SWFA's Super Sniper Scope - Field Evaluation

The 32-sound FoxPro digital caller was playing "I'm hurt and defenseless so come and eat me". Overhead, the clear Texas sky was its usual baby-blue color, just beginning to fade to a slight yellow-pink in the west. The wind was unusually cooperative, wafting by from the south-west at a gentle 5-10 miles per hour instead of the 20-30 mph gusts much more common this time of year. The late afternoon sun was only minutes from dropping below the tree line.

The FoxPro’s remote lay in the grass next to my left hand while my right loosely held the pistol grip of a bipod mounted Bushmaster "V-Match" AR-15 rifle, topped with a 10x42 Super Sniper scope.

My eyes scanned the edges of the clearing in front of me with the occasional slow head turn to look as far as possible over my shoulders and behind me. Experience had taught me Ole' Wiley often made his appearance there. Lying prone on a rock ledge bordering a clearing, I watched intently for the telltale movement of sand colored fur amongst the mesquites. I was hoping for a nice, big, Coyote or, with a little luck, a Bobcat. Somewhere in one of my back and forth scans of the clearing, a part of my mind asked why there was a gray spot blocking my view of the far brush line. It took a moment for my feeble brain to realize that a Gray Fox was standing within ten feet of the FoxPro.

The Fox had materialized out of thin air and was staring intently at the Mossy Oak painted FoxPro. Because of his gray color, I found myself trying to look through him like watching scenery through the gray smoke of an evening campfire. Now that my little brain had almost caught up with my instincts, I began pivoting the muzzle of the rifle to bring it in line with the Fox. As fur filled the scope and the mil-dot reticle settled on his shoulders, I quietly thumbed off the safety. With a solid rest and the crosshairs locked on the Fox's shoulder, I brushed the trigger, but hesitated. Suddenly and loudly, I flipped the safety back on. The startled Fox took one step back and froze. "Gotcha", I said, loud enough for the Fox to hear. He then vanished into the brush as silently as he arrived. Gray Fox are very common in this area and since I was after a different category of predator, I decided to give this one a free pass. While I didn't succeed in acquiring either one that day, it did give me a chance to evaluate the Super Sniper scope under field conditions.

The Super Sniper scope, supplied by SWFA Optics of Red Oak, Texas, used in this evaluation is a fixed power, 10x42 with a 30mm diameter main body tube and mil-dot reticle. The objective lens is non-adjustable, having instead a rear parallax adjustment ring, just forward of the aperture lens housing. The field of view at 100 yards is 13 feet and it has an eye relief of 4 inches. SWFA also offers this scope in 16 and 20 power with several optional features and accessories.

My initial examination of this scope brought two observations to mind; "Wow, look at the size of those turrets" and "By the way, where are the turret covers?" These two factors might, at first, deter the more traditional minded Varmint Hunter from a more thorough examination of this scope. However, keep in mind, this scope was designed to fulfill the specifications of a US Military contract.

In the heat of combat and/or adverse weather conditions, the combat soldier doesn't have time to fool around with all the modern gadgets one finds on a traditional hunting scope. Such as having to remove the turret covers and fiddling with an adjustable objective. This scope has "Shut up and shoot" written all over it, which is exactly what predator hunting (or working over a well populated Prairie Dog town) is all about.

Here in Texas, as in many other US states, predator hunting is often done at night and frequently from the bed of a truck (Both legal on private land in Texas). The last thing I have any interest in upon arriving at a promising setup is fooling around with my scope's objective and power settings or trying to find a place to stash my turret covers so I don't lose them.

This scope is a pure "pull it out of the rack and shoot it" configuration. The turret knobs are large and grooved so they can be found and easily adjusted in the dark or while wearing gloves. The positive ¼-minute click adjustments are quiet yet easily felt; negating the need to look at the dial to see how much adjustment has been made. The windage and elevation knobs are clearly marked with directional arrows and verbiage on which way the bullet impact will move. Frequently, commercial scopes are just marked "Up", "Down", etc. with single or dual ended arrows that leave you guessing which direction to turn the knob next time you take it into the field or to the range. To further add to the confusion, not all scopes turret knobs move bullet impact the same direction. Not something I want to deal with as 'Ole Wiley hangs up and plops down on the hillside a couple hundred yards away.

The mil-dot reticle is ideally suited for engaging squirrel or ground hog to predator sized targets at various ranges. The dots are small enough not to obscure the target, yet large enough to be easily seen and the reticle is of medium thickness for easy acquisition day or night. The 30mm main body tube provides excellent light transmission for all weather and lighting conditions. This ruggedized scope is fog proof, shockproof, waterproof to 15 feet in saltwater and can handle recoil on anything from a .223 to a 50 BMG. The reticle is laser etched into the glass so there is no cause for concern regarding reticle breakage due to recoil.

Another excellent feature is an easily accessible parallax adjustment ring, just forward of the rear aperture. As with the windage and elevation knobs, this ring is clearly marked and grooved for easy operation, even when wearing gloves. A side-adjustable parallax knob is available on the 10x42 M model.

Tracking tests frequently consist of a shooter firing groups at 100 yards, then fiddling with the windage and elevation knobs to find out if the scope can track with the number clicks, then back to the original point of impact. While I did not perform an in-depth test of this function, I did note that tracking to zero after mounting the scope was flawless. There was no "lag" in the click adjustments as can often be experienced on some scopes, which require tapping on the scope or firing to jar it to the new setting.

A shooter must choose his or her equipment based on individual needs and conditions. My preferred type of shooting, predator hunting, usually requires changing point of aim suddenly. Usually on a running Coyote or the one that shows up and sits down on a distant hillside. Here in Texas, wind is often a factor as well. When shooting off a bench at a semi-fixed target, like a Prairie Dog, you'll have plenty of time to adjust the windage and elevation knobs. But, for a Coyote, Fox, etc. hung up or loitering in the mesquites or cactus on a breezy west Texas day, the mil-dot reticle is exactly what the predator hunter needs. I won't bore you with the details about hold over and dot placement as this is going to vary depending on the rifle and ammunition you select.

In a recent article in "The Varmint Hunter Magazine®", the author discusses proper use of camouflage and referred to reflections on shiny barrels and light glinting off the lens of a scope, possibly spooking an incoming predator.

Needless to say, this would cause problems in a combat environment as well. This consideration was addressed in the development of the Super Sniper Scope. The KillFlash Anti Reflection Device (ARD) can be screwed into either the objective of the scope or an optional sunshade. This honeycomb device prevents the reflection of light and helps protect the lens from dust or impact damage. The ARD has very little effect on the amount of light transmission through the body of the scope. The ARD can also be used with the optional, stackable sunshades and with even with Butler Creek flip-up lens covers.

Overall, I would rate the Super Sniper scope a very worthwhile investment for both the varmint hunter and target shooting enthusiast. It is rugged, user friendly, aesthetically pleasing, cost effective and can be fitted with a variety of options to fit almost any shooting environment or scenario.

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