Kahles K525i DLR 5-25×56 Review

Last updated on March 5th, 2024

The Kahles K525i Dynamic Long Range (DLR) optic is one of the most innovative scopes on the market. Lets dive into its features and see how it stacks up against the competition.

Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25×56

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Kahles

Kahles is part of the prestigious Swarovski group of companies and was acquired by Swarovski back in 1974. Kahles has produced some impressive optics and around the world Kahles have a good reputation for producing high quality scopes with well thought out features. Kahles optics comes with a 10 year mechanical warranty and a 2 year electronic warranty.

K525i DLR

We first had a hands-on look at the optic while doing some photography work at a local gun shop. The unusual features built into the optic caught our curiosity and since then we have been lucky enough to have a few range sessions with one. This has given us some much-anticipated time behind the K525i DLR.

The optic comes in at a high price range and has some tough competition in the long range, tactical and precision rifle world.  The K525i DLR is up against popular brands such as the Nightforce ATACR, Leupold Mark 5HD and Schmidt and Bender PM II. Luckily, Kahles have bought some features to the fight against these giants and puts up a good opposition. The 5-25×56 K525i tactical long-range scope incorporates some unique ergonomics not seen on any other scope available on the market. We put the K525i to work at stationary targets between 100 and 600 meters.

Construction

The 34mm maintube is one piece that provides a solid platform for the optic. Depending on your preference, the optic can be ordered with the windage turret located on the left or right side. On the opposite side of the windage turret, the illumination nob will be present. Unlike its competitors, the parallax adjustment dial is located underneath the top elevation turret. On the DLR version of the K525i, the parallax adjustment spinner enables the user quicker access to changing the parallax setting. Overall the K525i is well made and up to the task of being thrown around in a precision rifle match.

Glass

Being part of the Swarovski family as well as the price tag associated with the optic brings an expectation of clear glass. The Kahles performs well with a crisp image and high light transmission. Another test we run is seeing how clear the optic is at higher magnification. The K525i DLR performed well with no chromatic aberration present at any magnification.

The DLR version of the K525i features a wider field of view of 25.2 inches at 100 yards. This is higher than other optics within the 5-25×56 range. The advantage of a higher field of view is that it gives the user a better ability to locate the target.

Magnification

The magnification of the K525i is 5-25×56 and is only available in the first focal plane. The magnification ring is nice and smooth to change and is in line with its competitors. The DLR model offers a throw lever attached to the magnification ring to aid in quick magnification changes. This is another feature for the DLR model that is aimed towards helping the precision rifle competitor get the most out of the optic in a competition. Depending on your setup the magnification lever could interfere with the bolt handle, however the throw lever is removable if it does get in the way.

As seen below the magnification offered on the K525i stacks up against what other popular contenders have on offer.

Turrets

With the customisable windage turret, it enables the user to stay positioned behind the rifle and not have to move off the cheek weld to make adjustments. Being left or right handed no longer means awkwardly looking over the scope to get to the controls. When changing elevation and windage, we found the clicks to be precise, tactile and with the perfect amount of tension. All changes in elevation and windage made were reliable and repeatable. The elevation turret features a red button atop which pops up to show how many revolutions the dial has been turned. This proved to be a great feature with one less thing for the shooter to remember.

The elevation turret on the i525 DLR also features larger numbers specifically designed to enable the user to stay behind the rifle and not move off the cheek weld when making adjustments. In the price bracket of the optic some features are expected such as zerostop  which does come included with the K525i.

As mentioned earlier, underneath the elevation turret is the parallax spinner. Another feature aimed at giving the precision rifle shooter an edge over the competition by more easily being able to focus the reticle at short notice without having to reposition.

The illumination turret even has a allen/hex key in the lid of the battery compartment. This lets the user always have the ability to change the zero of the optic by unscrewing the turret caps and reseating them at the desired zero. The windage turret has a ‘Twist Guard’ feature that consists of a freely rotating outer cap that helps prevent accidental changes to the windage from the scope bumping up against something.

Reticle

Reticles are a personal choice as each user of the optic will be using it for different purposes and have their own preferences. The reticle on offer from Kahles for the K525i is the SKMR4. The reticle is designed by Shannon Kay the owner of the PRS series and K&M Precision Rifle Training Shooting Complex in the US. The reticle covers all bases for long range hunters, target shooting and competition shooters.

Weight

Against the competition the K525i weighs up well being on the lighter side at 34.2oz/969g. The lower weight is an advantage for precision rifle competitors as well as long distance hunters as it reduces the overall weight of the weapon setup without sacrificing durability.

Conclusion

Overall the K525i stacks up well against the competition and brings a lot of new features to the fight. For the precision rifle competitor the advantages and unique features of the optic are hard to look past.

The K525i is a very capable optic with high-quality glass, reliability and well-thought-out features. We can’t wait to see what else is in the works from Kahles. 

Pros

• Customisable Windage Turret
• Crisp Glass
• Wide Field of View
• Parallax Wheel

Cons

• Out of some shooters budgets

Kahles K525i DLR 5-25×56

Check Price at EuroOptic

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Specifications