Sell me on a high end optic

ultimate_monkey

ultimate_monkey

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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So after telling myself I wasn't going to build another 10k rifle I find myself doing exactly that haha, all my build parts are ordered as I wasn't finding what I wanted with my wtb ad. Anyway where I'm stuck is with the optics. Over the years I've owned many many Schmidt and benders. And love them, but it seems like while many companies have been making leaps and bounds forwards the S&b flagship of the 5-25 x56 has never changed , while I don't see it has a huge need to , it makes me wonder how much of that price is just paying for the name at this point. Say the s&b 5-25 is 4500ish , while the vortex razor hd ii is 3500.. I know glass is subjective but am I really getting a $1k worth more of quality , or the NF beast at over $5k .. is it really worth the price difference for a non military / LEO guy like myself . I would say that my gear gets used almost as hard as our forces in terms of wet/cold/mud/ dirt... only difference being my life doesn't depend on it..

I've got lots of experience with the sb but want to hear from guys who have used the vortex and nf beast etc.. maybe there is others I should be looking at ? Requirements are - FFP mil/mil, hold over reticle (h59 or similar ) 5-25, 34mm main tube .

At the risk of seeming like a ####, I don't want your fan boy opinions I can come up with those myself haha, real world experience preferable from guys who compete or at the very least take their gear off the covered range firing line.


TIA !
 
I haven't had the chance to shell out this kind of money on optics, but I've played with a few. If it was my money, I would be looking closely at the Khales 6-24. Having the parallax at the base of the elevation turret just seems like the right place to have it.
 
I have a Nightforce beast on my custom 338Lapua and I have shot another guys 338 desert tech with the razor HD ii and my beast beats it with features and clarity. It’s not a great comparison but I have a 4-14 SHV on my .223 that I could use to spot shots at 1890yards and I couldn’t see the impacts with an older 6-24 vortex on the same target.

The Nightforce is super expensive but it is definitely better, it just follows the law of diminishing returns. I could buy a gun for $7500 that would do more than 3/4 as well as you gun but would never achieve that last little bit that a $10 000 gun could do.

The only thing the razor has on Nightforce in my opinion is the warranty and price, if I was going o build a wicked budget rifle or knowingly abuse the scope I would get the vortex.
Then again I have never had a problem with Nightforce and my buddy has several. One that had problems with the turret that he sent in, he got back with card that said they found nothing wrong but the scope was working like new and never had a hiccough since.

I have looked through a lower power Schmidt and Bender and the glass quality was amazing.

The only real way to weigh the options is to have them side by side.
 
I would also suggest a look at Kahles.
Speaking of side-by-side comparison, I see you're in BC just like Precision Optics / plainsight solution / Aroma food. If you bring your S&B at dusk to compare to their Kahles and other top brands you would have a nice experiment.
I believe you should set them all at the same magnification to compare light transmission.
 
Is Precision Optics an authorized seller? I hear a lot about them here but I do not recall any confirmation if they are authorized (for warranty issues etc).
 
bsand said:
tangent theta /the end
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Agreed. I've used NF, March, S&B, Zeiss Victory and Premier scopes and the Tangent Theta beats them all. It has a simplicity, ruggedness and mechanical and optical perfection that can't be beat.

I haven't used a Razor but have looked them over. They seem like an excellent scope for the money.
 
If TT's pricing was more reasonable, it would be a no brainer for me, but $6500 for a scope is too rich for me. For comparison, I'm looking at Kahles 6-24 and NF's ATACR 7-35 right now, so $3600-4500. But TT's $6500 is way too much for the siding scale returns one gets with high end scopes.
 
Okay, at risk of derailing the thread a tad,..........for the average serious hunter, is there enough of a difference between a thousand dollar scope and your three thousand dollar scope?

I had a S&B 2.5-10 years ago, and it was an excellent scope, but sold it after a few years to a fellow CGNer in Grande Prairie because it was just too heavy.

Ted
 
Hi Ted , while I do agree with your input in a hunting regards , this rifle is not being built for hunting . It's purpose is a PRS and ELR style of shooting . Targets at varying and unknown ranges and extreme long range steel shooting (2000yds and more )
 
Why not? said:
Okay, at risk of derailing the thread a tad,..........for the average serious hunter, is there enough of a difference between a thousand dollar scope and your three thousand dollar scope?

I had a S&B 2.5-10 years ago, and it was an excellent scope, but sold it after a few years to a fellow CGNer in Grande Prairie because it was just too heavy.

Ted
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There's a big difference if you hunt a lot during poor light conditions, something that's not a consideration for everyone. Mountain hunters, for example, generally don't shoot really early or late, whereas out of a deer blind that's the best time. I hunt a lot at very low light and good scopes make a big difference. I can get an extra 15-20 minutes at times.
And as far as weight is concerned, I have a Zeiss 3-12x56 that weighs about 18.5 oz, so only about 6 oz more than your run of the mill Leupold 3.5-10x40, and it's miles ahead in clarity, low light, shadows, sun glare,etc.

For long range shooting, like the OP, the difference is even more evident due to the high power settings needed.
 
Do you care how heavy it is?

Do you care how large it is?

Does it have enough elevation travel to reach out to your desired distances? No idea what your chamber combo will be.

Are the turrent markings easy to use when you are dialing alot of travel?

Does the scope have enough eye relief for the mag and recoil your rifle will have?

I think when you try and balance all the above, the number of options will shrink....

Jerry
 
These days many companies make (or can make) good optics. I think a long range shooter should be more concerned with what they cannot 'see' while looking through their scope...and that is the mechanical precision and durability that ensures that '1 click' is repeatable/consistent and that the scope holds 'zero' under repeated recoil. I havent seen the 'guts' of a S&B scope and own only one... a fixed 12x... but I am inclined to believe they are very robust and mechanically precise.

As for low light use any 56mm (particularly a Zeiss!) objective is going to provide a outstanding low light image for hunting. However I have found that a fixed 6x,42 with a heavy reticle works pretty well under all legal shooting conditions in Ontario.
 
Mystic Precision said:
Do you care how heavy it is?

Do you care how large it is?

Does it have enough elevation travel to reach out to your desired distances? No idea what your chamber combo will be.

Are the turrent markings easy to use when you are dialing alot of travel?

Does the scope have enough eye relief for the mag and recoil your rifle will have?

I think when you try and balance all the above, the number of options will shrink....

Jerry
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Hey Jerry, long time no talk haha figures you'd pop up here eventually! (Tones of dealing off cgn btw)

1) nope don't care how big it is.
2) nope don't care how heavy it is
3) always have canted bases haha but more travel is always better
4) never had an issue with anything that has 2nd/3rd turn markings of some kind. So anything quality I'm safe.

5) never scoped myself with my unbraked 338lm with a SB 12-50 which has an incredibly short eye relief so no worries there .

Basically - as long as.it has the features I want and is worth spending the $ on. It can be 10lbs and $12k for all i care. As long as the cost is justified and I'm not paying for a name or hype
 
I have zeiss, Shmidt and Bender,Tangent Theta, Swarovski, Nightforce etc...
Tangent Theta is the best overall optically and mechanically in my opinion but the price is ridiculous.If they were $4500 it would be a no brainer...
 
Why not? said:
Okay, at risk of derailing the thread a tad,..........for the average serious hunter, is there enough of a difference between a thousand dollar scope and your three thousand dollar scope?

I had a S&B 2.5-10 years ago, and it was an excellent scope, but sold it after a few years to a fellow CGNer in Grande Prairie because it was just too heavy.

Ted
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Hi Ted - here in BC we can hunt 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset. It is a huge difference from 1/2 hour before to 1/2 hour after - especially in cloudy weather. Good optics are absolutely necessary. Elk and deer often come out very late and many areas have antler restrictions. The proper reticle is also very important.
 
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