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Starlight Longbow


achosenman

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Just a quick acknowledgement for Julian and Starlight.

 

After 3 years with the Archer Grade A Gen 3, I wanted a change. I got a disinterested response to my phone call from the sellers of Drone so I went back to Starlight.

 

Julian was informative and straight talking with his advice. I decided to go for the Longbow. Julian offered to sell the Archer on his website, it took around five days in total and went for an excellent price.

 

I went out last night for the first time after a daylight confidence check with the QD rings and zero retention. The intention was a bug shakedown before serous foxing took place. TBH I was a bit nervous about the 10x scope. After the 25xPMII I didn't think 10x was enough. I needn't have worried and Recknagel QD's changed the game anyway.

 

I dropped the regular scope off and fitted the Longbow. After setting the Dragonfly up, I discovered the filter is best left off, if you want significant range. This becomes a class 3 illuminator and you don't want to be getting an eyeful. The XR5 tube is bright clear and sharp at ranges that are well beyond anything the Archer achieved on a PMII. One annoyance was the Dragonfly mount. It's quite frankly too loose around the adjustment axis, causing you to lose the site picture on firing. That was solved with a NM mount in two minutes.

 

I decided to take a quick mooch and I was watching some rabbits in a hedge bottom around 450-500m away when a fox trotted through my view 3/4 of the way out. I hadn't intended to shoot at that point but never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I whistled to stop it, held high a tad over 1 mil and it dropped DRT. I love FFP. The second fox I found in long cover after a scan with the thermal showed nothing of interest. I spotted it head down, tail in the air after a mouse or something, I don't think I'd have seen it without eye shine with the Archer. That one I squeaked in to 200m and dropped it. The third and last was a big dog laid up at the base of tree. I had time to range him, dial it and deliver the bad news. All in all a good outing with confidence in the kit through the roof.

 

In my experience, after trying a myriad of NV solutions, the Longbow ticks all my boxes. The scope in day mode is better than any digital, not quite top tier glass but the coating is tuned for IR so a compromise for NV. The turrets are very acceptable, but again not PMII standard. Why the reticle is mil FFP and turrets .25MOA is beyond me, but I'll live with it. I've just ordered the adjustable power switch from Julian because the Dragonfly is staggeringly powerful without the filters and I prefer to be able to turn it down as needed. It was possible to use the scope without IR and turn the illuminated reticle on but I was too busy enjoying the "green daylight" I did notice that the Dragonfly didn't seem to spook anything, it might be just coincidence, time will tell.

 

All in all, a very happy bunny.

 

Atb

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I have to agree with the comments regarding how helpful they are.

I dropped a clanger by leaving my archer switched in (just a couple of days :-( )

Very fast turnround for a replacement tube, and I must add it was better than the original.

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As promised a few snapshots of the Longbow in "day" mode and "night" mode. The day unit has long eye relief and the night unit can be used rubber eye piece on or off. There is no change needed for the shooters head position, or comb height.

 

IMG_0772_zps4cmzrrbn.jpg

IMG_0774_zpsuoglmr0o.jpg

IMG_0775_zpsf6l9gmmr.jpg

 

For very serious day mode I switch to my "go to" optic.

IMG_0769_zpsabsxbfss.jpg

 

The reason for the 12mm Recknagel? the bottom of the turret touches the rail with the 6mm version. Murphy'e law states Recknagel don't do a 9mm QD mount... :(

IMG_0771_zpsa8e6cpfi.jpg

 

Atb

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update.

 

I went out again last night.

 

All in all, very productive. The Dragonfly proved to be exceptional again. The only beast spooked was a Roe at about 50m and I'm not convinced it wasn't me being noisy, or a bit of scent. The class three doesn't seem to be the issue I thought it might in that regard. Julian sent the adjustable power cap and it's made the whole thing very versatile. A two position rotary switch set to 50% or 100%. power. I originally thought I'd want a rheostat. Having used it now, I'm happy with the switch. I never found it wanting in any of the fox encounters I had last night and I don't think I will TBH. It allowed me to illuminate under overhead/adjacent cover without getting reflected high energy IR whiting out the NV so does what you need.

 

Without putting the numbers out, I took the opportunity to deal with some foxes that absolutely would not come in to a squeak, and would run at the sound of the Landy. I've been after these two for months. The only option as I saw it was to sit back at long range (for NV) and wait. I set up, ranged the safe shoot zone dialled in and waited. I wasn't disappointed and the chickens are a lot safer today.

 

Waiting to hear the bullet strike home at night, is a new one for me. However, unless there are exceptional circumstances I'll need to guard against the temptation to take long shots as a matter of routine with this setup, it's too damn easy.

 

Atb

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Hi ,another excellent mount worth a look is made by Laserluchs it has a swivel ball head mount ,it would make your setup more compact ,there is an offer on them at the moment £41.00 instead of £59.00.

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