First of all, this scope is massive. When you hold the box, you expect to pull out a spotting scope. Not only is this scope heavy it is large 15.87” long and has a 40MM tube. I decided this scope deserved a new rifle, so I ordered a Fierce Carbon Fury in .300 win mag. After a quick google search, I realized finding 40MM one-piece rings was going to be impossible, so I ordered a 0 MOA Picatinny rail. I ended up settling in Warne Mountain tech low rings. There are really only two manufacturers that are readily available in the U.S. Tally & Warren. Both cost around $250. I had seen a picture of the Tally rings mounted on the same gun and it set higher than I like so that is why I went with the Warren “low” rings. After mounting the scope sat about ¾” above the barrel. This may be fine with lighter scope, but with a 2 lbs. scope it makes the gun very top-heavy. I attached a picture of it next to a Zeiss V6 3x18x50 for reference.
My initial concern with the scope was. What if the rangefinder stops working? But then I realized that with my current set up my range finder could fail or get lost and I would be in the same position. The DS still works fine as a fixed reticle If the range finder were to malfunction.
The second issue I had was weight. At 38.4 oz it is heavy. As a backcountry hunter that is a lot of weight. One could argue that you could just ditch your range finder and make up for the weight difference. The problem is where the weight is located. All the weight on top of your rifle is awkward and tiresome on your arms.
The other issue I have is if I am ditching my range finder, do I really want to use my rifle to range landmarks. Typically, when stalking an animal, I will range different landmarks to cut the distance. I'm not sure I want to do that with my rifle every time.
Once I got the scope mounted, I set out to get it zeroed. This process is slightly different than most scopes. You must remove two small covers on the front bell of the scope and use a small tool located under the top turret. Once zeroed you download the app and put in all your load data and zero range. In the app you can choose the reticle style, thickness of the reticle, and wind speed for hold-over marks. You can also choose to have knock-down power displayed.
If you shoot long distances this scope is not for you. The scope stops ranging when you hit a certain holdover. With my .300 win mag ballistics uploaded and a 200-yard zero the scope stopped ranging at 700 yards.
Everything out to 700 yards worked really well. It will even move the aiming reticle above your crosshairs for shots shorter than your zero. Another cool feature is that it will give you wind holdover marks at 5-10 or 10-20 mph.
All in all this technology is awesome. No more ranging and then dialing. Just push a button and shoot. I think once they can figure out how to put it in a smaller package it will be a game changer. For now, I will stick to my Leica Rangemaster Master on backcountry hunts. I still have to dial, but don’t have to deal with dope charts.
My initial concern with the scope was. What if the rangefinder stops working? But then I realized that with my current set up my range finder could fail or get lost and I would be in the same position. The DS still works fine as a fixed reticle If the range finder were to malfunction.
The second issue I had was weight. At 38.4 oz it is heavy. As a backcountry hunter that is a lot of weight. One could argue that you could just ditch your range finder and make up for the weight difference. The problem is where the weight is located. All the weight on top of your rifle is awkward and tiresome on your arms.
The other issue I have is if I am ditching my range finder, do I really want to use my rifle to range landmarks. Typically, when stalking an animal, I will range different landmarks to cut the distance. I'm not sure I want to do that with my rifle every time.
Once I got the scope mounted, I set out to get it zeroed. This process is slightly different than most scopes. You must remove two small covers on the front bell of the scope and use a small tool located under the top turret. Once zeroed you download the app and put in all your load data and zero range. In the app you can choose the reticle style, thickness of the reticle, and wind speed for hold-over marks. You can also choose to have knock-down power displayed.
If you shoot long distances this scope is not for you. The scope stops ranging when you hit a certain holdover. With my .300 win mag ballistics uploaded and a 200-yard zero the scope stopped ranging at 700 yards.
Everything out to 700 yards worked really well. It will even move the aiming reticle above your crosshairs for shots shorter than your zero. Another cool feature is that it will give you wind holdover marks at 5-10 or 10-20 mph.
All in all this technology is awesome. No more ranging and then dialing. Just push a button and shoot. I think once they can figure out how to put it in a smaller package it will be a game changer. For now, I will stick to my Leica Rangemaster Master on backcountry hunts. I still have to dial, but don’t have to deal with dope charts.
