Re: Schmidt Bender 5-25x56 or 12.5-50x56 for AIAW .338
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Brown Dog</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I find the answers on top magnification useage quite bizarre, it sounds as though most of you have wasted your money - and should have bought 4-16s (and some of you should have got 3-12s!)
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No because then I wouldn't have the higher power for spotting or when I wanted it. That's the joy of a variable scope. That and they run about the same price anyways so no waste. I have owned 2 4-16s and a 3-12 S&B but love the 5-25s. About the perfect tactical scope in my opinion.
You should come and try shooting a match in south TX or AZ and watch that mirage boil. I have shot matches where you couldn't dial above 12x and see the targets. Mirage is something to think about.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The real questions when thinking about the 12.5-50x56 are:
1. How often do you take your scopes below x12 (or, more accurately, how often do you use it between x7 and x12)?
2. How often do you wish you could go over x25? (aim small; miss small!)</div></div>
1. Quite often when shooting moving targets, shooting from improvised positions like barricades or other run and guns where higher power makes the FOV finding targets tougher and makes holding on target tougher due to rifle movement and an increased heart rate. The lower power helps make hits. Also targets in as close as 11 feet at tactical comps which you have to use the rifle you have. No option about switching out like you alluded to below with the wrong weapon comment. Have you ever shot a large sniper match? If you do you will see where the use of anything over 25x isn't really very useful or needed and power below 12x is definitely needed.
2. Never have wished for more than 25x. Never needed it. I've shot to 2000 yards on an MOA sized target with a 408 Chey Tac and only dialed up to 17-20x. Could see and quarter the target without a problem.
The 12.5-50s have their place and as mentioned they are an S&B so they are of course excellent but in my opinion for a tactical rifle scope it's too much scope. Laying on a firing line for F Class, 1000 yard shooting etc it might be the cat's ass to have the higher power but in shooting in tactical matches it's not needed or even desired and is actually a negative.
Look at the scopes the top competitors use at sniper matches. If there was an edge in use 50x scopes then it would definitely be used on many rifles. Shooting this sport is all about getting the edge. That's why people have gone from the .308 to faster flatter cartridges that are better in the wind like the .243, 6.5 Creedmoor and .260. If the competitors saw that they could make more points with a 12.5-50x scope then you could bet your bottom dollar that they would be on all the rifles but they aren't. That should tell you something.
Now as mentioned if you are shooting a more fixed firing point game like 1000 yard BR or F Class then you can use the extra power as if you look at the top shooters in those sports they are using higher powered optics. What the top shooters in sports use are clues to as what works well in those sports.
I'm not posting this to argue but just to try and explain why you are getting some of the responses you are in this thread.