Swarovski X5(i) Rifle Scope Review
Next they showed us their new improved El line of range finding binoculars. The grip had been changed and provided better control for the user. There was a new system to take off the neck strap which could be done quickly when needed. This system worked with just about any brand neck strap. Next they brought up the new spotting scope improvement. They had designed a new lighted reticle with MOA or MRAD markings for their STR80. I thought to myself, why? Soon I would learn why.
The person shooting next to me is one of the Austrian design team.
Unlike most marketing presentations, this show and tell only lasted about thirty minutes. It was time to put this scope through the paces. Each of the writers and some of the Swarovski team were each assigned a rifle to use for the next few days. With each rifle was a printed out range card for that rifle and ammunition. Overall there were about nine shooters on the firing line.
I was assigned a Ruger Varmint Target rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. All but one of the rifles that were assigned were in 6.5 Creedmoor and we were provided Hornady 140gr. Amax ammunition. Jessica, of Swarovski, was assigned a rifle owned by one of our instructors. It was a very heavy G.A.P. in .300 Win. Mag. It did have a suppressor and she shot 190gr. Black Hills ammunition. Each rifle had an X5(I) that either had a different power range, different reticle or had a lighted reticle or not. The one I used was 5-25x56 with a non-lighted 4WX reticle. All turret adjustments on my scope were 1/4 MOA.
I knew this rifle and ammo well, so I was pretty comfortable behind this combination. What was different for me was shooting in the prone position, which we used for all the stages. One of our instructors, a retired Navy SEAL, gave us a short instruction course in prone shooting, adjusting the elevation with a heavy glove on our off hand used under the butt stock. Trigger control and grip were also covered.
We proceeded to sight in our individual rifles at 100 yards. Laying prone and shooting off a bipod was slightly different from my bench shooting. The scope, having a 56mm objective, was mounted rather high on the rifle. FTW has their own adjustable cheek piece with padding that can be added or removed. I add one additional pad to get my check meld correct. After I was comfortable, I was able to group three holes that were touching.
Using this special tool to set the zero stop.
Next was to use the procedure to set the scope's zero stop. This task took a special combination tool. Using a small torx wrench, you loosen the screws on the turret and remove it, then using another adjustment tool, the reticle is zeroed and set. It does take a few times to get this procedure down. Being a specialized tool, I would suggest any person buying this model purchase an extra tool.
Another photo of the tool included that the shooter must use to set zero stop.
The windage turret is easy to set. Using the same torx wrench you loosen the set screws and turn the turret to your zero. In the window facing the shooter on the bottom of the scope will then show a "0" and subsequently when you turn it up it will show the shooter exactly which rotation you are in at that time.
After lunch we went to a hilltop range where we shot paper targets at 100 and 200 yards. Then we made shots on steel out to 500 yards. If we found our dope needed to be adjusted, we corrected it on our ballistic sheet. I changed a couple distance elevation holds but not by much. The weather was cool and windy but our instructor gave us all our windage calls. He did show us how they used smoke bombs to show which way the wind was blowing at different ranges. That was the end of our first day and after close to 130 rounds of ammunition I was not sore from recoil like I thought I would be. I was pleasantly surprised. My neck was not used to being in that position that long and did bother me a little. I had let Tom Murphy shoot my rifle some. He was not scheduled to shoot but I thought he just might want to try it out. This also gave my neck a rest and his grin after shooting was approving.
Day two started with a terrible thunderstorm which slowed down after breakfast. We started back at the 100 yard line and verified our zero. Mine needed a little tweak and I did the turret adjusting myself. We got new range cards that had been changed to meet the previous day's notations. Since all the transportation on the ranch was in open jeeps with high racks, we got a little wet.
We drove to a covered shooting position high on a mountain. From this position we could shoot from 500 yards out to 1800 yards. The 500 yard target seemed like a chip shot now. I did take the opportunity to check the zero stop part of this scope. I would dial it up and down several times then back to my dope hold. It was on each time. The turret is stiff but positive which I believe is due to the use of two ball bearings instead on the normal one. You get a click that you can hear and feel. It might be possible to turn it accidently but not likely. The X5(I) has 20 MOA per rotation in ¼ MOA increments depending on the scope. The increment markings on the reticle are 1 MOA apart.
I shot out to 1000 yards, usually with first shot hits but no more than two. After that, the 1200 yard target took a few. The wind was gusting up to 16 MPH on top of this mountain but we were shooting slightly down into a valley. I gave up when I got to the 1500 yard target. Even being still supersonic at that distance, the 6.5 Creedmoor was running out of juice, as was I. My instructor did take my rifle and hit the 1500 yard target but it took him several rounds. He said he had to use all the turret MOA plus all the hold over marks to get it done.
The person shooting next to me is one of the Austrian design team.
Unlike most marketing presentations, this show and tell only lasted about thirty minutes. It was time to put this scope through the paces. Each of the writers and some of the Swarovski team were each assigned a rifle to use for the next few days. With each rifle was a printed out range card for that rifle and ammunition. Overall there were about nine shooters on the firing line.
I was assigned a Ruger Varmint Target rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. All but one of the rifles that were assigned were in 6.5 Creedmoor and we were provided Hornady 140gr. Amax ammunition. Jessica, of Swarovski, was assigned a rifle owned by one of our instructors. It was a very heavy G.A.P. in .300 Win. Mag. It did have a suppressor and she shot 190gr. Black Hills ammunition. Each rifle had an X5(I) that either had a different power range, different reticle or had a lighted reticle or not. The one I used was 5-25x56 with a non-lighted 4WX reticle. All turret adjustments on my scope were 1/4 MOA.
I knew this rifle and ammo well, so I was pretty comfortable behind this combination. What was different for me was shooting in the prone position, which we used for all the stages. One of our instructors, a retired Navy SEAL, gave us a short instruction course in prone shooting, adjusting the elevation with a heavy glove on our off hand used under the butt stock. Trigger control and grip were also covered.
We proceeded to sight in our individual rifles at 100 yards. Laying prone and shooting off a bipod was slightly different from my bench shooting. The scope, having a 56mm objective, was mounted rather high on the rifle. FTW has their own adjustable cheek piece with padding that can be added or removed. I add one additional pad to get my check meld correct. After I was comfortable, I was able to group three holes that were touching.
Using this special tool to set the zero stop.
Next was to use the procedure to set the scope's zero stop. This task took a special combination tool. Using a small torx wrench, you loosen the screws on the turret and remove it, then using another adjustment tool, the reticle is zeroed and set. It does take a few times to get this procedure down. Being a specialized tool, I would suggest any person buying this model purchase an extra tool.
Another photo of the tool included that the shooter must use to set zero stop.
The windage turret is easy to set. Using the same torx wrench you loosen the set screws and turn the turret to your zero. In the window facing the shooter on the bottom of the scope will then show a "0" and subsequently when you turn it up it will show the shooter exactly which rotation you are in at that time.
After lunch we went to a hilltop range where we shot paper targets at 100 and 200 yards. Then we made shots on steel out to 500 yards. If we found our dope needed to be adjusted, we corrected it on our ballistic sheet. I changed a couple distance elevation holds but not by much. The weather was cool and windy but our instructor gave us all our windage calls. He did show us how they used smoke bombs to show which way the wind was blowing at different ranges. That was the end of our first day and after close to 130 rounds of ammunition I was not sore from recoil like I thought I would be. I was pleasantly surprised. My neck was not used to being in that position that long and did bother me a little. I had let Tom Murphy shoot my rifle some. He was not scheduled to shoot but I thought he just might want to try it out. This also gave my neck a rest and his grin after shooting was approving.
Day two started with a terrible thunderstorm which slowed down after breakfast. We started back at the 100 yard line and verified our zero. Mine needed a little tweak and I did the turret adjusting myself. We got new range cards that had been changed to meet the previous day's notations. Since all the transportation on the ranch was in open jeeps with high racks, we got a little wet.
We drove to a covered shooting position high on a mountain. From this position we could shoot from 500 yards out to 1800 yards. The 500 yard target seemed like a chip shot now. I did take the opportunity to check the zero stop part of this scope. I would dial it up and down several times then back to my dope hold. It was on each time. The turret is stiff but positive which I believe is due to the use of two ball bearings instead on the normal one. You get a click that you can hear and feel. It might be possible to turn it accidently but not likely. The X5(I) has 20 MOA per rotation in ¼ MOA increments depending on the scope. The increment markings on the reticle are 1 MOA apart.
I shot out to 1000 yards, usually with first shot hits but no more than two. After that, the 1200 yard target took a few. The wind was gusting up to 16 MPH on top of this mountain but we were shooting slightly down into a valley. I gave up when I got to the 1500 yard target. Even being still supersonic at that distance, the 6.5 Creedmoor was running out of juice, as was I. My instructor did take my rifle and hit the 1500 yard target but it took him several rounds. He said he had to use all the turret MOA plus all the hold over marks to get it done.
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