The Ultimate Guide to Schmidt and Bender PM II Rifle Scopes

By Shaun Ellis (Managing Director of Optics Warehouse)

 

What does it all mean?

Schmidt and Bender have always been regarded as one of the most prestigious and premium optics manufacturers in the world. However, there is always been a lot of confusion around the specifications the acronyms, and ultimately, how to come to a final decision on what route to go in terms of magnification, click value and turret design.

In the last couple of years, Schmidt and Bender have introduced a new range of turrets, magnification ranges and click values. With these new turret designs, obviously comes new acronyms and we have had a lot of questions in regards to what exactly they mean so I thought I would get pen to paper and give you a layman’s guide to the latest Schmidt and Bender models and turret designs.

What do the letters mean? Deciphering the acronyms and abbreviations?

DT: Double Turn turret located on Elevation: Provides visual revolution indicator via clear(1st revolution) and yellow window system which correlates to the yellow numbering on the second level of numbers (2nd rotation). Most popular turret design on the market from Schmidt and Bender due to simplicity and ruggedness.

Available for PM II 5-25x56 and 3-12x50

ST Windage: Single Turn turret located on windage: Basic single turn windage system that provides good audible and tactile clicks. The single turn windage system is also available with 0.25cm clicks when paired with the MT elevation system which is found on a 0.25cm 12-50x56 PM II. On the 0.25cm turret system, four markings will add up to one 0.1 MRAD or 1cm or adjustment – this is the finest click value available from Schmidt & Bender.

Available on 5-25x56 and 3-12x50. 0.25cm ST available for 12-50x56

ST Elevation: Single turn turret found on the PM II short dot 1-8x24. This ultra-low profile single turn elevation turret enables shooting with two eyes open and is the perfect turret to allow a secondary aim device to be mounted with it, like a red dot sight.

ST II Windage: Single turn 2 turret system. The latest generation single turn locking turret comes equipped with a zero click and clearly marked left and right numbering. The locking indicator window is sat in the base of the turret – when the indicator is in the green position this shows the turret is unlocked and when the turret is in the red position this shows the turret is locked.

Available for: PM II Short Dot 1-8x24

¼ MOA  a ¼ of a minute of angle (MOA) per click. So 4 clicks to one full number i.e 1,2,. This full number will equal one full MOA of adjustment, for those of you who operate in the imperial system of measurement (which is either yards or MOA).

1/8 MOA: a 1/8 of a minute of angle (MOA) per click. Therefore, 8 clicks to one full number i.e. 1,2,. This full number will equal one full MOA of adjustment, for those of you who operate in the imperial system of measurement (which is either yards or MOA).

CM: CM click values can either be 1cm, 0.5 cm or 0.25cm, depending on the rifle scope model they are attached for. In general, 0.1 MRAD equals 1cm at 100m and 0.05 MRAD equals 0.5cm at 100m and 0.025 MRAD equals 0.25cm at 100m.

0.1 MRAD: MRAD stands for Milliradian. 0.1 MRAD/MIL is 1cm at 100m. There are 10 clicks of 0.1 MRAD(1cm) to equal 1 Milradian. The Milradian system uses the metric system which is the go-to for MIL, LE and tactical precision shooters due to its simplicity and speed.

MTC: More Tactile Clicks. This feature creates a more pronounced click at every tenth click or full click value. This function is designed to support faster dialling and better orientation, especially if you cannot look at your turret.

ZC: This type of turret comes with a noticeable click that is engraved on the zero marking of the turret. This allows for a quick return to 0 position even without looking at the turret.

SZC: Sub-zero clicks are clicks which are engraved below the set 0 point. These allow the shooter to use quick reactions without having to re-zero the rifle scope to a new shorter zero distance. Up to 5 clicks are available on a SZC turret and it is designed for changing weather conditions like air pressure, or if your POI has changed due to the introduction of a suppressor or night vision device.

FFP: Reticle is in the First Focal Plane

SFP: Reticle is in the Second Focal Plane

Reticles : P4FL : P4 Fine Illuminated, P5FL : P5 Fine Illuminated, MSR2, LRR-MIL, G2RID, Tremor3, Tremor5, H59, MDR-T6, MDR, GEN II XR, P4FL-MOA. Police, P3L

CW: Clockwise turret adjustments, the shooter turns the turret clockwise to move POI up, turn the windage turret CW and the POI will shift right.

CCW: Counter Clockwise turret adjustments, the shooter turns the turret counterclockwise to move POI up, turn the windage turret CCW and the POI will shift right.

DT27 / DT35 ( New Version): Low Profile double turn turret with 27 MRAD of internal adjustment or 35 MRAD of internal adjustment. New low profile double turn turret system provides both a visual and tactile indicator showing the second revolution of internal adjustment via a small yellow indicator pin appearing from the top of the elevation drum. This provides the shooter with more tactile clicks, sub-zero clicks and a locking turret. The reason for its low profile design is to allow the mounting and piggybacking of red dot sights for close-quarters shooting.

DT26 / DT34 (Older version): Double turn turret with 27 MRAD or double turn turret with 34 MRAD. Now considered part of their legacy turret system since the introduction of their DT II series, these turrets come with a locking function, a visual and tactile revolution indicator which is located on the top and centre of the elevation drum. When the second revolution of elevation is reached, the centre column of the turret with the Schmidt & Bender logo on will raise up visually and physically showing the second revolution has been reached and the shooter should now look to the second level of numbers on the turret. This turret system also features a constant MTC click which means that for every full turret number i.e. 1, 2 etc. you will feel a distinct click so you do not have to look directly at the turret when a full MRAD or MOA is applied to the turret. The DT27 and DT34 come equipped with a Sub Zero Click which are clicks that are available under the engraved 0 and set 0. There are usually up to 5 sub zero clicks available for this turret system and it is designed for quick reactions without re-zeroing due to weather like air pressure or if your point of impact has changed due to the addition of a suppressor or night vision device.

DT II: Double Turn 2 turret comes with a visual yellow window system which is used for the shooter to know what revolution of elevation they are on: This double turn turret is considered the latest generation of double turn turrets from Schmidt and Bender. It comes with large recognizable digits allowing the shooter to easily see what MRAD level they are on. The silver engraved numbering and flat pin indicates the shooter is on their first revolution of elevation and the yellow second row of numbers with the tactile indicator in the raised position indicates the shooter has entered their second and final rotation of elevation adjustment. This turret comes equipped with an MTC function, Sub Zero Clicks and a locking system controlled by a mode lever that shows either green for unlocked or red for locked that is located at the bottom of the turret drum.

DT II +: Double Turn 2 plus turret with tactile and visual yellow pin for revolution indicator: This double turn turret is considered the latest generation of double turn turrets from Schmidt and Bender. It comes with large recognizable digits allowing the shooter to easily see what MRAD level they are on. The silver engraved numbering and flat pin indicates the shooter is on their first revolution of elevation and the yellow second row of numbers with the tactile indicator in the raised position indicates the shooter has entered their second and final rotation of elevation adjustment. This turret comes equipped with an MTC function, Sub Zero Clicks and a locking system controlled by a mode lever that shows either green for unlocked or red for locked that is located at the bottom of the turret drum.

CT: Capped Turret. CT features a turret cap that can be installed via a thread on top of the turret to avoid any accidental movements.

Available for: 6-36x56 PM II, 3-21x50 Exos, 5-45x56 PM II High Power and PM II Ultra Short Series

LT: Locking turret. Schmidt and Bender have 3 options for locking turret systems. Locking turrets are designed to be locked during storage or movement to ensure no accidental movements are made.

  • GEN1: The locking action is triggered by pushing the outer ring of the turret down and is released when pulled back up. When engaged, you will see the wording LOCKED in red. To disengage, pull the ring up and the LOCKED wording will disappear.
  • GEN II: Elevation DT II, DT II+ and MT II come with a three-way lever mode system that will either activate MTC Clicks (More Tactile Clicks), deactivate MTC clicks or lock the turret. The turret is locked when the mode lever is pointing towards the barrel's muzzle, the turret is in the locked position and the mode window at the base of the turret will appear in red. Turn the turret counterclockwise and the turret will become unlocked, MTC clicks engaged and the colour shown in the window will become green. Finally, the colour black is shown in the window which means unlocked by no MTC clicks.
  • ST, ST II and DT II+ Windage: First two images below represent two different designs on ST locking windage systems, the first is found on your low powered PM IIs, for example, the 1-8x Short Dot, and the second is found on your classic MTC/LT/ZC 3-20x, 5-25x and 3-27x rifle scopes. Both work in the same way where the shooter will engage the locking function when they pull the locking ring towards the rifle and the wording of LOCKED will appear. To disengage the locking function, the shooter will push the locking ring away from the rifle and the LOCKED wording will disappear. Images 3 and 4 show the new DT II turret windage system that can have the locking function engaged simply by turning the mode lever to the red position with the small window located closest to the saddle on the windage.

Available for: 5-25x56 PM II – (On request) and 3-27x56 PM II High Power – (On request)

Available for: 6-36x56 PM II, 5-25x56 PM II, PM II Ultra Short and PM II High Power Series

MT: Multi-Turn, The original Multi-Turn turret was found on the PM II 12-50x56 series of rifle scopes and is used for click values of 1/8 MOA or 1/4 cm where the turret needs to be bigger to allow for finer click adjustments. The window at the top of the turret shows the revolution number the shooter is on. This will go from 1-5 depending on click value.

Available for: 12-50x56 PM II

MT II: Multi Turn II: The multi-turn 2 system from Schmidt and Bender is the latest incarnation of the Multi turn turret system. Providing a huge amount of elevation adjustment depending on the model it is paired with. The 3-20x Ultra short, 5-20x Ultra Short, PM II 6-36x56 and 3-27x56 when paired with the Multi-Turn 2 will provide 39.5 MRAD of adjustment and the 5-25x56 and 5-45x56 will receive 29.5 MRAD of adjustment, providing the user with a wide adjustment range via 5 rotations with is 0.5cm per click value. This finer click value is designed to be used for extremely accurate shooting for either long-range or benchrest style disciplines. Marks and numbers are in cm and 2 sub zero clicks (SZC) are available for below-zero shooting. The numbers 5,10, 15 etc stand for 0.5 MRAD which equates to 0.5cm at 100m. Each 5cm step is engraved for easy reading when out in the field. To keep it easy for the shooter, only every second rev of adjustment is engraved in yellow colour digits. The visual window system located at the top of the turret will also show 1,2,3,4 or 5 depending on the rotation number you are on.

Available for: 6-36x56 PM II, 5-25x56 PM II, PM II Ultra Short and PM II High Power Series

Example

PM II 5-25x56 FFP P5FL DT II + MTC SZC LT ST LT 0.1 MRAD CCW Rifle Scope 

Model : 5-25x56 PM II

Reticle Plane: First Focal

Reticle: P5FL

Turret type: DT II + Elevation with Locking feature, MTC Clicks & Sub Zero Click, Single turn locking windage

Click Value: 0.1 MRAD

Turret rotation: CCW – Counterclockwise

Within the famous PM II range of riflescopes, there have been some new additions, some facelifts and some classic PM IIs that have been pushed to special request only.

  • PM II Short Dot Dual CC 1-8x24: Specially designed for close combat use but with the capabilities of taking accurate extended range shots out to 600 yards. One of the unique selling points of the Schmidt and Bender Short Dot Dual CC is its optical design; it is equipped with a second focal plane red dot that can offer a true 1x feel for both eyes open shooting and an FFP tactical mildot-based reticle giving the user the ability to use the reticle for hold offs, hold under/overs at all magnifications.

  • PM II Ultra Short 3-20x50 and PM II Ultra Short 5-20x50 LPI: The Schmidt and Bender PM II Ultra short series is split into two magnifications 3-20x and 5-20x. You’re probably wondering why they would create two magnifications that are almost identical. However, there are some distinct differences between these two options, especially with the introduction of their new side illumination system which has been given the acronym of LPI. The Schmidt and Bender PM II 3-20x Ultra Short is the bigger rifle scope of the two weighing 920-980g, depending on your chosen turret design, and measuring 34cm in length. Its illumination is located on the left hand side of the main tube in between the saddle and magnification ring. The 3-20x boasts a slightly extended magnification range of 6.7x that provides it with a base magnification lower than its counterpart, the 5-20x, which will be important for some military and LE teams who will be requiring the reduced mag of 3x for close quarters work. The 5-20x has a slightly smaller magnification range of 4x instead so a base magnification of 5x and a top magnification of 20x. Measuring only 29cm, the Ultra Short 5-20x comes in 5cm shorter than its bigger brother and weighs, depending on turret choice, 870-930g- around 50g lighter than the 3-20x50. The illumination is now located on the side parallax system which helps to improve the ability to mount the Ultra Short 5-20x and allows left hand shooters to use this optic, whereas the previous placed illumination system restricts you to a right handed bolt throw. If you’re looking for an ultra-compact, lightweight mid-high magnification optic and you're left hand, the 5-20x is the route to go but you will pay the price. If you’re not so concerned about the slight increase in weight and length then go for the 3-20x50 Ultra short as you will save a pretty penny and will not compromise anything.

  • PM II LP 3-12x50 with illumination and parallax: Tried, tested and probably the most battle proven rifle scope on the planet. The Schmidt & Bender PM II 3-12x50 LP still remains a considered part of the Schmidt & Bender range and will do forever. It comes equipped with parallax that is adjustable via side focus from 50m to infinity, its illumination is located on the left hand side but in a separate location to the illumination so the shooter has confidence when operating in tactical situations. It will come equipped as standard with Schmidt and Benders tried and tested DT/ST system, which is their double turn elevation system that has a window that turns from clear to yellow when the shooter moves past their first rotation of elevation. To help streamline the range, Schmidt have pushed the non-illuminated parallax free option and the parallax only non-illuminated series to special request ordering.

  • PM II 5-25x56: Long setting the benchmark in terms of industry standards for optical quality and mechanical performance, the PM II 5-25x has always been a fan favourite for many, from your seasoned target shooter to your MIL Sniper. These dual use rifle scopes are still some of the best to be produced and with their new facelift, the PM II 5-25x56 has been bought forward into the new ages in terms of aesthetics. Still available in a range of reticles and turret designs, the Schmidt and Bender PM II 5-25x now features a new ocular design that is threaded and allows the mounting of Tenebraex covers and polarization filters without the need for bulky adapters. A redesigned magnification ring from their previous rubberised system is now made out of solid aluminium and can accommodate their throw lever. If you decide to go with a Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-25x with a lockable DT turret system and a ZC (Zero Stop ) and MTC (More Tactile Clicks), you will now be offered a DT27 (Double turn 27 mRAD) turret system that has been redesigned to feature a low profile elevation turret, previously only seen on the HP 5-45s, Ultra Short 3-20x and 5-20x, that allows for easy companionship with a red dot for close distance shooting.

  • 6-36x56 PM II High Performance: Enter the new king of mid to long-range multi-distance shooting within the Schmidt and Bender range of glass! The Schmidt and Bender PM II High Performance comes in a versatile 6-36x56 magnification range that is designed to be lighter and more compact than the 5-25x56 PM II. It features illumination that is now located on the side focus drum of the rifle scope (LPI) meaning this compact design opens the door for left handed shooters to use the 6-36x56. Your Schmidt 6-36x56 is designed and manufactured to MIL-STD-810G so it can handle the harshest environments and it features 27mrad – 39.5 MRAD (MT II – Multi-Turn 2) of internal adjustment, depending on your turret choice. Each Schmidt PM II 6-36x56 will come with a ZC (Zero Stop), LT (Locking Turret) and MTC (More Tactile Clicks) and parallax adjustment from 25m (27yd) to infinity.

  • 5-45x56 High Power: Superb German glass, a rifle scope and spotting scope in one, a 9x magnification range and repeatability that can be depended upon in the most competitive of environments- the Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-45x56 has is all. Equipped with a wide range of FFP (First focal plane) reticles that provide the shooter with plenty of information for hold-offs or quick wind calls, you can find the perfect partner for your discipline. The max magnification of 45x is highly beneficial, allowing you to identify small targets quickly and accurately as well as providing the ability to spot your results after a shot to ensure precision and accuracy is kept throughout the whole day.

  • 3-27x56 High Power: Originally designed and developed for the USSOCOM (United States Special Operations Command), this still in operation rifle scope presents the user with a 9x magnification ratio and parallax adjustment down to 10m. It can engage in extreme long range shooting right down to short range target or tactical work at sub 100m with ease. The new version of 3-27x56 has received some small upgrades that help to align it with the new changes within the whole Schmidt & Bender PM II range. It now comes with a DT27 or DT35 low profile elevation turret which allows the optic to be combined easily with a red dot sight for close-quarters work. This small change will make it even more popular with police and military groups across the world.

Discontinued / Upon request models

  • PM II 3-12x54 Ultra Bright

  • PM II 3-12x50 without side focus or illumination

  • PM II 3-12x50 with side focus

  • PM II 3-20x50 LP MTC LT

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If you have any questions or want to know more about Schmidt & Bender, please don't hesitate to give us a call at 01803 611 895 or email via sales@opticswarehouse.co.uk