KAHLES RIFLESCOPE LOST IN THE 1970s, WAS FOUND -

TECHNICALLY IN PERFECT CONDITION prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /

prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" / Cranston , Rhode Island ( August 24, 2004 ) - A professional hunter in Southern Austria inadvertently performed the longest, most realistic, environmental test on a riflescope in history. A Kahles Helia 6x42 riflescope, lost in the high mountain region of the Austrian Alps in the late 70s was recently found in technically perfect working condition.

Back in September 1977 on a Chamois stalk, a Jaeg erm eister (Professional Hunter) from Southern Austrian Carinthia climbed to the top of "Kometeralpe", a 2,500-meter picturesque mountain. After shooting a Chamois with his Mannlicher Luxus 6.5x57 topped with a Kahles Helia 6x42 riflescope, the PH rested his firearm against a boulder and ascended to where the game was taken. After field dressing his animal he returned to the spot where he believed he had left the rifle. Unfortunately the PH had to spend the entire afternoon searching for his gear, however it was not found. In the ensuing days and weeks, he regularly returned to the area searching for his rifle, but was unsuccessful finding it.

Weeks, months, years, and decades passed. High above the timberline, rifle and scope rested upright against the boulder � being abused by the harsh elements of nature at this high elevation. Summer heat and dust, followed by strong storms, heavy showers of ice and snow tested the durability of the scope and rifle.

Almost three decades later, Hannes, a young Jaeg erm eister from Obervellach, a small village in the Austrian Alps, ascended the sam e mountain "Kometeralpe" stalking a Chamois. After making a good shot, Hannes proceeded down the slope to the Chamois.

To his amazement, next to the Chamois, just barely visible, leaning against a gray stone boulder, was an old rifle. The rifles stock was rotten and bleached by the elements, and all of the steel parts were rusted throughout � a sad resemblance of what used to be a hunter�s pride. The firearm itself was in poor, unusable condition, however, when Hannes looked through the Kahles scope he couldn�t believe his eyes: the image quality was like that of his new modern riflescope, with the crosshair standing out crisp and clear against a sharp, brilliant and extremely bright image. The steel surfaces were rusty, yet all of the aluminum parts were unharmed. The mechanical parts, including both elevation and windage still worked perfectly and even after all those years in the most extreme of elements, the Kahles riflescope remained waterproof.