New scope

[markha 99]

Well I have been using a Hawke Sidewinder tactical 4.5-14x42 for the past 8 months.

Yes its a fantastic bit of kit, all singing and dancing, with adjustable everything.

I have had some very good results at long range on paper with this and using the Hawke software for calibrating the mildots etc. I did have some trouble with it losing its zero, however I did a check of all allen bolts and found the rear mount was completely loose! Bad on my part for not checking sooner as part of my maintenance routine.

 

However all this aside its not been the best scope for good old hunting with, its a big and heavy old unit and I found that I was longing for something a bit simpler, I just wanted simple low zoom power and no paralax adjustment.

 

So the Hawke went on fleabay and after a mooch through my local gun dealers stock of optics I bought a Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40 with a TRX reticle. So a simple zoom with surprisingly good glass and at a very reasonable price of £130.00, yes I did spend a lot more on the Hawke and I was weighing up buying a Leopold for silly money, but common sense won for a change

 

So a return to good old fashioned simple scope and looking forward to trying it out next week.

 

[gurtwurz 792]

well it looks a good un markha buddy, whats the TRX reticle like mate?

 

cheers, wurz

[pianoman 3,587]

Cracking scopes Bushnell make Mark. The Trophy's a beauty, you'll appreciate in very low light mate

 

ATB

 

Simon

[markha 99]

Cheers both, Gurtz the reticle is a TRX which is basically 5 lines below the cross, each line is 3 minutes of angle at 100m, so 1st line is 3 inches, 6, 9 ,12 and 15" at 500m, so I need to just have a tap with the calculator to divide up the distances for air rifle hunting ranges, nothing to difficult.

 

Ill set up some targets at various ranges and zero at 35m and take it from there, then make up a small range card to stick on the scope cover.

Happy days.

[Marksman 934]

well it looks a good un markha buddy, whats the TRX reticle like mate?

 

cheers, wurz

 

Here ya go mate....

 

Darryl

[darren watson 14]

my mate put one of those sidewinders on his ultra tactical and its made it very top heavy, like it wants to just tip the rifle over sideways. needless to say, he now wants rid of it.

[markha 99]

Well it was a glorious day weather wise today, So I headed out to zero this new scope in and have a bit of target practice and then for a bit of a rough shoot.

 

I zeroed at 35yds, then put targets up at 40, 45 and 50 yds to check the drop and how it matched up to the TRX reticle.

 

40 yds was just between the crosshair and the 1st line.

45 yds was pretty close to/above,the 2nd line

50 yds was pretty close to/above the 3rd line

 

I didnt bother to range out any further as I thought I would have a play with some ballistics software and do some maths to work out the rest of the reticle graduatiuons and then put them to the test at a later date.

 

Im going to have to get used to the lower power of x9 but Im happy with the optics, nice and bright and a quick twist of the fast eye focus 'snaps' the image nice and sharp at different power settings and distances.

 

Time will tell.