Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-25x56

[kombat_unit]

I just got on the waiting list for a Barrett m98b and I'm thinking of putting a Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-25x56 on it. I'm a noob when it comes to scopes, so does anyone have any personal experience with this scope?

Also, where do you recommend buying optics from?

[Tony.]

I'm a big fan of US Optics (yes I am biased). 1) they are SoCal based; 2) you can go visit them and ask questions; 3) excellent customer service; and 4) you can have a custom made scope to your specs.

If you are a noob to scopes and are going to drop a serious amount change on some glass, you should consider all options.

BTW, S&B's are great scopes and it is hard to go wrong with them, I'm just a big supporter of USO.

[gewgaw]

Sweet rifle. I've owned a couple of S&Bs, and like Tony said, you can't go wrong with them. I currently have an S&B PMII 5-25x56mm with P4 Fine reticle, illuminated on top of a Noveske N6. To be honest with you, I rarely ever need to go all the way to 25x. But it's nice to have that option.

In scopes, you get what you pay for, generally. Do check out US Optics, too. I've looked through someone else's USO and it is a damn fine scope. In that price range, you have many great options -- S&B, US Optics, Nightforce.

I hear Leupold is on a long slow decline in quality, but having never owned one, I can't say if that's true or not.

Good luck!

[gewgaw]

Oh, and try looking for scopes on the Calguns accessories for sale board. You may also want to try Snipershide.com -- they have a lot of higher-end scopes for sale on their board.

[brando]

That would be a great scope for a .338LM, but you will definitely want to take a Precision Rifle class if you want to get the most out of your rifle and scope. As mentioned, the P4 Fine reticle is the one to get and you may want the CM model vs the MOA. That's the same setup I have for my SRS.

Also, as mentioned, USO is another excellent alternative and you can have their scope customized as they're made to order. The only problem is wait times can be long depending on the model and options. A less expensive option is the Heritage 5-25x from Premier Reticles.

For USO, call USO. For Premier, call Scott at Liberty Optics. For S&B - scour the web for the best deal.

[Tony.]

Also before spending the bucks on glass, know what you want.

SFP vs FFP?
MILS vs MOA knobs
MILS vs MOA vs IPHY reticles

At the very least I make sure your knob and reticles match. Makes the math much easier than converting a mil-reticle to MOA knobs. AR15Barrels has a good write up about this.

[God Bless The Mauser]

Can't go wrong with Schmidt & Bender, they were one of the first companies even making scopes.

[rksimple]

Great scope. I love mine. But do some research as to the questions Tony raised. You may end up being just fine with a Nightforce 5.5-22 SFP for the type of shooting you intend to do. What type of shooting do you plan to do? To how far? Competition?

Mike at CSgunworks or Scott at Liberty Optics are the go-to guys for optics.

[tiger222]

S&B's make the most sense to me. I just can't get used to the look of the USO knobs. Though a Canadian spec one looks pretty cool.

Get what you feel comfortable with. The 5-25 is a HUGE scope, but should sit nicely on your Barrett

[gewgaw]

Hey tiger222, good to see you again!

I highly recommend the First Focal Plane, mil reticle and mil knobs -- it makes range estimation SO much easier when the reticle increases/decreases in size with the zoom power. The less you have to take your eye away from the scope to make adjustments, the better.

+1 on the Heritage as well... I've heard great things about the Heritage scopes -- Premier Reticles used to make the Gen II XL reticle for Schmidt & Bender, and that is still my all-time favorite reticle! Now Premier is making their own scopes, and the early reviews have been positive.

[kombat_unit]

Thank you for the replies. Great to know USO is local.

My current goal is 1000 yard target practice. Perhaps I'll try competing if I show any aptitude.

I'm under the impression ffp is the best. Also, I plan on p4 reticle with cm knobs. Heard the math is easier with mil dots and cms.

[gewgaw]

Make sure it's P4 Fine, not just P4!

[rksimple]

P4 is too thick. P4 fine is the way to go. Check the Premier as well. I'm picking one up this weekend. Killer scope for the money.

[heycorey]

S&B PM II 5-25x56 or Premier 5-25x56 ... check out the XR Reticle.