Quick 2023 update on the SWFA Fixed 6 on my Tikka .260...
Two successful big game seasons and it's time for this gun to take a quick break. It's currently torn down getting a set of UM rings put on, and will swap the stock out for the Rokstock once available, may throw a stockys on while I'm waiting since they are 30% off right now for Rokslide members. I'll also be inspecting the factory fluted stainless barrel for any issues (not likely) as it officially passed the 3,000 round count. I only inspect/clean every 1,000 rounds so we'll see how the gun is doing.
My Tikka 7 SAUM with SWFA 3-9 will be getting the call next Friday for a short 5 day Arizona Mule Deer hunt (used that rifle to kill a California Blacktail two months ago at 672 yards). Hopefully I'm successful down by the Mexico border as it will be a really cool season killing bucks in California (Blacktail), Minnesota (Whitetail), and Arizona (Mule Deer).
SWFA fixed 6 current big game kill count in two seasons mounted on my Tikka .260...
.Whitetail (Buck) 223 Yards
.Whitetail (Doe) 229 Yards
.Whitetail (Doe) 50ish Yards
.Whitetail (Doe) 30ish Yards
.Coues Deer(Buck) 538 Yards
.Couse Deer (Buck) 486 Yards
.Elk (Bull) 573 Yards
.Elk (Cow) 60ish Yards
.Antelope (Buck) 578 Yards
.Elk (Bull) 655 Yards
.Whitetail (Buck) 543 Yards
.Whitetail (Doe) 263 Yards
.Whitetail (Doe) 206 Yards
.Whitetail (Doe) 80ish Yards
The small game/predator count is too high to remember. 2 Javelina, 6 rattle snakes, and somewhere around 200ish coyotes and 300ish rabbits.
The gun has seen thousands of miles of dirt roads in the jeep, truck, ATV, and horseback. It's always in the back seat or passenger seat of whatever I'm driving along with the Tikka .223 I hand carry the rifle or strap it to my pack on hunts. It's only had one "serious" drop where I was stung by a bee on my coues hunt last year. I was stung on the hand that was carrying the gun and basically threw the rifle onto the ground/tree root and it landed on the windage turret. I went back to camp and the impact had not deviated. There was another instance where most probably wouldn't have checked zero but I went ahead and checked it. I was helping a buddy in Northern California kill some coyotes and I leaned my rifle onto a fence post to pee. It was wetter than I thought and the rifle tipped over onto the ground. The scope was still zeroed and impact had not deviated at all. In fact, since I zeroed the scope and gun originally, it has not needed adjusting once.
Only complaints are mushy turrets (you learn to get used to them and they get better with use) and how overall large the turrets are. I've had multiple instances of my case hitting the windage knob and bouncing back into the action. I've learned that being more forceful with cycling the bolt which helps remedy this. It's also, in general, just an ugly ass scope if that bothers you.
While definitely not the "ultimate testament" I would say this gun and scope have seen more field time and killed more critters than most rifles will in a few seasons or more. I would not hesitate to recommend the SWFA Fixed 6 to anybody looking for a hunting scope. Reliability so far is the best I've ever seen and I had some Meopta scopes take me a long way; but nothing quite like this. The reticle is SUPER easy to use once you learn MIL and memorize distances/wind holds. The "glass" hasn't left me "wanting more" from way before legal light to way after legal light. Sight picture acquisition and "eye box" are very forgiving (multiple small game animals killed as close at 10 yards and as far as 850 yards).
TLDR... Buy one and use the thing!
