Once upon a long ago……
When all you wanted was a ‘’sniper rifle’’ and a Huge mag scope!!.....
Well I was young, and did’nt know much about nothing!
Now a day’s having shot blackpowder, nitro, and airrifles I have become totaly and utterly hooked on HFT/FT shooting!! Damn those English for inventing such a addictive sport, where so much money is to be spend! (if you proceed on the same yourney) as me, myself, and I!!
To cut a long preliminary story short, 34 ish rifles down the road and a big number of scopes, I have come by trial and error to a short list of scopes which I totally love!! Of course some preferences are subjective to eyes and may differ from others.
For now I am realy getting into FT pcp and my combo is the Walther LG 400 and the ‘’BIG NIKKO’’ sterling…..so with this set up I wanted to familiarize myself with range finding and PCP shooting. This I will do parralel with my recoil competition shooting… (and hopefully one day there will be an Optisan FT scope to continue our relationship!!) Why the extra need for a optisan FT scope while having the Big Nikko?... Well I will get to his a little later!
This year I wil end with what I called the ’’poor man’s FT’’ recoil.. which is nothing more then participating in a FT recoil match with a low mag scope…scope of choice was my trusted Optisan Mamba.. I’ve been using these scopes for most of my ‘’shooting career’’ for they are affordable and very clear. So far I’ve had the mamba light for HFT, the viper 6-24x 56 for 50 meter precision shooting and the mamba 30 mm tube 3-12x44 IRS which I used fot the ‘’poorman’s’’ FT.(Here I am with the EVX wich I used at the BeNeLux open) first of the two try out’s before the European championships!!
With the Mamba I became the Dutch National Champion, and although the FT recoil group in the Netherlands is a relative small group I stood my ground against the super springers equipped with high magnification scopes capable of rangefinding.
Some time ago I was asked to join the BeNeLux organisation for they needed a secretary, because we where asked to organize the European championship HFT in 2019!!! Umarex really helped by introducing us to some manufactures an the tickets for the IWA to obtain sponsors!! And we got help from quite a few of them. (come and see in 2019)
So now we reach the ( for me) best part of my story!! As I was walking with Patrick , our chairman accross the IWA whe entered the Optisan stand, prepairing to run the story of the European championship once more and courious about the novelty’s) we started talking to Phillip You,… and sometimes there is that something that makes you instantly like some one! … we ran our sale/sponsor pitch, found out that Optisan is a family buisiness in Taiwan where everything is built end assembled in house!
I did some research and found the following.. there is specialy heat treated berylium bronze used fort he internals!
Springs from each batch are subject tot wo weeks of fatigue treatment, and in stead of nitrogen they now use Argon wich is more helpfull against temperature change, the scope’s wil also be inspected on 80 different point’s before they find there way to us!!
Also the lenses have 96 different coatings..
The scope is then adjusted to different parralax settings, with a ‘’collimator’’ , and then undergo’s a recoil test and is then rechecked with a ‘’collimator’’ (google heeeeeelp!!!!) in short this meassures if there is a shift, wich if you shoot a powderburner or recoiling airrifle would render the scope useless.
Wauw, i’ve got a total new take on scope’s….
Then when Patrick only hinted that I used a Optisan mamba scope and with that took the FT recoil championship of 2017 I was in for a nice surprice!!!
When this reached Lily You (chief product designer) Pillip told me that Lily asked if I would like to try a scope from the new line….. Uhmmmmm let me think on that for about no seconds… YES!!!
Phillip showed me the EVX 6-24X50 F1, with the new recticle, and this is what I received a few weeks later. I also asked if I could use it with the large sidewheel and this was added to the scope.
I’m not going to pretent, or try to let you think this is a FT scope!! Although it is usable in guistimate rangefinding..
What is it then? Wel it has even a brighter sight picture then my old scope’s, And no more second focal plane ‘’HFT’’ or low magification scope’s for me anymore! this is for me a real eye opener, due to the fact that the crosshairs enlarge with the focus ring and the pellet impact stay’s at the same point!! Did’nt know it excisted, This is so nice when shooting at different magnifications!
Used it in Grupont Belgium where we held the BeNeLux open the first of two tryouts where after a shootout I became 3d (out of 4) due to a defective piston seal….
So my summary is that Optisan has excelled once more with they’re EVX series! And that brings me to why also an Optisan FT scope?, wel while using the EVX in the woods (shadow) i noticed that it was easyer to see the targets (clearer) more definition then anything i’ve previously owned, and the first vocal plane gives you the possibility to bring the target closer while stil be able to use youre range card, this is a big help for me especially when shooting those 40 mm target’s at 55 yards/50 meters…. At 6 power you have a very fine/thin crosshair, and at 24 it become’s larger, but still thin!!!
The former ‘’christmas tree’’ stripes are now dot’s wich I prefer when guestemating the wind!
In the center of the crosshairs, there is a slight opening when fully enlarged… from the benchrest shooter at the range I was told that this aided him to ‘’center’’ the scope on the small dot in the center? I yet have to find out for myself, I don’t do benchrest yet, probably next year when I stop FT recoil and start FT PCP competitions. Always a big plus are the resettable turrets, they also were present on the previous viper serie’s, and are adjustable without the need for tools, firm click’s and it past the box test, so it clicks true!
Optional is the 3 inch side wheel, or a full size 15 cm/6 inches FT like wheel!
I have to date and especialy in this price range yet to find something better, I’ve looked trough some high end scopes, but don’t know if I would ever feel the need to fork over the extra cash, for I don’t see the difference! (could be my eye’s) but don’t think so!
So if the High end is out off reach, then this Middel class priced scope gives you high class value for money….
But like I never do, take nobody’s word for it (hense my costly hobby) and try it for youre self…
At our club I had mostly the same reaction from seasoned shooters (also indoors), so my ‘’subjective’’ story is I think ever so slightly defendably ‘’objective’’ ha ha ( sorry like to play with words)
For now I’m going to enjoy the scope for as long as I may use it, and hopfully when not recalled next year I can still use it for benchrest, because I think it will earn it’s place there as well!
So far my take om Optisan EVX serie’s.
If you don’t agree atleast you had something to read for abbout 5 minutes……..
(did you check you’re watch ha ha)
Alex
ps
I wrote this a while ago for a English forum, now The weapon of choice is ( as you might have read in another topic) the RTI Priest !!!
Cheers Alex
