A look at the second hand value and quality of Schmidt and Bender Rifle Scopes.
(Above: Schmidt & Bender 8x56 Klassik atop a Sako 85 Synthetic Rifle)
I am a firm believer that the scope that you put on your rifle should be the best that you can afford, however many new scopes are seriously expensive bits of kit. So here's a thought for those that want to keep to a budget.
Rather than buying a brand new scope of a poor quality, take a look instead at a second hand Schmidt & Bender Klassik. Schmidt and Bender are well known for great optics, and this is still true of some of their older scopes. At County Deer Stalking we currently use an 8x56 Schmidt & Bender Klassik fitted to our .308 Sako 85 Estate Rifle and are not planning on changing it anytime soon.
I personally, have also owned another Schmidt and Bender Scope, in the form of the 6x42 Klassik. The light gathering on both models is truly superb, the scope is robust and well able to sustain bumps and knocks without losing its zero, the adjustment turrets are simple, precise and easy to use.
I have gone for the bold crosshairs (Reticule A4) which allows for fast aiming and gives a little more assistance in low light.
These scopes can be bought second hand for as little as £350-00, which has to be great value in anyone's book and gives you the sort of quality that you will find in rifle scopes many times more expensive.
