Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Sightron Sll Big Sky or Zeiss Conquest

Shopping for a new scope, and am considering a Sightron Sll Big Sky 3-12x42 (about $500) or a Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10x44 (about $600). Are these two scopes even comparable optically? The Sightron has Climate Control Coating (like Rainguard) which would be helpful since I hunt in the rain a lot, and it is 12x versus the 10x of the Zeiss. I like the higher power, but with Zeiss I'd have to go up to a 50mm scope, or one with AO or Side Focus. Both of them will work size and weight wise, and I know that the Zeiss has great optics, which is pretty important to me.

Also, originally I was thinking Zeiss 4.5-14x44 would be ideal for me for power and objective size, but since it has AO, I don't think that would work for my type of hunting. Basically clearcuts & woods, shots from 25yds to 300yds typically. I was told that for this type of hunting, anything with AO would be a hassle and too slow (except for longer shots). Is this right?

I'm kind of in the same boat in choosing scopes in that price range. I have two Sightrons in the mail one 3-12x42 and the other is the 4.5-14x42AO. I don't have one or a friend that has a Zeiss so I can't compare that, but we'll see in the next month how it compares to a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40.

The sightron big sky has a lot to offer for the $$$

Set the AO to infinity, hold the scope up to the sky, adjust the focus whit the rear eyepiece till your cross hairs are clear, lock everything down. NEVER worry about it again.

It may be right that some find it a hassle, but I haven't noticed any drawbacks with my 8 Zeiss 4.5 X 14 X44's with the side adjust.

As you now know, we hunt almost the exact same terrain. Thick, wet, western WA woods. But I do find some opportunities on game which extend well past 300 yards while hunting large clear cuts. I also hunt the eastside and take the occasional out-of-state hunt to much more open environs.

AO's/side adjusts are simple to use and as much time spent with your rifle as I'm assuming you do, the more familiar you become with that particular system.

I've got another Zeiss of the same model/power on order right now, it will be mounted next week on my new laminated 300WSM Tikka. Trust me, if I thought it wasn't a prudent choice and I hadn't had a great deal of success in using it, I wouldn't either be ordering another one or suggesting to you that you do. That still doesn't automatically make it the best choice for you, but it isn't a bad choice.....IMHO. These scopes have wonderful glass and all adjustments are performed easily and are located conveniently.

The 4.5 X 14 X 44 comes in a 1 inch tube, which I like. Lots of choices out there be it Sightron, Zeiss or Leupys, etc. Get what you want and what you think will work for you. I hate hindsite stuff 'cuz that generally means I messed up somewhere, whether earth shattering or not. In this instance, I'd rather be able to dial down to a lower magnification than not being able to dial up 'cuz a higher magnification doesn't exist........just my way of approching this issue.

Good luck to you. Please yourself, that's all that is truly important.

This summer I bought a 3.5x10x50 big sky and a 3.5x10x50 conquest to Me the Sightron is the better scope of the two both are heads above My vx III of the same size. The one place I like the Zeiss over the Sightron is the Z plex is heavier than the duplex in the big sky for low light conditions although I have never had a problem seeing the duplex in the big sky.

Blacktails,

Earlier this year, I came up on four deer about forty yards away. Three were spiks and one was a doe. I have a doe tag which allows me to take a spike or a doe. The one spike with horns about 8" long was about the size of a normal buck: Way bigger than a doe. My 3-15X Sightron is older so it does not have the new coating. I could not see a thing because of the rain on the scope. In all the activity trying to get a piece of clean t-shirt out to clean the scope, they left.

Absolutely, my next scope will have the hydophobic lenses.

Having owned both, I liked the Sightron better. The image in both was very sharp, but I don't like the euro style, eyepiece focus on the Zeiss. I like the locking type found on Leupolds and Sightrons. Focus the reticle, lock the ring, and never dick with it again.

i have some vx 111 leupolds, bushnell elite 3200s. a nikon monarch. just sold a zeiss conquest 4.5-14. i would take the new bigsky over any of them!

you could do this type of hunting with a 2.5 x 8 or a 3 x 9. Instead of more power think about a rapid Z reticle or a Boone and Crockett for longer shots. I guess Sightrons are OK, I want to try one, I have as a middle class over the hill, kids in college deer hunter 3 of the Zeiss conquest scopes and so far they are the best thing that I have ever owned. I cannot see why you could not do anything you want to do with a lower powered variable. Incidently the Rapid Z 600 works fine in the woods from day break to dusk and I like it better than the traditional reticles.

Get the see through lens covers that flip up from Butler Creek.

I did not add in my other post, but I will add here. Sightron has proven to me to be the absolute best scope on the market. All do to the way the erector tube adjustment is handled. No shift in point of aim. If you only knew how sick I am with this problem in other brands of scopes (Leupold). I do not care about any thing else as much in a scope as this one problem.

Any shift of POA does not put meat on my table. Flip open see through lens covers prevent water on lens problems.

The above comes from a guy that has used Leupold scopes since the early 70's. For a hunter, that only cares about the real world hunting or target scopes, Sightron scopes is where I put my money.

Of the Conquests I've tried (3-9x40&50, 3.5-10x44&50) I like the 3.5-10x44 the least. I don't care for its eye relief characteristics, a little short but kind of critical for full performance. The 3-9x40 and 3.5-10x50 are much better in this respect.

3-9x40 with #4 is awesome

So what's the deal with Sightron's Climate Control coating? Is it as good as Bushnell's rainguard?

I have been very pleased with my Zeiss Conquests. For 300 yards I would put a 6X42 Leupold, or similar 6X, or a 2 1/2-8X38 on the rifle & never look back. I have many rifles with a 6X42 Leupold & 3-9X40/50MM Conquests & have made shots to 400 yards with no trouble. As mentioned, a 2 1/2X8 is also a great scope I had one on a switch barrel 280/7MM Gibbs & shot a lot of game. Some times we hunters like to made things complicated. I am sure either scope will serve you well.

You say you've used Leupolds since the 70's and had them shift POI on you ? I find that at odds with my own Leupold experiences. I've never tested for this like Ray Atkinson has, but after covering many miles in some very rough desert sheep ranges and quite a few on icey, slippery slopes were falls and hard bumps are very common, I've never had one shift. I've had rifle change zero from other causes, but no scope POI shifting.
I've used, primarily the 4X28, the newer FXII 4X, and a couple of 6X42's, the 3-9X33 Compact as well as a 3.5-10X40 VariXIII. I've also had excellent service from an old B&L 4X.
My information is that no matter what scope you use, if it gets impacted hard enough or often enough, it will shift POI or break something like the reticle inside of the scope. But there are real differences in how soon these things will happen. Some brands hold up better than others as do some models.
What I'm asking is which model Leupold shifted and under what conditions ? Why do you think the Sightron won't ? Or hasn't. E

What part of "Sightron SII Big Sky or Zeiss Conquest" had "Leupold" in it?

Since you've used or owned neither, what advice between the two are you bringing to the table?

From what I've seen through both, the Zeiss might offer a bit better glass (okay, it probably does), a touch brighter, more clear........... but the Sightron is RIGHT on it's azz, and a fantastic scope in it's own right.

Of the two, I'd run the Sightron.

Sean, did you try the 6x42 Big Sky?

I own one. Along with a 6x42 SII (non-Big Sky), an FX-III (2, actually), soon to be an M8 6x42, a Pentax 6x42, a Nikon 6x42.............

See a trend?

I was just wondering about the 6x42 myself. At $299 with the $50 rebate is seems like a steal...