Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Sightron SII 3x9x42 vs Leupold 3x9x40 VXII

I'm thinking of purchasing a Sightron scope. but I've not had a chance to handle one in person so I'd like to hear from some of you guys that own both or at least have done a side by side comparison, Most all My scopes are Leupolds and I am familiar with their line. Do the Sightron SIIs compare favorably with the VXIIs or are they closer to VX I quality? What about the SII BIG SKY scopes are they VX III quality?....Thanks...........547.

If you're wanting a 3-9 scope...just pick up a 4200 Bushnell...beat the pants off either two for similar $$$..

Three years ago , me and my nephew tried to get our mutual elderly friend into the Varmint Hunters 1000yard club, he had a 25-06 shooting 115gr Bergers with a Sightron scope.
We found him numorous critters to shoot at but he could never find them in the POS Sightron scope, One year later after we had talked him into a Leupold 6.5x20LR scope he made the club in three shots.
dont mess around get a VX-111 and be done.
B

547;

I have run, and currently run, Sightron SIIs and Leupolds.

My current pairing is a Sightron SIIB and a Leupold FX-III, both 6x42. To be flat honest, I cannot find any significant "in the field" difference between the two. Leupold is better in a couple regards, but only very slightly. Sightron is better is a couple regards, but only very slightly.

The SIIBs are a helluva lot closer to, or equal to, VX-III/FX-III quality than they are to the FX-II/VX-II line, and head-and-shoulders above the VX-I stuff.

Get the Sightron, see for yourself.

VAnimrod,
I agree with most of your posts, but on this one the only good Sightron is one that one of your buddies ownes. they are overrated and a POS.....IMHO
B

Yes?

547,

Apparently my mileage is different from some of the other posters. When I bought my STW, I looked for the most bang for the buck in a scope. But I didn't mind spending the money. When I compared the 3-9Xs I ended up with a Zies and a Swaro. It took awhile but finally I selected the Swaro. The fellow behind the counter said, "Now try this one. Don't look at the brand, just look through the scope." The difference was so obvious I didn't need to look through the Swaro. It was an Leupie LPS.

Then I decided to go up to the next magnification. Again I ended up with the Swaro 4-12X and the Leupie 3 1/2-14X LPS; and the Sightron II 3-15X. Both of the latter were better than the Swaro.

I determined this by taking the final three outside the store after sunset. I picked out a twig about two blocks away with the Swaro. I used it first because I thought the others would not do as well. Then I found the twig with the LPS. It was not a twig, but two very close together. Again I looked through the Swaro and saw a twig. I looked through the Leupie again and definately saw two. Then I checked out the Sightron II and saw two. It was about $600 cheaper than the Leupie, so I bought it.

Did your nephew have a SI or SII? There is a world of difference in the optics of these two.

'Twasn't his nephew; and I'll bet heavily on an SI, or a scope that was just bad.... of course the warranty that just give you a new one over the counter ain't a bad option if it was the latter.

sambubba, that would be my question too. In side by side comparisons of both scopes, I have found the opposite. In my testing the SII is optically better. The resolution and color spectrum is better than the VXII. The SII's eye relief is very comparable to the VXII also.

In the 200.00-300.00 range, the only glass I have found better is the 4200. The SII and VXII both have better eye relief than the 4200 but if shorter eye relief isn't an issue, the 4200's are the way to go in that price range.

Hope this helps and have fun,

Rob

The short eye relief is exactly the reason I've not considered a 4200, I have no doubt these scopes are bright and sharp but I'm used to the much longer eye relief of my leupolds, The Sightrons specs say they have very good eye relief, and like VA said you can't beat a warranty like Sightrons. If its comparable optically to a Leupold VXII 3x9x40 the Sightron SII 3x9x42 at $199.00 is a much better value....Thanks for the comments men.....547.

Thanks Va, your opinion is always highly regarded in my book................547.

IMHO, I think Sightron took the Leupolds that they wanted to compete with, reverse engineered them, and made the SIIB. The one's that I've used have even LOOKED like Leuppies. In the field, I can't tell the difference.

Va, I'm thinking of trying one of those $199.00 SII 3x9x42s, What do you think is it the equal of a VXII 3x9x40?..............547.

The SII is a helluva scope for the money. I've got a few myself. Have no qualms about whether or not it is good glass.

I won'r compare them to a VXII as I've never side by sided them but, trust me, you will not be disappointed in a SII or a Big Sky...

For 199$, I'd buy 3....

As I recall the specs, the Sightron is a fixed eye relief model whereas the Leupold is not. That means a larger eye box on the Leupold at the lower magnifications. Since most hunt with the magnification turned down for closer, faster shots, the VXII would have the advantage here.
The only reason the Sightron would test with a sharper image would be due to light pollution. They are as capable of transmiting an image as any. E

Why is a fixed eye relief a bad thing Eremicus????? To me, it is a good thing to have a fixed eye relief. The variable eye relief on most Leupolds makes it more difficult to set up a scope.

Roy

The specs of the Sightron are not fixed and run just a tenth or so shorter than the Leupie... That is what the paperwork says... They also call it a 3-9x40, not 42.

In the real World mount the two scopes or put them side by side and check how critical the eye relief is on each. If the answer is not startlingly clear I would be shocked. The eye relief on the Sightron is decidedly more critical.
art

I know the older model Sightron's had WAY shorter eye relief than advertised. I also didn't think the optics on 3 (yes I kept trying) 4-16's were all that great either. The ugly AO didn't help. I finally gave up but have been told the newest models, Big Sky's I guess have better eye relief but they aren't $200 either. If the Big Sky's come down cheaper than good deal Leupolds I'll no doubt try them again.

Dave

Failed to point out my tape shows considerable discrepency between advertised eye relief and actual on the Sightron. Meant to be more clear on that.
art