Rifle Scopes Talk me in (or out) of a new S&B 6-36

[Roadrace33]

So I’m kinda looking for another scope. I honestly have no idea why I keep getting S&B in my head. I have a few Zco 8-40’s, 5-27’s and I also have a few Tangent 5-25 and 7-35’s. I love them all. They all work great, I’ve had one single issue with a ZCO 5-27, and that’s it. They have been rock solid, and I cannot say which brand or model I like the best, because my opinion changes depending on the day.

I’m genuinely curious what people think of the S&B in comparison? Is it a stupid idea and I should stick with the brands ive already come to love?

Use wise, is regular shooting on a bolt gun…100-2000 yards. Some PRS here and there.

Reticle wise, I’m thinking that TR2ID is the one I would choose if I went S&B. I really don’t know much about them. They seem like fantastic scopes. Price wise, seems a little more that ZCO, more in the TT range. I’m not really concerned on price. But maybe the ZCO and TT are just the better choice and what I should stick with instead of branching out?


Browsing online, this is the model I’ve come up with….now S&B seems like they have 500 different iterations of the same model (6-36) with like 75 difference acronyms for shit. DTII, Mc, CCW and so on. So I’m not entirely sure this is the model to even be looking at.

https://www.eurooptic.com/schmidt-bender-6-36x56mm-pm-ii-us-lpi-tr2id-1cm-ccw-dt-ii-mtc-lt-st-ii-zc-lt-rif

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

You are going to get a fov limited 6-36 which is most likely going to plument in value when the new ones theoretically hit us shores next year.

Check out the new March. I have been shooting mostly ZCO and tangents last few years and it might honestly be as good or better in some aspects. The other one is the Kahles 540. Insane FOV and great reticle selection with very good glass.

 

[Roadrace33]

You are going to get a fov limited 6-36 which is most likely going to plument in value when the new ones theoretically hit us shores next year.

Check out the new March. I have been shooting mostly ZCO and tangents last few years and it might honestly be as good or better in some aspects. The other one is the Kahles 540. Insane FOV and great reticle selection with very good glass.

The reading I’ve done is that they are definitely neutered, and my small bit of comparing shows they are similar in terms of FOV to Zcos 8-40 in relation to magnification. Unless I’m understanding it wrong?

Who knows when we will actually see the un-neutered versions.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

The march and the Kahles are the only two options that I would even entertain shooting over over tangent or a ZCO. S&B also had their US support network gutted if I recall so warranty with them is going to be less than stellar. Kahles is kind of same boat and March is building a us warranty location in Texas last I heard. I've had to send TT back to Canada and ZCO back to Austria so it does happen. Both were very fast turn arounds. S&B is not a bad option just good to know what you might expect.

 

[Roadrace33]

The march and the Kahles are the only two options that I would even entertain shooting over over tangent or a ZCO. S&B also had their US support network gutted if I recall so warranty with them is going to be less than stellar. Kahles is kind of same boat and March is building a us warranty location in Texas last I heard. I've had to send TT back to Canada and ZCO back to Austria so it does happen. Both were very fast turn arounds. S&B is not a bad option just good to know what you might expect.

Gotcha. Thank you.

 

[madangler1]

I have a S&B 6-36 (P5 reticle) I snagged over a year and a half ago, for far less than what EuroOptics is charging now. It is a phenomenal scope. I really like it. I have not stretched it to the distances you intend to shoot though, so I can't comment on FOV. The eyebox is huge, and the color/clarity far exceeds the Kahles 3-18 I own, and the 5-25 Kahles I have time behind (don't currently own).

For the stupid amount of money S&B wants now for the 6-36, that's where I would consider a ZCO or Tangent Theta. Some would even tell you a Leupold Mark 5 or ATACR. If the S&B was under $4500, then I say go for it. More than that, um, no, not worth it.

 

[Roadrace33]

I have a S&B 6-36 (P5 reticle) I snagged over a year and a half ago, for far less than what EuroOptics is charging now. It is a phenomenal scope. I really like it. I have not stretched it to the distances you intend to shoot though, so I can't comment on FOV. The eyebox is huge, and the color/clarity far exceeds the Kahles 3-18 I own, and the 5-25 Kahles I have time behind (don't currently own).

For the stupid amount of money S&B wants now for the 6-36, that's where I would consider a ZCO or Tangent Theta. Some would even tell you a Leupold Mark 5 or ATACR. If the S&B was under $4500, then I say go for it. More than that, um, no, not worth it.

Thank you for your honest response. I spoke with a few pretty knowledgeable people today about them…pretty much everyone says the same thing.

Thinking I’m sticking with the TT or ZCO.

 

[JayOpticspecialist]

So I’m kinda looking for another scope. I honestly have no idea why I keep getting S&B in my head. I have a few Zco 8-40’s, 5-27’s and I also have a few Tangent 5-25 and 7-35’s. I love them all. They all work great, I’ve had one single issue with a ZCO 5-27, and that’s it. They have been rock solid, and I cannot say which brand or model I like the best, because my opinion changes depending on the day.

I’m genuinely curious what people think of the S&B in comparison? Is it a stupid idea and I should stick with the brands ive already come to love?

Use wise, is regular shooting on a bolt gun…100-2000 yards. Some PRS here and there.

Reticle wise, I’m thinking that TR2ID is the one I would choose if I went S&B. I really don’t know much about them. They seem like fantastic scopes. Price wise, seems a little more that ZCO, more in the TT range. I’m not really concerned on price. But maybe the ZCO and TT are just the better choice and what I should stick with instead of branching out?


Browsing online, this is the model I’ve come up with….now S&B seems like they have 500 different iterations of the same model (6-36) with like 75 difference acronyms for shit. DTII, Mc, CCW and so on. So I’m not entirely sure this is the model to even be looking at.

https://www.eurooptic.com/schmidt-bender-6-36x56mm-pm-ii-us-lpi-tr2id-1cm-ccw-dt-ii-mtc-lt-st-ii-zc-lt-rif

take a look at all of them and get what you like the best. we have a 6-36 in stock we could make you an awesome deal on.

https://cstactical.com/schmidt-bender-6-36x56-pm-ii-high-performance-us-lpi-gr-id-1cm-ccw-dt35-mtc-lt-st-zc-ct-snb-163-911-42f-f1-e8-open-box/

 

[Roadrace33]

take a look at all of them and get what you like the best. we have a 6-36 in stock we could make you an awesome deal on.

https://cstactical.com/schmidt-bender-6-36x56-pm-ii-high-performance-us-lpi-gr-id-1cm-ccw-dt35-mtc-lt-st-zc-ct-snb-163-911-42f-f1-e8-open-box/

Jay, i dealt with Richard there. Great guy. I'm pretty sure i have bought 4 or 5 from Richard. I end up going with my personal opinion of the best....7-35 TT. I think the 8-40 is right there with it, but over the years I've come to like the TT a tiny bit more.

All the opinions and speaking with people the past few days I've come to understand more of the S&B line. It seems the general consensus is that the 6-36 is a great scope, which i figured it was. It is kind of older tech for the $, which most seem to believe it should be in the lower 4K range. Reticles, are totally partial to the end used but generally the offered reticles aren't the most desirable. Seems to most people with the S&B is that you can get a little better scope for the same price...so ya. That's about it.

I am still interested in playing with a S&B...im sure ill have one someday.

 

[carbonbased]

@wooferocau has some late model 5-45 S&Bs that he raves on about. Might be worth a look.

 

[wooferocau]

@wooferocau has some late model 5-45 S&Bs that he raves on about. Might be worth a look.

Yep ... have 6-36,s and had 10-60 ,s .... 5-45 Is my favourite

 

[wooferocau]

BTW... S&B,s support ( if needed ) from Germany is superb...

 

[cornhuskid]

I had one of the mouse gray ones. Really nice optics, so nice my buddy talked me out of the thing, lol. I would have kept if I did not have my Henny.

 

[beetroot]

I spoke briefly with a guy from SB Germany, said directly that FOV gate will be coming to an end soon but think it won't be until end of next year or 2027.

A sponsored SB shooter won the IPRF 22 open class this last month. From Australia though so has the non-cucked FOV version.

 

[Guns&WhiteWater]

I had a 6-36 briefly. The controls were very smooth, the turrets were crisp, the resolution was top notch, everything was typically S&B quality. The TRiD reticle was my favorite to date. However, the whole experience of using it was lessened by the lack of FOV, or rather the thick black periphery around the image that made me feel as if I were looking through a tube instead of presenting a larger, more natural image. Decided to return it and wait until the Euro versions hit the market here.

 

[wooferocau]

I had a 6-36 briefly. The controls were very smooth, the turrets were crisp, the resolution was top notch, everything was typically S&B quality. The TRiD reticle was my favorite to date. However, the whole experience of using it was lessened by the lack of FOV, or rather the thick black periphery around the image that made me feel as if I were looking through a tube instead of presenting a larger, more natural image. Decided to return it and wait until the Euro versions hit the market here.

The non restricted FOV versions are superb....

 

[Guthwine]

I don't know if I had an early version, but my 6-36 really struggled with incoming light and it got a grey hue fast in those conditions. Controls were smooth and i loved the DTII+ turrets but in the end I traded it in.
Also the Grid reticle is clearly designed for 25x and not 36x. For me it was too cluttered on full magnification even though I am a big fan of the design.

 

[high right]

I've owned several 5x25s over the years, and even with the "tunneling" I loved them. All my Scopes are MOA (7).
I was told to be a true competitor and not get my fragile ego hurt by the real snipers, I needed a mil Scope. I got a 6x36 With the TR2id Reticle to try. The Glass is outstanding! Love the Reticle. We've compared it side by side to Tangent, NF, ZVO, and Minox scopes with multiple sets of eyes. All were set to 20 for a fair comparison. Slight edge, and I meen slight to the Tangent. No comparison to the others. Problem is, I can't make the transition to MILs. I went to public school and struggled with math. I just bought another 7x35 ATCAR in moa to replace it. Moa has NEVER cost me a point in a match, mils has. It sits in a box if anyone wants it. I need to list it here sometime soon.

 

[Guns&WhiteWater]

I've owned several 5x25s over the years, and even with the "tunneling" I loved them. All my Scopes are MOA (7).
I was told to be a true competitor and not get my fragile ego hurt by the real snipers, I needed a mil Scope. I got a 6x36 With the TR2id Reticle to try. The Glass is outstanding! Love the Reticle. We've compared it side by side to Tangent, NF, ZVO, and Minox scopes with multiple sets of eyes. All were set to 20 for a fair comparison. Slight edge, and I meen slight to the Tangent. No comparison to the others. Problem is, I can't make the transition to MILs. I went to public school and struggled with math. I just bought another 7x35 ATCAR in moa to replace it. Moa has NEVER cost me a point in a match, mils has. It sits in a box if anyone wants it. I need to list it here sometime soon.

Do you have the Euro version?

To be clear, I was not referring to tunneling like my 5-25 PMII did between 5-7x. That never bothered me because the image filled the ocular beyond 7x. My 6-36’s image felt compressed at all powers, similar to my old Nightforce SHV 4-14 F1 and it’s hard to go back to this once you get used to a full unobstructed image.

 

[carbonbased]

Do you have the Euro version?

To be clear, I was not referring to tunneling like my 5-25 PMII did between 5-7x. That never bothered me because the image filled the ocular beyond 7x. My 6-36’s image felt compressed at all powers, similar to my old Nightforce SHV 4-14 F1 and it’s hard to go back to this once you get used to a full unobstructed image.

I.e. “thick periphery”?

Did you have a eyepiece scope cap on it?

 

[Guns&WhiteWater]

No, it did not have scope caps.

Once the FOV is unlocked I will probably get one, if the price drops to reasonable levels. I loved everything else about it.

 

[kthomas]

Almost seems silly to get one of these right now with the neutered FOV when we know a better FOV version will be available soon

 

[Guns&WhiteWater]

What I don’t understand is the reason they reduced it beyond what has already been produced by other optics manufacturers. If it would have at least matched the image presented by my ZP5’s or T6Xi I would have kept it.

 

[madangler1]

What I don’t understand is the reason they reduced it beyond what has already been produced by other optics manufacturers. If it would have at least matched the image presented by my ZP5’s or T6Xi I would have kept it.

Kahles patent issues. Everyone is POed about it.

 

[Kiba]

Almost seems silly to get one of these right now with the neutered FOV when we know a better FOV version will be available soon

My thoughts exactly. If you don't absolutely need a new scope right now I would wait and run what you have until mid to late 2026, unless you want to try a model that isn't currently FOV-limited for patent compliance (k540i, March 26 degree wide angle models, etc.)

I've been wanting to try an S&B 6-36 (as well as a TT 7-35) but I'm trying not to buy any more scopes until after June/July 2026 when the Swarovski >22 degree AFOV US patent is expected to expire. At that point I'm expecting manufacturers to start selling their full/wide FOV scopes in the US market, and then I'll give them a try.

We know the current US market S&B 6-36 is limited to just under 22 degrees AFOV in the US, the TT 7-35 seems to be as well, appears to be the same with ZCO. I'm not paying full price right now for an FOV-limited scope when the full-FOV models may be only about 9 months away; as mentioned resale values of the older FOV limited models will probably take a hit (unless the manufacturers will be willing to remove the field stops from the patent-compliant models for a reasonable price.)

I've been tempted to try a k540i, especially after recently spending about 15 minutes behind one... the FOV was amazing. But I've been hearing some reports of failures and turret issues and am holding off a while longer.

What I don’t understand is the reason they reduced it beyond what has already been produced by other optics manufacturers. If it would have at least matched the image presented by my ZP5’s or T6Xi I would have kept it.

Swarovski seemed to only go after the "big name" competitors when it came to patent compliance (TT 7-35, S&B 6-36 / 10-60 / 3-18, ZCO) which is why they seem to be limited to just under 22 degrees AFOV, while other scopes (RG3, March, Burris/Steiner, etc) appear to get a pass with >22 degree AFOV.

IIRC March has said the patent doesn't apply to their 25 & 26 degree "wide angle" models because they don't use the "reversal element" which is one of the characteristics mentioned in the Swarovski patent. Some Euro made scopes like the S&B 3-20 and Premier / Minox 5-25 are also >22 degree AFOV but being older models apparently they weren't hassled by Swarovski's lawyers.

Be interesting to ask S&B service if they will be willing to remove the FOV limiting field stop on the current US market 6-36 once the patent expires, or if there were other internal changes to the US market scopes that will require more than a field stop removal.

 

[high right]

With my limited, short time experience with mine, I didn't find it held me back at all. In matches, I run my scopes at 15-20 power. Field of view was not an issue at that level.
The glass is spectacular. When I wanted to focus on a small target at distance, the picture at extra magnification was amazing. Not the reason I sold mine.

 

[GeoDude]

Say your were in Europe… would anyone get the 5-45 over the 6-36? And which euro S&b would you grab?