The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that this scope is NOT one of the new
redesigned "Big Sky" scopes from Sightron. In 2007, Sightron is releasing a redesigned SII series of
scopes called the "Big Sky" which includes new glass and coatings that are suppose to be
superior to their old glass. All of their SII line of scopes for 2007 and beyond will
be of the Big Sky series. Like I said though, this scope is pre 2007 and has the old
optics and coatings.
The Sightron scopes come from Japan and the high quality of construction is evident
throughout the scope.
The scope has a one piece aluminum tube with a traditional matte black anodized finish
and is a nice shape and design. The power select ring is fairly large and has a rubber
"ring" on it to help grip it in inclement weather. The power selector ring moves smoothly
and with minimal effort throughout its range. One problem I did notice was that in cold weather, the rubber
ring going around the power ring would slip. It only happened in very cold weather
and wasn't that big of a deal, but it did happen and required that you squeeze the ring
a bit tighter in order to make a power adjustment. The eye piece is also adjustable for
reticule focus and works as normal.
The knobs are a low profile finger adjustable target type knob with adjustments of
1/4" per click at
100 yards. For a low profile knob, they are a nice shape and profile, though there are
a few things I did not like about them. On the elevation, there is no
indication as to which way is up (or right on the windage) viewable from behind the
scope, and there is no vertical indication as to how many times you may have rotated the
verticle knob. On a hunting scope, its not that big of a deal, but a side focus scope with
mil-dots, which is clearly intended for long range use, there should be some provisions.
And then, to top it off, there is 14.75 MOA per revolution... yes, 14.75. There are only 3 clicks
between 14 and hitting zero again. This can be a confusion problem when you do get to longer
ranges and you have come around zero again. You are no longer on whole tick marks. You can
see the issue in the image below:
There is a claimed 58 MOA of elevation adjustment available which when combined with a
15 MOA tapered base should give enough adjustment to go from 100-1000 with the 308 Win.
It mainly will depend on how many MOA are required to zero the rifle and in what direction
the adjustments would need to be made. A 20 MOA tapered
base might be cutting it close to get a 100 yard zero but in "theory" it should work.
The knobs are "slipable" meaning you can loosen the set screw and set the knobs to zero
after you have zeroed the rifle. The side focus knob is very smooth throughout its range
and works as it should, easily focusing on targets at all sorts of ranges. I also like
that the windage knobs count up in both
directions, going up to seven before counting back down on the other side of the knob.
Hopefully that makes sense, but perhaps a picture may help show what I mean on the windage knob.
The scope also comes with a sunshade which is a nice addition to come with the scope
as standard.
Sometimes it is nice to get back to the basics and it was very nice to see a good ol'
traditional mil-dot reticule without all the new tick marks and hash lines that seem
to be becoming standard on tactical reticules. It is always nice to get back to the simplicity of the
reticule that started it all. The mil-dot reticule on this scope has the .22 mil sized
dots which is the US Army standard, and it is much uncluttered, efficient and very
accurate once you know the measurements. In my opinion, there is no need to try to get
cute and fancy with the reticules,
if it aint broke, don't fix it! This is not to say many of the new reticules are not good
or maybe even an improvement, but some reticules are getting carried away and can cause
confusion, clutter, and even block some of the viewable area of the target.
Anyway, I am happy with the reticule and it feels like
meeting a very familiar friend. On this scope, the mil-dots are accurate when the scope is set on its
highest level, which is 14x in this case.
The lenses are all multi coated and the optics on a whole are impressive, nice and clear
and bright. It compares very well with other scopes in the same price range. The eye
relief on these scopes is generous which makes it very suitable for use on high recoil
rifles. The reputation has been good for durability and Sightron has a lifetime replacement
warranty which is a good indicator that they stand behind the quality and durability of
their scopes.
For the range work we mounted the scope on a DPMS LR-308B, and the combination was
pretty effective. Sightron has a unique adjustment system that they claim is extremely
precise and repeatable and all of our tests would back that claim up. It shot through
the box very well and was an excellent performing scope. The optics performed well
in low light shooting conditions as well as mid day brightness. A very solid performing
scope in all the typical and important areas.
Beyond my issues with the knobs, and a slipping rubber ring on the power knob, the scope
did very well. If I were looking for a scope for a tactical rifle, I would certainly
explore what Sightron has to offer, especially with the new Big Sky improvements this year.
But, I would probably be looking at a different model in their lineup with different knobs
and more vertical adjustments,
though the side focus is nice to have. Sightron
has several other scope models that would fit these requirements and perhaps a future review
on one of these is required.
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