Kahles 10-50

There is something about long range shooting and in my case varminting that catches the imagination and provides a very demanding yet satisfying sport. The use of ultra accurate rifles and calibre combinations are essential to achieve a hit and keeps the mind nimble with regards ballistics. However without a good scope to connect that bullet to a target all your effort is lost.

We are all familiar with American long range scopes, I use them too but now we have a European alternative that offers superb optics and really useful magnification range combined to unique parallax adjustment and elevation/windage indication.

Enter the Kahles K 1050 scope with the trade mark Kahles razor sharp optics, really useful 10-50 magnification range and a very handy extended parallax adjustment wheel as an optional extra.

BUILD SPEC

This is my sort of optic, Kahles make some great hunting scopes and now with the K 1050 and the K 624 I the long range shooters have a real alternative. Despite its role it is not large by any means. Measuring 425mm length the K1050 also only weights 907 grams it therefore is not too intrusive on a rifle. It is built to Kahles usual high standards with a one piece aluminium body finished with satin black scratch resistant finish.

Despite the catalogue stating a 34mm body tube the K1050 actually has a 30mm diameter yet still offers a good 2.5 metre adjustment of elevation at 100 metres. The objective lens is 56mm so lets plenty of light through and is threaded but no sun shade is provided. The body has 3” mounting surface in front of the adjustment turrets and 2.5” behind, making fitting to long action rifles not a problem.

The eyepiece is a fast focus type with a rubberised rim to avoid any mishaps from heavy recoiling rifles. The zoom ring is graduated from 10 to 50 mag in 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 40 and 50x steps. The movement is very smooth and is aided by large raised finger grooves around its circumference.

The magnification of 10 to 50 x is incredibly useful, 10x is not too high as not to be useful in any hunting situation and then an infinite mag change to the maximum power of 50x allows a really precise and clear image to be targeted. You have a field of view of 6.8m at 100m on 10x and 1.75m on 50x power.

ADJUSTMENTS

With this level of magnification a good parallax adjustment is essential for a precise focus and parallax free view for precision shooting. As with the K624 I the parallax ring is sited around the central elevation adjustment turret instead of on the objective lens or side mounted on the saddle as with other makes.

It is graduated from 8 metres to ∞ so makes this Kahles doubly useful not only for use centrefire varminters but also Field Target air rifle shooters. This is further enhanced by the addition of the accessory large parallax ring that fixes to the upper surface of the existing ring by four screws.

This gives a unique look that I like but more importantly aids in a very delicate and precise parallax adjustment, just perfect for 50x magnification work and focus through the heat haze on hot varminting days. My only niggle is this should be offered as a standard fixture and when fitted the height of the parallax ring actually blocks your view of the elevation figures for adjustments in my shooting position, half inch higher or lower, no problems.

With regard to clicks per adjustment the maximum range is 2.5m at 100m and each click is worth 1/8th MOA.

TACTILE TURRETS

The large tactile turrets are graduated from 0 to 17 engraved on the elevation with each division having 8 clicks thus 1 MOA and therefore 17 MOA for a full rotation. The windage is different, there are eight divisions marked i.e. 1 -8 for both 180 degree circumference of the turret. Thus when initially zeroed/sighted in the turret can be re-zeroed to 0 mark and then have 1-8 MOA adjustment eight right or left with the final 1 MOA at the end of each travel. It’s a neat way to keep from double turning the wrong way, clever!

Finally the turrets both have a central moving stem to indicate the state of your adjustment range. This stem is colour coded with a central grey section indicating centre of optic adjustment and then red either side to indicate adjustment to upper or lower limits. Kahles have really thought about this and also marked the turrets CCW i.e. counter clock wise adjustment just in case you are still unclear!

FIELD USE

I fitted the Kahles to a Lynx 94 straight pull rifle in 6.5x47 Lapua which is a bug hole shooter and a perfect match for the precision K1050’s abilities. You get two choices of reticule - a fine cross hair or double dot. I had opted for the latter, which shows two fine dots one above the other with a small vertical stadia below them and two large and small stadia radiating out from the horizontal plane next to each dot. These give a quick and precise aiming point and natural aid to keeping the scope on the vertical axis. I used Optic Lok 30mm Rings and fitted the additional parallax ring. It looks superb.

Fitted on a bipod the big Lynx rifle and Kahles complemented one another perfectly! Sighting in was routine but the adjustments are so precise per click and audible and tactile. I then loosened the turret rings and zeroed to 0 and proceeded to shoot groups.

What you notice on the Kahles is the incredible quality of lenses being sharp and very bright! This is where your money goes the optically near perfect lenses and in house multi coatings are superb. I had my other varmint rifles at hand and so compared a variety of ‘other’ non European long range scopes. The Kahles was streets ahead in terms of clarity. Even at 50x mag that extended parallax ring is perfect to fine tune your image.

You can spot each shot and then see the bullet holes! It’s brilliant literally.

CONCLUSION

Wake up Britain these Kahles scopes are superb in every way. Their sheer optical performance should persuade you to buy them and their innovative design should be the clincher. Side by side to comparable American glass the K1050 optics are noticeably sharper and precise, need I say more!

Well done Kahles a great scope that is useful to varminters, target, F class shooters or even FT air rifle users. I was so impressed that I bought one and will be sitting on a new .22 Cheetah wildcat project!

PRICE: £1969 inc vat
CONTACT: RUAG Ammotec UK Ltd, 01579 362319, www.kahles.at