PM II on a Tikka T3x CTR - is this a crazy idea?

I don't have the SHV F1 just yet it's on order and I'm having second thoughts on holding onto it. I may post it in the EE and go after the S&B... That's the trouble with not having stores nearby that have this level of glass on hand to look at.

First world problems right... Appreciate all the input/feedback.

As far as intended use for the scope it will sit on my CTR which is mostly going to be a range toy with occasional local match and a couple of hunting trips in Northern Ontario sitting on stand largely for deer/Moose when tags work out.

The weight factor of the glass has to be a consideration but this will largely be a square range/stationary rifle.
 
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Once you bought your first S&B, you wont be looking for anything else, these are not only top, they are addictive and never a rifle will outshoot your optic, you buy them for life... JP.
 
You'll never regret putting good glass on a rifle, the opposite is not true...

My .22LR trainer wears a Premier Heritage 3.5-15x50mm

 
Like the specs on the IOR, but reliability is a show stopper.
Too bad the Zeiss Victory V8 is SFP, only <50MOA vertical adj. Like the 35x
S&B may be great once but not even top 3 for top PRS crowd in recent years. Price is ridiculous, plus the tunneling at 5x. They got greedy.
The nightforce atacr 7-35 had good review, but is in $4.5k range. ouch.

Happy with a good 25x in low $3k range. Really want 35x.

ivo said:
The model is a 3-18. Also the issue I had was with the reticle, not the glass.
As was mentioned, Schott glass means nothing. There are different grades of glass and each manufacturer specs what they require.
At the IOR price point, there are other scopes I would be more confident putting my money into.
My scope is still out, so I'm waiting to see what happens.
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burnaby said:
Like the specs on the IOR, but reliability is a show stopper.
Too bad the Zeiss Victory V8 is SFP, only <50MOA vertical adj. Like the 35x
S&B may be great once but not even top 3 for top PRS crowd in recent years. Price is ridiculous, plus the tunneling at 5x. They got greedy.
The nightforce atacr 7-35 had good review, but is in $4.5k range. ouch.

Happy with a good 25x in low $3k range. Really want 35x.
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The 5-25X56 is old news. Everyone lingers on that old model and its tunneling. S&B has moved on. Yes you can still buy the 5-25 but why bother. The current competitive PM II models from S&B are the 3-20X50 and the 5-20X50 ultra short. The next generation PMII's are the ultra brights with 96% light transmission. I am waiting for the release of the 4-16X56 ultra bright. Until I see that, I'm not buying anything else

06_4-16x56_pm_ii_ultra_bright_popup_en.jpg


The new high power (for mag junkies).

07_5-45x56_pm_ii_high_power_popup_en.jpg
 
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Yes the tunneling on the 5-25 does occur but for me (and I would hazard a guess for most of us) that doesn't matter. I rarely go below about 8X to 10X or above 18X.

I would say the new low profile turrets are the bigger difference.

All that being said, the 5-25 is still a great scope. Just because there is some new whiz bang doo dad doesn't mean that everything else before it sucks.
 
burnaby said:
Like the specs on the IOR, but reliability is a show stopper.
Too bad the Zeiss Victory V8 is SFP, only <50MOA vertical adj. Like the 35x
S&B may be great once but not even top 3 for top PRS crowd in recent years. Price is ridiculous, plus the tunneling at 5x. They got greedy.
The nightforce atacr 7-35 had good review, but is in $4.5k range. ouch.

Happy with a good 25x in low $3k range. Really want 35x.
Click to expand...

So not placing at a competition is because the optic sucks or the shooter? Last I checked S&B was the go to optic for cancelling lifetime subscriptions for dirtbags.
 
SB makes that scope with a 10m parallax for air rifles. Yep 10 that's ten meter air rifles. Not 11 meters ... 10. Good glass is wonderful on ANY rifle. You cannot replace your eyes so why strain them if you can afford not to?
 
The S&B fanboys sure got ruse up by the mere mention of other games in town. Anyone looking into mid $3k scope has choices now.

eurooptic has the 5-20X50 ultra short for US$3.8-4.6k; that is up in the CAD $6K TT range. Certainly not in the 5-25 price range.
J996 said:
The 5-25X56 is old news. Everyone lingers on that old model and its tunneling. S&B has moved on. Yes you can still buy the 5-25 but why bother. The current competitive PM II models from S&B are the 3-20X50 and the 5-20X50 ultra short. The next generation PMII's are the ultra brights with 96% light transmission. I am waiting for the release of the 4-16X56 ultra bright. Until I see that, I'm not buying anything else
...

The new high power (for mag junkies).

...
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burnaby said:
The S&B fanboys sure got ruse up by the mere mention of other games in town. Anyone looking into mid $3k scope has choices now.

eurooptic has the 5-20X50 ultra short for US$3.8-4.6k; that is up in the CAD $6K TT range. Certainly not in the 5-25 price range.
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You don't buy S&B from the states, they pay more than we do. The 3-20X50 is $4100 Cad at Wolverine for example.

Yes of course there are choices. It just gets old when guys slag S&B because the old 5-25 tunnels at low mag (and as Ryan pointed out, guys rarely use it under 7 or 8X). They make more scopes than that.

Are they expensive? Hell yes they are and unless a guy can comfortably afford one, I agree that a limited budget is better spent. However if cash is less of an issue, they have exceptional glass and solid mechanics.

And I am a glass whore not a fanboy:p I can't wait to see their new ultra brights with 96% transmission.
 
Fanboys don't like it when facts are provided. Fanboys don't like it when alternatives are provided. Your stmt proves you are a fanboy. The 5-25 is really a 8-25, saying I slag them for stating the facts prove you are a fanboy.

To the S&B fanboys: YES, S&B is godsend, don't buy anything else.
To the non fanboys: There are now alternatives today. S&B is not the only game in town.
J996 said:
You don't buy S&B from the states, they pay more than we do. The 3-20X50 is $4100 Cad at Wolverine for example.

Yes of course there are choices. It just gets old when guys slag S&B because the old 5-25 tunnels at low mag (and as Ryan pointed out, guys rarely use it under 7 or 8X). They make more scopes than that.

Are they expensive? Hell yes they are and unless a guy can comfortably afford one, I agree that a limited budget is better spent. However if cash is less of an issue, they have exceptional glass and solid mechanics.

And I am a glass whore not a fanboy:p I can't wait to see their new ultra brights with 96% transmission.
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burnaby said:
Fanboys don't like it when facts are provided. Fanboys don't like it when alternatives are provided. Your stmt proves you are a fanboy. The 5-25 is really a 8-25, saying I slag them for stating the facts prove you are a fanboy.

To the S&B fanboys: YES, S&B is godsend, don't buy anything else.
To the non fanboys: There are now alternatives today. S&B is not the only game in town.
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Tunneling below 8x doesn't make it unusable, in fact it's barely noticeable unless you're looking for it.
There are many options out there but not below your $3k threshold. Many people feel more comfortable going with a known product or name like S&B opposed to something like IOR for example that has a weak track record of durability.

I don't consider S&B godsend but they do make a very good quality product with a proven track record, this is not debatable. Why are other products riding PRS rifles lately? Lower prices possibly, sponsorship of events, stagnant product lines by their competition...
 
burnaby said:
Fanboys don't like it when facts are provided. Fanboys don't like it when alternatives are provided. Your stmt proves you are a fanboy. The 5-25 is really a 8-25, saying I slag them for stating the facts prove you are a fanboy.

To the S&B fanboys: YES, S&B is godsend, don't buy anything else.
To the non fanboys: There are now alternatives today. S&B is not the only game in town.
Click to expand...

Guess I hit a nerve. Hey bud you can buy whatever floats your boat, lots of great optics out there at all pricepoints. If you don't think S&B scopes are for you.....I don't care, my life will go on.
 
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Yup, lots of hostility toward folks presenting info on their beloved products. Can't even suggest take a look at other product, YUP, lots of hostility alright.
J996 said:
Whoa hostility. Hey bud you can buy whatever floats your boat, lots of great optics out there at all pricepoints. If you don't think S&B scopes are for you.....I don't care, my life will go on.
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ivo said:
Why are other products riding PRS rifles lately? Lower prices possibly, sponsorship of events, stagnant product lines by their competition...
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I agree,

Certain manufacturers have answered the call and embraced the PRS market. Vortex, Bushnell, Kahles to name a few.
Just because they are at the top of the list in the stats and S&B is not really doesnt mean $hit in the grand scheme of things.
It just means that in this specific market S&B is no longer as relevant as it used to be. In the market S&B caters to I dont think Vortex or Bushnell would be considered relevant.

That said if I was going to buy a PRS sprcific optic it likely wouldnt be an S&B (ironic because I have a 3-20PMII ultrashort on my comp gun). Why beat the crap out of a $4k scope when a Bushnell will do everything you need. PRS doesnt require uber good glass. You need a decent mag range, repeatable adjustments and a functional reticle (.2 hold offs ideally). You can now get this on scopes that are much more reasonably priced than those only a few years ago. Hence why the stats show a shift away from the S&B's etc.
 
Funny that had the similar conversation today at the range. Comment was S&B is the top tier must have product. They demand top price, folks expect perfection, had this been a Bushnell product bit of tunneling is not an issue.
Mentioned low $3k would be sweet. Looks like upper $3k is the reality.

No debate at all for S&B quality and proven track record; that's why folks pay top dollar.

PRS looks like a lot of fun. Long distance shooting is like watching golf.
ivo said:
Tunneling below 8x doesn't make it unusable, in fact it's barely noticeable unless you're looking for it.
There are many options out there but not below your $3k threshold. Many people feel more comfortable going with a known product or name like S&B opposed to something like IOR for example that has a weak track record of durability.

I don't consider S&B godsend but they do make a very good quality product with a proven track record, this is not debatable. Why are other products riding PRS rifles lately? Lower prices possibly, sponsorship of events, stagnant product lines by their competition...
Click to expand...
 
It has been said by many that the Kahles K624i is as good as S&B if not better. I might have to get one of these in the near future.

http://www.snipercentral.com/kahles-k624i-full-review/
 
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