PRB's high end scope field test

[pandm]

The field test is thorough and the results very well presented.
Mr. Curmudgeon is going to chime in and say it's rubbish, but you decide for yourself.
I encourage you to click the link for the entire field test as the LIGC website won't allow a full paste of the article due to it's size. So.....most of the article is not posted here.

1. Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR 3.5-21×50
2. Bushnell Elite Tactical XRS 4.5-30×50
3. Hensoldt ZF 3.5-26×56
4. Kahles K 6-24×56
5. Leupold Mark 6 3-18×44
6. Leupold Mark 8 3.5-25×56
7. March Tactical 3-24×42 FFP
8. Nightforce NXS 5.5-22×50
9. Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56
10. Nightforce BEAST 5-25×56
11. Schmidt and Bender PMII 5-25×56
12. Schmidt and Bender PMII 3-27×56
13. Steiner Military 5-25×56
14. US Optics ER25 5-25×58
15. Valdada IOR 3.5-18×50
16. Valdada IOR RECON Tactical 4-28×50
17. Vortex Razor HD 5-20×50
18. Zeiss Victory FL Diavari 6–24×56

All scopes met these guidelines:

• Sells for more than $1,500 (had to draw the line somewhere to keep the number of scopes manageable)
• Variable magnification with at least 6x on the low end and 18x on the high end
• Available with a tactical/milling reticle (i.e. evenly spaced marks on both vertical and horizontal axis)

Why Didn’t You Include …

• Premier – They’re no longer in business.
• Tangent Theta 5-25×56 – Tangent Theta was still in pre-production on this scope when I started these tests, and couldn’t send me a test scope.
• Vortex Razor HD Gen II 4.5-27×56 – Vortex hadn’t started production on this scope when I started these tests, and couldn’t send me a test scope.
• SWFA Super Sniper – Most models are below the $1500 price limit. In fact, there is only one model that is exactly $1500.
• Counter Sniper – You’re kidding, right?
• My Favorite Scope – It either doesn’t match the guidelines above, isn’t one of the most popular models in this market segment, or is represented well by one of the 18 scopes already in the test.

About The Tests

DON’T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED! The bottom line is to deal in absolute fundamentals, measure them, and remove all the assumptions. Don’t ever assume that something is what it says without measuring it. – Bryan Litz, Applied Ballistics for Long-Range Shooting

Overview of Tests

Optical Performance

Mechanical Performance

I published a lot of information on the experience of using the scope that simply isn’t available anywhere else. It helps compare some of the things you’d notice if you had a chance to get behind the scope and use it for a few days. I hit obvious topics like weight and size, but also dive into eye relief, turret design, how easy are the knobs to operate, how easy is it to read the numbers on the turret, how tightly packed are the clicks on the turret, and other items. I even go scope by scope, listing notable features and things to keep in mind. Plus, I provide a video of the scope in use from the shooter’s perspective, and a high-res gallery with photos from every angle.
Advanced Features

Overall Scores

Before I started publishing any of the results, I surveyed 700+ readers to establish what the shooting community felt were the most important features for a long-range, tactical scope. For example, is optical clarity or mechanical precision more important? This feedback helped me determine how to weight the various aspects in my overall score. This ensures the overall scores reflect what’s most important to the precision rifle community, instead of being based on one person’s opinion. Here are the results of the survey:
tested.

Best Tactical Scope

Drum roll, please … here are your overall results for the field test based on the tests and weights described above:


Go Deeper

• Mechanical Performance Summary & Scores
• Optical Performance Summary & Scores
• Advanced Features Summary & Scores
• Ergonomics Summary & Scores

Best Rifle Scope For The Money

The overall score was purely based on performance, acting like all scopes cost the same amount … but we all know that isn’t the case. Here is the breakdown of the price ranges of each scope, including the model that I tested. The chart is in the order of overall finish, with #1 on top and #18 at the bottom. (Note: Scopes with the same magnification range and objective size within the same basic line of scopes were considered the same model.)

So now let’s compare prices and to the overall score. The chart below shows the average street price alongside the overall score. Where you see a blue line towering above the green line, that pattern screams value. It indicates the scope scored very well in my benchmark compared to its price point. Likewise, when the blue and green lines are near each other, the scope is less of a value. If the green line is well above the blue line, that means the scope didn’t perform as well as it might should have with respect to its price.

[M-14BULLETTS]

thanks show me more of what i want but do not have cash for

[Southshorerob]

Fantastic info as usual PandM