Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Which klassik Schmidt would you choose???

Looking at either a 2.5-10x56, Or 3-12x50 Both Illuminated And both a l3 reticle (Basically Illuminated #4) Going to be using it more for deer and yote hunting than anything Probably going on a standard hunting rifle (no heavy barrel) And nothing heavier than a 300win mag Thoughts an opinions I do not have either to put my hands on So looking for advice or opinions on Schmidt owners or if there is something better in your opinion for $1500 and under Let me know Always open on ideas

Got two of each. Love them. 3x12x50 gets the nod from me though. Smaller, lighter, gathers the same amount of light through MY eyes.

2 3x12x50 Klassiks here, one on a 300WM, the other on a 30 06. I could not ask for more. Totally happy with them. I have not looked through a 2.5x10x56, but I have heard from someone who knows scopes it was the better of the two in low light by a very small margin. My 8x56 Klassik is better in low light than either of the 3x12x50's but the variables are more useful.

Buy one of each and then evaluate them yourself.

That’s an idea........ having an 8x56 Illuminated klassik delivered Wednesday Probably will decide from there I’m leaning towards 3-12x50

You can read all the online reviews and ask people that own xxxxx optic but until you buy it and use it ........

Agreed sir..... I bought a zeiss v4 3-12x56 Illuminated A buddy of mine ran it in the ground bad mouthing it I asked have you ever looked through one??? He said no..... I invited him over one evening He brought over a night force and a Steiner To compare 3 days later he bought the exact scope I purchased Human eyes My biggest problem is where I am located There is seldom a Schmidt and bender in the display cases to try out

But with all that being said I value the opinions of a lot of the people here

For a very long time I ran a 1.5-6x42 with the 4A reticle.
Pretty much all over NA and Canada.
It served me well.
It's pushing 40 years old and still works just fine.
It kinda depends on what your hunting and how you hunt.
Ive had and still have a bunch of S&Bs.
Lately... The last two seasons I've run a 8x56 from a elevated stand.
For the money ,800.00 something from Optics Trade it's excellent in low crappy light.
My take on lighted reticles are this.
On a S&B. I'll take the Zenith Flash Dot as it gives day and night ability. The heavy reticles in the klassic s without a light will work well after shootable light is long gone.
How dark do you need. You can loose the heavest of non lit reticles in a klassic .if its dark enough. You never loose you aim point with a lit one.. again depends on use....
I would say from ambush pick the S&B with the biggest objective you can get.
For bumpen and runnen stick with the 1.5-6x42.
For a all arounder.
3-12x42 klassic with the lit P3 mil dot .
dave

Have the S&B German made Klassik 2.5-10 x 56 with L3 reticle on my M70 Supergrade 30-06. Had a Zeiss Victory 2.5-10 x 50 on it previously - SFP with a Zeiss Christmas tree reticle. My friend had bought the S&B 2.5-10 x 56 on "special" and was sighting in Mauser M12 in .308 and invited me to shoot it. I looked through the scope and WOW, the image quality just blew me away. To my eye anyway the image was so crisp & clear and seriously it was like nearly half the price of my Zeiss!!!

Luckily the shop had a few left and I bought one immediately. Its also FFP & I love FFP scopes for big game hunting and love that red dot for the low light afternoon situations (the dot is not bright enough in daylight unlike the Flashdot S&B). I believe the Germans got it right with FFP for hunting you don't have to go looking for that reticle it's there! A pity that with the 6x & 8x zoom ratios now the European makers have for the most part gone SFP and I understand the reasons for that.

Took that combination to Africa in 2022 as my light rifle and it was wonderful. Only Con its big and its long but that also has its advantages as you have a lot of mounting flexibility with the long tube. Some scopes these days have tubes so short it can make getting optimum eye relief difficult.

Get it while you can!

I’ve been looking very hard at the 3-12x42 Klassic with the L3, basically a German #4 with an illuminated dot. It would be replacing a Steiner GS3 2-10x42, as my dark timber, evening/early morning stand rifle scope. Since our hunting regulations changed to half hour before and after sun rise/ sun set, I want something that penetrates into the dark cedar swamps. The Steiner is good, but I think the Klassic will be a big step up in low light performance. I really want to stay away from the huge 50 and 56 mm objectives if possible.

Agree. You’ll enjoy a serious upgrade.

Lots of good first hand information in this thread that the OP can use to his advantage. Good luck and keep us informed on what decision you make and how it works for you.

PM sent!

Dark is dark, scopes can only transmit available light and do not “gather” light, I repeat scopes do not “gather” light.

I had the exact question, glad to have found this thread!

ME TOO!

Is the difference between a Klassik and Zenith noticeable to the average shooter? I am buying one or the other. I did pick up a 8x56 illuminated, should arrive in the next week at my son’s house this week.

That's not true.

Your eyeball might open to 7mm if you're young and gather 7mm worth of light.

A scope with a 56mm objective will gather 56mm worth of light and concentrate it down to a smaller exit pupil based on the magnification.

One can see much better in very low light conditions through a high quality scope than with the naked eye because the optic is gathering more light and concentrating it to a brighter smaller exit pupil.

Actually, a scope can only transmit light equal to the scope tube... Not the objective lens.

If you have a 56mm objective and a 30, tube, you get 30mm's worth of light. Brightness has to do with the lens' used in the scope.

While some scopes are clearer than others, they don't have the mystical ability to mysteriously "gather light".