Connect 01 review part 2

[Craig-P]

Another problem I ran into however, was trying to fix a lamp. I’ve got a NightForce striker and a Deben Mini Pro for closer stuff. The Nightforce is a non starter due to it’s 25 or 30 mm cylindrical scope body clamp – Mini Pro has a ‘male’ weaver base which fits onto it’s own clamp ( or a weaver mount like I usually use ). The Connect has a Weaver base which is a great feature for adding small torches or a lazer etc – bit of a problem for a lamp though…
But I sorted this by attaching the bottom half of a weaver mount to it, and tightening a piece of 1” tube into that using the base of the other weaver mount – then I camped my lamp into that – clever eh?….but you’re still knackered if you’re using a NightForce lamp as far as my non-engineering mind can tell…
So onto the golf course and taking advantage of that massive light-gathering ability. I really could see tons more and without this sounding made up, I managed to notice an additional rabbit to the one I was lined up on in a thicket – which I ended up dropping instead as it looked bigger.
The weather was pretty warm and after a stroll across one of the quiet spots on the course, lumping my battery etc, I could feel my temperature rising ( must get a thin hunting jacket for next years summer shooting ). A scan with the lamp revealed another rabbit some 50 odd yards off and I dropped to a kneeling position to do him. The red, filtered light from the lamp was just about visible but the rabbit iself was massively blurred. I rotated the parallax ring ( which I hate having to do in the field ) but still no use….What had happened is the ocular lens had misted up – due to me having a sweaty brow crammed against it…oh dear, I’d found my first gripe. In all honesty the lens cleared in a couple of seconds of me holding the Connect away from myself and I still killed the rabbit but…ah well, most things have a draw back in one way or another and I wasn’t going to let it put me off the Connect as I really liked it.
A rabbit in a thick bramble bush around 15 yards off also copped it after being illuminated with the red filter and then picked out, thanks again to a massive FOV.
It’s a little strange shooting at that close distance on 10x mag, the rabbit still tasted the same but some shooters may be put off by this. As I used a 10x Super Sniper for years before I was quite comfortable, buuuuut….
So in total 5 rabbits if I remember correctly, one taken at 90 odd yards after measuring him out through the MP8 whilst in a prone position ( you can do this with pretty much any reticle to be honest, well except a crosshair I guess but an MP8 pattern does feel very precise ).
I completely forgot about the illuminated reticle in all honesty but had a quick play after I’d finished up shooting and was enjoying a cigarette in a bunker. It doesn’t blind or reflect off the inner scope body as some cheaper illuminated rets do, even on full power – so again, very nice.
But to be honest, if I used the illumination on a regular basis, I’d most probably forget to turn it off before putting it away in the cabinet and wasting the battery…so I saved Sammie a couple of quid and turned it off.
So then that’s about it – I returned the Connect with thanks to Gary and Sammie and would recommend it – in-fact I have already recommended it, to anyone. Low light performance is awesome and I really don’t think I know to any scope with such an impressively clear field of view as this. Adjustments are clear and positive and the finish is outstanding, everything just feels solid and confidence building to the touch. The MP8 certainly helps pick out aimpoints out and for precision shooting ( which, granted, the Connect doesn’t look like it was made for – but really is capable of ) it’s right at home. At the same time, the Ret isn’t ‘fussy’ and is quick to use
Low points? Well, the height of the mount isn’t one of them – it does sit high and I used a cheeckpiece cover with a foam insert on standard Ruger stock ( which does have a very low comb though ) to help line it up better. Not so much of a problem sitting on a rifle with a high cheeckpiece though.
Fixed 10x mag might not be everyone’s cuppa but was fine for me. Couldn’t find a way to get round the misting thing, fair enough it happened only twice – and could happen with a conventional scope if you exhale at the wrong time, but it’s still a gripe I have to acknowledge…
At £225 it’s placed in Meopta, Falcon, Bushnell and low spec but awesome performance Leupold etc, territory – but it more than holds it own against the big boys, believe me.

So finally I’d like to recommend anyone buying one of these to go to Gary or Sammie. I’m not on any kickback here ( If you want proof, I work for Sporting Supplies and ISP so Gary is a competitor ) – but level of customer service I received, even after never meeting Sammie and only meeting/dealing with Gary a handful of times, was outstanding. Remembering I was a non-paying customer, there wasn’t a deal being made, and I wasn’t promising to buy the scope - I was treated like I’d just purchased 10 of them. Gary informed me there’s a year warranty if the Connect is purchased from him, the package arrived in a day of the offer being made, batteries inserted, fully explained instructions and even a hand written explanation note inside the box – that’s not a very common thing – so thanks Gary and Sammie.

Hope this is of some use to someone considering the Connect.
( I know there's another review but I wanted to thank the guys for loaning this to me...and I'd spent ages typing this )
Craig

[Geordie]

Good review Craig, I think I'd like to try one of these on my little Buckmark

[Eagleman]

As comment to Part 1. Thanks Craig for this. Very informative.

[Craig-P]

Cheers chaps, hope it's of some use to you.
Dan, I'd imagine the Connect to be a very nice addition to a Buckmark and very inkeeping with the compact lines format...

...got me thinking about buying a 'project Buckmark' now....lol

[Parabuteo]

Connect reviews...like a no7 bus...nothing, then

Good innit. Ok, mine is fitted on a humble airgun, but it dint half work well.

One thing I would say is that there is no room for error re head/eye position.

I tried shifting my head about a bit at the weekend, as I hed not got the eye relief quite right, and it really does make quite a difference to the fall of shot.

That said, its a unique scope, that behaves slightly uniquely, but is worth every penny IMHO.

Good review bloke, sadly, my crash test dummy refused to shoot with the connect...poof!!

[some bloke]

Yea - both number 7 buses were excellent

Cant make my mind up about gary's comment elsewhere regarding recoil... how much is too much - what about a 17 HMR? is that stretching the boundary too far - or has it yet to be tried?

Now then got to find Gary

[Gary C]

Try it..

If it's too much I'll pay for the plaster

[Parabuteo]

For the record, there is a clamp from Deben that will put a weaver to weaver mount for the mini lamp.

I found out just after a mate had welded 2 cut down mounts together to achieve the same

My one was cheaper it has to be said (IIRC the original is about £27), but not finished etc.

Just got to get the buggers to sit still now...my patch is so wet it's like slopping about in cement and the world knows exactly where you are