Konus Pro 3-12x50

Konus are an Italian scope brand, marketed in the UK by Range Right and are fast gaining a reputation for value for money optics. Much of their output is made abroad and, for the end user, that means manufacturing costs are kept relatively low, with end products on the whole highly competitive. Little wonder then, that the name is gaining in popularity around the globe.

First time buyer

I’ve recently tested dedicated models, aimed at the highly specialized Field Target (FT) market, and also more compact models, for Hunter Filed Target (HFT) and all were seriously capability, and with a wealth of features, yet an asking price that makes you wonder just how they do it for money. This month’s offering in the spotlight is the Konuspro 3-12x50 model, and it’s more straight forward specification is ideal for first time buyers and newcomers to the world of airguns. At just £119, this scope looks great value, but when you pick it up from the protective box, there’s a robust, slick feel that well and truly belies that RRP. The Konuspro comes complete with lens cloth, sunshade, instructions booklet, and elasticated lens caps, and with a useful specification, and respectable level of manufacture, there’s plenty to mull over.

Konus marketing bills this model as ‘supremely rugged and recoil proof’, and part of that bold claim concerns the reticle, in that it is laser-etched onto glass, rather than using wire, which can snap under recoil and internal stress. So yes, a level of robustness is designed in. Fully multi coated lenses are used, constructed from high definition glass. All intended to offer optimum light transmission from dawn to dusk, and the unit is nitrogen-purged to prevent fogging, and fully sealed to be waterproof. We’re off to a good start then.

Set-up

The matt black anodised coating is very smart, and the body tube is one inch. With the Konuspro bolted onto my test rifle, I noted is has the older, locking ring focus. Here, you undo a ring, so that you can adjust the eyepiece bell in and out then when set re-lock it. The outer rim gets a rubber ring protector, which is there to stop you getting scoped. Here, if it’s set too far rearwards, your eye can rest on the rim and on firing a recoiling gun you can receive an unpleasant jolt around the eye, so best to avoid contact. With a firearms this, as can be imagined is really painful. On test, I couldn’t seem to shift the locking ring, but the entire rear section would smoothly twist if necessary, (with no slackness) so not a problem, but not as it should be.

Being able to correct parallax error brings versatility to any scope specification, the modern solution is a drum located on the left of the saddle. However, like the older, lock ring focus, this model has an adjustable objective bell, a bit of a Marmite feature, as some like them, but others don’t. Admittedly, side focus does often allow the shooter to make adjustments and check distance with the gun still in the shoulder, yet for a more general-purpose model, such as this Konuspro, such subtleties are unnecessary. Parallax adjustment is just a matter of rotating the objective collar, with ranges very clearly marked in neat bold gold figures: 10 yards, 15, 20, 30, 50, 75, 100, 200 and ∞. Operation is reassuringly smooth, easy to grip with the contoured tube, and weighted with the perfect amount of resistance. Minimum focus came in as marked, and distances overall seemed close to the markings, which isn’t always the case.

Zero time

Now to set zero, and an opportunity to check those smart, low-profile screw cap turrets. There’s little to criticise regarding this scope, but the long threads on the turrets are overkill, and a minor irritation; just taking a while to take off or screw back on. Hey, I concede, a minor irritation at the end of the day, but there’s little else to criticise for given the price. Adjustment click values are ¼” @ 100yds, are finger-friendly with raised blocks to grip, and emit a super positive click in use, so pleasing overall. Magnification is adjusted from 3-12x via the rear mag collar, and again, the mechanism proved smooth and reassuring. A chunky contoured collar helps of course.

Equidistant

As mentioned, this scope comes complete with a 4”, screw-on sunshade, and with the popularity of such add-ons increasing by the day, this will, I’m sure, prove an asset for many. Reticles have been getting increasingly sophisticated over the last decade or so, with the needs of FT and HFT driving demand, for more complicated designs. However, when new to a sport, there’s much to be said for keeping things simple. A sight picture over-cluttered with an array of aim points and elaborate diagrams, can just prove too much for novices and certain shooters, who want to take a more basic approach.

So, with this in mind, Konus supply this model with what’s termed a 30/30 (dual-x) reticle fine central cross hairs, bordered by thick outer posts. All are evenly spaced and equidistant, so you effectively have four quadrants. With this Konuspro set to 12x magnification, each quadrant of the reticle brackets a 40mm kill area when viewed at 25 yards, which gives some idea about proportions. The central cross hair is nice and fine, and the thick outer lines help to guide the eye to the middle of the cross, which is a real help when viewing quarry or targets up in a dark tree for example.

Bargain hunter

An impressive piece of inexpensive glassware then. Clarity and sharpness of image on test were excellent, and the feel overall, with the Konuspro, is of a solid, nicely presented, well-made product, which is easy to use, and well up to the job, for an incredibly low RRP. The reticle proportions probably preclude this scopes use in HFT, but as already mentioned, for a beginner, or a budget hunting tool, this Konuspro has to be one of the best bargains currently on the market. Oh, and there’s also a two year manufacturer’s guarantee, so a little additional peace of mind. So, to coin the much used cliché: what’s not to like?