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SWFA SS 1-4x24 Illuminated Mil-Quad DM

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cheaptrick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/10/2014 at 15:07
Originally posted by jjrgr21 jjrgr21 wrote:

i'm not trying to knock the SS line, i have the 5-20, 3-9, and 10X. and think they are the best value $$ can buy.

i'm just giving my $.02 on my experience with this particular scope.

Sure. I didn't mean to indicate otherwise, Sir.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steelbenz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/10/2014 at 15:12
I can't ever say I haven't built a lemon,that is the nature of the beast with a production line. but I fully trust the guys who put their names with the SS brand to do you right! I wouldn't worry about it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jjrgr21 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/10/2014 at 15:16
i know they will, but right now it's a 6 month wait for a replacement.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steelbenz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/10/2014 at 15:28
D'oh!Shocked
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote budperm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/10/2014 at 15:35
Hi Mark, 21!  I too have one I've yet to mount.  I can fully understand the apprehension, being new it is possible that it is a hidden design flaw but I doubt it.  Even if it is Chris and team (SWFA) will make it right.  I'm so busy right now it isn't funny but I'll get her mounted and sighted in before Christmas...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote budperm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/10/2014 at 15:40
six months sucks but then $100 bucks is $100.   Well worth the gamble on this launch sale.  My first launch sale as I normally stay away from first production year anything! Hippie
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MikieG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/10/2014 at 16:11
Man that scope looked so good that i nearly ordered 3 of em instead of the one 1-6x i ordered.
I bet that this prob is not common. Sounds like the spring inside gave up the ghost.
Never the less. At 300 bucks i get they sold out of em.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Urimaginaryfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/10/2014 at 17:52
This should be incredibly popular.  I really want one.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote army_eod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/10/2014 at 18:19
Scope Caps...sorry for earlier post.  Here is what my email from SWFA just shows..

257K       Butler Creek Lens Caps Kit         1.00     1.00     0.00 
           16 Eye, 02A Obj              
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote budperm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/11/2014 at 07:10
that is all  Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BroncoAZ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/11/2014 at 21:02
Originally posted by budperm budperm wrote:

Originally posted by army_eod army_eod wrote:

02 02A
14 16 17



That is what I read on the scope caps..not sure it helps
 
 

 

What size cap did you get? 


It reads like army_eod has the multiflex caps based on the fact that there is more than one number listed. I measured my scope at 1.687" for the eye and 1.181" (exactly 30 mm) for the front. I purchased a 17 eye piece cap (1.675") and it fits perfect, tight enough that I know it won't come off without having to use excessive force to install. The front cap should be the 02a, I will be ordering one from Amazon as nobody stocks that size locally.

The charts are not always correct either. I am trying to get caps for my new Vortex 6-24x50 FFP scope. The chart says 14 eye and 43 front. The 43 fits (tight, but it does), but there is no way the 14 eye will slip on there (doesn't make it past the rubber eye piece). The scope measures 1.633" and the 14 cap is 1.605". There is a hole in the range to the 16 at 1.660", so I am not sure how to proceed. I will probably end up trying to stretch the 14 on some sockets to make it work
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BroncoAZ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/11/2014 at 21:12
Originally posted by army_eod army_eod wrote:

Scope Caps...sorry for earlier post.  Here is what my email from SWFA just shows..

257K       Butler Creek Lens Caps Kit         1.00     1.00     0.00<span style="color: rgb34, 34, 34; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"> </span><br style="color: rgb34, 34, 34; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">           16 Eye, 02A Obj              


I tried a 16 on mine at Sportsman's Warehouse, the 16 was very tight and the 17 was just right. I am sure there are variations in the caps, but Butler Creek recommends staying in a -.010" to +.025" range on the covers. The 16 is 1.660", so my scope at 1.687" is .027" larger.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bulletslap Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/15/2014 at 12:31

My observations so far.

 

Illyua was dead on about the highest reticle illumination setting not being quite bright enough for full sun, but in full sun I don’t need it.

 

The scope is bright and clear and I don’t notice any distortion, not being an Optical Expert that is about all I can add there from a layman’s view.

 

Even after careful Diopter adjustment I can’t really read the range numbers on the Ranging References, no big deal as I don’t intend to use this little rifle past 300 yards, I’ll just memorize   200,300,400,500,600,700, and 800.  I am curious if others can read the range numbers ? I do suffer from “Senior Eyesight”.

 

With the scope set on 1x it works great with both eyes open, very happy with this !

 

I installed this on a Ruger M77 Compact, using Leupold Medium Height 30MM rings, not the intended application for this scope.

 

For bolt clearance when set on 1x I had to use the shortest cattail, bolt clearance is minimal with the eyepiece of the scope, but usable. The magazine access is minimal also, but works.

 

I am not going to post targets or give group numbers, because this little Ruger is not easy to shoot tight groups with, that is not it’s purpose, and I don’t want the groups to reflect back onto the scope. I can shoot better groups with the scope than with the 2 ½  Leupold Compact Scope it replaced.

 

 

All said, I’ll probably move this scope to my FAL eventually.

 

For 300 bucks I think I got my money’s worth plus.  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bearcatrp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/15/2014 at 13:39
Just received mine today. WOW. This scope is well made. This is my 1st 1-4x24. Just playing around with it while it warms up from UPS delivery and checking the different distances. Was lucky some guy tried to use a foreign CC that SWFA doesn't accept so I got his order. Sucks for him as I would be pissed to loosing out on a nice scope. Until I get it mounted I won't know for sure if the range numbers will be a problem but I have glasses (and a bit old) and have a bit of a problem seeing them. Will wait until I mount this to be sure. So far, SWFA comes through again on a fine, inexpensive scope built great. My only problem is deciding which rifle to put this on, my 16 inch 308 Oracle or my 10.5 inch 308 (KAK) pistol (sig brace). Will update my post after I mount and zero.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mincer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2014 at 12:39
I got 2 days of range time in with the SS 1-4x IR this weekend, so here's a ramble about my experience...

This was my first time using a SWFA scope and a new Aero Precision Ultralight scope mount. My buddy and I are both "decent" shooters... I'm an enthusiast and get out once or twice a month, my friend used to be a Ranger and was a good enough marksman to qualify for Sniper School 10 years ago. We were at a 100yd outdoor range shooting off of a concrete table with a large 12x8" wood block to support the barrel (Gateway Rifle and Pistol Club near Jacksonville, FL). 

I had used a Wheeler scope mount kit to mount and level my scope at home (in Chicago) before flying out to Florida. If you've never flown commercial airlines with your firearms, it's always interesting and never the same at any airport... I'm not going to go into that here, but always allow for an extra 20-30 minutes if you're checking a firearm. The rifle was my 16" Ruger SR-5.56E (piston AR) with a stock Ruger heavy barrel,  Geissele SSA trigger and MFT Battlelink minimalist adjustable stock.

I was on my own on day one, so I started out at the 100yd range with the intention of zeroing the scope as recommended in the instruction manual so that I could use the reticle's built-in drop compensation (100yds at the top of the diamond, 200yd zero (center dot), 300yd at the base of the triangle).  Since they don't go out to 200yds at Gateway (for visitors with day passeslike me anyway... members can use a 200yd range), I was zeroing to the tip of the diamond reticle at 100yds.  I don't know if I botched the scope mounting, but I wasn't anywhere on paper when I started shooting. At 1x, the reticle didn't appear to line up with my Troy flip up sight either (I would anticipate a lower 2/3 co-witness with the center dot at 1x). I also learned that my eyes couldn't see a .223 bullet hole at 100yds with a 1-4x scope. I rented a spotting scope at the range office so that I could continue. It took about 2 complete revolutions up and and one complete revolution Left to get on target. It took me a long time to get things dialed in working alone and going between my rifle and the cheap rental scope that had to be re-set up on its mini tripod between every shot because there wasn't room for it alongside my rifle.  Once I finally got things dialed in "close" I ran out of time and clean targets to just shoot groups.  I ended up leaving pretty disappointed with my shooting and the whole experience on day one.

Day two was a completely different story.  Now that I had a buddy with me, we could spot for each other and get instant feedback. We started out at 50yds to warm up and within minutes were comfortably shooting 1-1.5" groups off of our wooden block support.  Going out to 100yds, the best 3 shot group was likely around an inch, but since we were doing things pretty informally, switching shooters every 10-15 rounds, we were hitting about 80% within 2.5" of the bull's eye, 10% fliers and 10% of our bullets sharing bullet holes.  It should be noted that I switched from 55gr Independence AR223 ammo on day one to 62gr ZQ 5.56 NATO rounds for day two.  Although I've never used ZQ ammo before, it was under $10 for a 30rd box at Walmart and seemed to be a lot more consistent than the 55gr Independence.
Aside from a few quick adjustments between 50 and 100yds, we left the turrets alone.  I don't think I'll be messing with the turrets to re-zero them... I'm just going to leave them set up where we have them for now and give it another go at 100yds.
It was pretty funny, because the only way to set up with the spotter next to the shooter was to have the spotter's face lined up next to the ejection port of my AR. You had to keep one hand up next to your ear when spotting to avoid getting a "hot willie".
All in all, I am very pleased with the optic.  Once we got things dialed in it performed as well as can be expected.  We had sunshine and blue skies both days and the quality of the glass was superb. I'm glad I don't have any of the "dark specks" that a few people have mentioned.  There was never any reason to use illumination, so that stayed off.  I should also say that I've never locked my rifle into a vise and tested the limits of its accuracy before, so I'm not sure where to set the bar for repeatability. 
It was interesting using the top of the diamond in the reticle at 100yds since I've never used a chevron or triangle reticle (like a Trijicon) before.  Any observations or issues I have with this scope may actually be derived from the limitations of my own eyes (I'm 40, and wear contacts because I am very nearsighted).  I'm uncertain how well this scope would perform for me at 200 and 300yds because I'm not sure that 4x is going to be good enough for me at that distance. For my eyes personally, I would call this optic a HUGE improvement in accuracy over iron sights or a red dot in the 25-150yd range.  It would be a perfect 3-gun optic. If I was shooting at a silhouette at 300 or even 200yds, I bet the reticle would obscure more than half of the target. Again, this is coming from a guy with less than perfect vision that usually shoots a .308 with higher end glass (Viper PST,EBR-2C reticle) zoomed to 20x on 100yd targets. If anyone out there is using the SS 1-4x IR past 300yds comfortably, I'd love to hear from you.

The moral of the story is probably that my own personal "close to mid-range" is more like 0-150yds... not the 0-300yds and beyond that are set up in this scope and its beautiful ranging reticle. This SWFA optic replaces an Aimpoint PRO mounted on my AR and I think that this change will give me much more versatility and precision in my close to mid-range shooting than a 2MOA dot with blurry edges floating in space. I don't think I'll ever get another red dot unless it's for a home defense shotgun.

Bulletslap - My father (who has pretty bad vision) didn't even see the ranging reticle and yd markers until I pointed it out ti him and he looked through the scope offhand using his "good" eye. Yes, the markings are quite fine and as I mentioned before... I couldn't imagine using this scope (or any 1-4x for that matter) at 400, 600, or 800yds.  It's a nice touch and very "tacticool", but to my eyes would make much more sense on a 3-9x optic.

Overall, I'm still very happy with having acquired the SWFA SS1-4x IR for $299 on Black Friday.  I'd still  gladly pay the retail price of $399 for it given it's field of competitors in the Under $500 category. I still don't think that the Vortex PST 1-4x would be any better for me.  In fact, the SWFA SS1-4x IR has clearly demonstrated to me my own limitations and the only upgrade I could think of from here wouldn't be a 1-4 optic at all, but a 1-6x or better with a first focal plane reticle that can provide finer detail at maximum magnification. That's twice the money and why am I even trying to stretch out to an uncomfortable range with a questionable rifle when I can just grab my .308? I did start this post by indicating that it was a "ramble", right? 

This is actually an action shot... See if you can spot the ejecting brass.

20"POF P308, Ruger SR556 Carbine
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tucansam Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2014 at 12:40
I also received mine and can't wait to get it mounted (on a 300BLK).  I am happy with everything so far, except I also cannot see the range numbers.  Not sure how useful they will be for my kind of shooting, anyway, but I do plan on using my 300BLK for coyotes, so ranging them would be fun.

Quick question... Mine is going on a VLTOR CAS-V rail.  Standard one-piece forward mounted AR15 style mounts are going to put the optic too high.  I like to shoot with my optic as close to the bore as humanly possible.  Can anyone recommend ring height so the rear bell + Butler Creek cap just barely clears the rail?

Thanks.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2014 at 12:48
Guys, 

The ranging lines and numbers are intentionally left thin, so that when you are not specifically looking for them, they do not intrude on your sight picture.

If you can not resolve them when you are looking for them most likely means that you did not set the eyepiece focus up correctly.  It is possible to have a sufficiently bad vision to not see them, but for most people it is not likely.

Mincer, I am also very nearsighted, right around 40 and wear contacts.  Proper eyepiece diopter setting should enable you to use the reticle properly.

As far as cowitnessing goes, that is something you do with a red dot, not with a focusing optic.

With a proper focusing optic, even at 1x, co-witnessing does not work.

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bearcatrp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2014 at 13:29
They are small but after adjusting the eye piece, they stand out. Mincer, thanks for your write up. Wasn't sure which firearm I was going to put this scope on until I read your review. Can't wait to try it at the range.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mincer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2014 at 14:52
Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:

Guys, 

The ranging lines and numbers are intentionally left thin, so that when you are not specifically looking for them, they do not intrude on your sight picture....

As far as cowitnessing goes, that is something you do with a red dot, not with a focusing optic.

With a proper focusing optic, even at 1x, co-witnessing does not work.

ILya


Ilya,
To be clear, I personally think the ranging lines look great and wouldn't change a thing... it is my father who has fairly advanced Glaucoma in his Right Eye who experienced issues making out the ranging lines. The ranging feature is one of the reasons I picked SWFA over the Leatherwood 1-4x.   My point was that I liked having access to ranging data available to out to 800yds, however it would likely be well beyond MY shooting ability and visual acuity to get any good hits out that distance with an AR-15 and ANY 4x optic.

As for the irons lining up with the reticle- I understand that you don't co-witness a focusing optic, but would still expect a center post on the end of my top rail and a reticle in the center of my scope to line up on the same vertical plane.  The fact that they didn't might further indicate that I misaligned something when originally mounting the optic or Aero Precision mount.
YMMV
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bulletslap Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2014 at 16:44
I will give the eye piece diopter setting another whirl Whacko
I am in my 6th decade and near sighted, I can see the lines OK, I just can't really make out the numbers clearly, but that doesn't matter much to me. I was wondering if it was just me.
This optic was designed for Tactical use on man sized targets, the ranging scale makes sense for that purpose, in my opinion. 
Hopefully I will get to try it out on some Yotes and Hogs in the next couple of weeks.    
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