Posted: 1/16/2024 6:59:46 PM EDT
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Wow, I’m actually moving on from last years thread while still in the first month of this year. That has got to be a first. As with the previous 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 threads, the purpose of this thread is to provide a catalog of this years reviews and articles, give you a behind the scenes look at what I'm working on as I'm working on it, provide a place for input and comments, and, of course, give you something to bookmark that will ping you when a new article is done. The majority of this years reviews are going to center around a 350 Legend rifle build. For those who do not know over the past few years a number of Midwestern states have changed their hunting regulations to allow straight walled rifle cartridges in areas where previously only slug shotguns were allowed for deer hunting. The purpose of that regulation was of course to limit the potential danger a hunter’s errant shot could do by limiting its range. Various forms of this type of hunting regulation exist in different counties, in different states, around most of the country. The most restrictive of these are bow only zones and these straight walled provisions are probably the least restrictive. As is often the case with regulation though, a little bit can go a long way. Straight walled cartridges are tremendously less ballisticly efficient than the specific bottleneck cartridges most popular for hunting these days. However, they are also a huge step up from a slug shotgun in pretty much every way. As such, I expect there will continuing expansion of these regulations to a greater number of states and counties in the future, as has been the pattern so far. I want to thank Hornady for providing some information, ammo, bullets, and reloading dies for this 350 project. They were good enough to do this after I ambushed them with some technical questions when I was first assessing the project concept and viability. This is a tremendous help especially given the surprise ammo shortage we seem to have had crop up again just as I have been assembling the parts and pieces. The project will certainly be much the more informative for having their involvement.  Hornady 350 Legend care package The Precison Straight-Walled Cartridge Rifle: I have been interested in testing the limits of the straight walled concept ever since I first heard of the regulation change. So, when the PurePrecison guys asked me to review their new lightweight SKLTN action, I threw them the curve ball of wanting to put it on a straight wall build. After a little more research, I settled on 350 Legend as that straight-walled cartridge. Fundamentally, I want to see what kind of accuracy I can get out of this sort of cartridge, how far I can still reliably hit vital size targets, what the terminal performance of the cartridge looks like at different distances, and what oddities reloading a straight walled, case mouth head spacing, cartridge brings up. As such, my largest article this year will be an exploration of the precision straight walled cartridge rifle. PurePrecison SKLTN Action and Altitude Stock: Any rifle build is a great opportunity to test out a bunch of new components. PurePrecison’s new lightweight SKLTN action fits well the theme of a lightweight hunting rifle. PurePrecison has expanded a lot since I did the Crux rifle review and are now manufacturing their own actions haven taken on a partnership with an aerospace company. Whereas the Crux review examined PurePrecison as a small custom rifle builder, this one will show them as a larger component manufacturer making both actions and carbon composite stocks. Proof: I did an in-depth review of Proof carbon wrapped barrels a few years ago. That review involved data taken from two proof barreled rifles. I will be adding the data from the 350 Legend barrel in the straight-walled precision rifle article to that previous article. Hopefully, this will provide some more insight into the harmonic advantages of a carbon wrapped barrel. Unlike the previous two proof barrels, this one with also be a pre-fit drop in barrel. This has become a very popular way to build a precision rifle and Proof has become the leader in the practice. XTSP MOD 22 Trigger: X-Treme Shooting products has been the OEM for a number of high profile rifle projects. These include the Mk13 Mod 22 trigger used Mk13 Mod 5 sniper rifle, Accuracy international competition trigger, and the trigger in the Remington PSR rifle which won that solicitation and became the Mk21 before Remington blew the whole thing and went belly up. XTSP makes a 2 stage trigger for the 700 platform that is a two stage 4 lever design. I have been wanting to examine this trigger for a while and this year seems like a good time to do so. Level use in Precison Rifle: This one is a roll over from last year and is already half done. It will feature the different level types and mounting arrangements. I’ll also give some methods for properly mounting your scope and level so they are level with each other. Advice I have seen on this topic on the web has often been sub par. I’ll also talk some about the Pros and Cons of different arrangements, pitfalls to avoid in their use, and some numbers on how much error you can introduce by failing to have the scope level. I’ve assembled most of the relevant level types and arrangements. I just need to put it all together. Riton Optics 3 Primal 3-18x50mm Crossover scope Riton Optics 7 Conquer 4-32x56 Another roll over from last year, this one wasn’t added to last year’s reviews until near the end and so was probably always going to be this year. Frank has been quite pleased with his experience with Riton optics and asked me to take a look at a couple of their new offerings. The 3 Primal 3-18x50mm is a crossover hunting / precision rifle scope that has the zero stop, exposed turrets, FFP, and mil/mil (or MOA/MOA) of a precision rifle scope but in a smaller form factor and sub 30oz weight suitable for hunting. I’m a big fan of this concept as I have encountered at least some optics light enough to be of hunting use that really don’t give up any important long range features or even optical performance to get there. I also see the added distance compensation potential of scope with precision rifle features as a huge benefit for hunters allowing them to greatly extend their ethical kill range. The second scope, the 7 Conquer 4-32x56 is a high end Japanese made optic in the ~$2k price range with a huge magnification range and fairly high 32x max magnification. This is very much in the current higher magnification trend popular amongst competitive shooters. Hi-Lux PR5 5-25x56 FFP: The Hi-Lux was tested with the other sub $1k scopes last year but had to be sent back to the manufacture at the end of the testing for evaluation because the example I had was not behaving to spec. There will be a resolution to this sometime this year. That should be it for the scheduled articles and reviews. I am also going to start doing some shorter format pieces on products I have thoughts on but don’t want to do a full review of. I’m going to keep these to under a page in length and put these in this thread instead of on the home page. Most of these will be on products in classes that I don’t feel qualified to do a full review of. I have some tripods coming and a few nice bipods for instance. I have, or will have, opinions on these but, not being a competitive PRS type shooter, I don’t feel my opinions are particularly well informed. I also don’t have a lot of experience with the alternative options in this field. Some of the short format smaller pieces will also be on products that I am using but are just simple and I have a little to say on them but not a ton. Lastly, if you were looking for my ShotShow 2024 reporting thread, you won't find it. I had enough stuff pending in the que to work on this year that I decided to save the time and money this year and skip the show. I typically only attend every few years to refresh contacts and catch up on new products so this isn’t really unusual. Garmin Xero C1 Chronograph It’s confession time. I hate my chronograph and basically only take it to the range if I’m developing a new load or specifically need the data for a review or article. The rest of the time, it sits at home. It’s not that the Oehler 35P I use is problematic. For a light based chrono, it is the best from both an accuracy and usability standpoint. It’s just still a huge PITA to lug it to the range, set it up, and align it so that I don’t shoot the thing. A few years back, I thought the magnetospeed might be the answer but after trying a buddies out I gave up that idea. It certainly effected the harmonics when on the barrel, was actually a little fiddly to set up and not shoot itself, and required a lot of effort, aftermarket parts, and a rifle with side rails if you wanted to set it up not on the barrel. I also thought the price was way high both for what it was, and for what it required you to add to it to not mess with your harmonics. So, I basically sat on the sidelines with the already paid for Oehler missing out on data on a whole lot of shots because I almost never used it. This year the Garmin came out and is supposed to be the greatest thing ever. Given how much data I need to take for articles this year I figured I would try out the Garmin and write something about it. Who knows, maybe it will be great enough I will regularly take it to the range and have a bunch more data on my shooting.  Doing the PurePrecision Crux review with the Oehler 35P back in 2018 Safran Vectronix Vector X laser rangefinding binoculars  Vectronix Vector X laser rangefinding binoculars review W/ Leica Geovid, & Sig 10K Vectronix Vector X laser rangefinding binoculars review video I’ll be continuing my series of reviews on electro optics this year with the new Vector X lrf binos from Vectronix. These should be the first 905nm rangefinders to be competitive with the 10k’s in laser performance. The Vector X binos have been designed as dual use for hunting and competition. To facilitate this they have optional 1.4x “range enhancers” that screw in and a tripod mount from RRS to allow them to essentially be converted into a spotting scope replacement. The Vector X binos also feature glass etched reticles. One of these reticle choices features a milling section for use with the 1.4x enhancers and a second for use without the enhancers. Other standout features are a full D pad control system and integrated AMOLED display for what should be best in class user interface. The Vector X’s have full onboard AB elite and will interface with the full AB suite of products including the AB calypso wind meter, which should be ready to go with the Vector X at time of shipping. The Vector X binos will also interface with a number other products such as the Garmin watch, DRS gun mounted display, and Hornady’s 4DOF as well as Desert Tech’s Trasol. The glass in these binos is also expected to be quite good. Good enough that they are even releasing a model without the laser rangefinder. It certainly looks like Vectronix has spent a good deal of time and effort on the fine details of this product and I’m excited to give it a look.  Safran Vectronix Vector X Sig Kilo 10K-ABS HD Gen II laser rangefinding binoculars It’s been a couple years now since Sig set the new standard for consumer laser rangefinding by releasing their Kilo 10K-ABS HD binoculars. These rangefinding binos at least doubled the effective range that any particular target could be ranged at in any particular conditions with the best 905nm rangefinders of the time. On top of that, in some conditions, or with some targets, the 10k’s far exceeded an effective doubling of range such as with large, highly reflective, targets or with any targets in snow or fog. They did this while still being a class 1 laser product and without using substantially more battery. In fact, given their low energy AMOLED display, they used far less overall energy than most, if not all, competing products. That AMOLED display also offered excellent in-bino menu navigation, full rangefinding and ballistic solutions on one screen, and the ability to precisely align the laser with the reticle (a general issue laser rangefinders have.) The 10k’s also included Applied Ballistics Elite as well as the ability to be used in Sig’s BDX Smart Scope ecosystem which I did a review of at the same time I reviewed the 10k binoculars in 2022.  Sig KILO10k-ABS HD Gen I (left) and Gen II (right) laser rangefinding binoculars  Sig Kilo 10K –ABS HD Gen II laser rangefinding binoculars review W/ Gen 1 Leica Geovid, & Vectronix Sig Kilo 10K –ABS HD Gen II laser rangefinding binoculars review This year Sig has released the second generation of the Kilo 10k’s. The principle changes in this generation are the removal of the noticeable blue tint that users found objectionable in the first generation units and faster access to manual wind entry with direct wind input buttons allowing users to quickly change wind direction and speed. The Weatherflow wind meter included with the first generation 10k has also been removed from the Gen II unit. I expect this may have a lot to do with the upcoming Applied Ballistics Eite ultrasonic wind meter integration at that will be a substantially better wind metering solution than prop type wind meters were and it is my understanding it will be supported on all AB elite devices. |
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Update 1-31-2024 Tuesday Frank and I did an EverDaySniper podcast with Frank on sub $1k scopes. In this podcast we talked about sub $1k scopes in general, a little about how to pick the right scope for you, and I gave a short summary of each of the sub $1k scopes I have reviewed in the past few years. These scopes were: Sightron SIII 6-24x50 and Sightron SIII 6-24x50 PLR Sightron S-TAC 4-20x50 Athlon Midas TAC 6-24x50mm Athlon Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 Athlon Midas TAC 5-25x56 Meopta Optika6 5-30x56 RD Arken EP5 5-25x56 Primary Arms GLx 3-18x44 & 4.5-27x56 Bushnell Match Pro ED 5-30x56 Optisan EVX Gen II 4-16x44F1 In a few weeks we will do a podcast going over the ~$2k scopes from the last couple years as well as the couple alpha glass scopes as well.  Hawkins Hunter magazine in .223 / 350L On the review front, pieces continue to trickle in for the 350L build. The Hawkins hunter flush mount .223 / 350L mag that fits with their Hunter DBM came in a couple days ago. For those who didn’t catch it in my Shotshow 2023 coverage, this is an M5 inlet AICS bottom metal that is flush with the bottom of the stock instead of having the extended mag well now common in AICS bottom metals. The magazine is designed to work in conjunction with that flush fit bottom metal and likewise fits close to flush with the stock providing the clean look of an internal magazine with the convenience of a DBM. The magazines are machined from solid bar stock, are double stack / single feed, and hold 5x .223 rounds or 4x 350L rounds. |
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Update 2-12-2024 Wednesday Frank and I got caught up on my past optics reviews with an EveryDaySniper podcast on ~$2k and above rifle scopes. This included both the scopes in the ~$2k series and the couple of Alpha reviews I have done over the years. This podcast includes a very brief discussion of each optic I have reviewed as well as some discussion of what to expect from optics in these price classes in general. We finish up with a little preview of my articles this year. The scopes discussed include: Sightron S6 5-30x56 Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56 Sig Tango 6 5-30x56 Bushnell Elite Tactical XRS3 6-36x56 Minox 5-25x56 LR Minox ZP5 5-25x56 Zero Compromise ZC420 In other news, a couple of Field Optics Research tripods I purchased arrived a couple days ago. I don’t think I had mentioned this yet but I actually spend a good bit of time at ShotShow last year looking at shooting tripods. The concept of shooting long range off of a tripod has absolutely caught fire in the last few years and I was thinking of doing a series of reviews surrounding this. I changed my mind partially because I had a whole bunch of other stuff in the que, partially because I don’t think I really have enough knowledge and experience on the topic to be the guy who does those reviews, and partially because of the products themselves. The products were a difficult mix of price, features, and a great deal of blatant intellectual property theft (not this brand on that count BTW), to combine into a cogent series. I still picked out a few things I wanted though and bought them when I got around to it. After I get some experience shooting with the Field Optics Research stuff I will write something up on it. For now they made a very nice stand for some photos I needed to take for the bubble level article. The tripods I have are the Hunter 32DT ASFPL and PRO39-MIL ASFPL and I also have some FM-570 GunPOD gun vices and should have an FM-300F gunvice coming as well.  Field Optics Research PRO39-MIL ASFPL tripod system with a friends Kelbly Atlas rifle and Hunter 32DT ASFPL system with my PurePrecision crux. |
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Update 2-26-2024 Despite the initial 6 week shipping estimate when I ordered it, the Garmin Xero C1 chrono arrived last week. I guess I haven’t even mentioned it yet. There are a few products that I will be reviewing that I haven’t put in this thread. This Garmin is one of them and there is another big one that I’ll be able to talk about next week. That one is under NDA whereas I just hadn’t gotten around to mentioning the Garmin. Anyhow, man is it small and light. I took a pic of it next to a swiss army knife to try to put it in context. It’s not like I hadn’t seen pics of if but somehow they did not convey the size accurately to me. It’s absolutely tiny. Given the cost, I’m a bit disappointed in the complete lack of the inclusion of any case. I guess I found a use of the little ditty bag Arken includes in their accessory set with the rings and bubble level. Still, the chrono is $600 guys, you can’t put it in a nice case? I’m pretty sure there would be plenty of profit left.  Garmin Xero C1 Chronograph with a swiss army knife for scale In other news, the PurePrecision 350 Legend is just about done. They are just doing some function testing and it will be on it’s way. I’m stoked to get started on this years big project. BTW, the PurePrecision guys are running a big sale to coincide with the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo right now. Some pretty heavy discounts on both rifles, actions, and stocks. Lastly, the article on levels is done being written. I should have it proofread and up in week or so. |
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Update 2-28-2024 The article on level use in precision rifle is now live. This sort of ended up being three articles that I have divided them up as such into three clearly delineated “parts.” I went back and forth about actually dividing it into three articles but ended up thinking this middle ground with the big, obvious, divisions was better than making three articles that felt a little incomplete on their own. Anyhow, the first part has a lot of numbers on level use and a good deal of general information. The second part is about scope mounting with a level and the third is some discussion of different level types and mini-reviews of some level products. I do expect to add a few more images and diagrams to this article over time but I didn’t want to hold it up any longer for that since it may be a few weeks before I get out to the range again to do those photos.  The leveliest rifle ever lol On a different subject, I took the Garmin Chrono to the range yesterday and mistreated it. Basically, I stood it up on the little table plank thing indoor ranges have in the lanes with the Garmin much further from the bore line than it is supposed to be and then gave it just 21ft to pick up the shot on top of that. In short, I set it up how it was easiest to set up instead of what the directions said to do and then just expected it to work. Than, to my surprise, it actually did. I think it only dropped two 9mm shots and a handful of fairly rapid fire .22lr shots the whole range session. This was easily a better than 90% shot pick up rate despite my complete disregard for the instructions. I felt that was pretty amazing. I have some work to figure out the Garmin ShotView app use though. My data showed up on the phone but I failed to figure out how to control the device with the phone. Anyhow, here is a random phone screenshot from the day and a group I shot with my buddies new P365. The group isn’t germane to anything but I want to brag about it. That is a damn good group at 21ft. I am not the best handgun marksman so it’s surely not about to happen again.  9mm shot string in the Garmin ShotView app.  I’m going to brag about this group I shot at 21ft with a P365 subcompact even if it isn’t germane to anything Lastly, big product announcement tomorrow…. |
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Update 2024 2 29 Happy Safran Vectronix Vector X release date. This is that big product announcement I have been teasing. Safran is a large military / aerospace company best known in precision rifle circles for it’s military electro-optics products marketed under the trade name Vectronix. Despite being originally only sold to military and LEO, many of these products were nevertheless civilian legal and became popular on the secondary market. Most important among these was probably the original Vectronix Terrapin that for years was the undisputed best laser rangefinder a person could get for substantially less than the price of a car. After that, Vectronix dipped it’s toe into the civilian market with the Terrapin X. This had successes and convinced them to create a commercial business unit within Vectronix dedicated to products for long range shooters and hunters. These Vector X laser rangefinding binoculars and the Radical X sister product which is the same binocular without the rangefinder are the first products of that new division. A couple of months ago, the Vectronix folks reached out to Frank and me about taking a look at a new product. They were interested in having us review the product on the hide. Given all the work I have recently done with the Leica Geovid pro and Sig 10k reviews and EveryDaySniper podcast on electro optics and applied ballistics, this seemed like a great fit and I’m excited to be doing the review. Meating with Philip and talking about the Vector X, the first thing to strike me about the Vector X's is that they will be competitive with the 10k's in maximum range. I had mentioned in the afore mentioned EDC podcast, that there would be more such ultra high range 905nm rangefinders following the 10k's and this is the first such product. Though the spec sheet lists the Vector X's as having a max range of 7k yds and not 10k yds, that max range is not a memory hard stop such as 3k meters appears to be on the Leica Geovid Pro's. The Vectors can return ranges substantially further than that and I have been told they will match or perhaps slightly exceed the 10k's. The second thing to strike me was the value of the Vector X's in the dual role of spotter / field binos. With the screw on "range enhancers" each of these models is boosted to 1.4x it's original magnification. This puts them squarely in spotter magnification range and, with the aid of the tripod adapter RRS is making and the dual reticle option (the left reticle is calibrated for base magnification and the right one for magnification with range enhancers) the Vector X's should make a magnificent spotting scope replacement. I understand most match guys are already using high powered binos in this role anyway. How much better to have the LRF and ballistic solution baked into that, especially in team matches. This struck me as a huge winning feature. Of course, without adding these things, the Vector X should perform quite well in a hunting role. The next feature to strike me is that these Vector X's are supposed to have very good glass. The glass is so good, in fact, that they are planning to also release a model that is just binoculars without the laser rangefinder that they are calling the Radical X. Somebody must have let Elon Musk in the product naming room. Good optical performance is a big win for both the spotter replacement and field glass roles and I am excited to test them out to see how they do optically. The interface of the Vector X's interestes me. Most LRF binos have just two buttons which makes it pretty cumbersome to navigate menues. Even more so if the display is just a segmented LED with a bunch of weird acronyms you will never remeber. The Vector X's have a full D pad in addition to a ranging button for a total of 6 buttons to use in conjunction with a full AMOLED screen. It should be a dream to navigate menues and the D pad buttons also have shortcuts attached to them when not in the menue system for even quicker use on the clock. The interface of these binos seems to have been very carefully designed for the match shooter and I am looking forward to trying it out. I am also looking forward to trying out Vectronix applied ballistics app integration. I found the Sig version a bit clunky for non BDX system use and am hoping the Vectronix flavor will be an excellent UI. They certainly seem to have spent some time trying to get the features just right for the competitive shooter so I’m very hopeful. I should also mention that these Vector X binos will be ready for integration with Calipso wind meters. I understand this will be ready at time of launch. I'm pretty stoked to try this out and get the full details, as I understand there is a pretty robust integration including capabilities to integrate multiple sensors in down range locations for ELR. These are details I want to understand. Lastly, the Vector X has a lot of choices in device integration. You can even leave the AB ecosystem if you want and do 4DOF or Trasol. You can also integrate the Vector X's with a lot of other devices such as Garmin watches, the DRS gun mounted display, Kestrels, and the afore mentioned AB Calipso wind meter. Details vary depending on product, for instance, I understand communication with 4DOF and Trasol is one way but that is nevertheless a lot of options for people when it comes to personalizing their workflow.    Vector X preliminary specification sheets: Link to the big SnipersHide thread on the Vector X which will probably be pages long in no time. |
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Update 3-24-2024 The Hawkins hunter bottom metal came for the 350L build. As I expected the machining is excellent and it looks great with their flush fit magazine. It’s off to the PurePrecison guys for the final assembly and testing now. Shouldn’t be long.  Hawkins AICS/ M5 Hunter DBM and Hunter Magazine In other developments, I spoke with the guys at Barnes and they will be sending some of their 170gr TSX VOR-TX ammunition as well as some bullets. I think these will be a great addition as the open hollow point design and soft copper material of the bullet allows for expansion over a wide range of impact velocity. The Barnes tech told me they have been tested to expand down to 1,100fps. This will equate to more than 300yds in probably any rifle. At this juncture, the article is set to have four different Hornady rounds, two Winchester offerings, and the just mentioned Barnes. That is a pretty good selection. |
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Update 3-22-2024 The Barnes Vor-TX ammo and TSX bullets are here.  Barnes 350 Legend offerings. 170gr Loaded Vor-TX ammunition and 170gr TSX bullets The PurePrecision rifle was also assembled test fired yesterday. It should be on it’s way soon. It will be fun to get started at the range with this straight walled project. |
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Update 4-7-2024 The XTSP MOD 22 trigger arrived this week and I have been running it through the “lab” type tests for break weight consistency, min pull weight, and such in the Kelbly Atlas Tactical action before the PurePrecision 350 Legend rifle it will eventually go in arrives. This is for consistency as the TriggerTech and Bix n’ Andy triggers were also tested in this action and with this gauge. It is also pretty easy to do the testing in this action as Kelbly actions use a trigger hanger so you aren’t having to pound away at the receiver pins to swap out a trigger for testing.  Mounting the XTSP MOD 22 trigger in the Kelbly Atlas Tactical action for testing. On another project, I finally broke down and spent the $55 for one of the Teslong bore scope. It might be the best $50 I ever spent on shooting stuff. I have learned so much so quickly. Turns out, I was spending too much time cleaning my Vudoo .22lr. That thing is clean as a whistle after only about 3 patch and brush cycles. No need to continue. The rifle was pretty dirty too. It had a least 500rds since it’s last cleaning before I scoped it for the pics.  Before and after cleaning my ~500rds dirty Vudoo .22lr. Shown is the throat and early in the lands. On center fire I also learned a good bit about carbon rings, hard carbon, copper fouling, and what it takes to deal with each. I am no expert here but I think I had some things wrong and further, that most advice might even be more wrong. Anyhow, it’s the borescope era people. Drop your $55 bucks and get one already. Be happy, it is about the cheapest tool in all of precision shooting. |
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Update 4-18-2024 Guess what’s here…. It’s the PurePrecison SKLTN in 350 Legend. I spent some time this evening fitting the XTSP trigger into it. Tomorrow I’ll break out the bore scope and take a look down the tube as well as try to get some nicer photos with some natural light. Sure looks good in person though. The Matte look of the PurePrecision Altitude stock and the flush mount Hawkins Hunter mag really come together well. I have a range trip coming up next week and I’m excited to see what a straight-wall hunting cartridge can do.  PurePrecision SKLTN 350 Legend AICS DBM Straight-Wall Hunting Rifle |
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Update 5-31-2024 I have been quite busy testing and writing but also remiss with regards to posting any updates.  XTSP Mod 22 trigger First off, the XTSP 2-stage trigger review is now posted. This is the first review in the Precison Straight-Walled Cartridge Rifle series this year. Next up will be the review on the PurePrecision SKLTN action used in the 350 Legend build. I may or may not combine the Altitude stock into that review as well depending on how long it runs as I write it. I have been quite busy doing testing on this rifle and experimenting doing reloads for this straight walled cartridge using Hornady’s die set and their new click adjust bullet seating micrometer. This is the first time I have tried to produce match rifle type ammo for a straight walled cartridge. I’m going to pretend I didn’t whoopsie and squish any cases.  First Reloading Session with the 350 Legend I have some updates on the laser rangefinder reviews as well. First off, I will be taking a look at the Gen II Sig Kilo 10k ABS binos. I will have these on hand at the same time as the Vector X’s so you will get a side by side comparison both with those and with the first generation 10k unit. Both of these binos are supposed to be shipping in the near future as I have received order updates in the last week on both. Hopefully, I will also have a Calypso ultrasonic wind meter to interface with them but that is still a little up in the air. On an unrelated note, my brother was doing some AR accuracy testing on some of the range trips while I was working on the 350 project. I brought the Seekins DMR I bought a couple years ago as a comparison. Man, that thing is just a hammer. I have to give Seekins a shout out for the tiny little groups the DMR continues to spit out. Props to Norma as well as these were with the normaUSA 77gr Sierra MK ammo I had leftover from the Kelbly Atlas review a number of years ago. We live in a blessed time, groups between .5” and .75” all day long with factory ammo and an off the shelf rifle. I may have to write up a review sometime if I get a break in my schedule.  The Seekins DMR @100yds with normaUSA 77gr Sierra MK ammo. |
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Update 6-5-2024 Well, that was quick. The Sig KILO10K-ABS HD Gen II binos arrived yesterday. I didn’t have a lot of time today to do any rigorous testing but I can say that the blue tint present in the first generation units is absolutely gone from these. I’m interested to see how that effects the overall optical performance as well as how the three new buttons that facilitate real time user wind inputs alter the overall experience. It has also been a while since I updated or used Sig’s software as I haven’t needed any new profiles for a bit and the 10k’s in bino profile storage and menu system is so good that I haven’t needed to interface with the app in probably a year. I’ll be interested to see what changes have been made in the interim.  SIG KILO10K-ABS HD GEN II Laser Rangefinding Binoculars Unboxing |
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Update 7-3-2024 I have finally managed to coral the chaos around the house long enough to get some first impressions on the Vectronix Vector X binos. Boy, this is some media kit they sent. It reminds me of some of the stuff I have seen on tech review videos for big phone or PC product launches. The kit includes Binos, Range Enhancers, Tenebraex screw on kill flash and caps combo, product features booklet, both RRS and Area 419 arca adapters, and a chicken dance patch. This first day out I was pretty much just making sure nothing was broken in shipping, checking function, taking some photos, and giving the optical performance an initial assessment. I didn’t dig into any software yet or take them anywhere to measure long distance ranging performance Here are my initial thoughts though:  Safran Vectronix Vector X media kit First off, the resolution is very good. I will need to break out the Geovid pro’s for a comparison here as these are in that league in terms of resolving power. I was initially surprised that Vectronix planned on releasing a version of the Vector X binos without a laser in them in the form of the Radical X binoculars. Those are slated for a $1,200 price point and my initial impression is that the glass will more than justify the price point and they may have success with that model despite the crazy crowded bino market. My second impression is that, there are conditions where you will notice the blue notch filter in the right barrel that makes the oled display visible. The tint is much less blue than the first gen Sig 10k’s but, in some conditions (bright sunlight or synthetic indoor light), it is more noticeable than the filter on the second gen 10k’s. In both the Vector X's and G2 10k’s, the filter is only present in the right eye. This appears helpful, in both cases, when it comes to making the image appear less blue as your brain combines the image from both eyes. In the case of both these Vector X’s and the G2 10k’s, there are lighting conditions in which I don’t think that a user will judge the image as blue tinted at all. I suspect that, as on the 10k’s, the notch filter in the Vector X’s will prove very narrow band and have almost no effect on low light performance or just about anything else though I have not done low light testing yet. All that being said, conditions exist where you will notice a blue tint in the right barrel of the Vector X binos and be reminded that, despite the resolution, you are using rangefinding binos and not bird watching binos. The glass-etched reticle is also quite the tip off in that regard.  A squirrel @133 yds through the 10x42 Vectronix Vector X binos with range enhancers attached. This photo is a little more blue in tint than any real world image will appear to your eye. Speaking of that reticle, it is nice and sharp and I’m very excited to try these out in the role of spotting scope replacement with the 1.4x magnification range enhancers. Usually, I go with 8x over 10x on my binos as I prefer more field of view and steadier image over more magnification. I went with 10x on these though as I think it's the best compromise between tripod use as a spotting scope replacement with range enhancers and hand held use without the range enhancers. Those range enhancers have impressed me so far as well. I’m not seeing a massive fall off in optical performance with them strapped on for the extra magnification. I need to contrive a few tests to refine my thoughts but so far the concept seems like a next level feature especially when coupled with the rock solid integrated tripod mounting point directly on the barrel of the bino. This is a big win over the various bridge type devices I have encountered for attaching binos to tripods. In the past I have been more inclined to drop a shooting bag on the tripod and use that to steady the binos than to use any mount but this mount system is an upgrade. It is small, rock solid and the binos still fit in the case with it attached. As all my Field Optics Research tripods have arca clamps on top of them and leveling features built in, I went with the Area 419 plate. The RRS plate is similar but with an added leveling feature I didn’t really need. Both of these are aftermarket add ons. A tripod adapter is also included with the bino that fits a ¼” stud instead of an arca rail. All three of these adapters screw onto the same mounting point on the binos so, you have a lot of choices when it comes to what to go with.  Looking through the Vectronix Vector X’s as well as the Gen 2 Sig 10k’s on my Field Optics Research tripods. Those are my thoughts for now. I expect I’ll dip into the software next as well as get to know the menu systems. I’ll probably have to do that chicken dance then and earn the patch. |
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Update 7 –10-2024 Look what showed up yesterday….  Calypso Mini AB Applied Ballistics integrated ultrasonic wind meter. I have been talking for a couple of years now about upcoming support for ultrasonic wind meters in the Applied Ballistics ecosystem. Some of you will no doubt remember the EDS podcast Frank and I did early last year about range finders that touched on future wind meter developments or the prototype of the AB Calypso from ShotShow two years ago. We must be close now as I was able to get a hold of a Calypso AB pre-production sample to utilize in conjunction with the Vector X bino review. These are not yet up for sale but judging from the packaging, we must not be far off. It should not be surprising that the timing between these two products is closely aligned, as Vectronix was one of the partners involved in pushing for this integration in the AB ecosystem. Anyhow, I’ll talk a look in the next couple of days to see how the meter integrates with the AB software, whose apps are currently ready for it, and the release details on when the mini AB will be available and if this special version is the only version you can integrate with AB.  Calypso Mini AB mounted up on the tripod |
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Update 7-18-2024 No update on the Calypso software yet but I have been playing with the Vector X some more both at the range and in the backyard and have a few observations. First off, I took it to the range and used it as a spotter in conjunction with the screw on range extenders. In this configuration, the 10x set that I am using are 14x. The resolution, magnification, and etched reticle were quite sufficient to be used as a spotting scope. Acting as a spotting scope for zeroing will by no means be the strength of these binos. I expect most will be far more interested in spotting misses and trace at distance. I think it is still important to note that the binos did function in this role though and hunters using low power scopes can use these binos to zero their rifle at 100 without having to walk out to the target to check the impacts. Also, take note that unlike some of the other previous through the lens photos, this one doesn't appear to have a blue tint. Go figure, it was a super bright sunny day just like the previous squirrel photo and both were south facing. Anyhow, it is looking like usually the user won't notice a tint but in some conditions it becomes more apparent and sometimes a camera makes it even more apparent.  Now some stuff about the software. As I have mentioned before, Nicks crew at AB writes the software for the AB powered devices such as these Vectronix Vector X binos but the GUI on that software can vary significantly from one maker to another. So far I have liked the Vectronix flavor both in terms of the intuitiveness of it's layout and some of it's unique features. Note that this software is beta so there may be some changes and a few of the features might be coming online leading up to the release (for instance, the built in GPS drop point feature that is in the app and hooks to google maps for sat data was not yet working last week but seems to work today) I’ll post a pic of this at some point when that data would not include a satellite image of my back yard ;) Anyhow, here are a few of the highlights. 1) The ballistic profiles screen lets you load in screen shots for a profile. I know there is not a lot of function to this but I really enjoyed the feature and it looks real nice. BTW, you can E-mail yourself one of the range cards to print out and put in the clear pouch of your rangefinder case as a backup. Others also do this but it's still worth a mention.  2) A survey function exists for calculation dimensions of buildings and such by ranging different points. This was certainly fun to play with. It will be interesting to see how accurate it is as it utilizes the binos internal compass and inclinometer and neither of those instruments has to be tremendously accurate for ballistic purposes.  3) The target card feature in the Vectronix software struck me as a particularly good implementation with intuitive population of the ranges using the rangefinder. I will be interested to see if its windage values update in real time with the Calypso connected and if those updates take into account the different directions to the different targets and how the wind interacts with that.  |
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Update 7-27-2024 The last couple weeks have been pretty busy. I loaded up and tested 8 different bullet / powder combinations including both the most often recommended powder for 350L, H110, and CFEBLK which, is on the far slow burning edge of powders for which load data exists for the 350L. For a second powder to try, I probably should have gone with LilGun instead as it is the second most recommended powder but I was looking to shake things up. It wasn’t my most brilliant idea and has proven unsuitable for many applicable bullets. It also smells terrible just to make sure I remember that idea stunk. On more productive reloading topics, I need to do a shout out to both the Hornady click adjust bullet seating micrometer and their “custom grade” new dimension bullet seating die. Dialing in the amount of distance I was looking for to the lands on so many different combinations would have been an utter nightmare without the micrometer seater. It proved accurate and easy to use with repeatability that really mattered when I switched over powders and wanted to repeat all the same seating depths with the second powder. The Micrometer made this quick and easy as it is graduated and I just wrote down the numbers the first time and dialed right too them with the second powder. Perhaps even more important, Hornadys seating dies have a sliding bullet alignment sleeve. This was crucial in that it allowed me to go very light on the case expander depth so that I could load where I wanted to be on some short bullets and yet still get good neck tension without crushing any cases or getting any bullets loading wonky and off center in the process. This alignment is always crucial but even more so on long straight walled cases with flat base bullets. They really need to be straight in the seater or you will wreck that fragile case mouth and you can’t reliably get that done without a match die style alignment sleeve die. This is something only Hornady does in their standard seating dies and I think they are the only to offer that feature for a 350L at all. I could not have done the loads I was looking to do without it. Hornady has created a system here where you can have the three features most prized in any match grade seating die for any caliber you want instead of for only the very select few calibers popular in the shooting sports. The standard Hornady seating dies that come in virtually all of their die sets, the “custom grade new dimension seating die” have both a floating alignment sleeve and swappable seating stem for different shape bullets. To this seating die, you can add the click adjust bullet seating micrometer for easy and repeatable seating depth adjustments. The micrometer can also be easily swapped between different seating dies making it unnecessary to purchase one for every seating die.  A Cutaway of how the Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension Bullet Seating die works and said die with the Click Adjust Bullet Seating Micrometer added. I guess this brings my total ammo tested in the 350L so far to 9 factory ammo offerings and 8 different bullet / powder handload combinations plus a few more significant variations on some of those handload combinations. The project has become something of a wormhole and I’m defiantly going to need to put out the SKLTN action review well before it’s done as I feel like I have a lot further to go on the straight wall investigation. So, I’m planning to get writing the SKLTN review next and hopefully I should get done in the next couple weeks.  This reminds me of a saying my brother is fond of. “Cast many lines catch many fish.” I have also spent a good deal of time the past few weeks doing optical evaluations of laser rangefinders. I mentioned in my earlier impressions that I thought the Vectronix Vector X was quite good optically. My further testing has certainly born this out. I actually found them to edge out the excellent Leica Geovid Pro’s in resolution. They also have a bit more field of view in comparable models. That is pretty impressive stuff. I frankly didn’t expect those results. I will get more detailed in the full review but suffice it to say that the Vector X’s are top tier in optical performance in laser rangefinding binos. Furthermore, I have now done some systematic optical testing on the “Range Enhancers”. That name is so bad I can never remember it and it annoys me when I have to look it up every time. They don’t meaningfully increase the range of the binoculars and that isn’t their function anyway. I’m not even sure what enhanced range would mean as enhanced doesn’t generally mean more, but instead better and I’m totally unclear on what better would mean in that context. Vectronix should call them magnification boosters or something, anything, else. Anyhow, I didn’t note any detectable degradation in either resolution or edge-to-edge performance with them on. I was quite pleased with this as the idea of having the ability to morph the Vector X binos into a spotting scope replacement role is a huge added feature. I will mention here as well that the etched reticle in the Vector X binos tested accurate with less than 1% deviation on both 10x and with the mag boosters at 14x.  Testing the Vectronix Vector X milling grid accuracy and optical performance on my calibrated test target. In doing a good bit of side by side testing between the G2 Sig 10k’s and the G1 10k’s I have been surprised by my conclusions. As I mentioned in my review of the first generation of Sig 10k binos, the blue tint in the G1 units results from a very narrow notch filter and, as such, has little effect on the units resolution, low light performance, or really anything else measurable. I basically didn’t think it was a big deal. Despite this, I have found myself feeling like the G2 unit is a lot better optically. I feel this way despite the fact that it’s not actually performing any different on resolution tests or almost anything else. Basically, I’m subconsciously judging the G1 unit more harshly than I thought I was because the blue tint basically makes the image look lesser and it doesn’t seem that intellectually knowing the facts changes this. That is pretty interesting.  A squirrel though the G2 Sig 10k laser rangefinding binos |
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Update 8-13-2024 Marsupial sadness, bring back the bungee! Some of you may remember that I did an addendum to my 2022 review of the Leica Geovid Pro’s to complement how much I liked the Marsupial Gear No-Mag enclosed binocular pack. I went to pick up a second one this year only to find they have “improved” it by removing the bungee closure system in favor of what amounts to some pretty tightly stretched fabric joint thing. I’m sure somebody likes the new pack better and they said something about it being more “snag free” but I’m here to tell you this aint where it’s at. The new closure has a lot less freedom of movement than the previous ingenious bungee system and clamps down on most binos so tightly that they are very hard to get in and out. It’s bad enough I’m just going to sell the new one off without ever taking it in the field. It’s way to cumbersome getting binos in and out of it. I even tried it with my old Nikon Premier 8x32 binos as they are smaller than the 10x42 Sig 10k’s in the above pictures and the closure is just not comfortable for ingress and egress. The manufacturing quality is still great, but I do not recommend the new version of the No-Mag enclosed binocular pack as it is cumbersome to take the binoculars in or out of it.  Old (left) and New (right) versions of the Marsupial Gear No-Mag enclosed binocular pack |
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Update 8-16-2024 I spent some time at a nature reserve today with this years two laser range finding binos I have on hand for review, the Gen 2 Sig 10k and Vectronix Vector X. The idea was basically so spend some time in nature with the little one, get some pretty photos though the binos, and do a little rangefinder capability testing. I took a mountain of photos and quite a few very nice ones came out. I was quite pleased especially as I was only able to use a tripod for a few of the longest distance photos.  Bison herd @ 593 yds though the G2 Sig 10k binos  Un-woke male deer managing his harem though the G2 Sig 10k binos  Who knew rhinos liked swimming though the G2 Sig 10k binos  Deer @ 801yds though the Vectronix Vector x binos  Deer wallowing in the mud though the Vectronix Vector X binos  The same bison herd but now @ 1937 yds through the Vectronix Vector X binos |
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Update 8-24-2024 I believe I am finished doing the testing on the G2 Sig 10k binos and I’m probably around half way though writing up the review. I took a lot of different comparison photos between the G1 and G2 units in order to find one that I think best illustrates the color difference between the G1 unit with its strong notch filter that resulted in a blue tinted image and the G2 unit, which, I don’t think will appear to anyone as tinted. Here is that comparison photo. Fun fact, just as in the famous Monty Python "How not to be seen" skit, there are in fact two people in these photos not being seen. They are behind the dark central bushy tree, not being seen. They did not suffer the fate of any of the people not being seen in that Python skit.  Comparing the blue tinted image of the first generation Sig Kilo10k-ABS with the un-tinted second generation. Just as I did with the original 10k unit I played around a little ranging at night and was able to range the Budweiser tower again at almost 10k yards. Interestingly, this is not actually a hard range for the 10k's to get. They will return a value every time. This is a good illustration both of the impressive rangefinding ability of the binos and of how much effect stray light has during the day on a rangefinders ranging ability. I suspect that the 10ks and probably most rangefinders are actually range limited by their memory locations when it comes to ranging buildings at night despite perhaps having at least 2x the range potential in memory locations they need to range anything during the day. The amount of background radiation from sunlight is truly massive and it's quite interesting how much it varies from day to day. Anyhow, here is that juicy 9556 yard range.  Ranging the massive Budweiser towers at 9556 yards with the Sig Kilo10k-ABS G II rangefinding binoculars For a couple years now I have been attempting to range a giant causeway and bridge across one of the reservoirs local to me here in central Ohio. I have probably fired well over 100 beams at every part of the bridge and causeway over the years without ever getting a return in daylight. I was able to get it yesterday by catching the beam under the deck and above the pylons with the Vectronix Vector X binos at a massive 6,405 yards. That is a truly massive number to pull in daylight. The conditions seemed bright to me but they must have been pretty good from the standpoint of a rangefinder as both the Sig 10k and the Vector X were pulling ranges on trees at greater than 3,500 yards. Ranging a bridge at a massive 6,405 yards in bright daylight with the Vectronix Vector X |
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Update 9-15-2024 I have finished up and posted the Sig Kilo10k-ABS HD Gen II review. I was quite impressed with how much improvement in the user experience resulted from the removal of the blue tint present in the Gen I units. There were a number of other improvements and refinements as well including three more buttons for fast wind input and better menue navigation, improved ergonomics, a better internal compass, more remote map point options, and cloud profile storage. Sig has also improved the warranty to a transferable lifetime for electronics and optics. That is huge in my judgement. First Generation Sig Kilo 10K-ABS HD rangefinding binoculars (left) and the Generation Two units (right) I have also made some improvements as well. In an effort to improve readability of my often-lengthy reviews, major background sections on technologies common to multiple products will now be found after the conclusion instead of intermixed with the unique and new review sections. As such, you will still have access to that detailed information if you haven’t read it before or would like a refresher, but it will not be in your way if you already know it and just want to get to the new stuff. This is the first review to feature this format but you should expect to see it in most new review content. I hope readers find this improves readability without harming depth. As readers will have probably guessed, the testing for the Vector X review was substantially done in parallel to that for the 10k gen II review and that review is currently in partially written form. It should be complete in a month tops. If possible, it will contain references to working wind from the Calypso AB unit that I am also working with but does not yet interface with AB. |
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Update 10-7-2024 I have posted the Safran Vectronix Vector X binoculars review. These new rangefinding binoculars offer optical performance competitive with Leica Geovid Pros and rangefinding performance competitive with Sig 10ks. They also offer a number of new unique features such as a target card populated by live rangefinding, an in app remote point mapping feature, and unique D-pad navigation of the in binoculars menu. Magnification boosters are also available that combine with the etched reticle present in the Vector X binoculars to allow them to be utilized as a spotting scope replacement.  Original Vectronix Terrapin (left) and New Vector X binoculars (right) |
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Update 10-17-2024 (I forgot to post this on AR15.com when I first wrote it and got it posted on SnipersHide) So, after taking some time away from the 350L project in order to do the laser rangefinder reviews I returned to it the last couple of weeks. As I’m sure you gathered by the lack of data and updates, I had a lot of difficulties getting reasonable results with the rifle and was not sure why. I don’t like to publish anything until I am reasonably sure I have figured things out. I think I have now and have the first set of good results. I cherry picked one just for you guys. How about this .25” 5 shot group with the Proof Barreled Pure Precision 350L and factory Hornady Custom 165gr ammo. This was actually today’s first group. I’ll admit, it is a bit of an outlier in performance but all the groups were under 1” with that ammo and the rifle is now performing as expected.  The first group of the day with the Proof Barreled Pure Precision SKLTN 350 L using Hornady custom 165gr ammo. I believe there were actually three separate problems confounding my ability to figure things out on this rifle and this resulted in it taking me a long time to figure things out. I will eventually get to all the issues once I am sure about them all but they weren’t action, barrel, chambering or trigger. For a while I did think the chamber might be the culprit though and so I cast both it and the muzzle end of the rifle and measured and inspected them. They measured downright excellent. I have added those measurements to the SAAMI chamber drawing here for your interest. This was the first time I have cast a chamber using Brownell’s bismuth alloy so it was an interesting experience. I made a bit of a mess the first time. Do not over-fill the chamber, it’s a mess. Also, I used a heat gun instead of a torch. I highly recommend this as you are much less likely to damage your finish when pre-heating the chamber. Also, if you end up needing to re-melt some casting alloy in the rifle, you are much less likely to damage the temper of the steel than with a torch.  Chamber and muzzle bismuth alloy castings and measurements |
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Update 11-7-2024 I don’t think I have talked about it yet, but I bought the Burstfire case annealer / prep center earlier this year. I had used the prep center a number of times primarily to cut the primer pocket crimp out of the 350L cases but I had not yet done a run of annealing. In fact, I have never annealed my cases before so this would be a double first time. After a couple of firings on the 350L brass I decided it was time. I think it went really well. I noticed the seating force was noticeably decreased and also much more consistent so I must have been successful in getting the area where the neck would be on a bottle neck cartridge hot enough. Since the cases neither stuck nor had the primer pockets fail I must have also succeeded at not annealing the case head area. So far so good. The machine fed the cases quite well and I’m pleased with it so far. I’m also happy I picked up their primer pocket reamer. I had intended to keep using my previous reamer but found it totally incapable of handling the crazy tight pockets that resulted from Hornady’s factory crimp. I 100% needed the more aggressive Burstfire version. I expect I’ll write something up this winter about the Burstfire machine.  Running my first batch of cases though the Burstfire annealer / case prep center  All done annealing In other news, I have continued to develop loads for the 350L and have finished testing all of the factory ammo. I believe in the end I tested 8 different factory offerings from 4 different brands. It also looks like I have a winning handload recipe for the Pure Precision rifle. I’ll make up a bunch more of them next time to check and make sure it stays consistent. I may also try to push it a little more with more powder though I don’t think there is a ton of headroom. The primers are pretty flat though not cratered and there is no ejector marks or sticking on extraction. Of course, this recipe is not to be construed as and endorsement or suggestion. Reloaders need to read and follow manuals on their own and work up their own recipes. I do, however endorse Vihtavuori N-110 powder as the powder you should try. H110 is suggested by most but it is not well suited to the 350L probably because of it’s poor tolerance of low case fill volume. You will bet very inconsistent pressure and velocity with H110. It is a pity few N-110 recipes exist for the 350L. Hornady does have one in it’s manual though and that should be your starting point. Expect the PurePrecision SKLTN action and altitude stock reviews soon. I’m also pretty sure I’m going to do the precision straight wall articles as a series instead of one endless text.  Looking like I might have a winning load for the PurePrecision 350L rifle (this is not a suggestion for you to try this load in your rifle) |
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Update 12-17-2024 The PurePrecision SKLTN action and Altitude stock review are now up. It’s a fun read because of the nice new super light action, the progression of PurePrecision from a small custom rifle shop to a much larger manufacturer and retail operation, and for the saga of what I had it chambered in.  PurePrecision SKLTN action chambered in 350L and in their Altitude stock with a Proof carbon barrel I could have had PurePrecision send me the SKLTN chambered in a well-honed caliber like 6.5CM or 300PRC and this review would have been done last spring. The rifle would have not only been done sooner as those bolt faces were ready last October but it also would have shot nice tiny little bug holes on day one. Instead, I asked them to make the review part of the Midwestern deer hunting straight wall precision rifle project and do it in 350 Legend.  PurePrecision Rifle builds mid-process To put it simply, this cartridge is far from well tuned. It deserves it’s sketchy reputation for accuracy and then some. I’ve spent a good deal of time working with the cartridge now and believe there is a lot of work to be done from ammo and bullet makers to get to the point were a variety of consistently accurate ammo is available. Even at that point, it won’t be doing 6.5CM things as far as accuracy goes as I believe both the headspacing on the case rim and some of Winchesters poor choices in chamber and cartridge specifications will still be limiting. Still, ammo quality has a lot of room for improvement in bullet design, manufacturing quality, and powder choice. Right now, I think only a couple of makers are putting out ammo I would say is made to the standards I have come to expect in quality hunting ammo in 2024. Notably, the Hornady Custom, Hornady American Whitetail, Barnes TSX, and Winchester Deer Season appear manufactured to good standards even if I would like to change some the of the bullet design choices on some of these. They are worth checking out if your looking though. In any case, I was finally able to get some good and consistent performance to verify the rifle build shoots well and put the review up. Of course, there will be a number of articles on hunting at longer ranges with straight walled cartridges coming up in which we will look into the intricacies of getting good performance from these rounds and hunting with them at distances requiring drop compensation. For many Midwestern folks this is a big game changer as you can now reliably take a deer across a farm field where you could never make the shot with a slug shotgun before. |
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Update 1-22-2025 It’s so cold my buddy in Alabama can’t leave his house because there is snow on the ground and your taking your life in your hands if you go out on the roads in the snow south of the Mason Dixon line. Folks don’t exactly get a lot of practice down there on how to handle a vehicle on icy roads. Of course, it is even colder here in Ohio. It was a great opportunity to test the LRF binos in really cold conditions. It has been a number of years since it was this cold around these parts. I guess that global warming that caused those California arson fires is really ramping up. I have been following a lot of the discussion on the forums about the Vector X not handling the cold well with the standard cr123a batteries. So, I went out to test it along with the Gen 2 Sig 10k’s and Leica Geovid Pro 32s in 4 degrees Fahrenheit, -15 decrees Celsius. In addition to the factory Varta cr123a battery, I also have a Surefire 18650 rechargeable for the Vector X binos. This is one of the choices on the Vectornix approved battery list for the Vector X binos. I chose it because it was the least expensive option as it was on sale at Primary Arms for $16 and does not need a separate charging unit as it has a micro USB port on the battery. Surefire advertises that this battery model functions at –20 degrees Celsius. This is not as low as the Nightcore cold weather specific model that advertises –40 degrees Celsius function but, battery and charger considered, it’s less than half the price and –20 is already colder than I intend to be outside shooting in. As for the Leica and Sig models, I had a Panasonic and Varta CR2 and so each set of binos was tested with each battery. In all cases, the binoculars, and batteries were given an hour outside before testing to reach ambient temperature. This was done with the batteries not yet in the binoculars to make sure they were good and cold. None of the batteries used were new and fully charged. All were somewhere in the middle of their lifespan or charge. Battery voltage was also measured cold (4 degress F, -15C, and warm 69 degrees F and 21C) and a few hours later.  Sig Kilo 10k Gen 2, Leica Geovid Pro 32, and Vectronix Vector X with their respective batteries waiting to be tested in –15 degrees Celsius The results were as follows: Vectronix Vector X binoculars: - Varta cr123a cold voltage 3.034V, warm voltage 3.032V. With this battery the Vector X binos would power up and show the pre-ranging screen but immediately died when you attempted to range. The LED hud disappeared and they did not return a range. - Surefire SF18650B rechargeable cold voltage 3.464V, warm voltage 3.466V. With this battery the binoculars functioned perfectly. Leica Geovid Pro 32 and Sig 10k G2 Both of these binoculars worked perfectly with both of the test batteries. The test batteries voltages were: Panasonic CR2 cold voltage 3.122v, warm voltage 3.047V Varta CR2 cold voltage 3.041, warm voltage 3.000V So, obviously we all know that batteries don’t like the cold and there is some temperate where each one is going to fail you. I can second the report that this temperature is not as low for conventional cr123a’s in the Vector X binos as for CR2 batteries in other laser rangefinders. I am not sure why this is as these batteries typically share the same LiMnO2 chemistry but there seems to be a consensus this is the case. The rechargeable 18650 battery has both a higher voltage and a different chemistry (LiCoO2) so it is not surprising it behaves differently. It might be academically interesting to know at exactly what point each rangefinder quits with each battery but from a pragmatic standpoint it looks like you should just go with a rechargeable 18650 in the Vector X binos if you want it to work in the cold and perhaps the special cold weather Nightcore model if you want it to work in Kamchatka or North Dakota. On another note, I do have some questions in to the AB folks about rechargeable cr2 and cr123a batteries. This is of interest to me partially in an academic sense and partially because the Leica has eaten a couple of them on me. It’s segmented LED is a bit hungry. For those who are not aware, the chemistry of rechargeable batteries is not the same as non-rechargeable ones. For this reason, they are not actually the same voltage and different types of rechargeables have different chemistries as well. This also results in different voltages. For instance, rechargeable CR2 batteries might be 3.6V like an 18650 with whom they might share chemistry and not 3.0V as non rechargeable versions are. Of course, your Amazon no-names will also often miss-label both the voltage and chemistry of a battery. They particularly like to label any battery containing Lithium as Lithium-ion. This is a very expensive chemistry that is found in your cell phone battery and decidedly not in a $3 a piece rechargeable AAA battery. |
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Update: 1-23-2025 A little bit on Rechargeable Batteries in Laser Rangefinders: Amazingly, Nick was already able to get back to me about the battery questions even though he is at ShotShow this week. I guess I should probably mention that I skipped out on the show again this year. It’s just the amount of work I have at home, the cost of the travel, and the extra amount of time for reporting on the show. It’s a lot. Perhaps next year. If I am doing video content regularly at that time it might change the equation. I have also skipped a few years now so I may need to refresh some contacts. We’ll see. Anyhow, back to what Nick at Applied Ballistics, who designed the electronics in these things, had to say about rechargeable batteries in laser rangefinders. The Vector X binoculars handle power conversion a bit differently internally than the Leica Geovids, Sig 10k’s, and other cr2 powered laser rangefinders. This allows them to use of the higher voltage 18650 rechargeable batteries, but is also why they have the low temp performance issues when using the lower voltage cr123a batteries. As many of us have seen, they don’t display those performance issues with the 3.6V rechargeable batteries. Additionally, there are currently no rechargeable cr123a batteries on the Vectronix approved list. However, at least two of the makers of the approved 18650s, Nitecore and Surefire, manufacture rechargeable 123s and these should pose no issues. The Nitecore NL169 RCR123A even appears to share the chemistry of the 18650s as it is 3.6V and so likely will also have the good cold weather performance we have seen with those larger batteries in a much smaller package. The Surefire rechargeable appears to use a lower, 3.2V, LiPo chemistry and so will likely have similar issues to conventional cr123a batteries. On the Geovids, Sig 10k’s, and other cr2 powered laser rangefinders, many of the rechargeable cr2 batteries are not compatible. They may fry the unit if their voltage is > 3.3V as is the case with some rechargeable cr2 batteries. I have not seen anything I would characterize as a high quality rechargeable cr2 battery, so you may not be tempted. But, if you are tempted to try such a battery, understand that this is not recommended and be absolutely certain the battery is not >3.3 volts as such a battery might fry the unit even if working properly. |
Update: 2-21-2025 The first day using the Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph with the PurePrecision 350 Legend with Proof Barrel and Sightron S6 5-30x56mm scope The Garmin Chronograph review is now up. Boy did this thing end up a lifesaver this year. Without there is a lot of data that I just would not have been able to collect on the 350L as many of the range days were far to busy to have attempted a setup of my old Oehler 35P on. Some of that data ended up pretty important for figuring out what was going on and it’s possible one even started an ammo recall. Anyhow, read it and see what all else I think. As it is now February of 2025, this will be the last review to show up on this years blog as well as the first one that will show up on next years. You can expect the transition post closing out this one and having the link to the next show up pretty soon. I’m getting together the last of the products for next years lineup and finishing up that post. You should also expect to see a video version of the Garmin Chrono review soon as I have shot the video and am editing it. This will be my first attempt at that format. I wouldn’t worry about the articles disappearing though. I far prefer the written word as both a consumer and producer of content. |
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Update: 2-27-2025 This is the last post on what is now last years blog. My 2025 blog thread is now live. Also, I have finished my first video ever. A video recap of my Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph review. I don’t even think it sucks. I think it is actually pretty good for the first video I ever shot and edited. Boy does my gaming computer make some short work of that editing as well. The video is live on youtube now and will be live on thehide.tv front page soon as well. Were still experiencing some issues with getting on the permissions and such lined up on the backend of that part of the site. See you guys on my 2025 blog thread. |