The Sightmark Citadel: Precise even after the fall

Today we want to hear a story from the sports shooter life of Kevin Reese from the USA. During a competition, his weapon fell along with Sightmark Citadel Optics to the ground. A terrible moment for any shooter, but read on:

My second place wasn't so bad, considering I had won some shooting competitions and lost many more without any issues with my equipment. Of course, with equipment, no matter how careful I may be, things can happen. Murphy's Law states that if something can go wrong, it will. So, the fact that I landed just behind the first-place finisher in a shooting competition a few years ago was more a result of my equipment, especially the optics, rather than my own performance, and I mean that positively for the optics.

The morning started off pretty well. The sun rose quickly, and with it, our mood improved. Even in a fun competition, a lot was at stake - it was about honor among friends, a few trophies, and a table full of shooting accessories.

Unlike most other competitions, this one was supposed to be stress-free, fun, and a bit different. It offered a mix of speed and precision shooting but at shorter distances, up to 500 meters, with targets at known distances - it was meant to be a refreshing change. What was even better was that the requirements for the match were open. I had the luxury of choosing the rifle, optics, and caliber. For this competition, I chose a Sightmark Citadel 1-10x24 CR1 scope, mounted on a one-piece, quick detachable, cantilever scope base. To say that my rifle was ready for the upcoming task would be an understatement. In the 6.5 Grendel caliber, I had achieved ¼-MOA groups on several occasions, and a final check the afternoon before confirmed that. I was ready to go!

Similar to a silhouette match, the target distances were known, and I had my DOPE (Data on Previous Engagements) ready. The match was to be conducted in various shooting positions and distances at different levels. Perhaps a bigger challenge was the shooting range itself. I had no experience with the shooting range, and the wind was howling fiercely around us. I had to adjust for wind direction on targets at medium distances, and the targets at longer distances were proving difficult.

By my own estimation, I was sure that the morning shooting had led to a solid placement after four stages, with only one more to go - 500 meters prone. Racing with the top competitors of the competition turned out to be a tougher mental game than I had thought. I watched their groups attentively and counted what I needed to hit to advance. The wind continued to howl and increased to strong gusts as each participant shot, and I waited for my turn...

Then it happened. As the shooters waited, our rifles were placed on shooting benches. My rifle was also on the bench, with a spotting scope mounted on a tripod to the left of it. A strong gust came through. The tripod, along with the spotting scope, tilted and hit the side of my rifle. The rifle, in turn, tipped over sideways and hit hard. I must have had a shocked expression as my rifle with the optics fell to the ground.

Unfortunately, I couldn't touch it until the current shooter finished their stage. When they were done, I reached down and picked up my rifle from the dirt. The optics and the rifle were dirty. I wiped away as much dirt as I could and found only small scratches. The glass was clear, but my concern was the zeroing of the objective. It had taken a significant impact. I was even surprised that it wasn't obviously broken. It didn't look worse after the fall than before. However, I was sure that the fall would come at a high price.

With 10 rounds of single-fire at 500 meters on a 1-MOA gong, I made quick hold adjustments, increased the magnification of the scope, lay down on my shooting mat, and took aim with the rifle. In the prone position, I breathed out, relaxed, aimed, and squeezed the trigger. The shot broke, and shortly after, I heard a barely audible sound as the projectile hit the steel target. I waited again, breathed relaxed, aimed, and pulled the trigger. Another hit was on the scorecard. It wasn't all smooth sailing. I missed four shots on the 1-MOA gong, as the wind gusts were extreme. But others were also struggling with the wind, and I secured the second place. I couldn't complain.

Furthermore, I couldn't fault the optics. Even after a heavy fall, it was still working perfectly and remained perfectly zeroed. At a moment when I needed it the most, it fulfilled its duty after the fall. Apart from the scratches, it was as if the fall had never happened. One could argue that the performance of the optics was the result of a great optic mount, and maybe there is some truth to that. However, considering the delicate internals and construction of optics in general, the durability and reliability of the optics themselves are undeniable.

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