Steiner Riflescope Review
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 7:16 am
Per this review, I bought a Steiner 3-12x56mm rifle scope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzx3DscRvwo
It's been sitting in my scope drawer for awhile. Finally got around to mounting it on my .300RUM.
Overall, I'm happy with the scope.
Pro:
1. Reasonably clear and bright optics. Not as bright as my Zeiss and not as crisp as my Swaro, but pretty good. Given that the Steiner is about half the price of comparable Hensoldt and Schmidt&Bender tactical scopes, I can live with it.
2. Reasonably positive turrets. The turret clicks were not as crisp as S&B or Hensoldt tactical scopes, but about the same as Nightforce. There we no noticeable "creep" between first and second shots. I moved the turret and the bullet moved.
3. Good illumination. Unlike most illumination systems I've had, Steiner has an "off" position next to every setting, so you can turn one click and go from "on" to "off" at your chosen setting, rather than cycling through the whole range. There is a good range of illumination as well, from "save your night vision" barely visible, to "see in bright sunlight" bright.
4. Good exit pupil. I like glass that has good dusk performance. These are very bright. Tonight is a full moon, so I tested it in the moonlight in the woods. I can see much better than with a naked eye, thanks to the light gathering of that 56mm objective.
5. Very solid feel. The scope feels solid and rugged, probably due to the 34mm tube.
Con:
1. The scope is heavy - the flip-side of "solid feel". My .300RUM has a heavy barrel, and with the Steiner, it feels almost as heavy as my .338LM with 3-12x50mm Swarovski with 30mm tube.
2. Optical clarity is not top-notch. I can read the legend on top of the standard NRA target at 100m with my Swaro. As much as I played with the ocular focus on the Steiner, I couldn't get there. Again, for the price, I can live with it.
Sidebar review of Leupold Tactical Mark4 rings:
On a side note, I'm done with Leupold. I stopped using Leupold rifle scopes years ago.
I still used Leupold rings until I had a Zeiss Diavari walk in a set of 30mm Leupold QD rings mounted on a .308Win rifle. I was not happy about the skid marks on my Zeiss Diavari, but I thought it might be operator error, since I had just hand-tightened with the Torx wrench supplied with the rings. I looked-up the Leupold specification inch-pounds recommended for the screws and got out my torque wrench. I picked a torque setting halfway between the minimum and maximum, and proceeded to torque off one of the screws. I brought the rings back to the proprietor of the gun store I bought the rings, and got a bunch of attitude, e.g. "What kind of idiot uses a torque wrench? I use my super-calibrated, experienced hand tightening." Anyway, stopped going to that gun store, and also stopped using Leupold rings.
I needed some 34mm rings. Proprietor of another gun store recommended Leupold Mark 4 Tactical 34mm rings with four screws holding the rings together. I expressed reservations about Leupold given my earlier experience. He assured me that Leupold's Tactical Mark 4 rings were a different animal than Leupold's standard hunting rifle rings, besides, those were the only 34mm rings he had. OK. I bought the rings. They weren't cheap either - almost $200 IIRC.
I didn't want to risk torquing off a screw, so I just hand tightened really hard, like to the point where the little Torx wrench is bending and feels like it's about to break.
In my sighting-in and scope evaluation session, I went through 40 rounds of .300RUM (2 boxes). As I was putting away the rifle, I noticed the scope had walked in the rings, putting skid marks on my nice new Steiner rifle scope all the way back until the rings rested on the ocular. #$*!@%!
Before anyone suggests that I should expect this with .300RUM, I have six-screw 30mm Badger rings holding my Swaro onto my .338LM. That rifle kicks twice as hard as the .300RUM and the scope hasn't moved at all.
It's been sitting in my scope drawer for awhile. Finally got around to mounting it on my .300RUM.
Overall, I'm happy with the scope.
Pro:
1. Reasonably clear and bright optics. Not as bright as my Zeiss and not as crisp as my Swaro, but pretty good. Given that the Steiner is about half the price of comparable Hensoldt and Schmidt&Bender tactical scopes, I can live with it.
2. Reasonably positive turrets. The turret clicks were not as crisp as S&B or Hensoldt tactical scopes, but about the same as Nightforce. There we no noticeable "creep" between first and second shots. I moved the turret and the bullet moved.
3. Good illumination. Unlike most illumination systems I've had, Steiner has an "off" position next to every setting, so you can turn one click and go from "on" to "off" at your chosen setting, rather than cycling through the whole range. There is a good range of illumination as well, from "save your night vision" barely visible, to "see in bright sunlight" bright.
4. Good exit pupil. I like glass that has good dusk performance. These are very bright. Tonight is a full moon, so I tested it in the moonlight in the woods. I can see much better than with a naked eye, thanks to the light gathering of that 56mm objective.
5. Very solid feel. The scope feels solid and rugged, probably due to the 34mm tube.
Con:
1. The scope is heavy - the flip-side of "solid feel". My .300RUM has a heavy barrel, and with the Steiner, it feels almost as heavy as my .338LM with 3-12x50mm Swarovski with 30mm tube.
2. Optical clarity is not top-notch. I can read the legend on top of the standard NRA target at 100m with my Swaro. As much as I played with the ocular focus on the Steiner, I couldn't get there. Again, for the price, I can live with it.
Sidebar review of Leupold Tactical Mark4 rings:
On a side note, I'm done with Leupold. I stopped using Leupold rifle scopes years ago.
I still used Leupold rings until I had a Zeiss Diavari walk in a set of 30mm Leupold QD rings mounted on a .308Win rifle. I was not happy about the skid marks on my Zeiss Diavari, but I thought it might be operator error, since I had just hand-tightened with the Torx wrench supplied with the rings. I looked-up the Leupold specification inch-pounds recommended for the screws and got out my torque wrench. I picked a torque setting halfway between the minimum and maximum, and proceeded to torque off one of the screws. I brought the rings back to the proprietor of the gun store I bought the rings, and got a bunch of attitude, e.g. "What kind of idiot uses a torque wrench? I use my super-calibrated, experienced hand tightening." Anyway, stopped going to that gun store, and also stopped using Leupold rings.
I needed some 34mm rings. Proprietor of another gun store recommended Leupold Mark 4 Tactical 34mm rings with four screws holding the rings together. I expressed reservations about Leupold given my earlier experience. He assured me that Leupold's Tactical Mark 4 rings were a different animal than Leupold's standard hunting rifle rings, besides, those were the only 34mm rings he had. OK. I bought the rings. They weren't cheap either - almost $200 IIRC.
I didn't want to risk torquing off a screw, so I just hand tightened really hard, like to the point where the little Torx wrench is bending and feels like it's about to break.
In my sighting-in and scope evaluation session, I went through 40 rounds of .300RUM (2 boxes). As I was putting away the rifle, I noticed the scope had walked in the rings, putting skid marks on my nice new Steiner rifle scope all the way back until the rings rested on the ocular. #$*!@%!
Before anyone suggests that I should expect this with .300RUM, I have six-screw 30mm Badger rings holding my Swaro onto my .338LM. That rifle kicks twice as hard as the .300RUM and the scope hasn't moved at all.