Scope Price Convergence?

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

MH and Europtic are offering S&B 5-25, MRAD, DT, XR2, CCW, illuminated for $2800 while Vortex AMGs are $2600 and 4-27 GenIIs at $2500.

To me, the S&B are the historical standard for tactical/PRS scopes and had price tags that make you want to puke. The insurgent scope makes, starting with IOR & SWFA and going through Vortex and Bushnell and now Athalon, all had much less expensive scopes with most of the features. Now the S&B above is the older XR2 'minimal' tree type reticle and is a sale price, and the Vortex is a more modern reticle, but that is the first time I thought I had seen near parity on pricing.

It's only a sales for the S&B with normal prices at $3200. But at $2800, that makes the Premier 5-25 XR2 out there at used $2300 prices look like not good deals.

Has S&B decided that the new price point reality is here and that they are going to have to start coming closer, at least with some of their older designs and reticles?

The amount of scopes with 5ish to 25-30x with tree reticles, FFP, illumination, good glass, zero stops, and 30 or 34mm tubes is really amazing.

[Vegasshooter]

I have that EXACT scope. I got it at wholesale cost a couple years ago, and it was a little more than that. Point is, that's an awesome price on a new S&B. While I have looked through most of the high end glass, to include the Razor, I've not seen anything BETTER than my S&B. It was my intent to put the Vortex Razor on my new bolt gun, only due to the price difference. The Vortex Razor is a GREAT scope, doesn't really have any downsides to it. That said.....at so close to the same price, I'm not sure the Vortex holds the same advantages. It's a tough call. What a great time for us shooters right now. At the price point, it would be really hard not to get another S&B. They really are incredible scopes.

[SomeOtherGuy]

I think the last 6-8 years have seen huge advances in quality and features for sub-$1000 scopes, and much smaller advances in the premium S&B end of the market. So yes, convergence just like your title says. I expect this to continue farther still.

But I also expect digital imaging day/night scopes to mature and take over the mid to high end in 5-10 years, maybe less, at which point all the $4000 optical scopes will be fascinating anachronisms. Still completely useful, but no longer the most desired or the 'obvious' choice if you can afford it. As someone who bought a nice 35mm camera just before digital cameras became practical, and has gone through several generations of digital cameras yet has a smartphone-cam almost as good as my most recent dedicated camera purchase, I've watched this game before. 35mm film camera technology was awesome in the late 90's, and prices were coming down, then it all become obsolete and irrelevant very quickly. At least with 35mm cameras you could potentially use all your lenses with a new digital SLR body.