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years ago, Target Sports was the first magazine to get hold of one for review and, naturally it scored highly in optical quality and accuracy of adjustment. Now, they are a familiar sight on the rifles of serious civilian target-shooters and we have a wider choice of high-end optics than ever before, with March, Sightron and Nightforce offering similar packages. However, if you are intending to fork-out serious money for a scope like the Schmidt & Bender, you need to know exactly what you are buying to avoid an expensive mistake.


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For the last few months I have been evaluating a 5-25x56PMII scope from Schmidt & Bender and was recently sent its big brother - the 12.5-50 model - courtesy of UK importer, York Guns. I was keen to see if the claims made for these scopes lived up to the hype.


The ‘big’ Schmidt scopes - as they have come to be known - are regularly seen on the rifles used for various long-range military activities, highlighting their performance and ability to survive harsh use in a hostile environments and cope with serious recoil. For those whose lives depend on such things, the Schmidt & Bender is invariably the first choice and other manufacturers can only aspire to emulate their success – especially now that they have won a $34,209,500 US military contract for their precision sniper-rifle scope, beating off four other bidders. One


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hen the long-awaited 12-50 Schmidt was announced a couple of


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12.5-50x56 PMII Scopes Schmidt & Bender 5-25


By Chris Parkin


can only speculate who they might be! The scope will be a special version of S&B’s 5-25x56mm PMII and the contract is expected to be completed by June 2016, with the scopes being built in Germany at S&B’s Biebertal factory.


Alongside the Nightforce 8-32 BR


Build Quality


Straight out of the box, the first thing that strikes you is the sheer size and weight of the scope. Although large and certainly of borderline suitability for a sporting - or even a varmint - rifle, the ‘solidity’ exudes that `Made in Germany` brick-outhouse feel! The one-piece aluminium body-tube is a massive 34mm diameter – a rarity that few other manufacturers have dared to emulate. When we tested the first one two years ago, we had to rely on the American ARMS rings but thankfully, more and more rings are now becoming available – including UK made ones from Third Eye Tactical.


The scope has a smooth – not matt, not glossy - anodised black finish which stands up well to the rigours of range and field use and my own 5-25 looks as good as the day I bought it. The eyepiece has a non-slip rubber grip for rapid zoom adjustments and the fast-focus ocular dials quickly to ensure a pin- sharp reticle. Once adjusted, is effectively locked solid by the included Butler Creek flip-up cover. The objective lens is similarly fitted with a Butler Creek - a welcome addition.


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