New Reflex Sight

[Philip Glass]

New reflex sight from Swaro/Kahles. I just took a look at one possibly for my .470 at the Wild Sheep Convention. Very well made. What do the double rifle experts think of this and other reflex sights?
Philip

https://www.kahles.at/us/news/details/news/neu-helia-rd/?tx_news_pi1[controller]=News&tx_news_pi1[action]=detail&cHash=566ea2c211a06cb8fc0cc452da8046ab

 

[jacques smith]

Morning Phillip
I don’t have a clue, but a good friend from Northwest Territories in SA recently told me about mounting similar to his 470. He loves it
I had NECG put a ivory flip up front sight on mine. It definitely makes for quick ac

 

[jacques smith]

Acquisition. Let us know if u try it out. Cheers. Jacques

 

[Red Leg]

I have the Aimpoint red dot version, which accomplishes the same thing on the 500/416 barrels of my Blaser S2. I use scopes on the .375 and 30-06 barrels - but, they will easily and accurately reach out a ways. Aimpoint has a version designed to fit Blasers. Any of the quality reflexes are designed to accomplish the same end. They work, the good ones are very durable, and they are very fast because of the single aiming point. One reason the US Army has put one version or another on virtually all infantry rifles and carbines.

And don't get too big a dot. To me 2 MOA is about perfect.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I have Trijicon's version on my .470 and I love it. Agree with not getting too big of a dot.

 

[mdwest]

Ill pile on third with a comment about the dot... get something with a 1 or 2 MOA option.. 4 MOA (one company sells a reflex with a 7MOA dot/halo) obscures the target way too much unless you are shooting at bad breath distances..

The Kahles option looks interesting to me.. but.. for me at least, there are far too many battle proven reflex sights out there that have been put through the real world torture tests of extreme hot, extreme cold, extreme arid, extreme moisture, etc.. and have been had the hell beaten out of them by soldiers.. and have kept on doing what they were designed to do.. that are in the same price range as the Kahles option (400 euro = about $450 at the current exchange rate I believe)..

Were I in the market right now, specifically for a reflex optic, I'd be looking at a trijicon RMR, trijicon Reflex, or the Leupold Delta Point, .. not because the Kahles wont be just as good or better (it very well might be).. but because the other 3 are proven to be durable and reliable under the most extreme conditions possible.. and there are plenty of accounts of them being mounted on big bores and/or rifles that produce a lot of recoil and holding up well...

All that said.. I dont know if you are sold on a reflex.. or might consider a prism option.. quality prism sights are a little bit more expensive than reflex sights.. and each had their pluses and minuses.. but.. as a general rule prisms are even more durable than reflex sights and are a bit more versatile (magnification options.. etched lens options, etc..).. a reflex will be a little smaller and lower profile.. but there are some pretty tiny prisms available these days too.. (both aimpoint and trijicon make some tiny options)..

 

[Philip Glass]

I have Trijicon's version on my .470 and I love it. Agree with not getting too big of a dot.

Thanks Phil

 

[One Day...]

Hello Philip;

I have a Docter III on my Mauser 66 .458 Lott.

+1 on selecting an apparently small dot size, but this is a function off how far you intend to shoot. For a 100 yd or less DG rifle (you indicate .470 double), I have a 3.5 MOA dot and it is about perfect. I reckon that 2 MOA would be too small (for me!) for fastest acquisition at close range. Conversely, I reckon that 3.5 MOA would be too big for 200 yd work on PG.

+1 on the positive outcomes of holographic or reflex sights for CQB. I am personally partial to the Eotech EXPS2 on the black gun...

The one thing better than the rest on the Docter III is that you can select between 3 curves of auto adjust brightness. Very convenient on clear backgrounds such as sand in the sun.

The one thing on the Docter III not as good as on some Trijicon is that there are no clicks on the adjustments. You need to loosen and tighten locks screws.

My recommendations for a purchase:

1. Reflex technology can be had with either a "head up display" configuration or a "tube" configuration. For a double .470, i.e. close range, a zero magnification head up is preferable to a tube. Peripheral vision is significantly better, and it is easier to shoot with both eyes open. It is also smaller and lighter.
2. Owing to manufacturing techniques, holographic technology is superior to Reflex technology in that it allows a higher light transmission through the head-up display. This facilitates shooting with both eyes open.
3. Select a model that does not necessitate removing the sight from the base to change the battery. You invariably need to re-sight it.
4. Select a model that has clicks on the adjustment screws. Loosening and tightening the lock screws is tedious and occasionally shifts the adjustment you just made.

I have resisted putting one on the Kreighoff double .470 because of looks so far, but it is undeniably an effective answer to declining visual acuity when the front bead starts floating in a cloud...

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Phillip, I fitted one on my 416Rigby, and it was used by my hunter as such on the last Elephant hunt. It is a great piece of equipment.
Personally, I would not fit it on my double yet, as I dont need it and I think it does take away from the classical appearance. The eyes are still good enough though, but there is no doubt that it would aid in quicker acquisition of the target.
You wont be sorry.

 

[Rule 303]

I echo what Red leg said.

I will point out a slight disagreement with One Day, point 1 & 2. Try both tube and Head Up, and holographic sights. Some are far easier and less critical to when it comes to finding the red dot. Aimpoint I have no trouble locating the red dot. Some of the other reflex sights and most of the holographic sights I have to hunt to find the dot. Fractions of a second yes, but noticeable.

 

[BeeMaa]

I do not have any experience with a reflex sight on a rifle, let alone a rifle that will be used for DG.
That said, I have two reflex sight...one on my Benelli SBE II shotgun and the other on Springfield Armory XDM-9 pistol.
They are both Vortex Venom, which has battery access from the top so you don't have to remove the sight to change it.
As for durability...I have over 3000 rounds through the pistol and I'm guessing about 50 turkey loads through the shotgun.
The pistol is an everyday carry item for me and gets banged around on the regular, still working and looking good.
BTW - This was a factory option available from Springfield Armory so they must think pretty highly of them as well.
The sight on the turkey gun doesn't get near the use that the pistol does, but it does double duty as my primary home defense weapon.
Both are 3 MOA dots and work well in their intended roles.

 

[IvW]

I like the Aimpoint range

 

[AZDAVE]

Phil at DSC this year I bought two of the Kahles 2 moa redots. One for my 9.3 double and the other for my wife's 375. I walked around to all the dealers and looked at all the reflex sights. I like that the glass area is just a bit larger than the RMR and it just comes up and is right there for both of us on the rifles. I plan on using my 9.3 for a night baited Hyena and my wife wants her's for a buff next year.

I have shot the rmr, delta point, vortex razor, and bushnell red dots and I like Kahles better. but any of them will work.

 

[Philip Glass]

Phil at DSC this year I bought two of the Kahles 2 moa redots. One for my 9.3 double and the other for my wife's 375. I walked around to all the dealers and looked at all the reflex sights. I like that the glass area is just a bit larger than the RMR and it just comes up and is right there for both of us on the rifles. I plan on using my 9.3 for a night baited Hyena and my wife wants her's for a buff next year.

I have shot the rmr, delta point, vortex razor, and bushnell red dots and I like Kahles better. but any of them will work.

AZDave
This is exactly what I thought when I saw the Kahles! It is really neat and small.ill let you know what I decide.
PHILIP

 

[edward]

Phillip, I fitted one on my 416Rigby, and it was used by my hunter as such on the last Elephant hunt. It is a great piece of equipment.
Personally, I would not fit it on my double yet, as I dont need it and I think it does take away from the classical appearance. The eyes are still good enough though, but there is no doubt that it would aid in quicker acquisition of the target.
You wont be sorry.

when you get my eyes youll love the reflex,mine is a 1 3/4 dot.cant see the sights clearly any more but i can still enjoy shooting my double in spite of how it looks.

 

[AZDAVE]

The other thing I really like is that you can change the battery without removing the kahles from the scope base.

 

[BeeMaa]

The other thing I really like is that you can change the battery without removing the kahles from the scope base.

This is one of the reasons I chose the Vortex Viper, battery change is quick and easy.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Went with the Vortex Razor myself.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I am glad I found this thread. I need to get another reflex sight someone borrowed my "spare", not only did he not return it, I find someone else now owns the rifle and the reflex sight!

My wife has used both the trijicon and the aimpoint micro 2. She shoots both equally well. No problems on either. I prefer the leupold delta only because you do not need to remove sight from base to replace battery (as with the aimpoint). I will look at the Kahles when we come to the states in September!

Thanks for the info! Oh, I personally like the 2 moa dot, she does to!

 

[perttime]

On red dot sights in general.... People who put red dot sights in hard use tend to find that Aimpoint sights keep going when others break or malfunction.