Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics What do you think of S&B's?

That's fair enough too. You'd think that S&B would offer a better warranty for what they cost.

Love S&B scopes. I have 5 currently in use on various firearms. My favorite reticle is #9.

DonKnows and I bought two of the very first 4-16x50 PMIIs that became available back in 2000.Don uses his every year and for 13 seasons,its been Perfect.
I have used mine on and off over the years and for the last 6 years or so its been a safe queen.I dug it out and mounted it on a new project last year.For the very first vertical adjustment I made the knob was very hard to turn.When it did turn I blew past where I was trying to get.I turned it back and forth some and it seemed to settle in and work fine. This after sitting for 6 years.Scope seemed to function fine but I got a itchy feeling on the back of my neck.Had some down time where I didnt need it and called service in Virginia.I asked about a clean and check.Guy on the phone tells me a standard clean and check for a PMII cost 150 bucks.Plus parts.I boxed it up and sent it in.First time ever sending back a S&B for me.
I got it back 7 days later.
Paper inside said a standard clean and check was performed.And a internal spring was replaced.
No charge.
The thing looks and functions like new.
dave

Dave
That's great and I'm glad they took care of you but what I'm saying is that they aren't cheaper than Zeiss or Swaro and if they can offer lifetime warranties S&B should be able to as well.

I would love to own a Summit. It would be perfect in the specs I want but I can't spend that kind of money and be left to my own in just a couple years. It takes me that long to save that kind of "extra" gun money so it's a big deal to me when I have two other comparable options who will back up their product for life.

I Can't Complain.
The warranty thing doesnt seem to be a problem.
Im sure no expert at usuing it.But they were fine to deal with.
It was kinda explained to me this way.
They have guys wearing out PMIIs at tac matches.Hundreds of matches thousands of rounds.If its there fault there going to take care of you.You crank the knobs enough to wear one out.They still take care of it but you pay for the service.
Its been awhile but I talked to one of there guys and he told me that in there hunting scope line up, they have several of every make and model going way way back.You have a problem and are in a hurry,they just ship you there "backup".Pretty hard to beat that.
They never were cheep.
They never were light weight.
They used to have crap for eye relief.At least thats much better.
I bought a used 1.5-6x42 classic.I got a danged good deal on it and it looks new.Was thinking about sending it in and getting the reticle converted to a TDS.Makes a excellent bump and run scope.The 1.5-6 is a tank and will take abuse like none other.

dave

seems an objective assessment

Yeah but Hawker a guy like you is too cheap to buy one but is readily available to agree w/something you know nothing about. Go peddle you no experience opinions some place else. powdr

+1 on everything he said. My S&B scopes are the best I've ever looked through, bar none. When my 300 RUM ate a $1,800 Swarovski for breakfast 5 years ago, a person on this forum whose reputation is unchallenged told me (via PM)to go with S&B over a replacement Swaro. As I had two other S&B's, I took his advice and have been happy as a puppy with two peters ever since. They are simply the best.

1.5x6 on my 1950 Schoenauer [img:center][/img]

nice.



1.5-6x42 Zenith Flash Dot.


dave

S&B is the best of the best

Plus, if you need a finisher and you are out of ammo, you can beat the critter to death with a S&B

Or drive tent stakes into the ground. A very versatile piece of gear!

Years back I dropped an M40 which moved the base zero. I routinely ran a round robin to verify zero and confirm tracking, and the impact from that drop caused marked movement. May have been from the mass and weight of the rifle upon impact, but the scope was not cheap. Flip-side, last year my hunting rifle was knocked off a cooler in my Jeep, it flipped out the back, struck the rear carrier, then hit the ground hard. Thought I'd have a problem, but I posted a target and shot rounds to find it held zero. The later scope was a Schmidt and Bender. Maybe not as tough as some of the newer military scopes, but I was pleased it took the hard drop without any issues. Maybe not tough enough to drive tent stakes into hard ground, but it does appear to be a rough and tumble scope capable of handling hard knocks.

I often get amused at people that find every little thing wrong w/Schmidt and Bender. They are scope whores who are too cheap and too impatient to save a little to buy the best. They buy, sell and trade all of their lives losing untold hundreds of dollars looking for that ultimate scope. If I were a young man 20-30yrs. old...I would get a good starter scope to hunt w/ but I would put every spare cent I could towards the purchase of a S and B.

The most talked about negative is their weight. We've carried this weight thing so far that we now have 5.5lb rifles that are almost unshootable because they are so light. We see at least 1-2 posts a month on how do I shoot my light rifle. A few extra ounces that keeps a guy from hunting is just unthinkable to me. powdr

I've heard that US Optics,at trade shows, drives a 16 penny spike into a 2x4.Just like you would with a hammer.They have some kind of jig they mount it in, after each demo....
To check it out.
US Optics.
Now theres a heavy scope.

dave

Before 2000.
It was the eye relief.
It was danged short.
In 2000 they introduced a Dangerous Game Scope with 3.75 of eye relief.The rear ocular got .08 bigger in diameter with that change.
Must be alot of Dangerous Game out there, as all the variables have it now.
Oddly enough the fixed power S&Bs still have the 3.15 eye relief.

dave

powdr,

I don�t understand where you are coming from on your post. Most folks don't think like you are suggesting. They go through life without giving it much thought.

When I started on my present project I wanted a rifle with a 26� barrel that weighs less than seven pounds with a scope. Since I wanted the best low light scope I could get with very high magnification I was limited to about 5.5 pounds without a scope. The best combination of high magnification and low weight came in the z5 Swarovski 5-25X52. I arbitrarily set a limit of eighteen ounces for the scope. This one is only 1/10th of an ounce over. I can live with that.

I put a brake on it and fire it with impunity. I accidently knocked it over from a leaning position on a hunting trip. There is a small ding in the bell, now. The next three shot group was about 1 �� at 300 yards and still sighted in.

Ringman, I think that is the problem...they go thru life w/o much thought. powdr

My neighbor is one of those cheap, non thinking, scope whores who has managed to hammer some big bucks, in spite of never owning an S&B, with lowly VXII's, and VX3's. 2 more 180's aren't even up there yet....

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