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SIGHTRON BIG SKY, ELITE 4200, NIKON MONARCH

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DAVE44 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DAVE44 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: SIGHTRON BIG SKY, ELITE 4200, NIKON MONARCH
    Posted: July/21/2008 at 08:18
Sightron Big Sky 3-9x42 ($355), Elite 4200 2.5-10x42($370), Nikon Monarch 2.5-10x42 ($390).   All are pretty close in price and all have a similar Plex reticle. Who could rank these in order of optical brightness and resoloution? How would you rank these in order of customer service? Do the new Big Sky CLIMATE CONTROL coatings work as well as Bushnells RAINGAURD? Which has the best adjustments and definate clicks you can hear and feel.   Finally, which would you buy for a regular Whitetail hunting rifle?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cyborg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/21/2008 at 08:35
These are so close it's scary glass wise, I have not been able to see any appreciable difference in these scopes. All are of very good quality, value etc. I would rate them as
1) Bushnell, due to excellent CS. That combined with the glass and coatings is hard to beat.
2) Sightron, I have no realtime experience with this scope though I have used one last year on a friends rifle, and they are reported to have good CS.
3) Nikon, The only thing separating these scopes is really the CS, and Nikon is lagging behind the other two. Otherwise I would call it a dead heat.
 
Any of these are excellent scopes and will do exactly as you would want them to do. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote martin3175 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/21/2008 at 09:42
Originally posted by cyborg cyborg wrote:

These are so close it's scary glass wise, I have not been able to see any appreciable difference in these scopes. All are of very good quality, value etc. I would rate them as
1) Bushnell, due to excellent CS. That combined with the glass and coatings is hard to beat.
2) Sightron, I have no realtime experience with this scope though I have used one last year on a friends rifle, and they are reported to have good CS.
3) Nikon, The only thing separating these scopes is really the CS, and Nikon is lagging behind the other two. Otherwise I would call it a dead heat.
 
Any of these are excellent scopes and will do exactly as you would want them to do. 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote brodeur272 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/21/2008 at 10:45
I have had to deal with Sightron once for a scope issue.  Customer service was top notch.  They delivered a new scope to me, no questions asked...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dougedwards Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/21/2008 at 17:16
 You really would need to go to a shop and examine them each yourself to get a good idea of the optical quality.  Sightron cannot be beat for CS.  I have had some problems with Bushnell and Nikon customer service.  I don't know if Sightrons climate control works as well as rainguard.  I would rank them as you have listed them.
 
 Doug
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BobR93 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/25/2008 at 21:51
Dave44...thanks for asking that question...the only thing I would add - Does anyone have  other suggestions that would fit the quality and price range of the 3 scopes already mentioned? Thank you! Bob
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/25/2008 at 22:10
how about the burris signature select?? thats a good scope in that price range

Edited by pyro6999 - July/25/2008 at 22:11
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cyborg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/25/2008 at 22:35
Good catch there Pyro
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DAVE44 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DAVE44 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2008 at 04:36
I didnt mention the Burris Signature Select because I dont see it recommended much on this forum. Also, it is longer and heavier and has a one unit power adjustment and eyebell that a lot of people dont like. Then lastly, I have read several times that their customer service is about as iffy as Nikons which they say also isnt the greatest. I was interested in The 1.5-6x40 with the TAPER PLEX .   The WEAVER GRAND SLAM is a recommended scope but the company has been sold so many times that it worries me also. I like to buy scopes and give them a look over and then sell them to buy another model Im interested in so I can compare and make a decision. I live about 2 hours from anywhere that has any of the scopes I want to compare and even then they only have one or a couple of them. I figure I can buy and sell for a little bit of a loss which will equal what it would have cost me in gas and time to go look at and keep it as long as I need to test compare it to a couple of others. I have had a Kahles Cl 2-7x36 Plex and Elite 4200 3-9x4 both of which I have sold. I am now selling a 3-9x40 Conquest on this site so I can try a different scope. It is my favorite so far but I just got a 4200 Elite firefly that seems pretty nice. I will eventually get another Conquest or Kahles with a 4a reticle to try and if I like the reticle I will keep it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2008 at 09:15
Originally posted by DAVE44 DAVE44 wrote:

I didnt mention the Burris Signature Select because I dont see it recommended much on this forum. Also, it is longer and heavier and has a one unit power adjustment and eyebell that a lot of people dont like. Then lastly, I have read several times that their customer service is about as iffy as Nikons which they say also isnt the greatest. I was interested in The 1.5-6x40 with the TAPER PLEX .   The WEAVER GRAND SLAM is a recommended scope but the company has been sold so many times that it worries me also. I like to buy scopes and give them a look over and then sell them to buy another model Im interested in so I can compare and make a decision. I live about 2 hours from anywhere that has any of the scopes I want to compare and even then they only have one or a couple of them. I figure I can buy and sell for a little bit of a loss which will equal what it would have cost me in gas and time to go look at and keep it as long as I need to test compare it to a couple of others. I have had a Kahles Cl 2-7x36 Plex and Elite 4200 3-9x4 both of which I have sold. I am now selling a 3-9x40 Conquest on this site so I can try a different scope. It is my favorite so far but I just got a 4200 Elite firefly that seems pretty nice. I will eventually get another Conquest or Kahles with a 4a reticle to try and if I like the reticle I will keep it.
helo18 is a big fan of  burris, he needs to come in here and give us his .02 on them. i havent dealt with a sig select but i have owned a ffII and i found it to be a nice scope.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2008 at 11:37
Originally posted by pyro6999 pyro6999 wrote:

Originally posted by DAVE44 DAVE44 wrote:

I didnt mention the Burris Signature Select because I dont see it recommended much on this forum. Also, it is longer and heavier and has a one unit power adjustment and eyebell that a lot of people dont like. Then lastly, I have read several times that their customer service is about as iffy as Nikons which they say also isnt the greatest. I was interested in The 1.5-6x40 with the TAPER PLEX .   The WEAVER GRAND SLAM is a recommended scope but the company has been sold so many times that it worries me also. I like to buy scopes and give them a look over and then sell them to buy another model Im interested in so I can compare and make a decision. I live about 2 hours from anywhere that has any of the scopes I want to compare and even then they only have one or a couple of them. I figure I can buy and sell for a little bit of a loss which will equal what it would have cost me in gas and time to go look at and keep it as long as I need to test compare it to a couple of others. I have had a Kahles Cl 2-7x36 Plex and Elite 4200 3-9x4 both of which I have sold. I am now selling a 3-9x40 Conquest on this site so I can try a different scope. It is my favorite so far but I just got a 4200 Elite firefly that seems pretty nice. I will eventually get another Conquest or Kahles with a 4a reticle to try and if I like the reticle I will keep it.
helo18 is a big fan of  burris, he needs to come in here and give us his .02 on them. i havent dealt with a sig select but i have owned a ffII and i found it to be a nice scope.
 
I am a big Burris fan.  In fact I am waiting for another one to arrive (a XTR).  The Sig Sel is optically as good as the other scopes.  I have a Elite 4200 and the only way the 4200 would beat the Sig Sel is with the Raingaurd. 
 
Burris scopes are a little heavier, but that doesn't bother me. To me they seem to be a little more rugged than other scopes I have had.  As to being longer, I have never had a problem mounting them.  Some other scopes I have run out of room.  Another feature I like is the double springs to hold the adjustments in place.  Usually isn't a problem, but I have had a couple cheap scopes have that spring come apart on me.
 
The power adjustments is a personal prefferance.  I like the simplicity of rotating the entire eyepeice.  Fewer peices to mess up or break.
 
On to the CS.  Maybe I am one of the lucky ones.  I have only had to send in one scope.  A black diamond.  Had a flake on one of the internal lenses.  I emailed them.  The responded the same day, and I sent it in the next day.  With shipping, I think I had the scope back in two and a half weeks, and that included having them put target knobs on it.  I have also talked to them several times about different scope specs (the new XTRs stormcoat, supposed to be like the raingaurd, and about where scopes are made).  They have been friendly and answered all questions in detail.  More than I thought they would.  I would give the CS department an A+ from my experiences.
 
I would recommend putting the Burris in with the others.  Just my $.02
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dougedwards Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/26/2008 at 12:19
 I sold my 6-20x50 Big Sky to purchase a Bushnell 6500 and wish I had my Sightron back.  I did pour water on both lenses to see if the weather coating really works and the water did bead up but the beads were still noticeable as little dark spots when looking through the scope.  These little dark spots did not inhibit the sight picture for hunting.  Hope this helps.........Doug
but you brethren are not of the flesh but of the spirit if indeed the spirit of Christ dwells within you...Romans 8
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