Author: RifleDude
Subject: Which Illuminated Reticle Scope
Posted: December/08/2013 at 12:51
I like the Kahles the best out of those 3, however, it's also the most expensive. It has a great illumination system that's better than the IOR. Not sure about how its illumination system stacks up against the Duralyt.
With the current $100 rebate on the Duralyt, that's not a bad deal. However, I haven't played with the illumination system on the Duralyt, and don't know how it stacks up against the other illumination systems. I have a Duralyt, but mine is non-illuminated. Optically, Duralyts do have soft field edges and some barrel distortion at low power, but center field resolution is pretty good, and low light performance is excellent. Adjustments have a nice solid feel to them. The Duralyt is heaviest of the 3, but it also has 12X on the top end, if that's important to you.
The IOR has excellent optics, and is surprisingly light and compact by typical IOR standards. It's also the least expensive of the 3. It's a nice scope, but unless IOR has made recent improvements to its illumination, its illumination system isn't my favorite. It does have 1/4" more eye relief than the Zeiss and Kahles, which isn't much, but if this scope purchase is for a heavy kicker, every little bit helps. I'm not absolutely certain, but the last time I looked at an IOR 2.5-10, I seem to recall it having some tunnel vision on low power, which is annoying to me. I have their 4-14X50, and I like the scope a lot despite some shortcomings. Image quality is their strength, despite some weird mechanical design elements. I'm the least trustful of Valdada's CS vs. Zeiss and Kahles (Khaybes). I've heard mixed reports on IOR Valdada CS experiences -- some great, some not so great.
The above is in the order I would rank them.
HOWEVER...given the price of the Kahles, if possible, I believe I'd be awfully tempted to just up the ante another $300 and get the 2.5-10X50 Diavari w/ Illuminated #60 on the Sample List you mentioned. It's a fantastic scope, and it also has the benefit of LotuTec, which is really nice to have in wet weather. Optically, it will trump all 3 of the scopes above.
Subject: Which Illuminated Reticle Scope
Posted: December/08/2013 at 12:51
I like the Kahles the best out of those 3, however, it's also the most expensive. It has a great illumination system that's better than the IOR. Not sure about how its illumination system stacks up against the Duralyt.
With the current $100 rebate on the Duralyt, that's not a bad deal. However, I haven't played with the illumination system on the Duralyt, and don't know how it stacks up against the other illumination systems. I have a Duralyt, but mine is non-illuminated. Optically, Duralyts do have soft field edges and some barrel distortion at low power, but center field resolution is pretty good, and low light performance is excellent. Adjustments have a nice solid feel to them. The Duralyt is heaviest of the 3, but it also has 12X on the top end, if that's important to you.
The IOR has excellent optics, and is surprisingly light and compact by typical IOR standards. It's also the least expensive of the 3. It's a nice scope, but unless IOR has made recent improvements to its illumination, its illumination system isn't my favorite. It does have 1/4" more eye relief than the Zeiss and Kahles, which isn't much, but if this scope purchase is for a heavy kicker, every little bit helps. I'm not absolutely certain, but the last time I looked at an IOR 2.5-10, I seem to recall it having some tunnel vision on low power, which is annoying to me. I have their 4-14X50, and I like the scope a lot despite some shortcomings. Image quality is their strength, despite some weird mechanical design elements. I'm the least trustful of Valdada's CS vs. Zeiss and Kahles (Khaybes). I've heard mixed reports on IOR Valdada CS experiences -- some great, some not so great.
The above is in the order I would rank them.
HOWEVER...given the price of the Kahles, if possible, I believe I'd be awfully tempted to just up the ante another $300 and get the 2.5-10X50 Diavari w/ Illuminated #60 on the Sample List you mentioned. It's a fantastic scope, and it also has the benefit of LotuTec, which is really nice to have in wet weather. Optically, it will trump all 3 of the scopes above.