The wide-angle Kahles Helia 1-5x24i is the perfect option for the avid hunter who loves driven hunts. First introduced in 2017, this hunting scope boasts a powerful 5x zoom factor and is sure to meet your expectations.
Interested in this Wide-Angle Scope?
Kahles Sport Optics
With over 122 years of experience, Kahles is one of the oldest and most esteemed optics manufacturers in existence. Hailing from Vienna, Austria, Kahles products are renowned for providing superior clarity and quality. Their commitment to building durable solutions has kept them at the forefront of optical production since 1898.
Just two years after the creation of Kahles, they introduced their revolutionary TELORAR riflescope in 1900. Many inventions followed suit and are still used today; some include o-ring sealing for protection against external elements, nitrogen filling to minimize condensation buildup, and innovative lens coating technology that allows better light transmission. With such state-of-the-art technologies at hand, it is no wonder why Kahles continues to be a leader in the optics industry.
Helia Hunting Scopes
All the way back in 1926, Kahles revolutionized hunting with their introduction of the Helia series of rifle scopes – a name that endures to this day.
The letter “I” that appears in more recent generations stands for illuminated reticle and offers enhanced visibility in low-light conditions.
Models in the Series:
- Kahles Helia 1-5x24i
- Kahles Helia 1.6-8x42i
- Kahles Helia 2-10x50i
- Kahles Helia 3.5-18x50i
- Kahles Helia 2.4-12x56i
Physical Properties
Kahles Helia 1-5x24i s an ideal wide-angle hunting scope designed for driven hunts. The scope has a magnification of 1-5x, and it has a 24-millimeter objective lens.
Now for the construction. The scope has a 30-millimeter main tube, and it’s quite lightweight. It is almost completely made out of aluminum alloy. The ocular part is rubberized and enables smooth operation, which is nice. The magnification goes from 1x to 5x in a single rotation of the magnification ring.
With its waterproof and nitrogen-purged construction, you can use this scope in any environment without worrying about internal fogging. Not only that, it is shockproof for the majority of hunting calibers. At 278 millimeters long, this short yet dependable piece of machinery will give you superior performance every time.
The scope weighs 475 grams but that’s without the Swarovski rail. You can order this scope with an integrated Swarovski SR rail for easier mounting. With the rail model, the total weight comes at 499 grams, so just a couple of grams more.
Windage and Elevation Turrets
Kahles Helia 1-5x24i has hunting-style turrets, low and capped. Windage and elevation turrets have the same design. The turrets under the metal caps are quite small. The clicks are configured in 1cm/100m clicks and are very reliable. So one click moves the reticle exactly for 1 centimeter at a time. The clicks feel very nice, they’re nicely audible. The turrets are completely crafted from aluminum, which gives that high-quality feeling when manipulating them.
In a single revolution, you get 60 centimeters of travel. These are multi-turn turrets. The internal elevation or windage adjustment is 250 centimeters. So a lot. The W&E range makes this scope a great optic to be used on very old hunting rifles, which are not perfectly straight to the barrel.
The zeroing process with Helia will be easier than if you decide on more limited scopes in the 1500-euro price class.
Setting the zero on Helia riflescope turrets is a straightforward process. First, you will need to unscrew the middle part of the turret with a coin as no special tool is required. After the middle part has been removed, simply rotate the turret until your preferred zero mark faces forward and aligns with the white witness mark on the chassis. All that’s left to do is to screw the middle turret part back in and you’re already set.
Kahles Helia 1-5x24i elevation turret does not have any zero stop or locking function. No surprise here, as these features are normally not needed on hunting scopes.
A nice extra touch is an additional battery that Kahles placed inside the turret cap. So if the battery goes out mid-hunt, the spare CR3023 is right where you need it. That’s a great feature for such a mid-level scope.
Optical Properties
Now for the optical performance. The image quality is what you’d expect from a Kahles scope – crisp and reliable in all situations. The scope has very accurate colors and impressive the sharpness goes from edge to edge. There is no image degradation on the lens edges, no matter the image enlargement.
Field of View
The Kahles Helia 1-5x24i scope stands out due to its remarkable FOV. At the 1x magnification, it boasts a 42.4m/1000m field of view – significantly more than most similar scopes on the market. This is one of the most essential features for drive specialist scopes, as you can swiftly acquire and track targets even when they’re moving quickly.
Even when the magnification ring is dialed to the maximum value of 5x, the Helia 1-5×24 FOV remains pretty wide – 8.1 meters at 100 meters. Kahles really did well in this regard. The zoom factor of this scope is 5x.
The eyebox is particularly good at 1x magnification. At 5x the eyebox it’s not as comfortable but still decent.
What about eye relief? The Kahles Helia 1-5x24i eye relief is 95 millimeters, which is a lot. Plenty of space to cover for stock-to-shoulder mistakes Even if you combine your Kahles Helia with a strong-recoil rifle, you have enough safe space.
Reticle
The reticle is located in the second focal plane, which means it stays the same size, no matter the image enlargement.
The only reticle design available is 4-DH. It is a very simple crosshair style with a free-floating dot in the middle. The dot is illuminated.
Stepless Illumination with Auto Turn-Off
The illumination system can be operated with the side turret. The illumination dial shows no intensity levels. So this is a step-less illumination, perfect for intuitive adjustments. The dot gets stronger the more you rotate the illumination turret.
The illumination is daytime bright, as you would expect from a wide-angle hunting rescope. , You can easily see it even on a very bright, sunny day. It is not as bright as on some rival scopes with fiber illumination technology, but it is still very good and usable.
The illumination has an auto-turnoff feature. If no motion is detected after 2 minutes, the illumination turns into sleep mode. That means as soon as the sensor detects motion, the illumination immediately turns back on.
Not only are there 2 kinds of timers, but the illumination system also comes with a tilt sensor. When the scope is tilted for more than 75 degrees in any direction, the illumination also goes into sleep mode. It will turn back on when the scope is in prone shooting position.
If you leave the illumination on for 4 hours, it will shut down automatically to save on battery This is good news if you often find that you’ve stored the rifle before checking if the illumination is turned off. So next time you use it you don’t have an empty battery.
The battery compartment is inside the illumination turret, You can open it by inserting a coin or a pocket knife. The battery needed to power the illumination is a single CR2032 battery.
Scope of Delivery
What do you get in the box? The number of items is limited. Supplied with the scope, you’ll find a cleaning cloth and a nice neoprene scope coat for covering the entire riflescope. The scope is completely safe when you are transporting the rifle.
You also get a warranty card and instructional leaflet. There’s a QR code on the back of the manual that will take you to an online page with user instructions in English, German, Spanish, French, etc.
Looking for more Kahles Helia 1-5×24 accessories?
- Panasonic CR3023 battery
Similar Products
Now, what are the main competitors of this wide-angle riflescope? I think the Steiner Ranger 6 is a good alternative. While the color fidelity on Steiner cannot compare to Helia, the former is also cheaper. Kahles Helia 1-5x24i is made in Austria, while Steiner Ranger 1-6×24 is manufactured in the USA.
Leica Fortis 6 1-6x24i (L-4a) has a slightly bigger field of view. I think Kahles is better to my eyes but the difference is minimal at best. Fortis models are made in Portugal.
Swarovski Z6i is better than Kahles Helia 1-5x24i but it is also more expensive. The difference in price is €300. Swarovski is made in Austria, like Kahles.
I think the Japanese-made scopes are not even close to the quality of this scope. All in all, I think it is a great rescope for driven hunting and the Kahles quality comes at a reasonable price.
Pros
Let’s look at the positives. This scope has been carefully crafted with strong construction and materials. The design is top-notch, simplistic yet sophisticated; it’s precisely what to look for in a product like this.
The image quality is impeccable and the field of view is incredibly vast – making this a great wide-angle hunting riflescope for driven hunts. The dot is day-time bright. As an added bonus, there’s also a spare CR3023 battery compartment in case you run out while you’re mid-hunt! So rest assured that even on long hunting trips, you’ll still be ready to take aim.
I like that you can purchase this scope with a built-in Swarovski SR rail. Lately, there’s been too many drive scopes that don’t come equipped with one. Last but not least, I like that the scope is made completely in Austria, so it is a true European riflescope.
Pros Summary:
- made in Austria
- Swarovski SR rail option
- good craftsmanship
- daytime-bright dot
Cons
I believe there’s space for enhancement in terms of illumination. Although the current scope offers decent brightness, several other rifle scopes with fiber dots are much brighter when outdoors and exposed to daylight, which is essential during driven hunts as they often take place against a bright background such as snow. Subsequently, choosing a model that produces an intense dot will be beneficial here.
The next downside of Kahles Helia 1-5x24i is the 5x zoom. This zoom factor was impressive in the past but many comparable manufacturers have long moved on 6, 7, or even 8x zoom scopes. While the price of this Kahles scope is not too expensive, it’s more than you’d spend on Ranger 6. If the zoom factor is important to you, you can get more power at a lower price elsewhere.
Cons Summary:
- illumination could be more intense
- 5x zoom
- limited scope of delivery
Where is Kahles Helia 1-5x24i Made?
Kahles Helia 1-5x24i is a reliable hunting riflescope that is expertly crafted in Austria. The Kahles facility is located near Vienna, the capital city of Austria.
Kahles Helia 1-5×24 Price
Kahles Helia 1-5x24i can be yours for €1700. For the model with built-in SR rail, you’ll pay only €70 more, which is an excellent deal.
This riflescope comes with an impressive 10-year warranty, which is longer than what certain competitors offer. This is great news for anyone looking for a reliable and durable riflescope that won’t need to be replaced after a few years of use.
Kahles Warranty
Kahles warranty covers any manufacturing defects. The Kahles customer care is top-notch. The repair services remain available long, long after the guarantee has run out. We had a number of almost vintage Karl Kahles Wien Helia L scopes that were sent for repairs a few years back. Each and everyone came back nicely polished, with a cleaned-up reticle. Truly impressive work.
Interested in this Wide-Angle Scope?
Final Thoughts on Helia 1-5x24i
Kahles Helia 1-5x24i is an excellent choice for a wide-angle hunting riflescope. It offers superior optical quality and a large field of view, making it ideal for driven hunts. The image is sharp and bright with remarkable clarity, even in the most challenging lighting conditions. Additionally, this scope is made in Austria and won’t break the bank.
