@@highdragguns Yes, it is almost the same, except for the 5x and there is no auto shut off for the illumination. Got it for 1100€ in Austria which is a good deal I think
I have been looking at Swarovski's 1-6, how durable has it been for your usage? I emailed Swarovski optik asking about drop testing and they don't do a formal drop test for durability.
This video should have far more views. I would never drop mine on purpose.🥂 How can people compare this to a Razor?! The Razor don't play in tje same league
Kahles should send you out a new scope after those drops. I’m sure it only helped their marketing! Anyways, I was looking into purchasing this scope until I heard about the battery issue. I’m now looking at the trijicon accupoint 1-6. Any experience with the accupoint? I know it’s not in same league as the kahles, but, looking at something durable, not necessarily the best glass and all, just something that gets job done and reliable. Thanks
I've had a Triji Accupower but not an Accupoint. I don't think the Trijicon is gonna hold a candle to the Kahles in terms of 1x performance and glass clarity, but I'd imagine the durability is better on the Triji. If that's your goal it's probably a solid bet!
I don't have an accupower, but I have the vcog 1-8. I also have the Kahles k16i with the 3GR reticle. In terms of glass clarity and quality I see no difference between either one. I love the eye box on both, of course the field of view goes to the Kahles. However I don't get a claustrophobic feeling looking through either one. I did hear that the vcog uses the same glass as the acog, cant say for sure. Either way at 1x I can use both without issue. I would say the illumination on both is ok, I took both outside on a bright sunny day and both were kinda visible. I am glad that this video did do a drop test I was personally concerned that the Kahles might be on the delicate side, it has that feel for some reason.
I have the K16i with 3GR reticle, I wonder if the smaller dots help with brightness. I haven’t noticed it being too dim, not as bright as a Razor but still looks bright. Although I haven’t had a chance to actually shoot with it yet, the damn mount I needed was out of stock for a year so I’m just now getting it mounted up and sighted in this weekend.
Interesting. Definitely possible that the larger illuminated section of the sm1 means that it's less bright overall. I'd say the sm1 is definitely daylight visible, but not daylight bright, if that makes sense. I hope you enjoy your Kahles! It's a helluva optic
@@highdragguns It sounds plausible at least. I’ve seen that complaint among people with SM1 reticles more than others. Although that could just be because the SM1 is more popular in general as well. I know exactly what you mean, from just looking around at stuff I’d say it’s daylight bright to definitely be usable but not red dot bright. Yeah thanks, it’s my first premium optic. It was killing me to have it sit in the safe so long until I could get a mount. Definitely excited to get it zeroed and run through some drills with it this weekend.
@@sethrich5998 I definitely spent a few days debating whether or not I'd drop it. I probably wouldn't have, but I've seen several people saying things about the Kahles not being a sturdy optic (sometimes comparing it to the Razor saying the Razor is a much more durable optic). Although that may be true, I've never seen pictures of a broken K16i while I've seen quite a few pictures of Razors with reticle issues. Curiosity got the best of me in the end. Anyways, enjoy your 3GR. I'll see if I can figure out a way to find one to compare reticle brightness. If the 3GR is noticably brighter, that'd be a good thing to know!
Appreciate it!! Was having fun the other night with the SR15, riding around on quads under NV looking for coyotes. Didn't push a huge number of rounds through it but it hasn't had any issues since I've gotten it back from Knight's.
@@pushbak5289 nice! The 14.5" intermediate gas is a slick setup, definitely was my choice over the 16". Ammo, I've run a little of everything. Mostly cheaper 55gr brass stuff, but also a fair amount of IMI 77 gr OTMs
Definitely a valid point re: the ammo. Decided to record this review while I was in the process of moving (probably as a way of procrastination) and only had steel cased stuff with me that day. If nothing else, the drop test showed that grossly, the zero didn't change. It's possible that it shifted very minutely but I didn't catch it because of the group size, but the drop test at least gave me some confidence in the durability of the optic. I honestly prefer the sm1 and 3gr reticles over the sl1. I'm not doing much shooting past 300 yards right now, so I don't need much hold data, and so I prefer the simplicity of the sm1 to the sl1
None that I know of. Worst case is you slam your rifle into something, the reticle illumination shuts off, so you turn the dial to off then back on, and your reticle is illuminated again.
@@highdragguns I’ve been talking on Reddit and apparently some batteries fit better than others. Also on guy on UA-cam said he bent some metal on the inside to hold it in place better. Do you think if you glued a bigger O ring on the inside of the cap that will hold it in place better?
@@braxtonbane6960 interesting! Not a bad idea to glue a bigger o-ring. Honestly, I've not put much thought into it because I've only had the reticle illumination shut off on me once in a year+ of owning it. Left my rifle with the Kahles on it at a buddy's house (he's got a backyard range), but I'll play around with the contacts and see if a bigger o-ring would fit when I pick it back up again. My only concern would be a different size ring might hold the battery tight, but also prevent the battery cap from fully threading and potentially make it easier for water to get in on wet days? Sounds like you've been doing some research though! I appreciate you commenting with what you've found. Let me know what you end up settling on.
@@highdragguns I just got this idea… let me know what you think about it. So you know those things that kids put in their ears to keep water out of their ears when they go swimming. It’s a water proof gel things. What if you put some of that inside the top of the batter cap. This will keep the batter a bit more tighter. And the material is water proof. Furthermore, the material is easily malleable. So, it will be easy to make sure there’s not too much material nor too little material. I think of if like the shims on a surefire muzzle device. Simply add or subtract until you have the desired results. I hope this makes sense.
Didn't know that was a thing! It's very possible that I did. With that said, I've had a buddy who has had it shut off on him with a significant impact, so I think it is a problem. It seems unlikely that mine happened to shut off right at the second I bumped the rifle down on the barricade. With that said though, I didn't realize the k16i had a time based auto-shutoff, so it is definitely within the realm of possibility.
@@highdragguns I totally agree that the battery compartment is poorly designed and might well be subtle to such malfuntions. Just a thought regarding the auto-off.
I searched "K16i torture test" as a joke and found this lmaaao. Absolutely metal. K16i crew for life.
My favorite LPVO. I own 2
Thanks for the review HD
Gunny! Thanks for the watch as always!
Great Review. I have the k15i and would say that your statements are very accurate to my experience
Thanks for weighing in! I wasn't even aware there was a k15i, but looking at pictures it looks almost exactly like the k16i.
@@highdragguns Yes, it is almost the same, except for the 5x and there is no auto shut off for the illumination. Got it for 1100€ in Austria which is a good deal I think
I can’t believe someone would drop a $2000 scope just for the heck of it. Ouch!!
For science. Bill Nye thanks me for my service.
Just bought a k18i gen-2, thanks for your sacrifice 😂
Thanks for the review!
I appreciate the watch!
I have the Swarovski 1-6 it's amazing. Mine has the BTR reticle which is just a center illumination it's daylight bright
I've never had the chance to look through a Swaro LPVO, not sure why they don't get much press. Would love to check one out someday!
I have been looking at Swarovski's 1-6, how durable has it been for your usage? I emailed Swarovski optik asking about drop testing and they don't do a formal drop test for durability.
This video should have far more views.
I would never drop mine on purpose.🥂
How can people compare this to a Razor?! The Razor don't play in tje same league
Kahles should send you out a new scope after those drops. I’m sure it only helped their marketing!
Anyways, I was looking into purchasing this scope until I heard about the battery issue. I’m now looking at the trijicon accupoint 1-6. Any experience with the accupoint? I know it’s not in same league as the kahles, but, looking at something durable, not necessarily the best glass and all, just something that gets job done and reliable. Thanks
I've had a Triji Accupower but not an Accupoint. I don't think the Trijicon is gonna hold a candle to the Kahles in terms of 1x performance and glass clarity, but I'd imagine the durability is better on the Triji. If that's your goal it's probably a solid bet!
I don't have an accupower, but I have the vcog 1-8. I also have the Kahles k16i with the 3GR reticle. In terms of glass clarity and quality I see no difference between either one. I love the eye box on both, of course the field of view goes to the Kahles. However I don't get a claustrophobic feeling looking through either one. I did hear that the vcog uses the same glass as the acog, cant say for sure. Either way at 1x I can use both without issue. I would say the illumination on both is ok, I took both outside on a bright sunny day and both were kinda visible. I am glad that this video did do a drop test I was personally concerned that the Kahles might be on the delicate side, it has that feel for some reason.
I have the K16i with 3GR reticle, I wonder if the smaller dots help with brightness. I haven’t noticed it being too dim, not as bright as a Razor but still looks bright. Although I haven’t had a chance to actually shoot with it yet, the damn mount I needed was out of stock for a year so I’m just now getting it mounted up and sighted in this weekend.
Interesting. Definitely possible that the larger illuminated section of the sm1 means that it's less bright overall. I'd say the sm1 is definitely daylight visible, but not daylight bright, if that makes sense.
I hope you enjoy your Kahles! It's a helluva optic
@@highdragguns It sounds plausible at least. I’ve seen that complaint among people with SM1 reticles more than others. Although that could just be because the SM1 is more popular in general as well. I know exactly what you mean, from just looking around at stuff I’d say it’s daylight bright to definitely be usable but not red dot bright.
Yeah thanks, it’s my first premium optic. It was killing me to have it sit in the safe so long until I could get a mount. Definitely excited to get it zeroed and run through some drills with it this weekend.
@@highdragguns Also, I think you’re one of the only people brave enough to drop test such an expensive optic. Ha
@@sethrich5998 I definitely spent a few days debating whether or not I'd drop it. I probably wouldn't have, but I've seen several people saying things about the Kahles not being a sturdy optic (sometimes comparing it to the Razor saying the Razor is a much more durable optic). Although that may be true, I've never seen pictures of a broken K16i while I've seen quite a few pictures of Razors with reticle issues. Curiosity got the best of me in the end.
Anyways, enjoy your 3GR. I'll see if I can figure out a way to find one to compare reticle brightness. If the 3GR is noticably brighter, that'd be a good thing to know!
great review. any updates on the sr-15?
Appreciate it!! Was having fun the other night with the SR15, riding around on quads under NV looking for coyotes. Didn't push a huge number of rounds through it but it hasn't had any issues since I've gotten it back from Knight's.
@@highdragguns good to hear. i was able to snag a kac upper, looking forward to running it
@@pushbak5289 hell ya! They're not easy to come by in 2021. Which upper did you get?
@@highdragguns youre not kidding, the one that was in stock was the 14.5 e3 mod 2. what ammo have you run through yours?
@@pushbak5289 nice! The 14.5" intermediate gas is a slick setup, definitely was my choice over the 16".
Ammo, I've run a little of everything. Mostly cheaper 55gr brass stuff, but also a fair amount of IMI 77 gr OTMs
hmm. i would prefer a small group with good ammo befor and after the drop test...
why you dont choose the sl1 reticle?
Definitely a valid point re: the ammo. Decided to record this review while I was in the process of moving (probably as a way of procrastination) and only had steel cased stuff with me that day. If nothing else, the drop test showed that grossly, the zero didn't change. It's possible that it shifted very minutely but I didn't catch it because of the group size, but the drop test at least gave me some confidence in the durability of the optic.
I honestly prefer the sm1 and 3gr reticles over the sl1. I'm not doing much shooting past 300 yards right now, so I don't need much hold data, and so I prefer the simplicity of the sm1 to the sl1
Is there anyway to fix the batter cap issue. I just bought my k16i
None that I know of. Worst case is you slam your rifle into something, the reticle illumination shuts off, so you turn the dial to off then back on, and your reticle is illuminated again.
@@highdragguns I’ve been talking on Reddit and apparently some batteries fit better than others. Also on guy on UA-cam said he bent some metal on the inside to hold it in place better. Do you think if you glued a bigger O ring on the inside of the cap that will hold it in place better?
@@braxtonbane6960 interesting! Not a bad idea to glue a bigger o-ring. Honestly, I've not put much thought into it because I've only had the reticle illumination shut off on me once in a year+ of owning it.
Left my rifle with the Kahles on it at a buddy's house (he's got a backyard range), but I'll play around with the contacts and see if a bigger o-ring would fit when I pick it back up again. My only concern would be a different size ring might hold the battery tight, but also prevent the battery cap from fully threading and potentially make it easier for water to get in on wet days?
Sounds like you've been doing some research though! I appreciate you commenting with what you've found. Let me know what you end up settling on.
@@highdragguns I just got this idea… let me know what you think about it. So you know those things that kids put in their ears to keep water out of their ears when they go swimming. It’s a water proof gel things. What if you put some of that inside the top of the batter cap. This will keep the batter a bit more tighter. And the material is water proof. Furthermore, the material is easily malleable. So, it will be easy to make sure there’s not too much material nor too little material. I think of if like the shims on a surefire muzzle device. Simply add or subtract until you have the desired results. I hope this makes sense.
No battery compartment issue on my five various Kahles LPVOs.
Is it possible that you did run on the 120 minute reticle auto-off when the outage occured? Afaik it resets only when turned off and on again.
Didn't know that was a thing! It's very possible that I did.
With that said, I've had a buddy who has had it shut off on him with a significant impact, so I think it is a problem. It seems unlikely that mine happened to shut off right at the second I bumped the rifle down on the barricade. With that said though, I didn't realize the k16i had a time based auto-shutoff, so it is definitely within the realm of possibility.
@@highdragguns I totally agree that the battery compartment is poorly designed and might well be subtle to such malfuntions. Just a thought regarding the auto-off.
Can't believe you purposely dropped a 2k scope lol.