I want to know how these new Sightrons stack up against the Nightforce scopes. I am sending out a Money order today for a sightron 10-50 and i have high hopes for this scope. I Really liked my 8-32 as i thought it was pretty good glass.I have never owned a NF so i dont know much about them. Is the NF optics worth the extra cash? Lee
sightron VS NightForce
- Thread starter skeetlee
- Start date
before you buy it. ask people how good they are. if i was you i spend a little more money & buy a nf.frank
PS: all the bs about sightron is coming out. for the money they charge they not worth it.frank
PS: all the bs about sightron is coming out. for the money they charge they not worth it.frank
ridgeway
Silver $$ Contributor
A lot of people like the Sightron and they are good scopes for the money. I had a 10-50 and sold it. I just didn't care for the soft clicks and the super sensitive parallax correction at higher powers. It tracked absolutely perfect and crystal clear. I now have a NF NXS and I really like it. I love the NP-2DD reticle.
I searched all over this and other web sites for info on the Sightrons. After reading everything I could find I bought 2, 8-32X56 and 1, 10-50X60. I have never had a NF but I can't imagine them being worth twice the price.
True I got mine second hand so I didn't pay full retail price.
The glass is better than any scope I've ever had and the extra power is the best part. I've had a few Leupys and several Weavers.
The 10x50 does get a little "blue" around the edges at high power but I've been told so does the NF. The clicks are soft but positive.
I shoot mid to long range prone w/ a sling so 1/2 of our matches are iron sights and the other 1/2 w/glass. We remove and install our scopes at every match we shoot and my Sightrons come back to zero everytime from 200 to 600 and back again.
I know that you have to pay extra for the lens caps and a sunshade but is that really worth a few hundred more $? Not to me
Just my .02 worth, I like mine and would buy them again in fact i'm looking for another 10x50.
Thanks,
Brian
True I got mine second hand so I didn't pay full retail price.
The glass is better than any scope I've ever had and the extra power is the best part. I've had a few Leupys and several Weavers.
The 10x50 does get a little "blue" around the edges at high power but I've been told so does the NF. The clicks are soft but positive.
I shoot mid to long range prone w/ a sling so 1/2 of our matches are iron sights and the other 1/2 w/glass. We remove and install our scopes at every match we shoot and my Sightrons come back to zero everytime from 200 to 600 and back again.
I know that you have to pay extra for the lens caps and a sunshade but is that really worth a few hundred more $? Not to me
Just my .02 worth, I like mine and would buy them again in fact i'm looking for another 10x50.
Thanks,
Brian
I really liked my 8-32 Sightron and i am buying another but in 50 power. I am however building a new 30BR and i need a good scope. I have lots of wiggle room with weight so i was thinking about trying a nightforce but i hate spending money on scopes. I know that sounds crazy but to be real honest, I have a weaver 36X that i would trust any day, and it was 350 bucks! Maybe i will go with an older Leupold 36X or a 45X comp. Heck i dont know! The NF seems like a great scope but like i said, im not sure i want to let go of that much money!! I thought this would be a ok topic, so lets hear some more opinions please! Thanks Men!! Lee
Switchbarrel
Gold $$ Contributor
I have four Nightforce 12-42x BR's and went a little overboard and just bought five of the Sightron 10-50's. I had a NF 12-42x NXS but it was too heavy and put my new lightgun over the weight limit by 3 oz, so I sold it.
Anyway, if I were building a varmint gun or target gun where I was going to be shooting multiple distances, I would go for the Nightforce. As mentioned, the Sightron has a very narrow focus range compared to the Nightforce. The Sightron is more critical of head position vs. the Nightforce as well. The Sightron is much more limited in reticle selection too. Optically, the Sightron is a nice scope, but the little caveat's above add up (as negatives). I intend to put the Sightron's on my Benchrest guns since I'm only shooting at one distance and can dial in the focus and leave it. I plan to move the Nightforces to my other rifles that I plink with at the range and open fields.
I used both the Sightron and Nightforce BR in the NBRSA 600 yard Nats. If I could get a used Nightforce BR for what I paid for the Sightron's new, I would get the Nightforce every time. However, a used Nightforce does cost several hundred more than what I paid, so the Sightron's will stay for now. The first Sightron I bought didn't come with any lens caps, I sent it back. The five Sightrons that I have now, all came with (cheapo) flip up lens caps...better than nothing I guess.
-Rick
Anyway, if I were building a varmint gun or target gun where I was going to be shooting multiple distances, I would go for the Nightforce. As mentioned, the Sightron has a very narrow focus range compared to the Nightforce. The Sightron is more critical of head position vs. the Nightforce as well. The Sightron is much more limited in reticle selection too. Optically, the Sightron is a nice scope, but the little caveat's above add up (as negatives). I intend to put the Sightron's on my Benchrest guns since I'm only shooting at one distance and can dial in the focus and leave it. I plan to move the Nightforces to my other rifles that I plink with at the range and open fields.
I used both the Sightron and Nightforce BR in the NBRSA 600 yard Nats. If I could get a used Nightforce BR for what I paid for the Sightron's new, I would get the Nightforce every time. However, a used Nightforce does cost several hundred more than what I paid, so the Sightron's will stay for now. The first Sightron I bought didn't come with any lens caps, I sent it back. The five Sightrons that I have now, all came with (cheapo) flip up lens caps...better than nothing I guess.
-Rick
The Sightron is a fine scope for the money, the glass is exceptionally good at that price point, and the clicks although soft are repeatable. Not a lot of recticule choices as mentioned.
I budget quite a bit more for my scopes on full custom builds, and have just purchases another Nightforce. Primary reasons? Recticule choice, 1/8 moa clicks, illuminated recticlue (has proven useful under really bad conditions when things were running towards twilight), better feel to the turrets.
I think Sightron has brought a good product to market at the price point, although they did handle the actual marketing and release badly.
I budget quite a bit more for my scopes on full custom builds, and have just purchases another Nightforce. Primary reasons? Recticule choice, 1/8 moa clicks, illuminated recticlue (has proven useful under really bad conditions when things were running towards twilight), better feel to the turrets.
I think Sightron has brought a good product to market at the price point, although they did handle the actual marketing and release badly.
I had a look though a March 10-60X yesterday and like everyone else was impressed. I found the mirage easy to read with this scope. Has anyone compared a 10-50X sighton to a NF as far as reading mirage? I dont need to see bullet holes at 600yd like you can with a March, but I would like the scope which make mirage easiest to read, not just show lots of it.
I have two Sightrons- 8X32 and the 10X50 also a number of Nightforces. I can see bullet holes easily at 600 yards with my 10X50. My question is this---- how can you spend money on a custom rifle, components, reloading equipment and then short cut on the optics? I feel this is taking a firm but steady aim at your foot. Invest in optics the way you do with the rest of your equipment and then don't worry at the line if your scope will fail. I shot for several years with a Weaver 36 until all of a sudden my rifle wouldn't perform and I shot one off the target- out of the aggregate for the year!!! No more shortcuts for me.
I have one NF 12-42BR and three Shightron SIII’s 6-24, 8-32 and a 10-50. The glass in my opinion is right on par with the NF. I agree however that the clicks are much more solid in the NF. My NF is a BR so I can’t comment on the parallax but I can say that I haven’t had any problems with the sensitive parallax at the higher powers. Tracking in all my Sightrons are exhalent just like my NF.
Would I buy more sightrons? No question about it! In a second! NF if I had the money to waste sure. That’s not to say that NF doesn’t have its place. But for all that counts in my needs like glass, repeatability and tracking I just cant justify the added expense of the NF. I keep hearing people comparing the Sightron to the NF BR model. Granted I did to a bit. But it’s not really a fair comparison with the BR’s AO and the Sightron and the NXS side parallax. Field shooting the side parallax is a real plus. These same people talk about only a couple of hundred bucks difference between the Sightron and the NF witch in my way of thinking isn’t right. More like a grand when you compare the Sightron to the NXS. I don’t want to get into the pissing match about the sale on the sightrons a while back as I will admit I was one that bought a 10-50 for $840 so even if I wanted a sunshade another fifty bucks is still a far cry from a $1800 plus for the NF NXS witch also comes with less than desirable lens covers un like the BR’s witch are nice.
If you want or have a need for a different reticule and or need it lighted the Night Force may be worth the extra money. You are the only one that can make that decision along with if the stiffer turrets. If there were only a couple of hundred bucks between the NF NXS and the Sightron the NF would win hands down every time. But as it stands now Sightron has my vote. I have a 8-32 black diamond witch I soon plan on getting rind of and replacing with a forth Sightron SIII.
Brian
Would I buy more sightrons? No question about it! In a second! NF if I had the money to waste sure. That’s not to say that NF doesn’t have its place. But for all that counts in my needs like glass, repeatability and tracking I just cant justify the added expense of the NF. I keep hearing people comparing the Sightron to the NF BR model. Granted I did to a bit. But it’s not really a fair comparison with the BR’s AO and the Sightron and the NXS side parallax. Field shooting the side parallax is a real plus. These same people talk about only a couple of hundred bucks difference between the Sightron and the NF witch in my way of thinking isn’t right. More like a grand when you compare the Sightron to the NXS. I don’t want to get into the pissing match about the sale on the sightrons a while back as I will admit I was one that bought a 10-50 for $840 so even if I wanted a sunshade another fifty bucks is still a far cry from a $1800 plus for the NF NXS witch also comes with less than desirable lens covers un like the BR’s witch are nice.
If you want or have a need for a different reticule and or need it lighted the Night Force may be worth the extra money. You are the only one that can make that decision along with if the stiffer turrets. If there were only a couple of hundred bucks between the NF NXS and the Sightron the NF would win hands down every time. But as it stands now Sightron has my vote. I have a 8-32 black diamond witch I soon plan on getting rind of and replacing with a forth Sightron SIII.
Brian
holstil
Silver $$ Contributor
I can see 6mm holes at 600yds. with my 32x Sightrons when mirage isn't too bad. Never could with my NF42 Br model. I traded a used NF 42 BR for a used 32x SIII and some cash to a forum member here, bought a 700 action with the rest of the $ and never looked back.
So far, I can't see a reason to have a more powerful scope.
I don't intend to come off as a NF hater. I love em for other applications, but I got tired of reaching for the focus and the NXS weighs too much to make LV. The NXS looks great my AR.
I think the 32x may have better turrets than the new 50x, cause mine and all the others 32x that I felt were very good.
I will go back to NF on my BR guns when Sightron gives me a reason to.
I suggest you get your hands on both at the range at the same time if you haven't already. I'll bet there will be a lot of visits to your post offering opinions of the two.
Jim
So far, I can't see a reason to have a more powerful scope.
I don't intend to come off as a NF hater. I love em for other applications, but I got tired of reaching for the focus and the NXS weighs too much to make LV. The NXS looks great my AR.
I think the 32x may have better turrets than the new 50x, cause mine and all the others 32x that I felt were very good.
I will go back to NF on my BR guns when Sightron gives me a reason to.
I suggest you get your hands on both at the range at the same time if you haven't already. I'll bet there will be a lot of visits to your post offering opinions of the two.
Jim
I don't mind the soft clicks or the sensitive focus on the 10-50 sightron, but it did upset me when the focus/paralex adjustment went out on my 6-week old sightron scope. I ended up puting my old Tasco 10-40x back on my rifle.
I think the soft-click is no longer an issue; I just got my 10-50X60 and they feel fine. May be they fixed it already? My only caveats are the lens cover and the craftsmanship; the lens cover are under sized which will fit the 8-32X56 better and the joints between the main tube and the bell is obvious. Minor but should be corrected and improved. Other than that...if you are looking for a long range scope; it's worth looking at before releasing your precious $$$.
LarryDScott
Site $$ Sponsor
www.greatscottshooters.com
"Hi guys..New on here but need help and quick
Got my new Leupold VX-III 8.5-25x50 scope today of ebay from a guy in the states,,Brand new never been used ( maybe now i know why)
Boxed and all
Varmint hunter reticle
Problem is the Focus does not seem to be adjusting at all on the thing when you turn the SF.
Only time it is foucused is when i have it on minimum magnification. even then it is still slightly fussy....No matter what way you move the SF is dont make a difference to the focus at all.
When you move it up magnification the SF dont do anything at all.
its almost like your turning the knob and it aint doing a thing inside the scope.
i have set the eye reliefe thats ok...
Thing my uncle has the same scope and when you compare the 2 you have to say something in mine is broke. and yes Brand new..no marks,,no nothing...
any one got a clue what it could be or what i should do?,,,, it cost me enough"
the scope is a VX-III model which is one of the earlier models. Has the Gold ring on it...So it looks like i can send it back to leupold to hopefully get it fixed or whatever. Will call leupold tomorrow and see what they say.
Just wanted to see if anyone else had this problem and what they did about it?
Got my new Leupold VX-III 8.5-25x50 scope today of ebay from a guy in the states,,Brand new never been used ( maybe now i know why)
Boxed and all
Varmint hunter reticle
Problem is the Focus does not seem to be adjusting at all on the thing when you turn the SF.
Only time it is foucused is when i have it on minimum magnification. even then it is still slightly fussy....No matter what way you move the SF is dont make a difference to the focus at all.
When you move it up magnification the SF dont do anything at all.
its almost like your turning the knob and it aint doing a thing inside the scope.
i have set the eye reliefe thats ok...
Thing my uncle has the same scope and when you compare the 2 you have to say something in mine is broke. and yes Brand new..no marks,,no nothing...
any one got a clue what it could be or what i should do?,,,, it cost me enough"
the scope is a VX-III model which is one of the earlier models. Has the Gold ring on it...So it looks like i can send it back to leupold to hopefully get it fixed or whatever. Will call leupold tomorrow and see what they say.
Just wanted to see if anyone else had this problem and what they did about it?
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