Introduction
At IWA 2018, Kahles showed the public its brand-new face. Making changes to the logo and brand colour are always risky, but it couldn’t have gone better for Kahles. The slightly outdated look was replaced with a sporty, dynamic one – the transition enlivened this renowned company. Since then, they have boldly presented new devices to the public – they started off with a laser rangefinding binocular, continued with their first-ever red dot … This year, too, they won’t leave optics enthusiasts indifferent. They’ve come up with a laser rangefinding monocular Helia RF-M and added an upgraded wide-angle riflescope with an 8x zoom factor to their K series – K18i. We went to Kahles’ booth at Shot Show to check these devices out.
In this article, we will take a look at K18i’s features.
Kahles’ booth at Shot Show 2020
New features
K16i has been a successful riflescope since its introduction, but with all the zeal for the increased zoom factor in wide-angle riflescopes, Kahles had to step up its game. The result is K18i, a riflescope perfect for IPSC and 3-gun competitions with an 8x zoom factor. To optimize its performance, Kahles collaborated with the best shooters in Europe and North America.
Kahles K Series
Kahles K18i
K18i boasts excellent optical performance, a generous eye-box and a superb field of view. Wide-angle riflescopes are meant to be used during the day – strong daylight can make it difficult to see the illuminated dot. This is not the case with K18i; Kahles implemented a feature which they call KAHLES MAX LIGHT. Extreme backlight situations will no longer be a problem for K18i users thanks to the ultimately daytime bright illumination. The illumination adjustment turret has also been redesigned. The lenses are coated with an oleophobic coating to repel dust and water droplets off the surface.
Kahles K18i
For now, two reticle designs, both newly developed, have been shown to the public – IPSC, and 3GR. The name indicates which competition they are made for. In the box, you get two throw levers of different sizes for a swift (and precise) change in magnification should it be needed.
It is important to note that K18i measures 30 cm in length, meaning that it is longer than K16i that measures 27.8 cm. At 555 grams, it is roughly 70 grams heavier than K16i.
Kahles K18i
General properties
The tube of this second focal plane remains unchanged, measuring 30 mm in diameter still. The parallax is fixed at 100 m, and the eye relief measures 95 mm. The turrets are low-profile and capped. One click equals 0.1 MIL/MRAD. As is the case with most high-quality wide-angle competition riflescopes, K18i’s front part is reinforced for additional protection against impacts. The riflescope’s illumination is powered by a CR2032 battery.
Kahles K18i
The 1x magnification is true, allowing the user to comfortably look through the riflescope with both eyes open without experiencing eye fatigue. Kahles grants their standard, 10-year warranty for K18i (electronic parts are covered by a 2-year warranty).
Conclusion
K is one of Kahles’ most successful series and we are thrilled to see them upgrade the wide-angle member of this family. In the recent years, the industry has been aimed towards wide magnification ranges when it comes to this type of riflescopes – many strive to keep up with this contemporary trend, and we were eagerly awaiting Kahles’ reaction to it. Now that it is here, we can’t wait to test it on the range. K18i is going to be available in March 2020, retailing for 2500 €. We are quite sure that Kahles won’t discontinue the K16i because these two riflescopes fall into different price ranges.
Picture Gallery
Source and author: Andraž Gradišnik, www.optics-trade.eu
