Re Sightron 10-50 Side Parallax Focus

[6BRonwheels]

I am about ready to get rid of my Sightron scopes and go back to Tasco or Bushnell. I purchased a Sightron 10-50x in March of this year. After about six weeks of limited use the focus/paralax adjustment went bad. I sent the scope back to Sightron (cost 23.00 postage). After about three weeks I received an email stating that the scope has been fixed and was being shipped back that day. I got the scope, mounted it on a 6mm BR, and proceeded to the range to sight it in. Well it worked Okay for about five minutes. I adjusted it for 100 yards, 300 yards, and then 500 yards. When i broght it back to 100 yards it would not focus, and I could feel the focus knob slipping inside.
Now I am faced with another few weeks of no scope, another 23.00 postage/insurance and a lot of frustration. At this point I do not care if Sightron properly fixes the scope or not, I will never give them another dollar. I will stick with my Tasco and Busnell scopes. They are not as good in the clarity department, but they do focus and remove paralax.

 

[RDavies]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Not good. I have just bought the same scope, only used it once. Difference is, I will never go back to Bushnell/tasco again after the poor warranty service I got from them.

 

[Nomo4me]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Call back, make sure you speak with a Mgr of some sort. Be firm but polite and insist that they send you a UPS call tag to pick up the scope on their nickle.
If you bought it new and have Bill of Sale request a new unit.

I have that scope and really like it. In fact all of my varmint scopes are SIII's and I like the brand.

Good luck.

I am about ready to get rid of my Sightron scopes and go back to Tasco or Bushnell. I purchased a Sightron 10-50x in March of this year. After about six weeks of limited use the focus/paralax adjustment went bad. I sent the scope back to Sightron (cost 23.00 postage). After about three weeks I received an email stating that the scope has been fixed and was being shipped back that day. I got the scope, mounted it on a 6mm BR, and proceeded to the range to sight it in. Well it worked Okay for about five minutes. I adjusted it for 100 yards, 300 yards, and then 500 yards. When i broght it back to 100 yards it would not focus, and I could feel the focus knob slipping inside.
Now I am faced with another few weeks of no scope, another 23.00 postage/insurance and a lot of frustration. At this point I do not care if Sightron properly fixes the scope or not, I will never give them another dollar. I will stick with my Tasco and Busnell scopes. They are not as good in the clarity department, but they do focus and remove paralax.

 

[6BRonwheels]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Hi Nomo, Thanks for the advice on handling the situation. As far as I know, I am the only person to have this side focus problem with this model. It is probably just a lemon scope, 1 out of a thousand. I purchased it from SWFA the first day they had it listed. It was listed for 800.00, but now the same scope at SWFA is almost 1000.00. Maybe the fist few scopes were bad?

 

[RJinTexas]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

I have two 10-50x60 and three 8-32x56 all have functioned flawlessly, their excellent side focus was one of their strongest selling point for me. I've shot hundreds of rounds with all of mine in prairie dog towns where the side focus gets used extensively due to shooting varying distances. I got rid of two IRO's for repeatedly having the same problem that you are experiencing, both spent more time at the repair center then on top of my rifles. I've never had a problem with any of my SIII's so I don't know what to expect from Sightron's service dept. Please do let us know buy posting whether or not they resolve your problem satisfactory. We all can sympathize with you, it very frustrating to purchase an expensive item and be disappointed because it fails to function properly due to a defect and doubly so to have the same defect return after sending it back to be repaired.

Good luck
RJ

 

[Brandon_M]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

I spoke with Alan he seemed to be helpful in the beginning.
I was having trouble with a 8-32, after the second time I sent it back and he kept telling me it was my gun (2 different guns) I told him that if he was sure that there was nothing wrong with the scope, box it up and send it back so I could put it on the Internet and sell it and I would buy something that I liked, a week later I had a new one at the door.

 

[Rem06]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

i didn't think sightron even had a service dept? i was told they just replace it if needed? maybe they just sent it back? unless they changed and got a service dept or someone to service?
enlighten me

 

[6BRonwheels]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Hi Rem06,
Sightron claims they have a service dept., and the side focus did work for about five minutes so they probably did tighten the set screws. The problem with the design in my theory is that the focus/paralax knob is tightened on to a very soft brass "drum" via three .050" set screws. The brass is way too soft to handle the torque when moving the knob a few times, and it scores. Of course once the brass drum is scored you cannot keep it tight and it slips. Hopefully the "technicians" at Sightron will figure this out in the next year or two.
I bought this scope off of SWFA the first day they had it listed. The day after I ordered this scope, the price increased almost $200.00 for the same model at SWFA. I have the feeling they had a few refurb demo models or something like that.

 

[normmatzen]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

I bought a Sightron SII 6-24 on ebay for a good price. mounted it on my BR rifle and immediately found a problem in that the focus and paralax adjustment did not agree.

I sent it to Sightron, they repaired it and commented on the verticle being close to one end (I use 0.020 offset mounts).

Mounted the scope, re-sighted it in 3 shots and started to try bench rest 600yd and 1000 yd shooting on a budget (home built Savage PTA, Shilen match barrel and re-worked BVSS stock). Scope works flawlessly and I still can't shoot as well as the gun can! Finished mid-pack in my first 600yd competition and I just get slightly better each practice session!

I for one am very happy with Sightron and their customer service!

 

[jb1000br]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

6br...:

What rings did you have the scope mounted in?

Were they set to a certain torque value?

I ask this because sometimes if you tighten rings too much at a certain part on the body of the scope you can compress the tube enough to bind up the parallax adjustment.

JB

 

[6BRonwheels]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Hi JB1000,
I torque my ring screws to 24 inch pounds. The rings are Davidson, on a Kelbly base.
Yesterday I phoned Sightron (they were closed on Monday). I spoke with a lady who looked at my paper work from the first repair job a few weeks ago. She said that I needed to speak with a technician, but he was on the phone with another customer and would call me back. Well, as I anticipated I never got a phone call from the tech or anybody else at Sightron. I gave then 26 hours to return the call. I called them today and asked why the technician did not call me, and of course the new person on the phone knew nothing of what I was talking about. I explained the whole ordeal to the new person and he concluded that the cam must have slipped on the focus adjustment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel better now knowing what I assumed all along. He said to send the scope back and they will reimburse me for the postage. I explained to him that I have already missed one match because of this scope, and will miss another one on July 18th. He said they will try to get the scope fixed in time (I will not bet on this). Based on my limited knowledge of scope concstruction, the only way to fix the problem is a new scope or a very expensive repair. Hopefully the "technician" will figure this out eventually.
I should have just bought another 10-40 tasco, they seem to be more durable even though the glass is not quite as good as this sightron.

 

[jb1000br]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Service issues aside, I bet 15in lbs or so may keep it from happening again. 24 seems a bit high according to numbers I have seen.

YMMV,
JB

 

[6BRonwheels]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Thanks for the advice JB, I will back the torque down next time.

 

[ILya]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

I am sorry you are having problems. I've had very good luck with Sightron's S3 scopes.

As far as the rings go, if the front ring is overtightened (and happens to be in the right spot) it can either impede, or outright bind the side-focus adjustment. If your set up allows it, back off on the torque and move the ring forward a little.

ILya

 

[skeetlee]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Sounds Like you better stick with your tasco!

 

[pdog06]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

I told him that if he was sure that there was nothing wrong with the scope, box it up and send it back so I could put it on the Internet and sell it and I would buy something that I liked

Gee, Thanks Alot!!! Glad they sent ya one for our sake .

Just got my 10-50 SIII in the mail today. If it works as good as my 8-32 SIII I will be very happy.

 

[Brandon_M]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Gee, Thanks Alot!!! Glad they sent ya one for our sake

You don't have anything to worry about "there's nothing wrong with it."

 

[k0wtz]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

i had better service. i screwed up a 36 power they sent me a brand new one at no cost!

i will buy their product

bob

 

[6BRonwheels]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

I got my 10-50x Sightron back in one week, very fast service! They sent it overnight air so I would have it for the groundhog match yesterday. So far so good. I had to back the ring screws torque all the way back to 12 inch pounds in order not to have any binding of the focus knob. I am hoping that 12 inch pounds will hold the scope tight enough to give good groups. I put primer sealer on the screws to keep them from vibrating loose.
Sightron also reimbursed me for the postage and insurance this time, that was a nice gesture.

 

[NateHaler]

Re: Very disapointed with Sightron Service

Maybe you should change the subject line of your post to be complimentary now. Everybody makes mistakes now and then. The test of character is how they try to rectify those mistakes.

And "disappointed" is spelled like that. Like I said... ;D