Low light hunting scope FFP?

[Emerson0311]

The first and last 10 minutes of legal light, especially with overcast sky are my challenge. FFP because I need that for daylight. Some type of illumination, I prefer a dot or small cross. The reticle can be pretty simple. The critical part is me being able to almost see in the dark. No night hunting here so the real good stuff doesn’t count. Budget, well if $3K+ kicks ass, that’s where I need to go.

 

[davsco]

Following, what magnification range do you want?

 

[AMG04]

On the "budget" end compared to your $3k cap, id look at the S&B Klassik 3-12x42, or 2.5-10x56

I like the form factor of the 3-12x42, but the 2.5-10x56 is the no kidding winner for your low light scenario.

They were selling for $1300 from EuroOptics, but i think they are North of $1500 now.

IIRC the P3L is in improved Mildot with an illuminated center cross.

 

[surgeon260]

In my opinion, everything else is looking up at TT315M. It's the perfect hunting scope.

 

[davsco]

In my opinion, everything else is looking up at TT315M. It's the perfect hunting scope.

Holy crap, $4500!!?? Hopefully it includes a "back rub" at that price...

 

[Secant]

TT315M with Gen 2 Mildot

 

[2brothers641]

For your situation I wouldn’t consider anything that’s less than 56mm.

 

[Guthwine]

If a simple reticle is sufficient why limit your options to only FFP?

 

[davsco]

If a simple reticle is sufficient why limit your options to only FFP?

Plus, IF you're scope's max mag is 15x, you'd probably be there anyways if you're out far enough to be holding over.

 

[davsco]

IIRC the P3L is in improved Mildot with an illuminated center cross.

The problem with just the center being illuminated is if you're holding over and thus can't see (as well) the other hash marks. Not a problem if just dialing.

 

[davsco]

For your situation I wouldn’t consider anything that’s less than 56mm.

Yes, larger objective combined with lower magnification gives you a larger 'exit pupil' and thus more light.

The question is, and I guess it's true with theta, do some brands give you even more light due to superior glass and coatings?

 

[JerkyFreak]

Well, when the exit pupil is larger than your own pupil, most of that light just goes wasted anyway.

 

[carbonbased]

What are you hunting, and at what distance?

Here’s our own @koshkin ’s thoughts, broken down by price:

The DLO Recommendations: Riflescopes » OpticsThoughts

Under $2k for low light, he suggests the FFP S&B 2.5-10x56 Zenith LM FD7 which is $1800 now.

For $2k to $3k and low light he didn’t break that subcategory out. There are some S&B Polar scopes that are on sale under $3k that probably were not on sale when koshkin compiled his list. The Polar is their upper tier low light specific scope.

There are first and second focal plane versions in the Polar. S&B has a confusing jumble of model designations, and it doesn’t help that Eurooptic’s S&B specs are often wrong.

If you can’t trust the EO specs, then how can you tell if a S&B scope is FFP or SFP?

• Some scopes: If there’s a “1.BE” in the model name, that a FFP. “2.BE” = SFP.
• S&B reticles are either FFP or SFP.
  • Ex: FD7 = FFP; D7 = SFP; P4 variants = FFP, etc

S&B also sometimes has a mess regarding what they name a fucking turret.

Primer:

https://www.schmidtundbender.de/en/Learn-More/Turrets-Hunting/

Note: the BDC II-B LT (ELEVATION) listed on the immediate link above and on EO is the same as the German way of writing ASV II-B LT listed on S&B’s shop. They both have the same 755-911-972-P6-G7 model number for the scope.

See here for more explanation: https://www.optics-trade.eu/blog/schmidt-bender-acronyms/

https://www.schmidtundbender.de/en/Learn-More/Turrets-PM-II-Competition/

Not going into this one. I’m sick of explaining this already as I keep finding new issues!

Anyway, this has turned into way too long a post.

https://www.eurooptic.com/schmidt-bender-4-16x56mm-polar-t96-p-1be-p4fl-1cm-cw-bdc-ii-b-lt-bdc-ii-lt-755-9

$2999 FFP Polar 4-16. NOTE: EO has the wrong scope and wrong turret in the pic . They have the 3-12 non-parallax version shown. This particular 4-16 scope actually does have a parallax knob!!

They also apparently also have the wrong turrets listed in the written description (again, as well as shown in pic). I think the turret is the older BDC HS and is lockable but without the little user-adjustable elevation pins like on the scope below. But I could be wrong!

https://www.eurooptic.com/schmidt-bender-4-16x56mm-polar-t96-p-1be-p4fl-1cm-ccw-bdc-ii-b-lt-bdc-ii-lt-755-

$3950 FFP Polar 4-16 I think has adjustable parallax, ccw turrets, the fanciest hunting turrets they offer, AND with the correct pic.

Unrelated to this immediate discussion, but S&B also offers at least two different tubes, one with the euro flat mount and a round one.

Jesus my brain is fucking fried lol

 

[carbonbased]

Anyway, I forgot to link to all of the S&B Polar scopes EO sells.

https://www.eurooptic.com/schmidt-bender-polar

I haven’t fully decoded the S&B model number scheme, but the last two sets of letters/numbers apparently refers to the elevation and windage turrets with cw and ccw being one number off.
Here’s a 2022 S&B model number list pdf that may help in decoding.

If EO just had accurate listings, this wouldn’t be a big problem.