Looking for a comparison for scope clarity of the fixed power SWFA's to other $300-$500 dollar scopes?

Also was curious if the brightness or clarity is reduced when going from the 10X SWFA to the 12, 16, or 20X?

Example: Nikon Prostaff 5 4.5 - 14 vs SWFA 10X

Fixed SS are awfully clear, I can't tell you how they are up against the Nikon you mentioned.

Fixed 10X, and 12X are probably going to be the clearest. And there may or may not be some degradation as you go up in magnification. I don't have all the models memorized, so I am not sure which ones are labeled "HD". But comparing my 5-20X HD, against the 3-15X (not labeled "HD") there is a noticeable difference in clarity. And the 5-20X, is almost always perfectly clear at 20X, barring high temp, and heavy mirage. Which means I would not want a fixed 20X scope. If it will always be shooting the range, with plenty of time, and plenty of rifle stability 16X would be the maximum I would want one of their fixed models. Shooting and hunting, you could flip a coin between 10X and 12X.

I have a 10X and 6X, both are great scopes. I don't think there is a better scope for the money than the Fixed SS.

Clarity of the SWFA fixed-power models is similar to the Leupold low-level zoom scopes. The 6x, 10x, and 12x are the best, with 16x being a half step behind, and the 20x is really starting to ask too much optically for a $300 scope whose first priority is accurate tracking. 20x is also too much for mirage and doesn't have much FOV.

I have heard the 10x HD and 3-9 HD are really, really fantastic, although I have not looked through either. I run a 5-20 HD on my 6.5 creedmoor and it's stupidly reliable, very clear, and just generally a pleasure to use. My only complaints are the reticle is a hair thick at full power, I wish it had a zero stop, I'd prefer it went to 24x/25x, and I wish the turrets were a little better. But those are only complaints compared to $3k and up scopes. Nothing anywhere near its price range really compares except for the Athlon Cronus, which is a heck of a scope in its own right.

Reticle relationship is the same from 5X to 20X


Other than that, carry on.