Sniper, Hunter, Competitor

Whilst FT has long required the shooter to use ultra high magnification, range finding scopes, these monster sized specialized pieces of technological hardware, have no place in the Hunter division of the sport. HFT takes a different approach, and with the key ruling being that the competitor is barred from touching the scope throughout the duration of the competition, a very different specification is called for. In this respect, the requirements are indeed mirrored in a real life hunting scenario, where time can be of the essence, and floundering around with settings and adjustments is impractical.

Fixed Mag

Edgar Brothers have earned quite a reputation for their ‘EB Optimate’ range, and this EB Sniper has chalked up many a win on the HFT circuit. The fixed magnification of 10x is just about ideal for this application, and equally suitable as a no-nonsense, point and shoot hunting tool too.

First impressions are of a compact yet chunky scope, and the non reflective matt black coating is both smart and highly practical. The EB Sniper comes fitted with three chunky turrets, with the left hand one being the side parallax adjuster.

The turrets aren’t lockable as such, but they don’t feel like they will be easily knocked in transit either. They are also extremely well marked, with graduations 0-14 and finer increments in between, all etched and coated. In addition, markings are also applied to the stem of the turret, making it easy to keep track of exactly how many revolutions have been made whilst adjusting the zero. Having witnessed some famous mess ups over the years, as shooters have failed to return their turrets to zero before making adjustments (in FT competition) I’m well aware of the importance of this feature. There’s nothing to stop a hunter after all, opting to dial in this scope for each shot, having pre-determined the markings for each range on the turret; and it’s in this scenario, where the turret can appear to be at zero yet have been turned several times. With these manufacturers tracker lines, such errors can be easily avoided.

Zeroing the turrets is done by adjusting for impact points in the normal way, then slackening the allen screw in each cap once adjustments are satisfactory, removing the turret head completely, then replacing it with the ‘0’ at the start marker. The scope is now zeroed and showing ‘0’. My test sample had rather sticky turrets but the actual clicks were reassuringly positive.

The usual ‘fast focus’ ring sits at the rear of the ocular lens, allowing the shooter to adjust the image until the reticle design and background both come into sharp focus together. If all looks ok, then this may not need to be touched, but the movement is firm and smooth if required. In addition a solid rubber ring is fitted to the rear, to help protect the eye if necessary. In practise, this feature shouldn’t see much use, yet the finish and quality is reassuring nonetheless.

On the Range

Having set the side parallax adjuster to be parallax free at around 30yds (a typical setting for Hunter Field Target shooting),  I set about checking the image quality at both nearer and further targets, and when viewed on this setting, all other ranges show usable clarity with no further adjustment. For the record, the parallax can be adjusted down to a minimum of 10yds, and in a live hunting situation, this is ideal.

Click values equal quarter inch at 100yds, which is the old standard, and perfectly acceptable. All my scopes have ¼ inch clicks (many scopes now use 1/8inch), and I have yet to be persuaded to switch).

The EB Sniper comes fitted with a standard Mil Dot reticle, and when viewed at 30yds, I found a 40mm Field Target kill area filled the gap between two dots, a 20mm kill fitted between centre and one dot, whilst a 25mm logically appeared as slightly larger than one gap. In other words, the all-important reference points are here to allow for range-finding targets via the ‘bracketing’ method.

A Versatile Scope

The EB Sniper comes with a 30mm body tube, which allows more light through the tube when compared to like-for-like spec. one inch models. With a vast array of mounts available to suit these larger bodied scopes these days, it comes as no surprise that most major players in the optics market now offer 30mm options.

An 80mm sunshade is available as an optional extra with the EB Sniper, but Japanese lenses and the Edgar Brothers Limited Lifetime Warranty, all add to the reassuring package, making this versatile scope a sound investment.

If you only want to consider kit that features in the winners listings, then this scope has certainly earned its spurs.

PRICE: £426