Scope selection. Leupold, USO, Schmidt Bender

[Papertargets]

I am giving advice to a buddy so I thought I would ask here. I know my preference.

In order of price (lowest to highest):

Leupold Mark IV. 4.5-14
US Optics SN3 3.2-17 (edited)
Schmidt Bender 4-16

Application: 200-500 yards perched on a .30 cal bolt.

Which scope would you recommend your grandmother buy and why.

If you don't give a technical or specification reason, then just be honest with your reasons why such as "made in U.S." etc.

Thanks.

 

[sakofan]

[ QUOTE ]
I am giving advice to a buddy so I thought I would ask here. I know my preference.

In order of price (lowest to highest):

Leupold Mark IV. 4.5-14
US Optics T3 3.2-17
Schmidt Bender 4-16

Application: 200-500 yards perched on a .30 cal bolt.

Which scope would you recommend your grandmother buy and why.

If you don't give a technical or specification reason, then just be honest with your reasons why such as "made in U.S." etc.

Thanks.

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you mean SN-3?..sakofan...

 

[Papertargets]

Yes. Thanks. I meant SN3.

 

[szabo]

my 1st choice is the nightforce nxs 5.5-22 x 56mm. it was designed around the .50 cal sniper rifles( various makes ).The scope itself is one tuff unit.you should check out there website.

 

[ds]

Of the three you list, S&B PM2 4-16x50. Why? reliability, repeatability, very good optics and very good factory quality control. Also the single turn turret is very nice.

USO is worth cinsidering if S&B don`t have what you want the way you want it, you can have a USO built your way.

I would also consider two more options, Nightforce NXS and Hensoldt. Or to put it another way I have an S&B PM2 4-16 and NXS, my next scope will either be another NXS or a Hensoldt depending on what magnification I want.

David.

 

[sakofan]

This thread is going to turn into a "Whats your favorite color" type deal. I like chocolate, you like vanilla.

All the scopes you mentioned are very good to great, with the SN-3 and the PM II being on top. Smaller budget, get the Loopy.

I ran a SN-3 and loved it. No experience with the PM II, unfortunately...sakofan...No offense intended.

 

[Kanab]

If money is no object I am sure the USO would be well liked.

I do see a glaring omission though in the list of quality optics. I get a quite a few Leupold LR's and Mk4s, S&B's, and Swarovskis traded in on Nightforce NXS scopes for what that is worth.

 

[ds]

I agree with sakofans post.

I will try to keep it constructive. Alot will come down to personal preference and application.

Here is what I think about two of my scopes. S&B PM2 4-16x50 is a great tactical scope, however the first focal plain reticule may be a bit thick if you plan on LR varmint/target shooting (covers the target)but is the way to go for tactical matches. I prefer more than 16x for LR target shooting. No lit reticule. Great build quality and customer service (they worked out how much decline I would need on some rings and bases for me to use the full range of elevation adjustment). New 5-25x56 model with second focaal plain reticule should be out soon. It will be reaasuringly expensive.

Nightforce NXS 12-42x56. Glass just not quite as good as S&B to my eyes, to your eyes may be different. NPR2 reticule is very good. Turrets not as good as S&B (no single turn), also no distance markings on parallax adjustment. Lit reticule is a bit naf. need to use a screwdriver to adjust the intensity, also lights the whole reticule. I would prefer just a lit center point. I don`t have a problem rotating the whole of the rear ocular to change magnification. NXS has high magnification models with decent amounts of repeatable elevation / windage adjustment for the magnification.

As I said before I will probably end up getting another NXS or Hensoldt. It really is not a question of what is the best scope but which of the best scopes have the features you want for the job you want to do.

Best to look through as many of them as you can, everyones eyes are differnt.

David.

 

[sakofan]

The NXS just seems to be a great choice, for almost all shooting applications.

The amount of money to purchase.
CS dept.is supposed to be great.
Great reticle selection.
Really good glass/coatings.
Good turrets.
Lots of elevation!
Good selection of objective lens sizes, variable power settings, etc.

I have never owned a Night Force scope, but I have looked through a bunch, and I think they are an outstanding value...sakofan..

 

[davyd]

Leupold or nightforce

Good Thread - I'll ask a related question on the same basis.

Looking at

Nightforce NXS 5.5-20 X50 or 56 with NPR2

or

Leupold Mk 4 tatical 6-20X50 with MLR reticule

To go with a blaser R93 professional - with the match .223 barrel (26 inch fluted) and also a standard 308 - that I am about to order. I want to put one quality scope on adn stretch it as far as possible.

The idea is this gun system should last me a long time.

My current targets are generally varminted bunnies off bipod often at dusk- but every so often there is one staring at you 20 feet away. The .308 will be for deer pigs etc My current Remmington VS700 .223 with VXIII 4.5-14 X50 is a little unweildy for the offhand shots but wonderfully accurate.

I like everthing I hear about the nightforce i.e lower bottom end magnification, good glass, good in low light, the reticule selection

But

the weigh difference 32 versus 22 ounces may be an issue. Will it unbalnce the gun especially if using the standard profile .308 offhand? On the other hand it may help steady waht would be a light rifle when firing this mid sized calibre

I would welcome opinions and even alternative suggestions

 

[ricka0]

ds writes
[ QUOTE ]
no distance markings on parallax adjustment

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a bonus! See Larry willis on Scope adjustment He writes <font color="green"> [ QUOTE ]
Very few parallax adjustable scopes will be set correctly if you just dial the yardage settings printed on the scope.

[/ QUOTE ] </font>

 

[ds]

big b0re,

Your right, its just that I sometimes shoot targets on timers, so if you get targets at 50m, 150m and 400m (if it is known distance and if there is enough time) it is easier to turn the parallax nob on the S&amp;B with distance markings than to fiddle getting the focus right with the NXS. (I used tape and wrote the distances on the NXS). Agreed it is not perfect and will not give that parallax free image but it is fast and can be better than nothing if there is little time.

If there is time to get a perfect parallax free image then either work, I just take the numbers as a guie and fine tune from there.

David.

 

[Brown Dog]

Re: Leupold or nightforce

Davyd,

So you're going with the Blaser despite everything posted to answer your Blaser questions? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I thought I was the only bloke on LRH with a horizontal learning curve! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Get the best scope you can afford, it's the only part you'll be keeping long term of the set-up you've described /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ricka0]

[ QUOTE ]
big b0re,

Your right, its just that I sometimes shoot targets on timers, so if you get targets at 50m, 150m and 400m (if it is known distance and if there is enough time) it is easier to turn the parallax nob on the S&amp;B with distance markings than to fiddle getting the focus right with the NXS. (I used tape and wrote the distances on the NXS). Agreed it is not perfect and will not give that parallax free image but it is fast and can be better than nothing if there is little time.
David.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. I'd just like a way to tape the numbers to my scope and make it look good.

ds also writes [ QUOTE ]
<font color="purple"> not quite as good as S&amp;B to my eyes ... everyones eyes are differnt </font>

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree and I've read that many times. But I wonder if your eyes get biased or used to the scopes you're using. I started out using Loopie glass so my eyes seem to like loupie glass. I wonder if my dad had put a Trashco scope on my .243 my eyes would prefer TrashCo-- Nah, there are limits to everything. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif