Rifle Scopes Schmidt vs NF vs Tangent Theta, what to buy

[koshkin]

In what way is the TT better than Minox optically?

Microcontrast is a bit better. Eye relief is slightly more consistent. Flare is a bit better controlled. There are a few other differences.

All are minor differences. Both of these scopes are exceedingly good optically, but the differences are there. There is also some variation in parallax.

ILya

 

[gingerking5566]

Schmidt and Bender is widely respected throughout the world. They are established, make great products that have been "tested" in every facet of the word for years.

TT might be the next big thing, but anyone buying is taking a huge leap of faith. What is their customer service like? How many people have used them in the field or combat for extended time periods to validate and not just some initial "beta" review? Are they going to sell you a $4k optic and then go out of business in a few years like Premier?

I've been down this road before with buying new products from even well established companies, where they face recalls, bugs that haven't been worked out, failing components, etc. Until it's put in the hands of several thousand people and fully field tested, there's a risk.

Tunneling isn't a big deal. You might as well say the PMII 5-25 is really a 7-25. They could have easily just chopped off the lower magnification and called it a 4.5x mag range, but they're victims to marketing as well. People would still buy the PMII if it was marketed as a 7-25.

As far as ergonomics, you could probably find individual preference items (like tactile clicks, mechanical features for zero and return, etc) and what not where SB is behind the leading edge.

You could go on a dozen other sites and S&B is one of the top in any discussion. TT is new to the game. Like I said, are they better? Well, you have a few data points, is that enough to make your decision, only you can decide. Once you get up into that price range, I don't think there are many "bad" products.

 

[scudzuki]

I really cant figure out why guys hate the rotating NF ocular. It's FASTER than a PTL and easier to find under stress. I honestly hope they never switch this design.

I use a throw lever and flip caps.
The throw lever makes quick magnification changes possible without inadvertently rotating the flip cap into the path of the bolt handle or in front of the elevation turret (obscuring the view).
It's pretty simple, really, I want the scope cap to stay where I position it when it's flipped open.

 

[VegasHKShooter]

I'm running the S&B 5-25 on the AI and the NF Beast on the V-22

I like the S&B a little better.

 

[koshkin]

Schmidt and Bender is widely respected throughout the world. They are established, make great products that have been "tested" in every facet of the word for years.

TT might be the next big thing, but anyone buying is taking a huge leap of faith. What is their customer service like? How many people have used them in the field or combat for extended time periods to validate and not just some initial "beta" review? Are they going to sell you a $4k optic and then go out of business in a few years like Premier?

I've been down this road before with buying new products from even well established companies, where they face recalls, bugs that haven't been worked out, failing components, etc. Until it's put in the hands of several thousand people and fully field tested, there's a risk.

Tunneling isn't a big deal. You might as well say the PMII 5-25 is really a 7-25. They could have easily just chopped off the lower magnification and called it a 4.5x mag range, but they're victims to marketing as well. People would still buy the PMII if it was marketed as a 7-25.

As far as ergonomics, you could probably find individual preference items (like tactile clicks, mechanical features for zero and return, etc) and what not where SB is behind the leading edge.

You could go on a dozen other sites and S&B is one of the top in any discussion. TT is new to the game. Like I said, are they better? Well, you have a few data points, is that enough to make your decision, only you can decide. Once you get up into that price range, I don't think there are many "bad" products.

It is a reasonable argument, but not a very good one in the grand scheme of things. If everyone follows your logic, then noone should ever buy anything from any smaller company or new brand. If noone ever buys anything from them, then no small company will ever have enough product out in the field to satisfy your requirements.

From a manufacturer standpoint, this approach causes absolute stagnation. A good case in point is Leupold from a couple of decades ago. They persisted with the rather limited Mark 4 product line far longer than they should have exactly because people who followed your line of thinking continued to buy Mark 4 with all the warts it had and has. If you never give smaller companies a chance, you remove any and all competitive pressure from the larger companies.

In the case of Tangent Theta, I have no idea how many they have shipped at this point, but I can probably find out. I know they are in use by at least one military, but I am not convinced I care if any military uses them. Military use is not necessarily a good indication of durability or performance (Mark 4 being a good example of that). I have a pretty good idea of how Tangent Theta went about developing and testing their scopes, so I have a lot of faith in the final product.

ILya