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Thread: New Ultralight 2.5-10x32 Scope from SWFA

  1. #1

    New Ultralight 2.5-10x32 Scope from SWFA

    https://www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-2-5-10x...e-scope-1.html On sale right now for Labor Day $322.

    2.5-10x32 that weighs just 9.5 ounces. Has capped, resettable turrets, and it is offered in a BDC reticle with wind holds.

    I bought one and have been very pleased. I paid $379 I think, not realizing it would be discounted so soon afterward.


    It does a couple things that are quite unique, but it does so at the expense of having short eye relief. This means it's not well suited to lightweight, heavy recoiling guns.

    It is extremely well suited for lightweight, light recoiling guns.

    My understanding is that, in order to maintain a wide field of view with the remarkably small eyepiece, eye relief must necessarily be reduced. I find it to be well worth the trade-off for lightweight guns without heavy recoil.

    That being said, this configuration lends itself to a unique geometry that allows for mounting the scope with traditional 1" rings on any flattop AR. This is an interesting feature for people who would like to fine tune scope height beyond what the one-piece mounts allow. It also allows the scope to be used kind of like a carry handle if you mount it with 1" rings at the relatively high height of most one piece mounts. This is an image that was posted on a different forum:
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    The version I chose has an excellent BDC reticle with wind holds, primaraly calibrated for 5.56. The inner part of the reticle is quite precise in nature. The outer part is composed of heavy plex lines that bracket the precision part of the reticle and are very useful at speed or in low light. I find it to be well balanced and well executed. It's the type of reticle that I've always wished Leupold would offer.

    Having capped, resettable turrets is also interesting. For example, it opens up the option of zeroing for 77 grain ammo, and then simply dialing from zero to whatever numbers you need for your 55 grain plinking ammo. When done playing around, simply dial back to zero.

    I've currently got it mounted on a Ruger American Ranch in 7.62x39. I've found that using a 160 yard zeroing scheme lends itself to a good maximum-point-blank-range, and it gets me on the BDC at useful distances for a 16" barrel shooting Golden Tiger. The holds become 200, 225, 250, 300, 325, 350. It also has a fine hash for a hold-under to get you very close at 90-100 (otherwise it's hitting 1.65" high with this zero scheme). I would think some permutation of this zeroing scheme would work well for most any of the Howa,Ruger,CZ rifles in 7.62x30/300 blackout. Or an AK/AR in similar caliber.

    I'm trying to talk myself out of buying another for my lightweight BCM.

    Here is a link to a review by an electro-optical engineer who is also a serious shooter and pretty well known in the industry http://opticsthoughts.com/?p=2258
    Last edited by frozentundra; 08-29-2019 at 11:45 AM.

  2. #2
    Member TGS's Avatar
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    That rifle in the picture is pure sex. I've wanted to pick one up, but last I looked (if it's the same model I'm thinking) they're about $3500.

    The scope sounds awesome, thanks for sharing. It must be absolutely perfect for these smaller lightweight hunting rifles...CZ527, Ruger American Ranch, Howa Mini, etc. Keep us updated how it holds up on yours.
    "Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer

  3. #3
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by OlongJohnson View Post
    I think they also make a version with 50 yard parallax for rimfire guns. The standard Plex reticle is 100 yard parallax, and the BDC is set at 150yard parallax, if memory serves.

    This is why I like SWFA scope designs. They seem to aim for the gaps in the market. They aren't afraid to make scopes that can't be all things for all people. Their fixed power scopes, particularly the 10x, have been a staple budget option for precision shooters for decades now. They're tough as nails.

    And the resale value is usually strong at places like SnipersHide partly because of the fully transferable lifetime warranties.

    If they make a scope that fits a niche you happen to inhabit, it's usually a good, solid product for the money.

    But, like anything else, only time will tell with the new items.

  5. #5
    1” tube? SFP? MOA adjustments? BDC reticle?

    Swing and a miss.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Coyote41 View Post
    1” tube? SFP? MOA adjustments? BDC reticle?

    Swing and a miss.
    It's not for that. It's for the other thing.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by frozentundra View Post
    It's not for that. It's for the other thing.
    Maybe I’m spoiled or maybe I’m asking for the moon, but I fail to see the purpose of a SFP variable power scope with BDC. I could live with capped turrets in MOA, and the 1” tube (for weight savings). If they could make it FFP with a mil-dot, I’d be all over these like white on rice.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Coyote41 View Post
    Maybe I’m spoiled or maybe I’m asking for the moon, but I fail to see the purpose of a SFP variable power scope with BDC. I could live with capped turrets in MOA, and the 1” tube (for weight savings). If they could make it FFP with a mil-dot, I’d be all over these like white on rice.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I hear ya. If I were designing a scope like this for myself, I'd also swap the BDC for a similarly configured mil-scale based tree. Add mrad turrets. Id keep the surrounding Plex the same.

    Probably nobody but me and about 12 other people would buy it.

    FFP usually means more bulk and also bulkier price tag.

    I think these are mainly aimed at hunters who wear out their boots on a regular basis.

    The thing is, this type of scope has been steadily disappearing from the market. Leupold has much of the remaining market share. They make good scopes, but they don't innovate much.
    Usually it's just a simple duplex reticle. The BDCs that they do offer kinda stink, in my opinion.

    SWFA stepped up pretty big for this niche segment, going lighter, with more magnification range, more features, and a genuinely well thought out BDC "tree" with wind holds. It offers enough information to at least make it useful for 'intermediate' calibers from 5.56 through 6.5 Grendel and most things in-between. I really like it for target shooting out to 400 with 7.62x39 with it's fine stadia. And at a competitive price.

    I'm just happy to see the truly lightweight segment get a breath of fresh air. It seems to me that it'd been going the way of the dodo.

  9. #9
    It's cool to see a lightweight 2.5-10.

    Count me in for a plain old Mil Dot. I'd love a lighter cheaper version of my NXS 2.5-10 for a 22 or hunting rig. No need or want for FFP in a 10x scope.

  10. #10
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    This scope seems to be just the ticket for .223s and .22LR. I wish it had illum. I need to try and adjust the parallax for a rimfire. I like this reticle better than the duplex. I wish they made a FFP mrad version. I know it would cost 2X or 3x but I like scopes in this power range. I wish nightforce brought back the 2.5-10x32. Nightforce needs to start an LE line up like the SHV line. 4 models, two reticle choices. Less expensive to compete with vortex

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