sightron111

[garyw]

just taken delivery of the 8-32-56 s111 out of the box it looks like a winner.i am going to compare it side by side with a nf scope i have this weekend.i will mount it on my cooper 6br then sight it in. if i do a box test what amount of moa should i dial in for windage- elevation and should i go down-left-up-back to start?
thanks garyw

 

[canuck]

I was going to buy a second NF but am waiting to hear more feedback on the Sightron, pros+ cons of each scope). I will look forward to reading your comments.

 

[jb1000br]

Hopefully it performs like this one...

http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/first-look-sightron-siii-8-32x56-scope/

http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/sightron-siii-8-32x56-scope-test-part-ii/

JB

 

[garyw]

jason ill follow your test and see where i go,as stated im going to test it,s111)along side my nf this scope is on a 20tact.
i read your report and found it very interesting one thing i dont understand and thats when you refer to "lash",could you enlighten me.
thanks garyw

 

[jb1000br]

In this case, "lash" is when you can't get a focused FOV, and have it be parallax free at the same time.

focus and lack of parallax perfection should correspond...if they do, then there is no "lash" in the parallax adjustment.

Report back

JB

 

[AlNyhus]

Hi Jason.

It's unusual that a scope will correct the parallax and offer the sharpest f.o.v. at the same time...at least in my experiences. I've had a couple of them that do that, but not many.

I believe this says more about the internals lens alignment that anything.

Good shootin'. -Al

P.S. If Sightron offered this scope in a 12-42 range with 1/8" adjustments and a proper reticle, NF would have some serious competition. And I'd have another scope. -Al

 

[garyw]

s111vnf.
mounted the s111 on my cooper 6br saturday and took it out today,sun).as i posted earlier in the week i wanted to compare side by side with my nxs 5.5x22x56 that i have on a dakota predator in tact20.
this was a test from a varminters view because i dont shoot benchrest or any other competition my main quarry here in the uk is fox mainly night shooting with a spot light,commonly called lamping)and rabbits day/night and crows when i can get near enough also lots of paper punching.
so set up the 6br and got on paper in 3 shots went to 100yds and was 1" high@100yds with 62gn berger match.
i did a box test from a portable bench with a harris bi-pod and rear bag.the wind was from my 7.00 position variable and gusting the night before we had a light covering of snow and it was sunny with some cloud a very clear day.
results.
2shots at 10mm circle- top right both touching.
clicked down 80 clicks-2 shots 1/4" apart
clicked left 80 clicks-2 shots 1/2" apart horizontal{wind}
clicked up 80 clicks- 2shots just touching
clicked right 80 clicks 2 shots first shot went 1/2" right of original start{wind -slight mirage from sound moderator}the last shot the wind dropped and last shot went 3/4" high of first two.
so overall with all the adjustment of the scope it went back to where i started within 1 m.o.a.
i really expected to be all over the paper at the finish because i dont shoot in competition.the variable wind didnt help with my confidence but i did surprise myself.
image test.
i set up both rifles side by side on the bench and looked over the fields in front of me.i was on a farm where i control the fox population this farm is one of 5 joined up to form a shooting syndicate for pheasant/partridge and duck.i picked out various areas with woods, game cover,maize strips)winter crops and a field with sheep in.on various power settings starting on 8 power with both scopes i looked at all various light/colour contrasts
at ranges from 100 to 511 yds confirmed with range finder.
the game cover strips i mentioned were at the 511 yds and around this were a large number of pheasants busy feeding,with both scopes on 22x, the max for the nf i could pick out the colours on the cock pheasants the s111 probably had the edge for clarity when the sun was shining but when a cloud rolled through the nf had a clear edge.this is why i use the nf for lamping.
overall conclusions.
hard to seperate both scopes in the conditions in the field i did find the nf more user friendly the elevation/windage knobs gave better click feel and are not covered like the s111 this may not be a problem on the bench but in the field you dont want to be removing cover caps and risk losing them.
the focus knobs are comparable,the s111 scores points when winding up the power in that the eye piece doesnt rotate as does the nf this is a problem if you have butler creeks on, the open cover can get snagged if its not at the 12.00 oclock position.
the nf gains a lot of points back with the choice of reticles mine has the np2dd giving holdover points the s111 only has the target dot,maybe this will be addressed in the future?.

bottom line is money! if you can afford a nightforce in the uk they sell for £1050. get one!
if you want to save some money the s111 is £767 with the saving you can buy a lot of powder/bullets/primers and maybe some flowers for the wife!and you wont be dissapointed.
i am very pleased with the s111 so far, next year i will try my hand at comp shooting with the 6br the real test for this scope will be at night with the lamp.

this test was not as thorough as Jason Bayney did but i think i did my best.please feel free to comment good or bad.
garyw

 

[NateHaler]

There's no need to keep the caps on the Sightron turrets, except to prevent the turrets from getting nicked up in transit. When using the scope, the caps should stay off, and the turrets are waterproof without the caps.

Nightforce NXS and Leupold M1 style turrets look heavy duty, but otherwise are only a knob. Just like Sightron, or any other brand/model which bills itself as waterproof.

The caps should be treated like the box the scope came in. Leave it at home, until such time as you need to stow the gear.

 

[jb1000br]

Al, start saving your pennies

gary, good test, haven't heard anyone express disappointment yet

Like NH said, they are waterproof without the caps...

Cheers,
JB

 

[flatlander]

Al,
Why would you like to see the SIII with 1/8 min. clicks? Smallbore?

I've backed away from certain scopes that I'd otherwise have liked to own simply because they had 1/8 min. clicks - everything else I own has 1/4 min. adjustments, and I didn't want to get away from 'the norm'.

Personally, I have no need for finer adjustments, especially on a scope that's going to see use at 600+yds.

 

[garyw]

NH,JB.thanks for that info on the caps it doesnt say anything like that in the booklet that comes with the scope.
as i stated when i buy a scope it has to work as good at night as in daylight.a lot of high end scopes dont transmit artificial light as well as they should why this is i dont know.someone out there will tell us im sure.
the best day/night scope i own is a kahles helia s 3-12-56 steel body tube.this has been on my 17rem tikka for 8 yrs now and is my walk about lamping rifle.leupold dont seem too clever at night the nf i have is very good but not as good as it is in daylight.
i am of course comparing natural light to artificial and the comparative performance.
anyone else care to chip in?
garyw

 

[AlNyhus]

Al, start saving your pennies
Cheers,
JB

Jason: Pennies are ready. I've heard about the 10-50X56 scope for several months now and have been patiently waiting. I've had a need for such a scope for the past season for one of my BR rigs, but I've held off buying a NiteForce in anticipation of this Sightron and have been juggling my Sightron 36X between two guns as needed. I should probably order a new Sightron 36X Big Sky and designate that to one of the guns in case this 10-50 model is delayed...may end up doing that anyway to hedge my bets.

Take care. -Al

 

[AlNyhus]

Al,
Why would you like to see the SIII with 1/8 min. clicks? Smallbore?

I've backed away from certain scopes that I'd otherwise have liked to own simply because they had 1/8 min. clicks - everything else I own has 1/4 min. adjustments, and I didn't want to get away from 'the norm'.

Personally, I have no need for finer adjustments, especially on a scope that's going to see use at 600+yds.

I'd like to see the 1/8" adjustments for the 100-300 yd. BR game. At 100 yds, the 'X' dot we shoot at is .0625,1/16") in diameter. The finer the adjustments, the closer you can get to having a dead center zero in your chosen condition. This game is brutally competitive and you simply have to shoot a big 'X' count to stay in the hunt. The further you have to hold off, the harder it gets to shoot those X's. As conditions change..pretty soon you get into a situation where you're 'holding off from a holdoff'. A major train wreck is just around the corner once you start doing that.

At 200 yds, the 'X' dot is only 1/8" in diameter. And even though 200 yds. is usually a game of shooting 10's and letting the X's take care of themselves....it's gotten to the point that you need to shoot about 40% of the X's at 200 yds. to stay alive for the Grand Agg win.

That's the reason you see very, very few NiteForce NSX models in BR. The 1/4" adjustments...while doable...just don't offer the precision neeeded to wring the best out of these rifles.

Good shootin'. -Al

 

[flatlander]

Al, I can certainly see your point. I've gotten burnt more than once using hold-off on the NRA LR target at 1000, and even in our club's BR Varmint Silhouette, which features varmint targets in upright positions from 200M to 500M. The little steel critters give you plenty of vertical latitude, but you'd better be really close when doping the wind.