With my training days season starting at the end of March, I’ve been preparing my kit. I’m testing some great new kit from Meopta, Delta, FX Airguns and others.
This year is going to be the year of the radar. The superlative new models from FX and Garmin are red hot, and for good reason. They offer perfect chronograph performance in reliable, waterproof and long lasting battery life. The FX True Ballistics even gives you BC, if you don’t have it already. If you are an advanced user utilising Applied Ballistics libraries, you don’t lack accurate drag these days for mainline centrefire bullets, but what about pellets, slugs, rimfire rounds, and hunting ammunition that isn’t in the available libraries? You can be sure you can’t trust the manufacturer figures most of the time. Well, the FX scans the bullet at various ranges (adjustable at five points out to 300y) and gives you the real, honest, BC drag figure. I’ve been doing lots of rimfire and high power air rifle work using this marvellous new tool. The Garmin, smaller and cheaper, is mega convenient and never fails to give speed and SD, but doesn’t do BC.
In fact, just today, I was with a client with a new rifle with some basic hunting ammo that wasn’t in any library. I simply used the FX to measure the rounds fired and then plugged the calculated G7 BC in to the ballistics device, which in this case was a Garmin Tactix Delta Smartwatch. This then provided absolutely click perfect drops and windage all the way out. Real Vorsprung Durch Technik- progress through technology.
I’ve also been doing lots of rimfire and high power air rifle work, where published drag figures are very iffy, using this marvellous new tool to discover the truth. The Garmin, smaller and cheaper, is mega convenient and never fails to give speed and SD, but doesn’t do BC.
I’ve decided which scopes to put on each rifle; always a fun process!
On my Lapmag this year, I’m again running the utterly brilliant Sightron S8 5-40 FFP. It’ll take some scope to knock it off!
The Creedmoor is running the new Minox 5-25 LR. An evolution of the very popular ZP from a few years ago, this has great glass from Schott, spot on turrets and ret. It represents a top choice sub £2k.
The 6.5x47 is running the top-tier ZCO 5-27. Not much remains to be said about this optic.
The 308 is running a lovely new scope from Tract Optics, the 4-25 FFP. Beautiful, contrasty Schott glass, great turrets and ret, available in both MIL and MOA with absolutely huge internal adjustment for elevation ensures I can lob the dozy 308 out to extreme range without issue.
My 223 varmint rifle is running one of the nicest new scopes in ages, the Delta 3.5-21x44 FFP. More compact and lightweight but with brilliant glass and low light performance to rival anything. A great crossover choice for a lighter rifle that needs to be carried, but then is also used for dialling out to very long range. I love it!
My 223 Ackley is running another Tract Optics, the 4.5-30 FFP. Another sure shot from TT.
My 6BR is running another slightly more compact optic, the lovely little 4.5-28 Valdada Mini. Great glass, zero mistakes made in ret and turrets...it’s a bargain, especially in the UK, and my Sako 85 223 is running a trusty Delta Stryker 4.5-30 FFP- the long term benchmark for a MIL FFP dialler under £1800.
As my season started, it’s all been about 33 and 37XCs. One with a rarely spotted in the wild March Genesis, the one that “bends” to give hundreds of MOA of adjustment. Glass was good. Impressive stuff. Also, a rather exotic structured barrel. These are state of the art. They are, in simple terms, exactly supported and reinforced to eliminate harmonic frequencies damaging to the accuracy of the barrel or ,in more exact terms, they don’t show any nodal fussiness and are more consistent at all times with various ammo.
In addition, some beautiful Dolphin Rifle builds in 37XC, sporting two fit-and-forget LR optics, the Nightforce ATACR 7-35 and the Sightron S8 5-40. Plus, a 375 Cheytac running another ATACR. These guys were using all using radar chronies, Send-it LED levels, and Accu-Tac, Atlas bipods, or the very versatile Tier One FTR.
I’ve been testing the compatibility of the Leica Rangemaster 2800.com monocular and the Geovid Pro binoculars with Garmin 701, 901 and Kestrel Elite. They both offer azimuth, which is forward progress. The great value £600 monocular works with the Kestrel and does indeed provide range, inclination and compass/azimuth/dof. However, it sleeps quickly and when it resumes, there’s a 30 second delay until it’ll range again. I’m pleased to report that the big brother, the Geovid Pro, doesn’t have this frustration. This also works with the Garmins, which the monocular does not. 
I’m testing the Caldwell Stable Table Deluxe, for clients with bad backs who can’t lie prone. It’s a chunky bit if kit and will undoubtably last many years. It does come apart quickly and easily for transportation and no single part is especially heavy to carry. The levelling and swivelling features are great.
Minox sent me a high end spotter with a reticle in it. It’s very good and is great value at under £2000. The eye box is a nudge fussier than the Swarovski STR but it’s the best option under £3000 that I’ve seen.
Look out next month for thoughts on the new Sightron S6. With the outrageous performance and value of the big S8, I’m very excited to see if the S6 is as impressive. Sightron appear to be on a roll. All products available to try out at SharpShootingUK and to buy via Optics Warehouse's’s helpful team.
All products are available to try out at SharpShootingUK and to buy via Optics Warehouse’s helpful team.
A big thank you to Richard for writing another insightful blog for us. Make sure to check him out at www.sharpshootinguk.com.
Equipment
Delta 3.5-21x44 FFP Rifle Scope
Delta Stryker 4.5-30 FFP Rifle Scope
FX True Ballistic Rifle and Airgun Radar Chronograph
Garmin Foretrex 901 Ballistic Edition Wrist-mounted GPS Navigator with Strap
Garmin Tactix 7 – Pro Ballistics Edition Premium Solar GPS Watch with Applied Ballistics
Minox Long Range LR 5-25×56 FFP Illuminated Reticle LR 34mm Zero Stop Rifle Scope
Minox MD 80 ZR 20-60x FFP Attached Ocular Spotting Scope with Built In MR2-S Reticle
Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56 Rifle Scope
Sightron SVIII ED 5-40x56 FFP LRM Rifle Scope
Valdada Mini G2 4.5-28x50 FFP Rifle Scope
Zero Compromise Optic (ZCO) ZC527 5-27X56 FFP Rifle Scope
Brands
Accu-Tac
Caldwell
Delta Optical
FX Airguns
Garmin
Leica
Meopta
Minox
Nightforce
Sightron
Tier One
Valdada
