Broken scope, need opions on replacement

[D.Camilleri]

Went on a deer hunt last thursday and I forgot my rifle scabbard, so I borrowed one from my hunting partner. The scabbard was brand new leather, never used, but age unknown. About a quarter mile from the trail head, my horse bucked and then I noticed why. One of the straps on the scabbard had broken, rifle dropped down horse bucked breaking other strap and in the process bent the tube on my sightron 4-16 target scope on my 338 rum. I returned the scope to sightron to see if they can repair it, but with the way my luck has been this hunting season, it is time to pony up for another scope.

So, this brings me to the big question, what scope to replace the broken one with? I have read some good things about the sightron SIII and I am currently bidding on a new 6-24x50 with 30mm and side focus on ebay. I am also bidding on a used Vx-III 6.5 -20x50 with 30mm and side focus with target turrets that is only a couple of years old and appears like new. I have read some mixed reviews of leupold vxIII's as to less that great glass. Maybe I should buy them both and sell the one I like the least or buy them both and put one on my 300 rum.

What do you guys think?

 

[D.Camilleri]

What are too good to pass up prices on these two scopes? I am at 575.00 on the VxIII and 460.00 on the SIII and it ends today.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I think if your original scope were a NF, the tube wouldn't have bent... sooo, I would advise getting a NF.

Just my $.02

Mark

 

[Pdvdh]

What are too good to pass up prices on these two scopes? I am at 575.00 on the VxIII and 460.00 on the SIII and it ends today.

Dealer cost on the SIII is around $650. If it's new and you can get it for less than $725 it would be a pretty good buy.

Don't know about the Leupy. Sorry about your scope - good luck.

 

[D.Camilleri]

Well, lost the auction in the last 8 seconds on the sightron, oh well. I was at 625.00 I still have a bid going on a vx-111 that ends tomorrow. My other option is to buy new, I have access to buy at cost, but my contact is gone elk hunting and I want my 338 back in action to kill a deer and a long range cow elk. 5 point bull is already in the freezer or the garage aging until I get motivated to cut up the meat.

 

[Pdvdh]

Could you let me know what Sightron says about your broken scope. This will be a good test to see how their warranty program functions. Thanks.

 

[J E Custom]

I have several leupold's in 4.5x14x 50 and I think the glass is great for the price.

As to the durability issue the toughest scope that I know of is the Burris , But the
light gathering is not as good as some other scopes. None of the scopes will take that
kind of abuse so don't blame the scope.

There is something that might help when pack hunting or traveling on air lines I like
to use the Leupold or other quick disconnect scope rings and bases so I can remove
the scope for transport and install when ready to hunt.

If you buy quality QD scope mounts they are repeatable.

The Near Picatinny(Rail type) is also repeatable if you want to use this type of system.

I am sure there are others but I have experience with the Leupold QDs and the Near
rings and bases.

J E CUSTOM

 

[D.Camilleri]

When I called their customer service dept. I asked if they could fix my scope or give me an estimate to repair it. The lady that I spoke with said box it up and ship it to them. We will see how good there customer service is. I had two other 6-24 sightrons that I returned to them for lack of consistancy, but in retrospect, I think the problem was a *** barrel job and not the scopes fault. Both times however they replaced the scope with no questions. The last time the dealer that I bought the scope from only had a 4-16 and so I took that instead of the 6-24 because it was right at hunting time. I won't hold anything against sightron if they don't do anything for me on this issue, because surviving a kick from a horse on the eyepiece is hard to take without getting damaged.

Their is a local smith that did a great job putting on my broughton barrel that is playing with the sightron SII Big Skys right now with good success as far as making drop compensation turrets for them.

Does anyone know the difference between the SII and SII Big Sky, other that a couple hundred dollars?

 

[Pdvdh]

I didn't realize the quick detach scope mounts were repeatable enough to count on for long range shooting. Very good tip if they are! Thanks J E for sharing.

I agree on the toughness of the scopes. There is no scope that can be used as a cheater bar to extend the handle on a socket wrench without bending, no matter how devout the NF owners might be. NF is no cheater bar, nor is any other scope. The only thing those heavy scopes do is slow me down in the field and cause me to cuss the weight of my outfit when I'm backpacking. I think I'm going to try out one of the new VX-3 Leupys in order to reduce weight on my packing rifles. It sounds as if the glass in the new VX-3 is now improved to compete with the competition in that price range. Good for Leupy.

But I own two Sightron SIII 6-24x50 LRMDs and for the money, they have the best glass of any scope I've looked through yet. And I've compared them to IOR and Zeiss Conquest. So for the time being, I'm a Sightron SIII man.

The SII Big Sky Sightron has higher quality glass than the SII. More along the lines of the SIII Sightrons. If you want better glass, go with the SII Big Sky or the SIII. So far it sounds like Sightron has treated you very well under their warranty program. They brag their warranty program, which is why I'm interested in seeing what they'll do when a horse kicks the living sh_t out of one of their scopes.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I agree on the toughness of the scopes. There is no scope that can be used as a cheater bar to extend the handle on a socket wrench without bending, no matter how devout the NF owners might be. NF is no cheater bar, nor is any other scope. The only thing those heavy scopes do is slow me down in the field and cause me to cuss the weight of my outfit when I'm backpacking.

I agree that no scope, includung a NF, can be used as a cheater bar. But I do think the NF would have A LOT better chance of not being bent by being dropped off a horse than a Burris or Leupy or Sightron That's one reason they weigh a little more...

I took my Sendero with 5.5-22x50 NSX and bi-pod for about a 10 mile walk last weekend and did not feel the least bit encumbered or weighed down. Didn't feel a whole lot different than than my old M77 with B&L scope Total weight is about 11 1/5 lb vs 9 lb... what's the big diff?

I think that the CS for Burris, Leupy, Sightron, etc., are a lot more busy than the NF CS.

But that's JMHO

But hey, get another Sightron and hope it doesn't fall again.

 

[D.Camilleri]

J E, thanks for the suggestion on a quick detach scope, but that really wasn't the issue. The issue is CRS. If I wouldn't have forgotten my nice padded nylon scabard, we wouldn't even be discussing this issue. The week prior, I was riding the horse in the snow, spotted a heard of elk that had me pegged, dismounted the horse, grabbed my rifle and fired as they bolted. One dead bull. No way there would have been time to mount the scope. I barely had time to chamber a round.

I always had high regards for the VX-III and I am still trying to buy a good used one with side focus and 30mm tube and 50mm objective in a 6.5 to 20. I just wish I would have won the auction on the Sightron SIII so I could have tried it. Lately I have been reading a lot of reviews on the VXIII's that are a little sub par.

I actually was pretty pleased with the sightron SII 4-16, especially since I know my eyes aren't as good as they used to be.

 

[Pdvdh]

I always had high regards for the VX-III and I am still trying to buy a good used one with side focus and 30mm tube and 50mm objective in a 6.5 to 20. Lately I have been reading a lot of reviews on the VXIII's that are a little sub par.

Leupy's VX-III is no longer a current production scope. It has been replaced with the VX-3, and the VX-3 has improved glass coatings and improved light transmission. If you are going to go with a Leupy, I would highly recommend the current VX-3 model over the out-of-production VX-IIIs.

I may try a VX-3 myself, only because it's offered in a power range that the Sightron SIIIs aren't available in. Otherwise I'd stick with another SIII.

PS: I just talked with Sightron. A buddy borrowed my rifle and lost one turret cap and stepped on the other one during the heat of battle. Sightron said they would send me out replacement turret caps at no cost for my SIII. Pretty sweet.

MR - The weight makes a significant difference to me. My hunting is all backpack hunting. I have two IOR's that weigh 29 oz. They've been replaced with Sightron's that weight 21.7 oz. And now that Leupy has improved their VX-3 glass, I may move into their VX-3 4.5-14X50 LR, at about 16 oz. I've been on three Alaskan mountain hunts in the past two months. Two of them 9-10 miles into the mountains, one 4 miles in. The IORs are like boat anchors. The SIIIs were are relief in the right direction compared to the IORs. NF is even heavier. I'd rather bend a scope now and then than pack that 'dead' weight around for miles and miles. If I could drive up near my hunting locations, the heavyweights would be tolerable. I'm no longer willing to tolerate that extra 10-16 oz of weight that adds nothing to the accuracy of my rifles. The best thing about a NF is if you decide to sell one, they have great resale value. I suspect that many NF users set camp up next to their 4WDs or 4-wheelers, or hunt in situations where long walks are not mandatory to get into some good hunting. Either that or they're into body building. I've fired the first shot over the NF owner's here and the return fire should begin in earnest at any time.

 

[D.Camilleri]

The new VX-3 does look to be a bit better than the old model VX-III, but it is hard to say for sure. I have a friend who put an old Vx-III 2.5-8 on a friends gun to get it shooting right (the swarvo wasn't doing it's part) so his friend went out and bought him a brand new Vx-3 replacement. Believe it or not, his old scope was clearer.

The scope I am bidding on is several years old, if I don't win it for the right price, I will probably go new. The question is if I go new, sightron or Leupold? My goal is for a drop compensation turrett and I think both will work. Clarity is paramount, because it means I can leave my spotting scope in camp.

Speaking of spotting scopes, I bought a leupold green ring 15-45x60 last year and I am disappointed in its clarity. Not much better than my old bushnell.

 

[Pdvdh]

The question is if I go new, Sightron or Leupold? My goal is for a drop compensation turrett and I think both will work. Clarity is paramount, because it means I can leave my spotting scope in camp.

Speaking of spotting scopes, I bought a leupold green ring 15-45x60 last year and I am disappointed in its clarity. Not much better than my old bushnell.

Sightron SIII will have better resolution (clarity) than a Leupy. The 6-24x50mm LR SIII model will weight 21.7 oz, and comes with a 30mm tube diameter.

The Leupy 12-40X spotter with ED glass is a pretty darn good spotter. Even with 12-40X spotter without the ED glass (the model I used to own) is a pretty decent spotting scope. Your 15-45X model is their middle-of-the-road quality spotter.