Schmidt and Bender Reticles

Sion53

New Member
I am in the process of buying a sako 85 Bavarian carbine that i have to wait around 6 months for and was wanting a scope for it. I have decided that i want a Schmidt and bender 10x42, but a cannot decide what reticle to go for, the scope will be used for deer shooting mainly. I am torn between A7, A8 and A9 which should i get.


All comments appreciated sion.
 
I am in the process of buying a sako 85 Bavarian carbine that i have to wait around 6 months for and was wanting a scope for it. I have decided that i want a Schmidt and bender 10x42, but a cannot decide what reticle to go for, the scope will be used for deer shooting mainly. I am torn between A7, A8 and A9 which should i get.


All comments appreciated sion.

I'm not sure that a 10 x scope will be much use at last light, especially in a follow-up situation in woodland as the light is fading? Regards JCS
 
If you are going to get a S&B 10x42, which has super nice low profile external turrets, why not get the P3 Mil Dot reticle?
But as the others have said, a 10x scope does not go with a carbine, and the kind of game to which a carbine would be employed.
A lightweight 1.2-6x36 Zeiss, a 2-7x Zeiss Terra, 3-9x36 Swarovski, or Burris 2-7x35 E1 would be much better size and more useful at 50 to 400 yards.
A 4x40 or 6x42 would be simple and good in low light. If you want a 42mm scope, look at a Meopta 2-8x42.
 
I feel a slight disconnect between why you would have a bavarian carbine,,and a 10x42 long range scope..

please extrapolate :)
 
Thanks for all the comments, the reason i favored the 10x42 was for the compact 42 lens, if only s&b made a 8x42. I might go for the classic 3-12x42 German, but at £1215 its a bit pricy. I may have to compromise and get a classic 8x56 Hungarian only £439.


Skinner, how do you find the cross hairs On a A7 are they thin enough ?
 
I have used a S&B 10x42 on my rifle for 15 years. It has an A7 reticule, I believe. It has been fine for shooting red deer on the hill, and the odd very unlucky bunny...........

As JCS points out there will be better scopes if you want to use the last available bit of light and the field of view is a bit narrower than a 7 or 8x too. It's not light, having a steel tube.

On the plus side it has never given me any hassle and it has nothing to fiddle about with being fixed power. If I was to change it I think I'd look for an 8x50 scope instead. The benefit of the 10 power is rarely used by me.

Personally I'd look for a good deal on a tidy SH scope rather than buy a new one. Might limit choice in some respects but I see lots of good scopes sold on here.

hh
 
you need to buy yourself a German made S&B 6x42 in a 1" tube with a 4 or 7 reticle. Will take you from 20 yd shots in woodland to 400yd shots on stags on the hill if you so wish. Absolutely no need to go 8x, unless the majority of your shots are on small game like fox or at average distances in excess of 200yds.

I shoot almost exclusively 4x32 and find it by a million miles the most useful scope ever designed - good for VERY close shots (15yds), running/moving game, last light shots, as well as anything out to 300-400yds on red deer sized game.

If anything/otherwise, get a klassik 7x50. Also consider the 3-9x36 Swaro, which is a light sleek classic scope with fine reticles. You will find most S&B reticles are quite thick and not good for small targets or fox at long distances as the crosshairs can cover most of the body, on the other hand, they're great for deer as they will show up nicely in the fading light and in woodland.
 
8x56 is big, heavy, and special purpose, designed for shooting boars at night from a high seat, by moonlight.

Pay heed to the advice directy above:
* Keep the size and weight down to match the carbine.
* 1 inch tube of aluminum, not 30mm steel ( 10x42 is a military scope)
* 32mm to 36mm, no more than 40
* You will use 4x more than any other power if you are stalking and glassing
* A sharp reticle center at 4x or 6x is better than a coarse one at 12x
* Look through some scopes, shoot through them in the field, before you buy... especially the one model you buy.
* A 2-7x35 or 3-9x36 in the $200 to $500 USD range will work wonders
* Bargains out there in smaller variables and fixed power quality second-hand Zeiss, Swaro, Kahles, and S&B
 
Hi Sion 53,
I have a Schmidt and Bender 8 x 56,which has a 30mm tube, which I have used for stalking for the last fifteen years, it has an A7 reticule which I have always found to be more than adequate.

all the best,
3bl
 
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