Picture of my Huskemaw scope

[Len Backus]

This is my 3 month old coyote gun built by Jim See, Center Shot Rifles and he did the camo, too.

Also pictured is my new Huskemaw Scope. I am thrilled with it. You may have heard that I am now a dealer. Huskemaw Scopes - Buy Here

Shown above with the dust caps off. Also missing is the custom ballistic turret cap which I will order after calculating my drops. The use of a custom ballistic cap, of course, is optional. Some don't like them. I sure do.


To the left, you can see the range finding yardage ring (4, 5, 6, 7, 8). That works with the vertical windage hold-off hash marks on the horizontal reticle. There are 3 of them (1 moa apart), 1, 2 and 3 moa tall. If you hold the correct sized one up to cover the back-to-brisket...turning the yardage ring to get proper coverage...the resultant yardage is your range. That feature is comforting for a heavy rain or snow fall where most range finders don't work.

In the picture, I don't think you can quite make out the "zero index" on the top turret. It enables you to never make a mistake by being off one whole revolution on your yardage. Been there...done that. Nice whitetail buck missed in 2002 at 525 yards. I thought it was a chip shot, how could I miss him at that range? I killed him the next day after I figured it out.

I also have that feature on my Nightforce scope, which I also love, by the way. I have a Kenton Industries cap on it. These things are not that difficult to adapt for changing conditions. In SD this spring, I killed a rock at 900+ yards with this gun and my Kenton cap on top of a NF scope. The adjustments for conditions were simple, easier than using a chart when the same conditions changes had to be dealt with. I really think you will see the custom ballistic cap concept used more and more in the future.

Below is a picture of the Huskemaw version of a cap. You may notice the windage in moa is printed on the top row. No need to look to your chart. And since the clicks are in 1/3 moa, one full revolution is 20 moa. This means most long range loads get to 1,000 yards in only one revolution. Combined with very good glass and with all those other features it is a very good value.

This feature is really important for those fast-moving moments in the field as your giant mule deer keeps moving and you have to keep ranging, clicking, ranging and clicking, etc.

 

[Tyler Kemp]

I hear they have very low internal adjustment. What is the exact amount?

 

[Len Backus]

70 moa

 

[Jon A]

That looks pretty nice, Len. One question about the click value--it's labeled as both 1/3 MOA and .36" at 100 yds. Since 1/3 MOA is only .349" at 100 yds only one can be correct.

The turret labeling looks like many scopes with "centimeter clicks" and since .36" @ 100 yds is actually .1 Mil it's probably a safe guess that's what they are and they merely rounded it off to 1/3 MOA to make sense for those whose eyes glaze over when they hear the term "Mil."

Don't get me wrong, I think that's about the perfect click value for what we do--not too big, not too small--and of course works really well with Mil reticles, but the exact value should probably be clarified. One turn is either 20 MOA or 20.63 MOA (6 Mils), it can't be both. I know it may sound nit-picky, but it's enough to add up on really long shots. Send one out to me and I'd be happy to measure!

 

[trueblue]

I have owned one since Jan '08, and have posted numerous positive posts on
the scope and Huskemaw's customer service.
Very satisfied customer of Huskemaw.

 

[cowboy]

Any word on the review of the Huskemaw that I think Ernie was working on?

 

[Len Backus]

Jim, why don't you email Ernie your question.

Jon, I'll find out.

 

[AaronSkipDavidson]

Click Value

Good catch! I'm working on a change in markings for the standard turret. It is marked in click values from 0-60. We are going to add the MOA values to the turret. The click value designation has been slated to be updated as well.

Originally, we examined a 1cm at 100m click value. We decided to stick with the standard MOA calibration.

The Huskemaw 5-20 is calibrated in 1/3MOA increments. For our calculations, we use .333.

 

[ZSteinle]

Well if it is .333" then it is not 1/3 MOA.

 

[bookworm]

Len - where would you put the Huskemaw optics quality compared to your Nightforce or other glass you have?

 

[Len Backus]

bookworm

A couple of months ago, Ernie Bishop and I were hunting coyotes in WY. Near the end of one day, we compared the the glass of the Huskemaw and a Nightforce (and a couple of others). We could see no practical difference between the H and the NF starting at 45 minutes before dark and going right up to oh-dark-thirty. I am not saying there is definitely NO difference, I am saying IF there is a difference we could not tell it in normal hunting conditions without using laboratory testing equipment. Remember, neither of us is a trained optics professional.

Nightforce builds a fabulous scope. I love mine. I have killed lots of stuff at long range with a Nightforce NXS scope.

One personal conclusion that I reached that day is that the glass available today in the better scopes is so good that after a while for hunters it becomes almost academic as to which is the best. It's a little like asking top shooters which of the barrel makers is their preferred one. If you look at the rifle competition results, all of the better barrel makers are represented and there is no absolute consensus among the top 10% of winning competitors. And there is a 25% price difference between the most expensive and least expensive barrels.

So then with scopes it comes down to rugged reliability, reticle repeatability, other hunter/shooter features...and price. I have done the reticle box test numerous times, Huskemaw tells me they have had a very low rate of warranty returns. It looks to be quite rugged and I love the hunter/shooter features.

A Nightforce NXS with Zero Stop (which Huskemaw has) costs quite a bit more than a Huskemaw

 

[terjeness]

That looks pretty nice, Len. One question about the click value--it's labeled as both 1/3 MOA and .36" at 100 yds. Since 1/3 MOA is only .349" at 100 yds only one can be correct.

The turret labeling looks like many scopes with "centimeter clicks" and since .36" @ 100 yds is actually .1 Mil it's probably a safe guess that's what they are and they merely rounded it off to 1/3 MOA to make sense for those whose eyes glaze over when they hear the term "Mil."

Don't get me wrong, I think that's about the perfect click value for what we do--not too big, not too small--and of course works really well with Mil reticles, but the exact value should probably be clarified. One turn is either 20 MOA or 20.63 MOA (6 Mils), it can't be both. I know it may sound nit-picky, but it's enough to add up on really long shots. Send one out to me and I'd be happy to measure!

Very astute and also 'interestin', Jon. I am looking at/for a scope, for out to (perhaps.....on a rare occasion) 2000 yards, and wonder how the Huskemaw will do?
Also, I have not heard any words about how 'sturdy'/tough it migh be built. Anybody with long term experience?
Compared to Nightforce, S&B, USO? I don't want to reinvent the wheel, so am looking to your experienced ones.....
terjeness
[email protected]

 

[jwp475]

Re: Click Value

Good catch! I'm working on a change in markings for the standard turret. It is marked in click values from 0-60. We are going to add the MOA values to the turret. The click value designation has been slated to be updated as well.

Originally, we examined a 1cm at 100m click value. We decided to stick with the standard MOA calibration.

The Huskemaw 5-20 is calibrated in 1/3MOA increments. For our calculations, we use .333.

1/3 MOA is .349 not .333 which is 1/3 inch per hundred yards (IPHY). Why not stated the calibration of the turrets correctly so as to not be confusing to many that do not understand the difference and why it is important


20 MOA at 1,000 yards corrects for 209.44 inches of drop. 20 IPHY corrects for 200 inches of drop. They are not one and the same

 

[bigbuck]

I noticed that in one of lens posts he said that the Huskemaw scope has a zero stop like the nightforce (that's great) . I thought NF was a patened product . how does the huskemaw have a zero stop and were is it located on the scope? why in the world hasn't leupold done this yet if it can be done by everyone else? I used to think my lupy was a top of the line scope but in my opinion the zero stop feature makes it several steps below scopes that have this option. Maybe I'll check into a Huskemaw . The zero stop feature has sold me on the NF but I didn't know another scope with this option was available.

Thanks

BigBuck