These are my first thoughts after about 120 rounds under a Steiner 5-25.
First: A huge THANK YOU to Scott B at Liberty Optics....Over the past few years he has gone out of his way to take care of the optical needs of this community. While not the first time I have purchased high end optics from him, this time he went above and beyond...Working while on vacation to ensure I had the scope in hand in enough time for me to spend some time with it prior to a couple of matches... GREAT service!!
Preface: I used a Premier 5-25 from 2009 to the fall of 2012. I sold the scope because I wanted to have a thicker/heavier reticle and a scope with a more forgiving eye box. For me, an additional bonus would be a scope that could sit far enough forward that the brass cleared the windage knob and didn't end up back in my action...
The scope is mounted in a set of Seekins Low 34mm rings. On a 20 MOA base, they easily clear my medium palma barrel.
Reticle: I bought the scope with an MSR reticle. I had never used one before, but I am now sold. I really like the .05 thickness, very easy to see, I can pick it up very fast and the .5 mil hashmarks are easy to use for wind holds. I can easily quarter an MOA target. I had no issues with a 10 inch round plate at 1000 yards, or a 12 inch round plate at 1125. I was also able to quarter an 6 inch triangle at 670. I am sure the optical clarity of the scope helps with the heavier reticle on smaller targets...
Eye-box: This is a major concern to me. I want to get a clear image side to side and have a bit of leeway for my head placement when shooting from different positions. With the Premier, I was always moving a bit to get a solid edge to edge image...with the 5-25 Steiner, I have not encountered the same issue. I will note that the 4-16 Steiner has the same properties as the Premier when in the upper end of the power range, but it is easier to find the "center" than it was with the Premier.
Eye Relief: This is very good. I have not measured it, but there is "wiggle" room and the scope is mounted far enough forward that I do NOT have ejected brass hitting the windage knob and ending up in my action. This was not the case with the Premier. On the low to mid range power settings, eye relief and head placement are not very critical, as the power range goes above 20, head placement does become more critical, but it is not too bad. I am very pleased with the eye-box, eye relief. During a practice session this weekend, I shot in a couple of downhill, shoot up hill locations...these are usually hard on the head placement, full image view. I was very pleased with the flexibility of this scope.
Tracking: I tested tracking on paper at 100 yards. I only went to 10 mils of elevation and 3 mils of windage. I tested the windage both directions and at 0 and 10 mils of elevation. Elevation was tested at 0, + 2, + 5, +7, +10. The adjustments were correct and the adjustments measured correctly with the reticle. In use, the proven comeups for the load were identical to my other scope. Either they are both the same amount of wrong... or they are both good
The scope returned to zero. I will test the scope to it's maximum adjustment range in a couple of weeks on paper.
On a 20 MOA base, I have 19.7 mils of "up" available after a 100 yard zero. I used 17.6 of it to shoot to 1575 without any issues....which is within a couple of tenths of the predicted by ColdBore.
Controls: Elevation and Windage... The adjustments "clicks" on this scope are nice and firm without any mushiness. To me they are plenty loud and tactile. My only issue...I would rather Steiner had limited the single turn elevation to 10 mils and had allowed a bit more space between "clicks". It is hard for me to see the lines on the turret...The mil and .5 mil lines on the turent are taller than the intermediate lines which helps when making the adjustments. I prefer the feel and the visual lines on the Steiner 4-16 over those of the 5-25. While I would have preferred a bit more room with the adjustments, I am becoming accustomed to the feel and they will work just fine...They are positive..
Improvement to the turrets...I would like to see all external adjust scope manufactures license the technology form US Optic and put a Solid detent at the windage zero! While it would take some force to move the windage knob on the Steiner, I would really like to have a more solid solution and the detent worked great on the Premier. I don't think it is needed on every mil, but it would be great at the zero.
Parallax adjustment..Smooth and easy to grasp.
Power adjustment...the same, very smooth and firm enough not to move, but not so firm as to be a hassle.
Ocular Focus. Works well, but the European manufactures need to take a page from Premier and put a locking ring on the adjustment, I can't stand the fast focus. I focused the scope, then pulled out he electrical tape...my solution to fast focus...
While I only have about 120 rounds under it so far, I really can't complain about any of the primary features. There are always things a shooter would like to see different, but to me the major items are great and I am looking forward to putting the scope to use.
First: A huge THANK YOU to Scott B at Liberty Optics....Over the past few years he has gone out of his way to take care of the optical needs of this community. While not the first time I have purchased high end optics from him, this time he went above and beyond...Working while on vacation to ensure I had the scope in hand in enough time for me to spend some time with it prior to a couple of matches... GREAT service!!
Preface: I used a Premier 5-25 from 2009 to the fall of 2012. I sold the scope because I wanted to have a thicker/heavier reticle and a scope with a more forgiving eye box. For me, an additional bonus would be a scope that could sit far enough forward that the brass cleared the windage knob and didn't end up back in my action...
The scope is mounted in a set of Seekins Low 34mm rings. On a 20 MOA base, they easily clear my medium palma barrel.
Reticle: I bought the scope with an MSR reticle. I had never used one before, but I am now sold. I really like the .05 thickness, very easy to see, I can pick it up very fast and the .5 mil hashmarks are easy to use for wind holds. I can easily quarter an MOA target. I had no issues with a 10 inch round plate at 1000 yards, or a 12 inch round plate at 1125. I was also able to quarter an 6 inch triangle at 670. I am sure the optical clarity of the scope helps with the heavier reticle on smaller targets...
Eye-box: This is a major concern to me. I want to get a clear image side to side and have a bit of leeway for my head placement when shooting from different positions. With the Premier, I was always moving a bit to get a solid edge to edge image...with the 5-25 Steiner, I have not encountered the same issue. I will note that the 4-16 Steiner has the same properties as the Premier when in the upper end of the power range, but it is easier to find the "center" than it was with the Premier.
Eye Relief: This is very good. I have not measured it, but there is "wiggle" room and the scope is mounted far enough forward that I do NOT have ejected brass hitting the windage knob and ending up in my action. This was not the case with the Premier. On the low to mid range power settings, eye relief and head placement are not very critical, as the power range goes above 20, head placement does become more critical, but it is not too bad. I am very pleased with the eye-box, eye relief. During a practice session this weekend, I shot in a couple of downhill, shoot up hill locations...these are usually hard on the head placement, full image view. I was very pleased with the flexibility of this scope.
Tracking: I tested tracking on paper at 100 yards. I only went to 10 mils of elevation and 3 mils of windage. I tested the windage both directions and at 0 and 10 mils of elevation. Elevation was tested at 0, + 2, + 5, +7, +10. The adjustments were correct and the adjustments measured correctly with the reticle. In use, the proven comeups for the load were identical to my other scope. Either they are both the same amount of wrong... or they are both good
The scope returned to zero. I will test the scope to it's maximum adjustment range in a couple of weeks on paper.On a 20 MOA base, I have 19.7 mils of "up" available after a 100 yard zero. I used 17.6 of it to shoot to 1575 without any issues....which is within a couple of tenths of the predicted by ColdBore.
Controls: Elevation and Windage... The adjustments "clicks" on this scope are nice and firm without any mushiness. To me they are plenty loud and tactile. My only issue...I would rather Steiner had limited the single turn elevation to 10 mils and had allowed a bit more space between "clicks". It is hard for me to see the lines on the turret...The mil and .5 mil lines on the turent are taller than the intermediate lines which helps when making the adjustments. I prefer the feel and the visual lines on the Steiner 4-16 over those of the 5-25. While I would have preferred a bit more room with the adjustments, I am becoming accustomed to the feel and they will work just fine...They are positive..
Improvement to the turrets...I would like to see all external adjust scope manufactures license the technology form US Optic and put a Solid detent at the windage zero! While it would take some force to move the windage knob on the Steiner, I would really like to have a more solid solution and the detent worked great on the Premier. I don't think it is needed on every mil, but it would be great at the zero.
Parallax adjustment..Smooth and easy to grasp.
Power adjustment...the same, very smooth and firm enough not to move, but not so firm as to be a hassle.
Ocular Focus. Works well, but the European manufactures need to take a page from Premier and put a locking ring on the adjustment, I can't stand the fast focus. I focused the scope, then pulled out he electrical tape...my solution to fast focus...
While I only have about 120 rounds under it so far, I really can't complain about any of the primary features. There are always things a shooter would like to see different, but to me the major items are great and I am looking forward to putting the scope to use.
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