124 http://www.africanhuntinggazette.com
A Hunter speaks out
The SLC, introduced in 1989,has been
updated and remainsa favorite of hunting
guides world-wide. Its successor, the open-
hinge EL binocular, has become a family,
with32, 42 and50mmversions,8xto12x.
The more affordable 8x30 and 10x30 CL
roof-prismbinocularsmatchtheirbrightness.
WereI guidinghunterstoday,I’dtrademy
old10x SLCfora new10x42ELRange,a
trim,32-ouncelaser-rangingglass.Fast-pitch
focusingbringsyoufromneartofarinjust
twospins.The8x42and10x42ELRangeread
inyardsormetersandincludecompensation
for vertical angles. Their screens offer five
levelsofbrightness.
While I’ve not kept count, Swarovski
binoculars seem more plentiful afield than
any other brand these days. People who’ve
mostoftenaccompaniedmeinAfrica- PHs
andclients- carrySwarovskigreen.
Janice did, when on her first safari she
leveledherRemingtononanoutstandingred
hartebeest.Theshotfelledit,butI urgeda
quickreload.Asif oncue,thebullrecovered
and galloped into thicker bush before she
couldfireagain.Wecreptforward.Ina place
thatoffereda viewunderneath,I droppedto
myknees– andbygreatgoodluckspieda
patchofrusset.HerSwarovskifoundit;the
prizewas hers. In subsequent hunts Janice
downed an exceptionalnyala and a heavy-
hornedkuduusingSwarovskiglass.
In rifle-scopes, Swarovski now lists four
lines:Z3andZ5(1-inch)andZ4iand Z6i
(30mm,thei referringto illuminatedreticles).
TheZ numbersrefertomagnificationranges- toppoweris three,five,fourandsixtimes
the bottom. The Z3 replaces AVs, with a
3-9x36,a 3-10x42,a 4-12x50.TheZ5offers
more power: 3.5-18x44 and 5-25x52. The
Z4iseriescomprisesa 1.25-4x24,a 3-12x0
and a 2.5-10x56. The Z6i series includes
1-6x24, 1.7-10x42, 2-12x50, 2.5-15x44,
2.5-15x56, 3-18x50 and 5-30x50 models.
Hunters chasing Africa’s big game should
appreciatethe1-6x24EEwithextra-longeye
relief,forscar-freeshootingwith“stopping”
rifles.
“Our flagship scope this year isthe X5/
X5i”saidMuhlmann.“LiketheZ6i,it hasan
illuminatedreticle.”Swarovski hails theX5
asits“LongRangeExpert.”This30mmsight
comesin 3.5-18x50 and 5-25x56 versions.
Youget 122 minutesofelevationadjustment
inthe3.5-18x,parallax correctionfrom 50
yards,nearly4 inchesofeyerelief.Thescope
acceptsa replaceableelevationdialengraved
toyourspecs,sowithyourfavoriteloadyou
can“dialtothedistance.”Awindowshows
rotation number, so you won’t make full-
rotation errors. Swarovski’s ballistic software
(free)helpsyoucalculateyourbullet’sarc.
Sincemyvisit,Swarovski hasannounced
two new, innovative rifle-scopes. The Z8i,
with 30mm tube, comes in 1-8x24, 1.7-
13.3x42,2-16x50and2.3-18x56versions.All
featurea “switchablereticle,”theswitchatop
theeyepiece.One“ballisticturret”is standard
and can be installed oneither elevation or
windagedial.It canalsoaccommodateanyof
sixsuppliedringsthatprovideinstantaccess
touptofoursight-inranges.A parallax/focus
dial comes on all but the quick-pointing
1.25-4x24.
As if Swarovski needed to prove its
commitment toinnovation,it now hasthe
dS.Introducedatthe 2019 SHOTShowin
LasVegas,thisimposing5-25x52scopehas
a 40mmtube,weighs 38 ounces.A feature-
ladensightwithtop-endoptics,it alsoboasts
“digital intelligence.” A heads-up display
showstheballisticdatarelevanttoeachshot,
while the reticle lights the proper aiming
pointfor a surehit.Youmustprogramthe
dSwith yoursmartphone, via a Bluetooth
interface.Onceyourloaddatais inthescope,
youneedonlyactivateit fora shot.It reads
distanceatthepressofa button.Thedisplay
showsbulletenergyat thatrange.Theaiming
pointyouseeis correctforthemagnification
setting, temperature, atmospheric pressure
andshotangle.Youcaninputwindspeed.
“Yousureyouwantjusta 3-9x36?”Patrick
gavemea sidewayslook.“Swarovskimakes
more,uh,modernscopes, you know.”
“Yeah. I know.”Buyinglight
Youdo notsee a kudu or a kopje.You
see light reflected off the kudu or the
kopje.Ona starlessnight,youseelittleof
landscapesthatcomeclearinbrightdetail
at dawn.
Youcan’tbuynaturallightinanoptical
instrument; you can only buy glass
that transmits it. Big objective lenses
transmit more light than smaller glass.
Multi-coatedlensescarefullygroundand
polishedtransmitit morefaithfully– with
lessdistortion– thancheaplymadelenses
whose uncoated surfaces loseloseup to
fourpercentofincidentlighteach,allthe
waythroughthesystem.
Biglensesfinishedtoexactingstandards
costa lot.That’spartlywhyyoupaymore
fortop-endoptics.Thepremiumcanbe
steep.Butnotsohighas thecost of a hunt
lost to sub-standard glass.Kahles
Another storied Austrian firm, Kahles,
datesto1898,whenKarlRobertKahles
assumed control of a small optics shop
founded 75 yearsearlierbySimonPlossl.
AfterMrKahlesdied suddenlyin1908,
hiswidowkeptthebusinessgoinguntil
sons Karl and Ernest took charge. In
thefinaldaysofWWII,thefactorywas
bombedandyoungKarlkilled.
Hiswidow,thenhissonFriedrichrebuilt
the factory, which in 1959 pioneered
production of multi-coated lenses. In
1974 theKahlesfamily soldthefirmto
DanielSwarovski,whomadeit a branch
of Swarovski Optik. In ’89Kahles Ltd.
became independent. Swarovski added
another chapter to this tale in January,
2017,whenit againbroughtKahlesinto
its advertising and sales programs.ThisSwarovskiscopeis obsolete,butWayne
stillfindsit excellent, here on a Savage rifle
in .243.ThenewdSscope,hereona RugerRPR,has
a 40mmtube,is Bluetooth-programmable
to your load.