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

They're a good scope ct but just like the last eight pages... I doubt I could change your mind. They are well priced for a life time of use w/a lifetime warranty unsurpassed by any other. My brother and I have used them since nineteen seventy two w/wonderful service and killed many, many game animals here in Texas. If a man could only have one scope for ever he could sure do worse than a Leupold. powdr

Many times when I read about guys using Leupolds for XX number of years and not experienceing any failures causes me to think they have no idea when a scope is not functioning correctly.

THIS..Best scope value out there.

Leupolds are really fun because you get to guess where point of impact will be after you adjust the controls.

I would buy a S&B if they would step up to the same warranty as Swaro and Zeiss. All comparable scopes, except for the crap warranty of S&B. Bushnell has a better warranty.

Which model?

I currently have three S&B riflescopes (2 Zeniths and 1 Klassic). Knock on wood, I have only sent one scope in for a check-up, and that was the Klassic I purchased used. They performed a complete cleaning and insured proper mechanical function. Cost me the shipping one way.

One of my Zeniths I've used pretty hard. It's fell from a tree stand, and bounced around in the truck as well as few knocks and drops in rough terrain. No issues. They're built phuggin' hella stout!

Flip side, I've used Swarovski and Leupold customer service/warranty numerous times. Z3 and PH Swaro's for busted erector springs, same for Leupold as well as reticle crooked right out the shrink wrapped box! I've even had to send Leupolds in more than once as they failed to address the issue it was sent in for!

My Z6 scopes have been fine thus far, however they haven't seen enough use out in the field. So I'll have to reserve judgement on them for awhile...

May just be my "bad luck", but I've had more issues with Leupold and Swarovski scopes and none (knock on wood) with S&B. Just my observation and first hand experience. YMMV

pick one.

Got a S&B Few Month Ago.I've Always Run A Swarovski's. It Seems Their 3-9-42 With 4A Does All I Need.But I Have To Admit After Playing With The S&B. This Might Change.I Have To Say The S&B Glass Is Better. and I've Owned a Ton Of Swarovski's..

Well, personally I can afford any scope too but that doesn't mean I want to buy the most expensive scope out there just because it is. That's just plain illogical and stupid. S&B do make superb scopes, but so do many others.

I've been deer hunting since I was 16 and I'm now 61 and hunt all year round, because there is no closed season where I live. I have never had a problem with a Leupold, Zeiss, S&B, Leica or Swarovski. I have had problems with a few other brands that I won't mention here as it was a long time ago and they may have improved.

I once phoned Leupold to see about sending a scope in for a reticle change and the lady who answered told me, "it's pronounced Loo-pold sir not Lee-a-pold". Sounded like one of my old English teachers from high school. Anyway, excellent service. I generally couldn't care less about brands as long as they perform. Crystal clear optics are nice to have but mechanical reliability is more important to me. Good to have both though.

Quite often a case of diminishing returns. For those on a budget, I think the Leupold VX-6 is an excellent scope (their best hunting scope ever) and only very marginally behind the top tier European scopes optically. Think their Fire Dot system is extremely well designed. Haven't tried a Meopta Meostar R2 but plan to as they seem rugged and optically excellent.

Ultimately, you pay your money and you take your pick. If you can afford a S&B and it fits your spec requirements then by all means buy one.

Just got a new Swarovski Z6 2.5-15x56 - this will be going on my next 300WM build. I have to say, the glass is pretty damn impressive on this Z6!!!!

Congrats on the new scope. That 56mm sounds great. Do you have another very good scope you can compare it with and let us know how it does in low light?

Thanks Ringman!!

I have used just about every brand out there & to be honest, I am a huge fan of Nightforce and Schmidt & Bender scopes!! I was looking for a good lowlight hunting scope and from some research, the Z6 seemed to be the front-runner.

I love everything about Nightforce, but for this rifle I will be building, I did not need the long range functions that NF are known for. As far as S&B scopes, they are very high on my list, but their hunting reticles are too heavy for me, so I went the the 4A reticle in the Swarovski Z6.

We'll see how it goes when rifle gets built & scope gets put to use........

Optically alot are comparable.
We can't see their guts...
A lot of people in forward areas use S&b and nightforce as well as Leopold

S&b was then far away winner based on testing for the usmc

Maybe that means nothing? Just pointing out a fact

just saying...Snipers hunt with s&b's "thick reticles" pretty effectively

I like the name. It sounds like a prestigious law firm. After I get Rolls Royce with a chauffeur, ..... I will surely have my servant order one for me.

Always amusing around here. S&B doesnt need to be compared to "value" scopes, they stand all on their own.

Not sayin i'd put one on every rifle even if i could afford it, but check their specs, and if it meets your needs for the rifle you want to put it on rest assured you're getting the best money can buy..They simply do not make a scope for every rifle IMO, wish they did tho.

they also

-dont make different "grades of optics", like riflemen,vx1, vx2, vx-III,VX-3, vx-7,vx-6, etc
-produce less scopes in a year than some produce in a month
-dont use fancy marketing hype like diamondcoat and index matched lens system
-dont have scopes with a lot of travel vs comparable competition
-dont have lightweight scopes comparably speaking

As dave7mm stated we have the first 2 S&B 4 to 16 X 50 PMII's that hit the shores of the USA. I hunt with mine every year (for 14 years) in PA for deer and 6 times I've been to Texas hog hunting with it. I have it mounted on a custom built 300 win mag with a hunter class stock and a 29" S/S barrel. I use a 180gr ballistic tip leaving the muzzle at 3200 fps. I don't carry this gun to hunt with so I could care less about weight. The scoped rifle weighs just shy of 15lbs. When we hog hunt in Texas we go out about an hour before sunset and hunt till about 2am. You want low light conditions, that's low light. I have never had a problem seeing a hog in the dark and the FAT cross hair is a HUGE plus. The scope does not have an illuminated reticle. It has a mil dot.

When hunting in Africa in 2004 I had my 375 H&H Ackley Improved with a 1.5 to 6 X 42 S&B and a 7mm mag with a Swarovski 2.5 to 10 x 42 with a duplex reticle. Although I could see fine in low light with the Swarovski the fine cross hair would make it next to impossible to hit anything. It simply disappeared in low light conditions. Hindsight is 20/20. I should of bought the Swarovski with FATTER crosshairs. One afternoon we were looking for a Zebra. We didn't see any nice males so my PH and myself decided to go and look over a meadow in the hopes a nice Bushbuck would come out. We looked over the same meadow on prior late afternoon's and my PH knew Bushbucks frequented the area. I wanted at least a 16" Bushbuck. Since I had my 375 we didn't go back to the lodge and change out to the 7mm mag. We sat among some trees overlooking the meadow and saw about 8 Bushbuck but none were large enough. As dusk became dark I looked across the meadow through my scope to see what I thought might be the one. I whispered to the PH about him. He couldn't make it out with his binocs so I handed him my rifle. I had to laugh inside as to the following events as I have seen it many times before. He looked through the scope and determined in was about 14", not what we were after. Then he looked above the scope (couldn't see the animal at all), back on the scope and repeated this several times. Finally he looked at me and said: That's amazing.

That's why you buy a S&B scope.

I did end up shooting a 15" Bushbuck a few days later with the 7mm mag at 220 yards in broad daylight. My PH called it at 15" (how he does that I don't know) and I decided to take it since it was the last day of the hunt.

I used to use inferior Leupold scopes in the past. I will NEVER make that huge mistake again.

I may be looking to sell my 4 to 16 X 50 PMII in the near future because I want to get the 5 to 25 X 56 PMII. It will go on the 300 win mag.

In the 14 years I have been using the 4 to 16 X 50 PMII I have never had a problem with it. I can't say that about the inferior Leupolds I used to use.

I should add I have one other Swarovski scope: A 6 to 24 X 50 target scope mounted on my 22 CHeetah which I use to kill woodchucks out to 675 yards. That rifle/scope combo weighs around 14lbs.

Everybody compares themselves to a S&B for one reason: They are the best.

DonKnows

IMO S&B glass is generally over rated. But then you have to take into consideration that most of the over-rating is being done by folks who have never used a S&B.

I have never found S&B glass to be one bit better than other Euros like high end Zeiss or Swarovski. It is very much the same IMO. This is not to say that it is't very good. It just isn't nearly what some like to claim that it is.

IMO, from doing side by side field comparisons, March glass has it all over S&B.........