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Kahles scope questions?

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SSgtSmitty View Drop Down
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    Posted: June/04/2009 at 14:31

Kahles rifle scopes,

I'm Looking at 3-9X42, either KX or CL.  I'd like a scope than not everybody has.
SWFA doesn't have them listed anymore.  There is no icon on the rifle scopes section of the website. 
1.  How many members here have them? 
2.  What are your thoughts on them? 
3.  Are the dials all metal or with plastic parts like the Zeiss Conquest / Leupold VX-3? 
4.  Is it better glass than the Zeiss Conquest? 
5.  Who carries them? 
6.  Where to find the best deal at? 
7.  Are the KX models out of production? 
8.  Is the multizero on the CL's worth the extra cash? 
 
Thanks,
SSgtSmitty  
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chuck danger View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chuck danger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 14:44
Ok, I can't give you an exact comparison since I have the 2.5-10x50 CS series, which is 30mm, but if this helps:

2.  Fantastic.  I love them so far.  Beautiful clarity, built like a tank, looks good on my rifle.
3.  I have a 3.5-10x44 Conquest-  I like the Kahles better.  I can't say the glass is better, cause my eye is not that good.  They look very close to me.  But I just like the Kahles better so far.  Maybe something in my subconscious likes them better and isn't telling me about it.
4.  See #3.  I cannot really tell the difference, but there is something about the Kahles that I like better.
5.  I am not sure what the rules are about putting links to other places-  PM me and I can tell you where Kahles says to buy them for now.
6.  As far as I can find, either the Sample List (where I bought mine) or the one other place that I know of to buy them.
7.  Don't know for sure, but the Kahles Optik website lists them still.  I only know where to get the CL's (or CS's) though.
8.  IMO, absolutely.  I love the multi-zero feature, if for no other reason that it makes me absolutely confident in my shot if I have the time to make the adjustment (maybe 10-15 seconds).  Plus, I'm sort of the engineer type and MZ really makes shooting into a numbers game- once solved, there's no doubt.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote skywalker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 15:11
I have the Helia KX 3X9X42 and love it.....got the last one off samplelist......sorry.  I also have a Helia CL 3X10X50 w/ multizero, glass is exceptional as the KX is.  I havent had time to start on the multizero...

skywalker
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 15:21
Do a search on this website, it's well documented what's happened to Kahles here in the states. 
“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 15:31
Originally posted by SSgtSmitty SSgtSmitty wrote:

Kahles rifle scopes,

I'm Looking at 3-9X42, either KX or CL.  I'd like a scope than not everybody has.
SWFA doesn't have them listed anymore.  There is no icon on the rifle scopes section of the website. 
1.  How many members here have them? 
2.  What are your thoughts on them? 
3.  Are the dials all metal or with plastic parts like the Zeiss Conquest / Leupold VX-3? 
4.  Is it better glass than the Zeiss Conquest? 
5.  Who carries them? 
6.  Where to find the best deal at? 
7.  Are the KX models out of production? 
8.  Is the multizero on the CL's worth the extra cash? 
 
Thanks,
SSgtSmitty  
 
1.  I have 4 Kahles scopes, including a CL, but not a KX.
2.  I love them.  They are excellent!  However, in spite of how much I like them, I'm reluctant to recommend them to others because they currently don't have a US service center.
3.  I believe they are all aluminum, but I can't say for certain there is no plastic there.
4.  To my eyes, yes.  It isn't a dramatic difference, though.
5.  If the one you want isn't on the Sample List (www.samplelist.com), then I have no recommendation.  I'm loyal to my friends at SWFA, and besides, recommending any optics vendor outside of SWFA, who provides this forum, is a violation of forum rule #3.  The current problem with availability is due to the fact they don't have a US importer at the moment.
6.  See # 5.
7.  I don't believe they are, but I'm not sure since new Kahles scopes in general are getting hard to find in the US after they recently severed their business relationship with SONA in the US and currently don't have a US importer.
8.  I don't have it on my scopes to comment on its true usefulness, but as with every other feature, it's value depends entirely on what you want to use the scope for and what it's worth to you.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bagderRed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 18:06

6. - If SWFA carries a product they do have a %110 price difference guarantee. (With a few stipulations.)  Do a price match with the form they provide on the mainpage of swfa.com if you come across somewhere less expensive.  Give Chris and company a chance to earn your business.  Although it wouldn't work here as you said they don't have any in stock... good luck.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mlv2k5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 20:43
I have a CL 4x12x52 with MultiZero, so not quite the same thing you are looking for. However, the glass is excellent, I got mine off Samplelist around October of last year. Great scopes, would definitely recommend them. I havn't had a chance to mess with the MultiZero like I wanted to yet. Unless you feel you really need it, you may want to get one without it and save the cash for another scope or rifle later.
-Michael
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldtrader3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/05/2009 at 09:28
I have (2) KX's, a 3-9x42 and a 3.5-10x50.  I also had a 3-9x40 Conquest which I gave to my son.  The Kahles KX's are better scopes.  Kahles still lists both the KX and CL on their website.  You might be able to find one on the Samplelist.com, they do show up occasionally.  As for plastic, I'm sure that probably some of the turret and lens seals are plastic, but so are all other scopes.  My 3-9x42 KX scope is about 7-8 years old and is still functions perfectly.  Mine has the TDS reticle which Kahles and now Swarovski have stopped making.  Mine was made in Austria which I believe the CL's are not.  I would unconditionally recommend the KX scope.

Edited by Oldtrader3 - June/05/2009 at 09:30
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/05/2009 at 10:19
Originally posted by Oldtrader3 Oldtrader3 wrote:

My 3-9x42 KX scope is about 7-8 years old and is still functions perfectly.  Mine has the TDS reticle which Kahles and now Swarovski have stopped making.  Mine was made in Austria which I believe the CL's are not.  I would unconditionally recommend the KX scope.
 
The KX series was introduced about 3 years ago.  Are you sure your scope isn't the previous AH series version?  It is very similar to the KX.  The KX scopes never had the TDS reticle; it was discontinued after the AH series was dropped.
 
All Kahles scopes, including the CLs, are made in Austria.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldtrader3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/05/2009 at 12:23
Rifle Dude, you are most likely correct about my having the AH series scopes.  My scopes do not have the little white plastic spacers that the new KX scopes have.  I will change my Excel listings for my optics to reflect updated reality. 
 
I had a really bad case of hypoxia in 2003, from pneumonia, collapsed lung, heart and kidney failure.  As a result of the hypoxia do not remember much about most of 2003 and late 2002 at all.  By the time I got my brain mostly unscrambled and retrained some of my memory to a functional state, Kahles was making only the KX American series.  So I wrongly assumed that is what I have.  It is really strange to have all of your senses functional, education, experience and training intact but with no reliable memory to support it.


Edited by Oldtrader3 - June/05/2009 at 12:24
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/05/2009 at 15:24
Dang, buddy, it sounds like you had a rough going there!  I'm glad things turned out as well as they did!  You're not alone, though.  I seem to be losing my memory the old fashioned way!Wink
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JF4545 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/05/2009 at 15:58
Hi, Does anyone know if the reticle shows up well inder low light conditions? Its the Kahles Helia CL 4-12x52 Scope w/Plex Reticle & MultiZero. Perhaps this question was already asked and I missed it.


Thanks!

J........
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SSgtSmitty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/05/2009 at 16:04
Oldtrader3,
I'm glad your doing better now.
 
And I Quote:
Oldtrader3 "I would unconditionally recommend the KX scope."
And this one by RifleDude "All Kahles scopes are made in Austria."
These are the kind of reasons why I'm more interested in the Kahles KX 3-9X42 with plex reticle than  a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X40 with Z600 reticle.
SSgtSmitty  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote brodeur272 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/05/2009 at 19:09
If you look around on the web, you can find the CLs if SWFA or the Sample List doesn't have them.  You can PM me with your email address and I can point you to a couple of places if they don't have them here.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldtrader3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/06/2009 at 00:20
Thanks, Rifledude, I was not supposed to still be here but god willing! 
 
For me a less complex reticle is better in low light.  However, many feel differently about this subject.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SSgtSmitty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/06/2009 at 11:10

As each day / moment passes by the more sure I am that a NIB Kahles KX 3-9X42 with plex reticle is the scope I want for my rifle.  None of this all parts made in Europe than put together in America crap.  If I can ever find one online or over the phone (using Kahles wesite) then it's bought.  If SWFA had this scope then I'd be getting it from them. but they don't.

SSgtSmitty
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