Update 6/1/00

(This article is an update to several pieces written in 1998, on the SS10x42 and SS10x42M Tactical. Since that time several things have changed in the SS series of Super Sniper sniper scopes and they merit a fresh overview. While this is not a full-blown review in the traditional sense, it covers information not presented in the first series.)

Fixed power rifle scopes were once the standard by which strength and reliability were measured in the optic world. Just 30 years ago the idea that a variable magnification telescopic sight could hold its zero through its range of adjustment was, at best, a possibility and at worst, a pipe dream. As technology progressed, companies were better able to create reliable and repeatable variable magnification telescopic sights. Leupold and other companies equally known for their high-quality work, led in producing sights able to zoom from low magnification to high and back again, while still maintaining a reasonable expectation of zero retention. In recent years, these sights have become so good that one hardly worries about the issue - that is if one is willing and able to part with the money required to assure a top quality device. High-end optics AND repeatability is not cheap. Still, a revolution of sorts has taken place and we now see several excellent examples of variable powered sights that can take a beating and hold up as well as their fixed magnification brethren and in some cases, exceed them. Does this mean the death knell for fixed power scopes? Hardly. There will always be the need for a sight that has the simplicity, strength and even lower cost found in the traditional fixed power. You simply can not beat a fixed magnification scope for abusability. Then there is the fact that, dollar for dollar, you can get very good glass in a high quality Fixed power scope when compared to an equally priced variable. While the debate between the types goes on at ranges and in gun rooms, the simple fact remains that, protestations of old timers aside, both the variable and fixed power scopes have finally come of age - that is of course if you are willing to spring for quality.

In the last few years my own attitude has changed and I have become very enamored of the concept of a variable power scope on a sniper type rifle. With the introduction of the Leupold LR M3 and LR M1 it is no wonder, as they represent some of the best technology available for the shooter who needs the ability to dial down for close-in situations. Built military tough they, to my mind, offer a better alternative to sniping optics than do the more traditional Mk4 M1 or Mk4 M3 fixed power series. With the changing face of military involvement overseas and our troops being tossed into many urban situations, the ability to dial back to 5x or 3x must be a godsend for the shooter in the field.

However, my own proclivities aside, there is still MANY reasons to mount a fixed power scope on a sniper rifle. You can not beat the simplicity of the type. Nor will you have to worry about the extra training required to get an excited or stressed out grunt to return his scope to the specified magnification before attempting to range an object. Fixed power often means one less thing to worry about in an endeavor where you have to worry about MANY things. And frankly, even at 100 yards, a 10x fixed power scope is not at all that great a disadvantage. I have shot at many moving targets from a slow pace to a full-out run and have been able to score hits with a fixed 10x. So, it would truly seem that fixed power, while less than glamorous in today's gadget oriented world, is still here to stay and just as effective. For true grunt work, you just got to love it!

So, without further rambling on my part, let's get into the meat of this two-part article; the Super Sniper series of sniper related telescopic sights. You will be very surprised, I promise you. First off, let's clear up a thing or two about optics production. Some of you may have noticed that you can buy a scope from one company that looks very similar to another brand. The fact is that many companies do not have their own production facilities and rely on vendors to produce their goods. I can think of several US and Japanese brands that buy their glass from the same manufacturer. The market in which they intend the product to sell often dictates the quality you typically see in a given brand. Tasco has often sold to bargain department stores. Their target buyer was the hunter on a limited budget who needed a cheap scope with which to bring home the game at 50 to 300 yards. While there are plenty of wealthy hunters, let's face it, you'll see more shopping at K-Mart than you will see at Cabellas. As a result, Tasco has suffered a little in the eyes of serious precision shooters because these shooters generally steer well clear of such lowly optics due to their obvious disadvantages. When Tasco released their Sniper series, many people just assumed that this was in fact a low dollar, low-tech department store sight that was not worth its weight in lead. They forgot to recall that Tasco, in many cases, vends out their projects and if they want, can have SOMEONE ELSE produce high quality optics. And in this case, the SS series is hardly crap. On the contrary, as we will discuss shortly, it is anything but.

The SS series line of scopes, in their current form, were created to compete for a military contract. The parent design was built to military specifications as laid out in the requirements presented by the Navy. At the time, it was rumored that Leupold was considering ending production of their well known Mk 4 series and when the Navy began looking for a new scope, both Tasco and Bausch & Lomb stepped up to the plate. Tasco entered the SS10x42 and Bausch & Lomb the 10x Elite 4000 Tactical. Both sights are functional examples of a fixed power sniper scope and if you look closely you will note that both look very similar as a result of the original specification. Even their cost was similar, running near $1000 a pop. What this means is that you have little reason to scoff at the Super Sniper scope as it was created to compete with some very good competition. In the end, Leupold wisely continued to manufacture the Mk4 as well as the new LR M1 and LR M3. The Army, a traditional buyer for these optics, continues to rely on them. The Navy awarded Super Sniper U.S. Navy Contract #N00164-93-C-205 and the SS10x42M stayed in production until Tasco fulfilled its obligation.

After production ceased, SWFA Inc. , a national optics retailer, contracted with Tasco and assured the continued production of the scope by the same vendor and under the same specifications as required by the original military contract. Since that time, SWFA has enjoyed a fairly interesting clientele. By their own numbers, approximately 40% of their SS Sniper Scope sales are city or state law enforcement agencies, about 10% of sales are federal law enforcement agencies, 10% general military, 5% elite military and 35% general public. In other words, the next time someone laughs at your choice of this scope, saying with derision "but heavens MAN, it is a Tasco!", you can just look at them with a knowing grin and walk away knowing that all things are not as they appear.

The original scope I reviewed in 1998 was an SS10x42M. One of my original complaints, if I recall correctly, was that it lacked a sunshade. This was for a very good reason having to do with water borne Operations. Being of ground pounder lineage, I mentioned preferring a built in shade for obvious reasons. When SWFA took over the exclusive marketing of the SS series from Tasco, it was one of the first things they "rectified". Wondering what else may be different, I mentioned to Chris Farris, my contact at SWFA Inc., that I would like to do a rewrite on the series. He felt this was a fine idea since there were several misconceptions floating about concerning the scopes in question. Several days later all four SS scopes showed up on my doorstep! The SS10x42 & 42M, the 16x and the 20x. Externally, in function, they are identical. Only the magnification differentiates the series.

To begin, let us look at the SS10x42. This scope is priced identically with the 16x and 20x, at $299.00 and constitutes 35% of the Super Sniper scope sales at SWFA. It is also visually identical to the 16x and 20x unit, so as I describe it, so I describe its higher power brethren. The SS10x42, like all the others, comes in a plain white box. No fanfare here - just a serious tool. Packaging is excellent with two layers of bubble wrap and a silica pad to keep moisture at bay. Also included is a set of instructions in five languages. English, German, French, Spanish and, I think, Italian. Hey, what can I say - bilingual I am not! All the scopes come with see-through scope caps, including the SS10x42M, the military version of the quadruplets. The ocular cap is yellow. My personal feeling is that you want to set these aside and get a good set of Butler Creek caps as soon as is convenient. I am very happy they are included mind you, but find the Butler Creek caps indispensable on a field rifle. But I digress. Also included in the box is an allen wrench for adjusting the turrets, a lens cloth, a limited lifetime warranty certificate and a product registration form. The scopes are all made with one-piece tubes finished in a somewhat pebbled Matt black. The turrets are very well marked and have 15 minutes per revolution, providing .25 moa per click. The turrets are marked with 1minute major increments and with minor 1/4 moa ticks in between. The turrets are large, both easy to read and to grasp. No fumbling with gloves on this scope! The area above the numbers is large enough that you can either tape a yard indicator sheet in place or stamp numbers on the turret if you are so inclined. I like to do this with quarter minute scopes as it helps me keep track of where I am at in the drum rotation as well as makes dialing up a snap. But do so only after you have confirmed your zeros! The turret markings while very visible, provided my only complaint. They are in silver paint. Call me traditional but I prefer white. A minor nit to be sure. The turrets provide a very good feel in rotation. Clicks are very audible and very well defined.

In my original 1998 review of this sight, I complained that the turrets were a bit mushy. This was caused by the O-ring seal in the turret. Upon opening the plain white box on the Y2K version, my first inclination was to twist the turrets and see how they felt. Much to my surprise, they were totally crisp and easily defined. I could close my eyes and count clicks precisely, using the audible and tactile feedback to easily track the rotation, something not possible with the original test unit in '98. Curious, I pulled the elevation turret to see if the workings underneath were the same as my original unit. Other than the fact that my older SS10x42M has blackened brass inner parts instead of un-blackened parts, they seem to be identical. A small change has been made in the cap but this has little to do with the new found precision feel. However, the O-ring on the old contract M model does appear to be slightly thicker, and there is more sealing grease, which may have contributed to the mushy feeling. The new O-ring is only two thirds as tall, which was probably thought sufficient since the scope would not typically be submerged for any great length of time. That, or it was proven to be sufficient in either case. Whatever the reason, this one change is most welcome as it makes dialing in as easy as any other scope I have tested. All four SS series scopes are still rated to 15 meters below the surface.

As before, the SS10x42 has a ring for adjusting for parallax about where you'd find a magnification ring on a variable scope. You can adjust the ring from 10 meters to infinity. The resistance to turning in the ring seems just right. Not so loose so as to turn on its own but free enough to dial in the elected range without upsetting your sight picture. Focus is at the ocular end. It is achieved by rotating the eyepiece. Once focused for your eye you typically only have to sharpen the image via the parallax ring for your range. Setting it to the predetermined range is simple. Just adjust for sharpest image.

Image quality is quite good. Again, keeping in mind that this scope is being retailed for $299.95, one can be quite happy with the optical clarity. A 10-meter test on rather bad Xerox copy of the Zeiss Test pattern showed a crisp clear image all the way down to 12.5 on the scale, right to the edge of the glass! I could make out individual lines on the 16 block, but my eyes are not what they used to be so I can not claim the scope will resolve that far. At least not with me behind it. Contrast on the pattern was excellent. The image seemed to hold up right to the edge. I could be missing something as this was a surprise, but with my eyes the image was as clear and undistorted at the edge as it was in the middle. I have certainly looked through better glass, but not at this price!

As mentioned before, all of the most recent SS series scopes now come with an integral sunshade. It measures approximately 1.2 inches beyond the objective glass. This is an excellent feature for several reasons. Tactically speaking, if you lack a sunshade and make a mistake in setting up, you will flash your target area a warning signal. Secondly, in the rain, a sunshade proves its real worth. Keeping the glass dry is problematic in these conditions and while it is easier to wipe down glass without a sunshade, it is required more often.

Speaking of glass, the reticle is of the ETCHED GLASS variety. This means that the cross wire you see is actually not a wire at all, but etched into a glass plate. This is a very strong method of reticle design and it stands up to the most persistent recoil. In fact, of all the SS20x42 scopes that have been mounted on .50 caliber rifles, not one has been returned to SWFA for repair! No small feat considering the abuse some of these rigs can bring down on their optics.

The reticle itself is of the standard mil-dot variety. A special note is required here because in the past there has been some confusion over the distance between the dots in this brand of scope. In all case, the SS series I have tested have had the standard mil-dot as designed and used by the United States armed forces. That is to say that the distance between the heavy posts is 10 mils and the distance between the individual dots equals 1 mil. The dots are of the round variety as used by the Army, which pleases me no end as I am way better at breaking mils down into 10ths than I am into 8ths as required by the football shaped dots. It is a brain dysfunction... at least that is what any Marine will merrily tell me! I believe the confusion over the spacing of the dots has been caused by two sources. The first was a contract run of this scope sold in Europe that had two mils between the dots. This allowed ranging of very large objects but made for some consternation with any shooter unfamiliar with this spacing. The second source was an add placed in Shotgun news and other magazines giving the stats for the SS series. The data was misprinted and actually represented a different Super Sniper scope line. In short, if you buy an SS10x42, SS10x42M, SS16x42 or SS20x42, the distance between the dots is 1 mil. Period. If you "see" something else, you do not have an SS scope as released in the US or you are looking at an SS20x42 and assuming that those wide and large dots are spaced wider than they actually are. At 100 yards they subtend exactly what they are supposed to. Tested against a ruler, the 10x, 16x and 20x all meet the standard for a mil-dot scope as used in the US military. 'Nuff said.

One issue that you may or may not like about the series is the width of the cross hairs. I like 'em thin. I do not like the thinner center wire to obscure my target, nor do I want them so thin that they get lost in the field of view like those on some varmint scopes. To my eye, the center cross hairs on this mil-dot reticle are prefect. Thin but highly visible, even in the early twilight. The outer posts are where people will differ in opinion. The outer posts on the SS series are easily visible, but thin enough that they will get lost in very low light. If you've ever had the opportunity to look into a scope with a mil-dot reticle installed by Premier Reticles of Winchester, Virginia, you will note that their outer posts are very heavy. This makes them highly visible in low light, to a point anyway. They can be seen well past the time when the inner cross hairs have disappeared. I would guess you'd get an extra half-hour out of them when compared to the thinner style outer posts. With targets at moderate ranges, one can still shoot by centering the target between very heavy posts. Not so with the SS series. Will this matter to you? It is a personal thing based on your intended use. Given external illumination, you can use most any reticle and the SS reticle is no exception. It stands out sufficiently with street lighting or illumination from the moon. Same deal if you have a light amplifier on the scope. If you are a civilian this point is moot as most competitions end before twilight and legal hunting ends at dusk. For LE use I doubt this is much an issue either since if you can not see that well, there is no way you are going to be allowed to shoot. For military use in really low light with little external light, you can still use the time proven method of just centering the target in the field of view. It is amazing how well you can hit even with so low tech a method... at least if perfect precision is not an issue. So this may be a non-issue for most users. But you should be aware of it if you are one of those guys who want the outer posts to look like the arms on Arnold Swartzenegger.

Running the turrets up, over, down and back 10 clicks proved that they were perfectly repeatable within the ability of my skill to hold on target. This is in tune with my prior experience with the SS10x42M. I never had any issues with repeatability in the two years I have used this scope. I was always able to return the zero to the center of my rifles, and my ability.

The M version of 10x scope is almost identical to the others with the addition of a third turret for parallax. It is reminiscent of the Mk4 series by Leupold. The parallax adjusts from 10 meters to infinity. Unlike my old model, the newer M model's third turret was much easier to turn, taking less than half the effort. Also, unlike the original contract model, the elevation and windage turrets rotate with an assertive, precise, and "loud" clicking sound. The O-rings look the same but may be slightly smaller and there is definitely less goo in the turrets. My impression is that even were I to wipe all the waterproofing grease away and remove the O-ring from my old unit it would still be mushier than the new.

My final thoughts on this line of telescopic sights is that if you are looking for a rock solid scope for your tactical rig and do not mind a fixed magnification or don't trust a variable, you can not go wrong purchasing one of these units. If you own a big .50 cal, I would not hesitate to mount the 20x scope. It is strong, sturdy and built to take the abuse. Fit the magnification to your intended use and these telescopic sights should serve you well for years.

Each scope has over 120 minutes of internal adjustment -- you will never have to use a sloped scope mount under normal ranges. The scopes are military tough and ideal for the shooter who wants the best he can buy on limited funds or on a departmental budget. The SS10x42, SS16x42 and the SS20x42 will run you $299.95. The SS10x42M will run you $399.95. Compared to similar glass at twice the price, these scopes perform.