Varminters Need One-Rev Elevation Knobs Too
Hey Burris, Leupold, Sightron and Weaver — are you reading this? If you want to dominate the market for varmint scopes, give us a large elevation knob offering at least 20 MOA in a single revolution. IOR and U.S. Optics already offer this “one-rev” option on tactical scopes and it is clearly superior when moving back and forth between multiple yardages. Schmidt & Bender offers a single-turn option on some S&B PMII Tactical scopes, along with a color-coded, double-turn elevation turret option.
IOR’s big 9-36×56 scope offers 25 MOA of elevation in ONE ROTATION (and about 75 MOA overall). If you use the zero stop, that one rotation (25 MOA) will get most rifles to 850 yards with ease (and very few varmint shots are made beyond that). That means you should never loose track of your elevation setting. Right in front of your nose is a large visible number that corresponds to your actual come-up: “7” for 7 moa, “12” for 12 moa, and so on. Wow–this is so easy compared to other systems that require multiple revolutions and leave you staring at unlabeled hash marks wondering how many clicks you just dialed in or out.
When this Editor first tried a one-rotation elevation knob I had the same reaction I did years ago when I watched a ultra-high-grade flat screen TV for the first time. Then I thought… “wow, this flat screen is just better in every respect and, eventually, will change everything.” Scopes aren’t TV sets, but I think the large one-rotation knob IS a huge advancement — a breakthrough in scope design. When used with a come-up table showing the elevation needed for various yardages (50-1000 yards), the one-rev system makes it really hard to be “way off” in your elevation. With conventional elevation knobs it is very easy to lose track of clicks (and whole revolutions) as you move up and down to different yardages.
The IOR and U.S. Optics products offering 20+ MOA in one-revolution are large, heavy, expensive scopes. The big elevation knob on the IOR Ultra Long Range scope has about 125 MOA total elevation (25 MOA per turn) with 1/4-MOA clicks. The large flat EREK (Erector Repositioning Elevation Knob) on the U.S. Optics scopes offers 22.5 MOA per revolution, with a total of about 62 MOA in a 5-25 SN-3 model with 1/4-MOA clicks.
Scope-Makers Should Adapt Technology to Varmint Scopes
It’s time for the mainstream scope makers to bring this techology to the market. Adding a one-revolution elevation knob (with 25 moa of travel) to a $600.00 varmint scope would make a huge difference in practical functionality in the field. You could reliably click back and forth between yardages all day long and never lose track of your elevation setting. This is almost as easy as a yardage-calibrated elevation knob (but not limited to a single load.) So, you scope makers out there… How about giving us a one-revolution elevation knob on an affordable hunting scope?
U.S. Optics EREK photo © 2005 Precision Rifle & Vince Bottomley, used with permission.
Similar Posts:
- Nightforce Adds High-Speed Elevation Adjustments for 2010
- Nightforce Takes Advance Orders for NXS Hi-Speed Scopes
- SHOT Show Report: Schmidt & Bender 12.5-50x56mm Finally Available in USA
- New F1 First Focal Plane Scopes from NightForce
- SHOT Show Report: Nightforce Fits “High-Speed” Turrets to NXS Line, Adds New “Velocity” (BDC) Reticles
You forgot to mention Premier and S&B. The Leupold M2/M3 knobs also technically qualify; however, the clicks are coarser.
Nothing comes close to having an US Optics EREK knob and a reticle that is of the same system as the adjustments whether mil/mil or moa/moa. If varmint shooters ever tried a reticle/adjustment compatible system, they would be much happier. Leupold/Weaver/Nikon (LWN) lost my business because their mil-dot reticles were uselessly incompatible to the turret adjustments. LWN, get with the program. At least Leupold and Nightforce finally came out with a first focal plane scopes.
A Hensoldt or S&B with Mrad adjustments and a mil based reticle will aid any shooter in to making faster, better shots and even more so,
to spot for another shooter with matching set up is a no-brainer, a good thing since most of my shooting is done during stress or fatigue.
Best regards Chris.
I’m not sure that I want to be “clicking’ between distances when shooting all day at varmints. Not only is that a lot of bother, but it also puts a lot of wear and tear on the scope. I like the Leupold Varmint Hunter’s reticle, which when combined with a knowledge of bullet drop and a good laser rangefinder seems to put me on the PDs with no significant clicking.
Be careful what you ask for. The more moa per revolution, the more coarse the thread pitch is required making repeatability harder to successfully accomplish due to backlash potential. In order to combat the backlash, the thread could be spring loaded, but wear and tear will always show up due to the steeper thread engagement.
This is one of the reasons that I prefer my older Nightforce (2004) as opposed to the newer ones with more moa per rev.
The Vortex Viper LR has a 24 minute per turn elevation knob.
I have Burris XTR Scopes on all my rifles and so far they have worked great I can get well over a 1000yards Elevation.
Guys, get a proper scope, and click for distance and wind.
The Modern Quality riflescopes will take it.
Mentioned here in the comments are names like hensholdt, zeiss, Premier, S&B, who are all built to take as many click as you can dish out.
I might mention something about MIL/ MIL aswell, but…