By Neil Schultz

During the past few months, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying hunting with the recently released Schmidt & Bender 3-18×42 Meta rifle scope. The 3-18 Meta represents the absolute epitome of a top-shelf hunting rifle scope. Let’s run through some of the features which make this optic a front runner in the field of hunting scopes.

Overview

The 3-18×42 Meta is a compact package at 680g and a mere 33cm in length. A 42mm diameter objective lens maintains that small-package impression and saves weight on a hunting rifle. That smallish diameter objective is ideal for those who use a thermal clip-on device for nocturnal hunting. Schmidt & Bender’s unique BDC II-B turret allows users to have their own ballistic data calibrated into the turret, eliminating the need for mental arithmetic on long-range shots. To enable this, movable distance markers on the elevation turret can be set to the dial-up required for the user’s rifle’s ballistics. Parallax can be adjusted via the dial on the left of the scope, from a mere 20m out to infinity. Eye relief is 90mm, perfect for high-recoiling hunting cartridges. Both elevation and windage turrets can be locked to prevent accidental adjusting in the field. Elevation and windage adjustment spans a range of 305 clicks, again ideal for long-range shooters. The 3-18 Meta comes fitted with removable flip-up lens covers that can be swiveled, great for preventing the ocular cover from hitting the peak of your hunting cap.

Through the lens

Although the magnification range is an incredible six times, the image remains crisp right to the edges, with no notable distortion even when wound up to 18x magnification. Base magnification of 3x gives a wide field of view (14.5m at 100m) for shots at running pigs or snap shots at close range. On the subject of running shots, the Meta’s LP7 reticle is perfect for the task, with its bold outer crosshairs. The fine centre section of the crosshair allows for pinpoint aiming and, being a second focal plane design, remains fine at all magnification settings. The reticle also sports a centre dot that can be illuminated in red with 11 levels of brightness via a dial on the end of the side focus wheel.

In the field

The first thing one notices when using the 3-18 Meta is the sharpness of the image. If you’ve never looked through a high-end optic, you’ll be stunned by the clarity and depth of field of the Schmidt & Bender. One might imagine that a 42mm objective lens would reduce image brightness but that is not the case. The 3-18 Meta boasts 92 per cent light transmission from the objective, through the lens stack to the ocular lens. Due to the bright image in the Meta, I managed to successfully target pigs after sunset when they were almost impossible to discern with the naked eye. Wound back to 3x, the scope performed flawlessly with my thermal clip-on attached. Cranked up to 18x was perfect for hunting on the wide-open grazing paddocks in the New England high country. The 3-18 Meta leaves nothing to be desired in an all-round hunting scope but would be equally impressive for the discerning target shooter.