Optics - FFP vs SFP and S&B

[judders]

Hi all,

FAC has been granted in principal, subject to security which is sorted now, so slowly getting there.

I have a couple of - potentially silly - questions about optics.

1. Am I correct in thinking that unless you're using the mildots for range finding, FFP vs SFP is purely a matter of personal preference? Or am I missing something else? I understand the difference between the two(lots of Internet reading over the last few days), but there doesn't seem to be a definitive answer if one is better than the other. Just plenty of people saying they prefer one over the other.

2. Lots of people at the LPSC use Schmidt & Bender scopes and swear by them. Are they really that much better than a much cheaper scope?? I know they're expensive and it would be a stretch for me to buy one at the same time as a new rifle, but would it be worth it? I don't mind paying a lot for good quality that will pay for itself over time. Also, I do believe that some expensive items can still be good value, if that makes sense. So my question is, rather than spending £1000 or £1500, should I just stump up the extra and go for a S&B? The reasoning in my mind is that I could spend a lot of time and money not making the most of my shooting, if my optics are dodgy.

Comments/advice much appreciated.

Cheers,

Jud

[sanselm]

Rifles come and go over your shooting career but if you buy the right scope you will keep it for life, very easily said but if you buy once and buy right then you will save in the long run. Trouble is your first scope purchase tends to come with your first rifle which makes it and expensive time! If I added up how much I spent in scopes to where I am today (i.e. happy and no intention to ever part with) I would have saved myself a tidy sum equivalent to a rifle.
JMHO

Stuart

[Mike357]

For the kinda money you are talking about for a scope, I'd think about a.Sightron at under £900.

[ovenpaa]

I agree with Stuart, the right glass counts for a huge amount however it does depend on what you want to use it for. I use a S&B 4-16x PMII FFP on my AI and it works, I could probably club baby seals with is as well. The thing is do you need the ability to range with the reticle, FFP allows you to do this at any magnification whereas SFP at one only, all well and good but a laser range finder is a lot quicker, and even better read the large number at the firing point which is usually in yards or metres (That is not me being sarcastic either )

There are worthwhile alternatives to S&B as well, we have Kahles and Nightforce in the house and the Kahles is handy, the 42X Nightforce I am still undecided on after a years use. The one that does work well is Christel's 24x SFP IOR, very good glass however I find the turrets clunky, the IOR did give her a 30mm group last month at 656 yards (Cheers Stuart!) Plus it was a lot less than my PMII

[Robin128]

Jud,

I started off with a Nikon scope...now I have 5.

They last for years and are very clear...most expensive Monarch 3 8-32x50 BDC.

Imported them all from Opticzone in USA...Tammy and Jon are great...good after sales etc.

Read up on why reticle in different focal plane, why 25 or 30mm tubes, what reticle including luminated.

They do make good camera lenses.

http://109.203.120.4/viewtopic.php?f=5& ... 700+jewell

http://www.nikondownload.com/products.asp?cid=1

[DaveT]

I generally agree most comments made by others here and would certainly endorse both S&B and Sightron even though they are wildly different in price!

I have 5 S&B scopes and have only had 1 problem with 'failure to track' on the elevation turret...... rest are faultless.

My sons Sightron is clear and precise and half the price!

Also don't waste money on illumination unless you are convinced that you need it.

I would seriously consider what future rifles you are likely to buy and think about trying to maintain consistency of operation across your various scopes in that event... IE same focal plane & reticle , same direction of turret adjustment and same increments (Mils or MOA)..... its Soooo much easier then when you change weapons!

I think FPP is only really useful for ranging and how many people can truly do that accurately with their scopes anyway? I think that as Ovenpaa says ... its way easier to use a laser range-finder for unknown distances and its irrelevant on the range as distances are known and marked.

If you do go with a FPP make sure that it does not obscure your target at the distances you will shoot at .... thats certainly true if you opt for a target dot reticle which may blank out a bull and may well sway your decision.

Best of all is to try out as many as you can on other peoples rifles as well as in the shops.

Buy the best that you can afford.

[judders]

Thanks for your input guys.

I don't need to be able to range with the reticle. I definitely just read the big numbers at the firing point. So considering this and the fact that SFP just feels more natural to me, I think I'll go with SFP.

Seems like I could get by just fine with a scope other than S&B and save a few £s. I'm forming a plan now.....I hope to acquire more rifles as time goes by, so perhaps my first scope could be relegated to another rifle further down the line, if I do decide that it's not quite up to scratch. But from the sounds of it, a scope around the £1k mark shouldn't be too shabby anyway.

Cheers guys, very useful indeed.

[ovenpaa]

For around the GBP1000 mark I would certainly look at IOR and do not be put off by used items either.

[spud]

the 42X Nightforce I am still undecided on after a years use. The one that does work well is Christel's 24x SFP IOR, very good glass however I find the turrets clunky,

[ovenpaa]

Reminds me Spud, it is not the reticle you wanted.