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Thread: Review – Kahles K16i 1-6x24 SM1 Reticle

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    Review – Kahles K16i 1-6x24 SM1 Reticle

    I have had my Kahles K16i with SM1 reticle for a few months. It is riding in a Larue LT-104 SPR mount with VFZ clamps (not QD). It lives on an 18” Noveske AR. So far I have shot 3,000-3,500 round with this rifle and I can’t say enough good things about this optic. The other optics I was considering were:
    1. Vortex HD II 1-6x24 with VMR-2 MRAD Reticle
    2. Leupold Mark 6 1-6x20 with TMR Reticle

    I ended up buying a demo K16i at Euro Optic for $1,950.00 USD. This is a couple hundred less than a new K16i or the Leupold Mark 6. It costs about $500 more than the Vortex.
    Here are impressions so far:

    • The first thing that struck me is the very generous eye relief and wide field of view. My range is a little over 100’ wide and at 100 yards, with the scope set to 1X the entire width of the range and much of the canyon walls are in my field of view. I am guessing the field of view at 100 yards is about 125’ at 1X. As far a s eye relief goes, I was not able to induce any shadowing at multiple stock LOP adjustments. I like a longer LOP when prone and shorter LOP when standing, kneeling, off hand and odd uncomfortable shooting positions.

    • The eye box is very forgiving. Even in the most awkward shooting positions, I can see the reticle and target. Super easy. I can’t over state how easy it is to pick up the reticle.

    • In the top of the elevation turret cap, is a spare 2032 battery. This is pretty neat, and I really like having a spare battery on hand.

    • I really like the illumination rheostat dial over the click on-off-on system. I have the latter on 2 Vortex Viper scopes and a Horus Blackbird. I have bumped these to the off
      position more than once. The rheostat on the Kahles has not moved in any situation I have been in. If it did move, it would get slightly brighter or dimmer, not turn off or on. The rheostat is super smooth, with an automatic shut off after 4 hours. I really appreciate this. I have left the Viper’s on a few times and retuned to a dead battery. The rheostat adjustment is one thing that people seem to really think of as a negative on this optic. I was skeptical, but now I prefer this over my Vortex HD II, Vortex Vipers, Horus Vision Blackbird and my Steiner M5-25.

    • At night with white light, I think the illumination is a nice to have vs. must have. The large circle on the SM1 reticle around the center dot is super clear and frames the target nicely.

    • The reticle is bright, as in sunny day bright. The scope is Aimpoint fast. The field of view with the K16i has got to be close to the same as either my Aimpoint T1 or M3.

    • The power ring with the built in tail is better than anything I have used. It is smooth and moves with what feels like the perfect amount of resistance. It is much better than my Vortex HD II. No need to spend $60 on a throw lever. Way better than the Leupold Mark 6. The Mark 6 is really difficult to adjust without an aftermarket throw lever.

    • The K16i it is a lot lighter than the Vortex HD II. The HD II weighs 25.2 oz. The K16i weighs in at 16.9 oz. The Leupold is close to the same weight as the K161 at 17.6 oz.

    • The glass is bright and the contrast is superb. This is quite noticeable to me between the Vortex HD II and K16i. It is a very close race with the Leupold. At dawn and dusk the K16i is awesome.

    • There is some magnification on 1X. Not much and less than the HD II. But it is there. I have no problem shooting with both eyes open. It is not noticeable at 100 yards on 1X. At across the room distances, it is more noticeable, perhaps .25X magnification. I have no way to measure this.

    • The eyepiece focus does not lock. This is where Leupold has an advantage to me. I think using a piece of black electrical tape to lock the eyepiece on a $2K scope is odd. This is the same gripe I have with my $3K Steiner M5-25.

    • This scope makes shooting at intermediate ranges much easier. With good data, last weekend, I was shooting steel out to 480 yards, with first or second round hits on 3/4 size IPSC steel targets. I appreciated the optic quality on some of the more beat-up targets, placed on a sandy hillside surrounded by sage brush. Looking through my partners Leupold Mark 6, and the K16i, to my tired old eye The Kahles was the winner.

    • The second focal plane reticle is about the perfect size. If this were a first focal plane optic. The reticle would be uselessly small at 1X to be readable at 6X.

    • The center dot is 1 MOA at 6X. This is nice and precise for detail work at distance. The circle of the SM1 reticle, is 18” at 100 yards at 6X.

    • The K16i has .10 MIL adjustments on the covered turrets. This was changed from .15 MIL adjustment a few years ago. If you buy a new scope it will have .10 MIL adjustments. Be warned Euro Optic’s web site is incorrect, it shows .15 MIL per click adjustments.

    • Both the elevation and windage turrets are marked with direction arrows for R/H. I believe the R & H represent the German words for Right and Elevation. R = Rechts or Right. H = Hφhe or Elevation. Kahles uses the same turret for both windage and elevation. This is why they have R/H on both with an impact correction arrow. Similar to an Aimpoint R/U. on each turret.

    • There is no zero stop. For me this is not a big deal using capped turrets and MIL holds vs. dialing elevation. I can see how others may not like this. When I add my Gemtech HVT, I need to make a 1.1 MIL adjustment down. This is a consistent and repeatable change of impact with the silencer. When I add or remove the silencer I make the correction and re-cap the elevation turret.

    • It is super easy to re-set the turrets to zero. You can use a coin or a shell casing. Loosen the screw in the center of the turret ½ - Ύ of a turn. Then slide the scale dial back to zero, re-tighten the screw and you are done.

    The biggest drawback is the price tag. Like I said it costs $500 more than the Vortex HD II. Still I am now saving for a second K16i for another rifle. That is until, something better comes along for the same price.

    This is the host rifle, 18" Noveske.
    18in Noveske.jpg

    I like the LaRue VFZ mount. A side benefit is the clearance for the KAC off-set folding rear sight, as you can see I am left handed - The Struggle is Real!
    LaRue-VFZ Mount.jpg

    Electrical tape to lock the eye piece. Not awesome.
    Eye Piece Tape.jpg

    R = Rechts or Right - H = Hφhe or Elevation
    Elev-Wind.jpg

    Spare battery in the elevation turret cap
    Spare Battery.jpg

  2. #2
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    Is the eye-piece focus really loose enough to need the tape or do you use that as a precaution?

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    Quote Originally Posted by OrbitalE View Post
    Is the eye-piece focus really loose enough to need the tape or do you use that as a precaution?
    It's not bad, but it would be nice if it locked.

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    Quote Originally Posted by OrbitalE View Post
    Is the eye-piece focus really loose enough to need the tape or do you use that as a precaution?
    It is not loose at all. It is a precaution. without tape it is tighter than many. It would just be nice if it locked.
    Last edited by irondude; 04-27-16 at 07:09.

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    FWIW, I did pick one of these up and run it for a little bit. Ended up selling it. Wasn't $2K nice IMO. Adjustments were a bit squishy and the lack of a lock ring on the diopter was annoying - I actually ended up using a China marker to indicate a witness mark once I'd set the focus where it needed to be. The up close magnification was very noticeable to me which I didn't like given the ranges at which 1x would be used. The glass WAS otherwise nice, quite a bit brighter than the 2.5-10x42 Nightforce I had on hand to compare it to. Eyebox seemed good. Eye relief was quite a bit tighter at 6x which is to be expected, so I ended up playing with where it was mounted for a while until I found a spot I could use for both prone and shouldered 6x shots.
    Last edited by OrbitalE; 08-19-16 at 00:13.

  6. #6
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    I sold mine, as well, and am buying a second Nightforce NXS 1-4.

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    Quote Originally Posted by WS6 View Post
    I sold mine, as well, and am buying a second Nightforce NXS 1-4.
    I might can help. Sent you a pm

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    Quote Originally Posted by OrbitalE View Post
    Is the eye-piece focus really loose enough to need the tape or do you use that as a precaution?
    Necro post: it is with ADDMOUNT caps I use. The caps and most others are not long enough to extend onto the scope body but index off of the diopter adjustment ring, which basically means you are putting a throw lever on your diopter adjustment, got to at least tape it down.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jerrysimons View Post
    Necro post: it is with ADDMOUNT caps I use. The caps and most others are not long enough to extend onto the scope body but index off of the diopter adjustment ring, which basically means you are putting a throw lever on your diopter adjustment, got to at least tape it down.
    The vortex caps work well in this regard. The slip-on rubber slides onto both the diopter and the rear objective.
    SLG Defense 07/02 FFL/SOT

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    Quote Originally Posted by JoshNC View Post
    The vortex caps work well in this regard. The slip-on rubber slides onto both the diopter and the rear objective.
    Thanks, I will contact addmount the ask if the design has been considered for an update. All that would need to take place is for the cap to be an inch or so longer. These caps are built like tanks. What size vortex cap works for you?

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