SWFA Airgun Scope !

[pewpewfever]

Just make a 3-15 in SFP. Reticle is already one of the best in the market

OK, but for airgunners, especially HFT shooters, it has to be 16X not 15.

I’ll add that unless it’s two-thousand dollar glass, the very top end magnification on a variable power scope doesn’t yield the best picture, especially around the edges. I would think a fixed 16x scope or a top end variable magnification of 20x or more would be needed. It’s going to be difficult to make an airgun scope for both HFT and for everyone else without a high price tag. But what kind if scope are you going to put in a .454 Texan that would satisfy HFT competitors and not cost $$$? Multiple offerings seem needed. The springer rated HFT 16X SFP scope with holdover tree and side focus wheel makes a lot of sense as a niche item. But I’d want some market research before committing to produce it. And as for the big bore airguns, you’d be competing with non-airgun scopes, I think, and SWFA already makes those. Where is the springer rating most needed? Seems like springer divisions at FT matches in north Texas are pretty small. But there is a need for a fixed power HFT scope that is inexpensive, because it will also appeal to PCP competitors in HFT. And absolutely NO ONE is making one as far as I know.

 

[jps2486]

Can SWFA make a scope for airgun market? What will it look like? Based on the comments here, there aren't two people that agree on anything..

 

[Metalmaniac]

 

The original statement was that SWFA was thinking of making an airgun reticle to go in there scopes that is already engineered. Research and development cost big bucks. So to make an air gun scope that is of good quality with a reasonable price you put a recticle in a scope that most of the work is already done. 

If you try to build the worlds best field target scope that’s loaded like the space shuttle it will cost so much only a few people can afford it.

If SWFA would go side parallax on all of there scopes that would be a huge improvement all by its self!

 

[JoeWayneRhea]

Guys they are thinking about making a reticle that'll be more Airgun friendly . All the suggestions are good , but like the last post said .... Designing a scope from scratch is VERY expensive . And almost no two people would design their dream scope the same way ( me included ) 

I think from reading most of the posts that a Christmas tree that isn't too cluttered , with a floating dot on the existing platform of SWFA scopes will be something a lot of guys will jump on ! 

Plus their original SS was a military contract scope , that still carries a department of defense ID number . They can't make changes to it except for a reticle change . 

But keep the ideas coming , believe me Chris is following this thread .

 

[Eaglehorn]

I really like the look of the Christmas tree mil-style reticle that you made, but I do think the center of it could be cleaned up. One idea is to use the floating dot style SWFA uses on some of their MOA reticles. I think keeping the mil style with the more diamonds makes the Christmas tree works really well (very easy to read), and having a dot in the center could help give some extra clarity.

 

[Willie14228]

Actually and this is a bit bias but I would like to see a good big bore air hunting scope with knob adjustments set up for 250 to 350 grain bullets @ about 850 FPS

Air game hunting is growing in the United States and the big bore is kind of the black sheep when it comes to scopes, Airgun scopes are almost always set up for the small cals and firearm scopes to far to the other end of the spectrum.

Give me a good scope with 20 yard to 200 yard clear glass, and knobs for above weight and fps.

I don't have a drawing but a crosshair with a center dot and circle for 2inch group size at lowest magnification @ 50yard and 2" inch group at 100% mag at 100 yards mil dots for holdover from outside of circle 

This will let the hunter put the circle on a boiler plate shot and know his group will hit within a vital area

 

[Eaglehorn]

After looking at some of the other SWFA scopes here's my ideal: Essentially the below image just with a Christmas tree like the one Joe made. As far as other features I personally like adjustable mag and FFP (the 3-15x42 is laid out pretty well for most of us). If they have the chance, putting HD glass on something like this would be nice. (I know I would upgrade my normal 3-15 for something like that!)

 

[Metalmaniac]

Eagle that reticle with a tiny dot Christmas tree would be close to perfect. Lots of reference points without blocking sight picture.

 

[mmahoney]

Just throwing this out there for discussion, because I NEVER use the reticle marks in the upper half of any of my scopes and thus prefer a reticle that keeps the top half of the reticle nice and clean for a clear view. Do others ever use the hash marks above the center point? Would a reticle only utilizing the bottom half of the field of view like the one below be better?

 

[JoeWayneRhea]

The only problem I see in no top hash marks is for some guys like me who zero at say 50 yards , you need some hold under points also . 

 

[wyshadow]

For hunting situations like shooting at extreme angles, we need at least two hash mark's above the center dot if you zeroed at 30 or 50 yards. I've never zeroed my scope by using the very top hash above the dot but I've heard of some shooters using this method. It does make sense if you figure out your gun's peak trajectory and zero your scope at this point. 

 

[pewpewfever]

Well if we are only critiquing the proposed reticle, then I’ll come clean and say my experience with SWFA’s reticles is that the lines are too thick, and I don’t like the open diamonds, nor the proposed center dot. I’ll add that my only look at SWFA reticles was at FFP scopes for PRS, so maybe the SFP reticle lines are thinner. I like to quadrisect a target dot with thin cross hairs, and the crosshairs allow for the option of a sub six hold. A lot of airgunners like me are coming from 10 meter air pistol and 10 meter air rifle competition where the sub six hold is king. Try doing that with an open diamond or a target dot, and good luck with that. I want a tree or grid under the crosshairs to accommodate holdovers especially if there are no RZ turrets to allow clicking for elevation. Again, I want the grid to be crosshairs, not open diamonds or floating dots.

 

[ninelives]

I have a fixed SWFA 6x on my Impact and it's been a great scope. I guess if I was competition shooting I might want something else, but for me it works great. Sometimes I do wonder if I should have gone with the 10x, but I've been in plenty of situations with small game where a 10x would have been too much, so the 6x is probably best for me.

 

[penchetta]

I have both the 3-15 FFP & 3-15 SFP MOA. I use the 3-15 SFP MOA on my FT gun. I like the thinner reticle on the SFP. If they would only add some windage dots down the line on the MOA then it would be the ideal FT scope for me! (JMO of course)  I was bummed when they discontinued the 3-15 SFP MOA scope. Anyone have one for sale cheap??

 

[davidsng]

I love SWFA's floating dot moa reticle and the Aztec's reticle . If SWFA could illuminate some of the fixed powers,.... Also if they could just illuminate the floating dot. I've see this illumination on some Nightforces. It really helps zero in that floating dot, because it can be easily lost in the target. Then if SWFA could then put those faint x-mas tree dots in there, like on the Aztec, nobody would every buy anything else, ever. That's my opinion.

 

[pewpewfever]

I love SWFA's floating dot moa reticle and the Aztec's reticle . If SWFA could illuminate some of the fixed powers,.... Also if they could just illuminate the floating dot. I've see this illumination on some Nightforces. It really helps zero in that floating dot, because it can be easily lost in the target. Then if SWFA could then put those faint x-mas tree dots in there, like on the Aztec, nobody would every buy anything else, ever. That's my opinion.

I used to set my diopter against the blue sky as suggested by so many, but now I set it against a big black bull. I found that it is entirely possible to make the black crosshairs visible against a black background, and it has changed my game. I don’t think I ever had diopter set properly before.

 

[L.Leon]

I love SWFA's floating dot moa reticle and the Aztec's reticle . If SWFA could illuminate some of the fixed powers,.... Also if they could just illuminate the floating dot. I've see this illumination on some Nightforces. It really helps zero in that floating dot, because it can be easily lost in the target. Then if SWFA could then put those faint x-mas tree dots in there, like on the Aztec, nobody would every buy anything else, ever. That's my opinion.

The Aztec reticle is the bomb. My wife who is not a shooter went three for three on small pieces of chalk at 50 yards with my Sniper HR with Aztec Emerald atop. I say to her “awesome gun” she says “she likes the scope, how easy it is to use the reticle. This scope and reticle are definitely underrated. My hit ratio is through the roof with this scope, so much so, I have to extend my home range out to 100 yards. The Aztec has that floating dot illuminated MOA reticle and it lights up nicely.

 

[douger]

I like stoti idea 

 

[pewpewfever]

I like the features of the H59 reticle, but I also wouldn’t mind some wide duplex lines near the edges for fast acquisition of targets on the move.

 

[steveoh]

This reticle above is too busy. I often shoot long range with my 257 Texan and find I run out of reticle pretty fast. So I’d like to see the hash marks go all the way down. Hold under has marks are essential, as my Texan and Citrus are zeroed at 100 yards. I love numbered has marks as I lose count. 

I have an SWFA 10x and it’s nice and clear but good grief it’s hard to seen those tiny marks with my fuzzy eyes.