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IOR 3-18x42 35mm, FFP, initial thoughts

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Rancid Coolaid View Drop Down
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    Posted: September/04/2007 at 20:28

Damn, the thing is heavy.

Damn, the glass is clear.

Damn, I like the elevation knob (not quite as much as the EREK, but enough to save the $1,000 difference and not feel too bad.)

 

 

My initial appraisal, before mounting, before shooting: I like it.

 

My reluctance: of the first-run batch of 70, at least 2 have failed within 1 month due to what seems to be the focusing mechanism breaking.

 

The glass is great, the knobs aren't great but are workable, the elevation turret is mis-marked, the reticle is fantastic, and the included TPS rings seem OK but will probably be swapped for badger soon (does Badger make a 35mm ring?)

 

Time will tell if I made a wise choice or should'a Cowboyed Up and bought the S&B PM2.

 

More to follow, pics on the way.

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RONK View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2007 at 21:55
Very interesting. In what way is the elevation turret mis-marked?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/05/2007 at 07:36
The reticle is in mils, the turret is in 1/10th mils (10 clicks =1 mil) however, the turrets are marked in 5-click increments.  So, when the turret reads 1 (mil) it is actually at 1/2 mil.  New turrets are being printed and shipped that are marked correctly.  The large elevation allows for 10 mils total elevation adjustment with one rotation.  No more getting lost on the elevation turret when dialing from 200 to 900 or 1,000 back down to 200.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote livetohunt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/05/2007 at 08:32
I picked up one of these scopes also.I am sending it back because it has two spots on the inside of the reticle .I know its not a big deal but the glass is so clear those spots drive me crazy.Im sure they will fix it and send it back.I really like this scope and for the money I think its going to be hard to beat.The reticle rocks and I think it compares well with my USO Zeiss and S&B
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/05/2007 at 09:20
Yea, glass is good.  I was happy to get one that had no obvious flaws.  If they can square the damned things away, it'll be a great scope.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trinidad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/05/2007 at 11:51

Sounds great RC, I look foreward to the rest of your report on your S.H.S.IOR.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/06/2007 at 18:22
Thanks for the DAMN SITREP.....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/07/2007 at 16:48

No pics, sorry - I'll take some of the rifle and scope.

 

My initial range thoughts on the IOR 3-18 SH.

 

 

1.  I really like the elevation turret.  The clicks are clear and crisp, the turn is relatively easy (maybe a slight bit too easy) and the it is almost impossible to get lost on the dial.

2.  At 3X, you are looking at the inside of the scope tube in addition to the target at the other end.  It has a tunnel effect that goes away at 4X.  I will shoot nothing at 3X as it is a waste of time, no increase in FOV, and the tunnel bugs me.

3.  The rings that come with the scope seem pretty good (TPS.)  I was not happy with the instructions that come with.  The scope instructions say over-tightening rings voids more warranties than anything; and the ring instructions are to tighten "as tight as you can with the supplied torque wrench without using additional leverage.  I am a torque wrench kinda guy and "as tight as you can without additional leverage" equals immanent failure in my eyes.  Give me a number!

4.  The glass is good, the image is clear and crisp edge to edge.  The scope is plenty bright at 18X in good sunlight, and plenty bright at 6X in fading light.

5.  The parallax ain't my favorite.  Since it adjusts its full range in about 3/4 inch of rotation, the perfect picture isn't as easy to get as it is on my NightForce or Zeiss.

6.  Eye relief isn't a problem at 3.5 inches; however, due to the design of the scope, it is difficult to mount it far enough back to get a perfect shouldering of the weapon.  When mounting, you have maybe 1.5 inches of room to play in fore/aft movement to find the right eye relief.  For me, the perfect eye relief is about 1 inch further back - which isn't possible.

7.  I put 30 rounds of 300WM through an 11 pound gun and the scope didn't move in the rings and the scope didn't fail - which is nice.

8.  The provided sunshade is needed as stray light does seem to find it's way into my field of view without the shade.

9.  10X seems to be the "sweet-spot" where the FFP reticle is big enough to use, but not so big as to detract from the task at hand.  At 4X, the bullseye dot is not entirely visible (but it is where you know it is) and at 18X, the reticle dominates the image picture - though it always stays the same size in reference to the target.

10. If it continues to function as it did today, I will be happy.  Do I like it more than my Nightforce : not at this moment.  Do I think it worth the money: yes.  Is it as good as USO, S&B: no.

 

 

It is a good scope, seems tough, tracks well, and shows a nice image; it doesn't offer enough mounting range, the parallax needs to be less fine, the elevation knob should be similar to the windage knob in terms of stiffness, and the eyepiece shouldn't be so prominent in the sight picture.

 

 

having said all that, i also zeroed my new Swaro and may be swapping every scope I have on every hunting rifle to the Swarovski AH.  Though the tube is only 1 inch, the clarity is great, the brightness is great, the actual eyepiece almost disappears (it's almost like there is no tube around the optics - all you see is the sight picture - and it is pristine.)

 

I own several Zeiss Conquest and, great as they are, I love the Swaro image and reticle.  It is a small scope, light, snag-free, and has the best image I have seen in a scope its size and power range.  I am now a huge Swaro fan.  But I do still like my Conquests - especially those with BDCs on them.  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/08/2007 at 19:31

Does the SH IOR have the MP-8 reticle?  If so, I would be interested in finding out if yours has a thick and a thin portion in the crosshairs,(Duplex style),in addition to the ranging hashmarks.  My 2.5-10 FFP has only the thin crosshairs, and I wonder how many others are similar. Any of you guys with MP-8 reticles care to check them out?

 Not trying to hi-jack your thread, Rancid, just curious. 

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Rancid Coolaid View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/09/2007 at 17:16

The SH version is a modified MP-8, it does have thick posts on 3 of the 4 posts.  On the bottom post, there is a 15mil scale with no hard post.

 

I really like the reticle.  Another key difference is a dot in the center and the lines end .25 mils before the dot.  The dot is o.1 mils (which kinda sucks if shooting a .30 cal round as the dot is just slightly bigger  - 0.36 inches than the bullet hole.)  But the dot is great - it draws the eye quickly to the point of aim.

 

 

The more I use it, the more I like it.

 

And, for those considering the layout - as in the new IOR with the larger elevation turret - I hear some are mounting the scope with both rings up front.  One of the issues I have with this configuration is that the center joint is so large there is only about 1.5 inches of space to mount the back ring.  To fix this, some are mounting both rings forward.  I am reluctant to do this - was taught always mount rings as far apart as possible for better alignment and less danger of torquing the scope - but might try it to get my  scope about an inch further back.  IOR has said mounting in this way would not void the warranty - which is nice.

 

Also, for those considering the new IOR with large elevation:  I am working now to get Kenton to stock the turrets for BDCs.  With some luck, that should happen in the next few weeks.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Duce Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/12/2007 at 12:53

love those swaros,did you get one with the builtin rail? everything I have heard about them it is even better.

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/12/2007 at 17:34

Mine doesn't have the rail but i love the glass.  From behind the scope, you don't see any tube, just edge-to-edge image.  It's almost like the image is floating in space, no black ring around it, nothing in the line of site but the thing where the hole will be and the reticle. And it is very bright, very cler, very crisp, and fantatic resolution.

 

Like I said in another post, I might be pawning all my Conquests for Swaros. And yes, it is that much better!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/18/2007 at 21:13

Final thought on IOR SH

 

 

I like the glass.  I like the elevation knob.  I like the reticle.

 

 

I found a guy who doesn't like his SN3 so wants to swap for my IOR SH.

 

I like it, but I like USO much more.

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