Nightforce-Sightron-IOR-Bushnell Elite

[olsonj85]

NightForce NXS 5.5-22X56
Sightron SIII 6.5-24X50
IOR Valdada 35mm 6-24X50
Bushnell Elite 6500 4.5-30X50

I have spent a long time reading threads that compare clarity. So to avoid that issue lets assume clarity and resolution to be equal. My question is can any of these others hold zero and return to zero like a NF? My primariy concern with a scope is that it be a reliable sight. I will be shooting not over 1k yards. Also I will be hunting with the set up. Thanks any first hand experience would be appreciated. I could find the extra money if needed but obviously would prefer to save it for other equipment if the cost isn't necassary.

 

[olsonj85]

One other thing. I have an old VX-III that I am thinking of using so I can wait to see if this new Vortex Scope comes to fluition as a contenter. Thoughs on that idea as well. Thank you.

 

[Buffalobob]

Unless it is the wrong power or objective lens, there is nothing wrong with the VX3s. They are used successfully every weekend in long range competition. And every year when hunting season rolls around the Luepolds will at the top of the list in killing animals at and beyond 1K. No other scope on your list except the Nightforce comes close to killing the amount of animals at long range. So if actually killing animals is important to you then Luepold should be on your list.

Evaluating optics depends on you and how you evaluate the world. When I decided to buy a pair of binoculars I made a post and asked a question. Of the people who replied I looked at who actually used binoculars and what were their results in the field finding animals. The people I relied on were Mechele, Goodgrouper, Uncle B, and a customer of Shawn Carlocks who had just killed a deer at a range of 1300+ yards. When I looked for a spotting scope I evaluated advice based upon the track record of the people giving the advice.

The internet is like real life except worse. People like to run their mouth and give advice and real experience and real knowledge is no obstacle. Oftentimes neither is honesty. While at times we are all wrong and will make mistakes there are simply people who are wrong more often than they are right. If you go down to the poll of "What is your Longest shot" you will see that less than 10% of the forum members have ever killed a big game animal at a range beyond 800 yards. On the other hand there are forum members who do it every year or at least regularly. That should tell you something. One of the great reasons to go up to Pennsylvania for the groundhog shooting is that Kevin Cram has some great optics of different types. It is more interesting looking at his optics than shooting at ground hogs.


Now then, with all that said, a forum member named "Ernie" is going to evaluate some of the scopes on your list. Ernie knows what a scope has to do at long range hunting and he is an honest person. The only thing he will not be able to determine is how a scope is going to do over time in the field such as being dunked in a beaver pond or being rolled down the hill and whacked into a tree. If I was you I would just wait on Ernie.

 

[RockZ]

I have experience with Nightforce and Sightron.
Both are very good scopes and hold zero well.
If money is no object, I would stick with the nightforce, much more durable and beefier. I like the adjustments better as well.

the sightron has thinner tube , less durable tube. I banged my sightron SIII 6-24x50 original model, against a concrete shooting bench and it dented the objective bell pretty badly(guess I was clumbsy)-of course they did change it out for me-no cost. Great customer service

Also, when shooting the sightron in my 338 lapua improved w/ 20moa base and had the scope dialed all the way down to my 100yd zero, the parallax adjustment became disconnected and had to send it back to get it reset.

Of course they reset the parallax adjustment-no charge

don't get me wrong I love the sightrons and for the money there is no beating them, i have 3 of them, but when a choice is given for field work--I as will always choose Nightforce.