Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Talk me out of a S&B Klassik/PH

I’ve been downsizing my rifles and settled on having 2-3 go to bomb proof set up’s. I recently acquired a 30-06 Fieldcraft and am having a custom lightweight Model 70 built in 30-06 by Mark Pharr/Brown Precision. I’d like the ability to dial to 500 and would rather not use a rail to keep the scope as low as possible. How much the scope cost is not my main concern but it is still a consideration. I mainly hunt whitetail and mule deer in Texas and booked a fly in caribou hunt in Alaska for next September. After having a lightweight 1 inch scope lose zero last year riding in a side by side I want to stick with beefier options. So far I’m considering:

1) Nightforce SHV or NXS 3-10, 2.5-10 (looks like these will work in a direct mount for the Fieldcraft but will be tight on a model 70.)
2) S&B 3-12x42 Precision Hunter (or Klassik sent to S&B for a Turret)

Any thoughts on these options?

The mounting length on the NXS is slightly longer than the SHV but both will work on your m70.

The precision hunter is darn hard to find right now.

I am currently selling a brand new Precision Hunter......its in the classifieds...👍

Euro Optics has some really good deals left on the S&B Klassic with an Illuminated dot....about $1350.00 new.

https://www.eurooptic.com/Schmidt-Bender-3-12x50-Klassik-LM-L3-Riflescope-645-811-482-05-05-A02.aspx

The S&B is pretty much impossible to get, I even tried getting one from a dealer in Europe but they will not ship to USA. I'd love to have a couple also for my rifles, Kimber7man might see this post, he has a couple I believe and can tell you plenty of how they work.

I settled for another option and am more than happy with it, the PM II 10x42 works about like the Precision Hunter and can be found on occasion but does cost a bit more.

I also have a NXS 2.5-10x42 Compact and love it, but even on a short action its tough to mount properly due to how short of a scope it is. Thinking on a LA you might need to go with a rail?? Good scope though for sure.

I have several Klassik and they are fantastic. I just spent last week with a Polar, Tangent & 3-12x50 Klassik all in hand and all had illumination. We can only hunt until 30 minutes after sunset so I compared these on several evenings in the woods, with heavy canopy, overcast, right up to the end of legal hunting. There was not a shot that I could have made with one of them that I couldn't make with all 3. Image quality was what you'd expect at that level.

My conclusion was the Klassik does all I need it to do at a far better price. The $$ aren't the issue for me just want what works best for me. The Polar overall image quality to my eye was the best but the negatives, weight mostly & turret, just didn't make sense for me so I returned it. Still have the Tangent and Klassiks.

Best of luck.

The S&B 3-12x42 is one of the nicest and most versatile scopes you can buy. If you don't pick up the deal here in the classifieds, talk to EuroOptic; they are the exclusive USA dealer. And if they don't have it, there are a number of dealers across the pond willing to ship an S&B, including Optics Trade.

I own both a S&B 3-12x42 Precision Hunter and a Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x42 and they are both very good scopes. I would give the optical quality to S&B but the Nightforce has a perfectly fine image quality.

The issue with the S&B Precision Hunter is its lack of erector travel and the turret only allows one revolution. First the issue with the turret is that it only has the equivalent of 9.6 MOA of adjustment in the one turn that is available on the dial, 48 clicks at .2" each click (sorry for using MOA vs Mils). In addition it is short on erector travel, I don't remember the amount, but I was unable to get my 7mm mag to 600 yards with a 200 yard zero and have room to dial without using Burris Signature rings with offset inserts (note a 10 or maybe a 20 MOA rail would work a little better).

I think S&B designed the Klassic line of scopes, and therefore their Precision Hunter option as a hunting scope for normal game distances and not long range hunting. For hunting inside of 500 yards and being able to place your bullet precisely on a game animal the Precision Hunter will do a great job. If you want to go long range the Nightforce is the scope to have.

I have the S&B Klassic and Nightforce NXS model scopes also and agree 100%. For hunting, I have zero reasons to dial when hunting, but even if an opportunity came up at 500 yards or more you are not guaranteed the time it takes to fiddle with dials. Best to know your rifle combo and practice and dispense with dialing for shots under 500 yards.
Just my 2 cents for what it is worth, for hunting IMO the S&B is the better choice.
The Nightforce I have is on a custom M21 M14 and is perfect for that application.

Unless they are lying they're not too impossible to get....

Click here
https://www.eurooptic.com/Schmidt-Bender-3-12x50-Klassik-LM-L3-Riflescope-645-811-482-05-05-A02.aspx

https://www.eurooptic.com/schmidt-bender-precision-hunter-3-12x42-p3-mildot-rifle-scope.aspx

This is the specific model to which oregonmuley (go ducks!), and I were referring.

Good deal but that one is showing out of stock.

🙈

Yeh I was just gonna get the illuminated klassik and send it to S&B for a turret and parallax adjustment.

Yup, that's your huckleberry right there But finding one is really tough, I've been looking for at least a year for a new one to turn up.

Only have first hand experience with the 2 NF models you listed. They are fantastic and live up to the rugged and rock solid repeatability reputation NF has earned. Additionally, my more recently purchased SHV has what I would call damn good glass. I do have a couple of them mounted on long actions without rails, but not the actions in reference in your post, so not sure how you'll fare there with the NF. One option I've frequently used for mounting shortish scopes on longish actions are the extended bases from Warne. They're about as low as I've found. I've had great experiences with the 4 screw, 30mm Signature rings from Burris. You can add some inclination to your set up to gain more out of the erectors, and they're low, they're rugged, and they look nice.

The one thing I'm not in love with on the NF's is their reticles. I prefer FFP and mils on scopes for longer range, which NF doesn't seem to be into for their lower powers, other than the 1-8. However, I do often hunt and shoot out to 650 with the illuminated MOAR's at 10x, and it has worked very well in a number of different conditions. On a scope that tops out at 10x, which is my preference for big game hunting anyway, the SFP's are workable so long as they're not of the BDC variety.

One option you might want to look into is the SWFA 3-9 HD. They are well regarded for being as tough as anything, and, for whatever it's worth, the glass is very good in the HD models. They offer what I consider to be one of the best FFP reticles for hunting. They are a long scope, so I can't imagine you'd have trouble mounting them on any action with whatever mounting system you choose. They are also fairly light for 30mm scopes at 19oz. Some bemoan the lack of zero locks on them, but I've carried them around a lot in thick cover, and while I, too, would rather have a low profile, locking elevation turret on them, I can say that I haven't had an issue yet. I do cap the windage and zero stop shim the elevation.

The NF SHV and NXS are both great scopes but for a hunting rifle go with the SB. I considered all three plus a Swaro Z6 for my bomb proof, foul weather, all purpose setup and went with the 3-12x42 SB Klassik on a custom model 70 FWT in .300 WSM. It’s got an illuminated reticle and I plan to send it to SB for a dial as well after the season. The simplicity of the SB over the others with the tradition of the internal adjustments being solid was my rationale. I shoot this setup out to 600 yards for all things in CONUS and really like it.

Like I said.....I have a BRAND NEW S&B that I'm looking to sell.....its posted in classifieds.

That German Schmidt Klassic in the 3-12x42 variety is a damn near perfect hunting scope. Can’t talk you out of it.
I happened across a NOS with illuminated P3 earlier this year for a steal and have really enjoyed it on a short barreled 308.

I also owned the Hungarian made Klassic with the L3 reticle and sent it back . That reticle was not for me.