I didn't want to shoot without it.
Summing up, the SS 3-15x42 is an extremely rugged, easy-to-use scope. The price tag is also icing on the cake. I would not hesitate to take this scope into a real-world tactical situation.
Review by J. Russell
I was shooting a custom-built AR-15 mounted with an SWFA SS 3-15x42 scope. I had heard lots of good things about SWFA from the shooting community, but this was my first hands-on experience with one of their scopes.
Due to the rules of the match, bipods were now allowed for the carbine shooter. Therefore my shooting position for the fist stage was sitting cross-legged with my rifle supported on my pack between my legs. I scored a first round hit on an 8" target at 295 yards. I hit 2 more targets at 415 yards with 2 shots each and one more at 375 yards. Needless to say after that experience, I was impressed, and I trust my SWFA scope.
The folks at SWFA have produced a workhorse scope. It performed flawlessly under pretty harsh conditions. It survived both the rugged high-desert and being transported in my Eberlestock Gunslinger II pack (which is no easy task).
The scope came with SWFA's first focal plane Mil-Quad reticle. Having the reticle situated on the first focal plane made it convenient to hold for wind regardless of the power setting. After shooting with the scope I appreciate the thought processes that went into the design of the reticle. The Mil-Quad made holding for wind very straightforward; it was easy to keep track of where I was in relation to the world. The image was bright, clear, and comparable to my teammate's Nightforce.
The dope on the SS scope was spot on. The 0.10 mil clicks were crisp and solid. It never felt like I was going to bump them off setting. The turrets felt good in my hand and were easy to operate. Setting zero on the scope was easy as well. After getting dialed in, all I had to do was manipulate a couple of set screws. The only thing I would've liked to have seen in regards to this was a zero stop.
Having a side parallax knob was very convenient, as was the gradated markings (6m to infinity). It made it easy to set the distance in a tactical situation without having to mess around trying to "focus" on the fly. The throw knob on the power adjustment was also really handy. It's one of those seemingly minor details that I didn't even know I wanted, but once I had it, I didn't want to shoot without it.
Summing up, the SS 3-15x42 is an extremely rugged, easy-to-use scope. The price tag is also icing on the cake. I would not hesitate to take this scope into a real-world tactical situation.
Review by J. Russell
