Re: Schmidt & Bender Short Dot 1-8x24 and S&B 3-20x50
I got to shoulder the S&B 1-8X at the Ft. Benning International Sniper Competition Sponsors booth yesterday. I was told that this was a prototype version, and that S&B was acutely aware of the thin reticle criticism. To be honest, the lines are so faint at 1X that you better have irons if your batteries go down. Having said that, the glass is crystal clear in typical short dot fashion, and the red dot is easily visible on white background in the bright Columbus sun.
I also agree that the MK8 has better locking turrets, but this is not as dramatic of a deficiency as the reticle. Having played with both, I still prefer the S&B to the TMR version of the MK8 due to the presence of a daylight visible red dot at low magnification. I see the visible dot as a must have for a scope that goes down to 1X. Without it, I'd much rather run a NF 2.5-10X with red dot offset on a MWS or SCAR-H. I also prefer the S&B's more compact design.
As for delivery, the sales rep claimed that .gov / .mil orders were shipping this month, and that civilian orders would go in January. I'm not sure if she was feeding me a line of BS since I'm not aware of any agencies ordering this scope in signifiant numbers. She also said that S&B would be offering other reticle choices down the line that might correct the fine line at low magnifications.
Nightforce was pushing their F1 5.5-22X (meh) at their booth. I love their current F1 3.5-15X, but I feel that F1 reticles become telephone poles at 22X - call it a personal preference. They denied any 1-8X offering in the near future. This is fine with me since I'd rather they work on the daylight visibility of their current 1-4X reticle before jumping into the 1-8X waters.