Best low power EE scope in production

[JG26Irish_2]

I have a Z6i on my Browning Hi Power Safari Grade 375 and a Kahles K16i on my other 375 (a custom rifle) and both are superb. There are pros and cons to each and I have a hard time saying which is best. I will be taking the Kahles to Africa this year. But, there is a new player in town. Not in the same class perhaps but a really good optic nonetheless. I bought a Arken EP-8 LPVO. It is a FFP scope, has Japanese ED glass and is in a 34mm tube with a really nice illuminated reticle that is similar to the Kahles in that it is easy to estimate and hold over for longer shots using the KLBox reticle. At $299 plus shipping on sale last month it was a steal. I mounted it on a really nice Fierce CT Edge which had a lower end Leupold on it VX 1.5-4x. But, the eye relief is 3.75" so there is that.

The Arken despite being a lower priced scope is far superior to the Leupold and is almost as clear as the Swaro or the Kahles, but not quite at longer ranges. Still, I was able to shot 100y groups that are under 1/2" with it and liked it so much that I ordered a 2nd one to put on my 22lr squirrel rifle. It may not hold up as well. Time will tell but it has a lifetime warranty and I have been using several of their other optics for years now with zero issues. In fact their 5-25x EP-5 long range scope is impossible to distinguish from a Vortex Razor Gen3 if you look thru them side by side. It is cheap enough to try one and if not to your liking, you can always mount it onto your 22. Or sell it to me.

 

[baxterb]

I think you’re just smarter than me! I’ve only been scoped once but I have a small scar between my eyes as a permanent memento. I have a Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40mm mounted on my custom Remington 700 375 RUM. Had previously shot game animals off shooting sticks, standing over an old fence post and sitting without issue.

Since this was a semi long range setup, I had a cross canyon shot an a cow tule elk at 300 yards and STUPIDLY got into the prone position with the rifle held very loosely and took the shot. The sharp Leupold eyepiece (I later added a rubber screw on eyecup) cut me between the eyes like a scalpel. I couldn’t see the elk for a second shot (luckily didn’t need one) because blood was cascading down my face.

The eye relief is 3.6 - 4.4 so decent amount just a bad shooting position for that rifle, probably would have occurred with any scope. Lesson learned.

View attachment 655723

Here ya go.. all better...

 

[One Day...]

Another take at eye relief: all scopes have 5" physical relief !!!

Note, I wrote physical, not optical, see here under

Thank you BeeMaa for your post, it is the definite answer (data based) to what the optical eye relief distance is on the Z8, and we shall assume that the numbers given by the reputable scope makers are correct.

So, this is it when it comes to eye relief: to summarize, 3.75" on most high quality scopes (Zeiss, Swarovski, Kahles, Leica, Leupold, etc.) and the lone notable exception 4.75" for the Z6 1-6x24 EE.

But what is eye relief?

Optical eye relief is defined as the distance between the eyepiece lens and the point at which your eye can see the entire field of view. Emphasis: entire...

When do "scope kisses happen"?

Beema is right, scope "kisses" are typically not received on the sticks (well, maybe with a light .378 Wby ?). They generally happen when the head is not located in the usual position relative to the scope. The two usual cases are laying prone (as Beema indicates), and shooting up at steep angles, as is frequent in Alpine mountain hunting. I got my fair share as a much younger and inexperienced hunter in the French Alps...

When this is your most comfortable position for lengthy glassing in very steep mountain (no, the camera is not tilted for effect, see the vegetation...), you better beware of your head position before pulling the trigger. Even a .270 Win will cut you deep, if your forehead is a mere inch form the scope when the rifle is pointing up at 50 to 80 degrees. Trust me, I painfully know...

And of course things get magnified when shooting a hard recoiling rifle, shooting fast, being excited, and being tired...

The "perfect storm": 1) running uphill for 5 minutes to catch the kudu before he crested the ridge at last light after several hours of tracking him across the mountain, hence tired and out of breath; 2) barely a few seconds to take the ~250 yards shot, hence no time to think or double check everything; 3) shooting at steep uphill angle, hence having the head much closer to the scope than normal; and 4) a .340 Wby loaded with 250 gr bullets, hence substantial and fast recoil. Result: a beautiful Kudu in the salt, and a nice deep cut between the eyes........... I knew better when shooting uphill, but this was my first day in Africa and I forgot. Oooops!

Little secret

The little secret is that you can position your scope a lot farther than maximum eye relief. This will have zero consequence whatsoever on point of impact, accuracy, ergonomics, etc. etc. The only drawback is that you will see a small fuzzy black ring around the sight picture, which will not impede your shooting in any way.

As a matter of fact, I have been mounting the scopes on my DG rifles (Mauser 98 and CZ550, now all replaced by the Blaser R8) as far forward as mechanically possible, without bothering about perfect eye relief and maximizing sight picture. The three advantages of placing the scope forward so that the turret bulge (or the ocular bell on a Mauser 98) rests against a scope ring are:

1) you typically gain about 1" to 1.5" of eye relief, hence you get 5" of physical eye relief;​

​

2) the risk of scope kisses is drastically reduced;​

​

3) the scope cannot slide forward in the rings (which is another classic issue on DG rifles).​

This typical 3.75" optical eye relief Leica Magnus 1-6.3x24 i, is mounted on a .458 Lott R8 barrel as far forward as mechanically possible, with the turrets bulge resting on the front ring. It will not slide under recoil, and it provides almost 5" of physical eye relief. The risk of a "scope kiss" is drastically reduced, if not to say entirely eliminated. Hint: you still need to control recoil on the big guns.

As a matter of fact, I now mount virtually ALL the scopes the same way. This is a Zeiss Z4 on my wife's .270 Win barreled R8. It does not recoil much, but she does not control recoil much either, nonetheless, the scope never touched her.

Does a fuzzy black ring matter?

Not whatsoever. Just focus on the center of the crosshair and on the trigger...

Here on a .300 Win Mag MK 13 rifle (Accuracy International chassis mated to a long action Remington 700 receiver). The sniper rifle is typically used prone, and when shooting uphill, the scope can come dangerously close to the forehead. Installing the scope as forward as mechanically possible gains an additional inch to inch and a half of physical eye relief. Yes, the optical eye relief is not perfect because there is a fuzzy black ring around the sight picture. So what !?!? Just do not fixate on it...



PS: of course, things can be overdone, e.g. I would not push this Swarovski scope as far forward as mechanically possible, but you get the idea: the scope ocular never reaches past the web of my right hand (I shoot right handed)...