Rifle Scopes S&B 3-27x56

[Nik H]

Am considering trading up from my 5-25 PMII to the 3-27. I really like the FOV advantage for picking up targets. However, I know no one that has ever had some time behind this optic.

Would love to hear owners' thoughts and any comparisons to the 5-25 that people have.

 

[diverdon]

Nik H, I have both though the 3-27 is fairly new and I only have about 50 rounds spent with it. I have the 3-27 on an mrad and I have not shot other than from a bipod since I got it. I'm in the middle of load development. But, I think the field of view seems to be everything you might expect. My first thought looking through the scope after adjusting the ocular was how clear and crisp and nice everything looked. Too me is seemed better than the 5-25's I have used. My second thought was that it was almost a shame to waste that big field of view on a heavy precision rifle, it really seemed like it would be a perfect fit on a hunting rifle that might be carried for miles. After dry fireing for a while I happened to notice that the eyebox was very nice. I never had to make some little adjustment to my cheekweld to get my eye where I could see the entire circle.

 

[Nik H]

Thanks diverdon

It seems like exactly what I want. I have always loved this scope but now that it's price has come down, it is within reach. I tried to google reviews but they are few and far between. The only in depth one that I found was on the Precision Rifle Blog and I know that one had tests with flaws; at least that is what I remember.

 

[THRASHER]

Subscribed! I am interested in this too. Anyone else have experience with both? Need all the feedback we can get.

diverdon - thanks for your report.

 

[Nemain]

I've had both and the 3-27 just doesn't have much of anything on the 5-25, it's just not worth the extra coin. If you want to step it up from the 5-25 PMII, the Tangent Theta 5-25x56 is excellent and superior. If you want the best scope out there, it's the Hensoldt ZF 3.5-26X56. In my opinion, both of these scopes are top notch and the current best on the market.

 

[Nik H]

That is an interesting perspective. The FOV gain that is offered by the 3-27 is enough of an upgrade for me. If it is optically identical to the S&B 5-25 and tracks as well; it is a winner, especially at the new price.

Hensoldt may be optically nice but the reticle choices are poor and the repair regimen if it ever breaks is nothing I want to be a part of from what I have heard. Plus the cost is ludicrous compared to the S&B 3-27.

Tangent Theta...what does it do that the S&B 5-25 doesn't? Please elaborate as I find it very difficult to believe that it is a true upgrade over the S&B 5-25. I use the same reticle on my Schmidt. The tool less zero seems nice but that isn't worth spending almost the same amount as the S&B 3-27 IMHO. The company is new and unproven. It hasn't been around long enough for me to risk that kind of investment. This being said, I may be wrong as I have never seen a TT. If there are other advantages, let me know.

 

[Covertnoob5]

I have a 5-20US and a TT525 sitting right here. I know it's not exactly the same, but the glass is better on the TT. Whether it's worth the price difference or not is up to you, but it's noticeably better. Also, the click feel is night and day better. TT has the best turret feel I've ever used and I've been lucky enough to have used almost every tier 1 optic. I'm not sure if turret feel matters that much to you, but to some it makes a difference.


Better to have it and not need it, than to not have it and say oh shit.....

 

[FourT6and2]

That is an interesting perspective. The FOV gain that is offered by the 3-27 is enough of an upgrade for me. If it is optically identical to the S&B 5-25 and tracks as well; it is a winner, especially at the new price.

Hensoldt may be optically nice but the reticle choices are poor and the repair regimen if it ever breaks is nothing I want to be a part of from what I have heard. Plus the cost is ludicrous compared to the S&B 3-27.

Tangent Theta...what does it do that the S&B 5-25 doesn't? Please elaborate as I find it very difficult to believe that it is a true upgrade over the S&B 5-25. I use the same reticle on my Schmidt. The tool less zero seems nice but that isn't worth spending almost the same amount as the S&B 3-27 IMHO. The company is new and unproven. It hasn't been around long enough for me to risk that kind of investment. This being said, I may be wrong as I have never seen a TT. If there are other advantages, let me know.

Whether it's "worth it" to you or not is not something I can decide on your behalf. But I compared TT with S&B 5-25 PMII side by side. I bought the TT. Chatting on the internet won't convince you. Try to find one to test out.

 

[Nik H]

No disrespect 46 and 2 (One of my favorite tunes BTW)...

I have been involved in astronomical optics for 30 years. Optically, it would be difficult for me to believe that TT offers anything perceptibly different than the S&B. The optical image may be more to your liking but to say that one is optically superior to the other is splitting hairs. Even if you were to accurately measure the optical performance; it is doubtful that the difference would be perceptible. Most of the time it comes down to the coatings and what they do to the image. My Takahashi refractor is no better from an optical resolution perspective than my Astro-Physics refractor but the image presentation (color balance, etc.) is subjectively different. Both have their place.

A riflescope is much more than an astronomical scope. Therefore, there are more important factors to consider. My most important criterion is mechanical tracking precision since I believe the only purpose for a riflescope is to arrange a perfect intersection of POA and POI at whatever distance your target finds itself. I have run tall target and box tests on my S&B and its tracking is superb as compared to my NF, Khales, USO and SWFA scopes. The error was essentially zero. So what does TT offer me for a significantly higher price. The other features that TT offers versus the S&B mean little to me. The difference in price when I bought my S&B was $750 so price was not a consideration other than to say I didn't feel it was worth $750 more; especially considering the company has a long way to go prior to it being considered stable. It is new after all. We have all seen what happened to Premier and what is presently happening to all owners of Premier optics. Longevity of the company is very important to me. It may not be to everyone.

I have toyed with the idea of making a trip to EuroOptic. They are 7 hours from me so it is not out of the question. Then I will get to see all of these fine optics first hand and, hopefully, arrive at a decision.

 

[hollowoutadime]

No disrespect 46 and 2 (One of my favorite tunes BTW)...


I have toyed with the idea of making a trip to EuroOptic. They are 7 hours from me so it is not out of the question. Then I will get to see all of these fine optics first hand and, hopefully, arrive at a decision.

EuroOptic is at the NRA show every year. There are about 10-15 people in their booth, including MNFR reps. Worth the trip to see/handle the nice stuff. Indy, Nashville, Louisville,Atlanta - not to far from you, although next year it's Dallas

 

[IntoTransonic]

I have a 3-27x56 (34 mil version) on my KO2M rifle. I switched from a NF Beast to the Schmidt and couldn't be happier. Super pleased with the features but more importantly how crisp the parallax adjustment is.

 

[JayOpticspecialist]

i'll help if i can. i've had good feedback on the 3-27 so far