Sightron SIII SS 10-50x60 FT IR MOA

Time was when a glance up and down the firing line of any field target shoot would see a mass of little gold rings on scopes, the telltale sign of the Leupold. There were others of course but the ubiquitous 20-50s and Mk4s were long the Rolls Royces of scopes – light, bright and capable.

In recent years several manufacturers have spent time and money developing scopes specifically for field target. Some have succeeded, the Big Nikko being the best example, others, for many reasons, have just never found favour. Why? Because FT shooters are a fussy lot, who have extremely particular requirements; some will live with a heavy scope, some won’t, others are looking to dig the darkest target out of the dingiest wood and woe betide any scope that cannot do that job. Word soon gets out about a good thing though, and the fact that 43 competitors at the 2015 World FT Championships, including the eventual winner, were using the same scope, seems to indicate that the Sightron SIII is a good thing.

Wassit Like?

The model I have is the SIII FT; this comes either with 1/8 MOA turrets and a MOA-2 reticule, or with MRAD turrets and a Mil Hash reticule. I wanted the MRAD turrets and MOA-2 reticule, but they don’t make one, so I couldn’t have it!

Starting at the ocular lens, there is a heavily indented ring to adjust the reticule focus; as the reticule was clear and sharp when I looked through the scope, I didn’t touch the adjustment. In front and slightly to the left is the control for the illuminated reticule. This is not a feature I have ever had on an FT scope before, but I can think of one or two courses where it could be useful. There are numbers around the control that indicate the light intensity, these are highlighted in silver and are easily seen.

Just in front of the IR control is the magnification control. The SIII adjusts from 10 to 50 mag and the zoom ring is neatly engraved in well-marked steps.

Next along the 30mm tube we come to the saddle containing the focus control, elevation and windage turrets. Focus first, there is a 35mm knob fitted to adjust the focus, this is well-damped, feels solid and works well, although in a distinctly non-linear way (more later). The scope also comes with a 125mm side wheel, which is essential for FT. I can’t say I’m mad about the S logo design as the edges are a little sharp, but it’s light and wellmade and saves the expense of having a custom wheel made.

On top is the turret cap for the elevation turret and under the cap there is a target style turret. The clicks are positive, but quite-fine and so a shooting gloved hand would need to take care. The hashes and numbers on the turret are very well-cut and are a nice bright silver, there is also an indication of turret rotation on top of the turret.

Under the windage turret cap we have, unsurprisingly, an identical turret.

Past the saddle, the tube flares out to the 60mm objective lens, there is a locking ring with silver highlighted writing and that is pretty much it. The overall finish is matt black, and in the hand the SIII feels robust, reasonably light and well put together, as you would expect from a scope made in Japan.

Mount Up!

The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say, so time to fit the side wheel and get the SIII onto a rifle.

When installing the side wheel, I found that the threads for the grub screws are cut in at an angle, which makes getting an Allen key onto the screws extremely easy, nice touch. The first thing you see looking through the scope is a nice, clear, bright and detailed sight picture, the image is quite flat but clear edge to edge and the reticule floats in the centre of the picture. Using the big side wheel provided, focus is very smooth and well damped, I am hoping this will become a little easier with use, but that’s just my personal preference. Focusing in on very fine details is straightforward and I found myself looking at frayed reset strings, wet cobwebs and other tiny details. Looking into a brighter sky, the kind of high-target scenario loved by certain course setters, a mistiness immediately becomes visible which is not there with my 20-50 Leupold. I am not using a sunshade on the test scope though and I’m sure that one would help. However, when the flare appears, winding the zoom back a little from 50 to 40 mag makes it instantly disappear, so this looks to be a lens issue and one that I believe is known to Sightron.

The MOA-2 reticule is quite fine and made up of sharp black lines, I like this very much, as the reticule is there when you need it but can easily be ignored when you are trying to get a razor sharp focus on a target. In use, the dot centre is excellent and allows you to pick your point of aim with real precision, of course, holding it there is another matter, but that’s all down to the shooter.

Going the Distance

Range-finding was carried out on a rather dull and dingy day at Avon Hawks. Brighter days will sometimes give a scope a harder time, but if you can see badly lit targets, you can see anything. The SIII really doesn’t seem to mind which direction you move the side wheel, as the ranges just come in bang on the mark every time. Chosen objects come into focus quite quickly with the SIII, and as soon as the target is sharp, stop. By all means go past sharp focus and come back at it from the opposite direction, but the moment you see the target, string, screw head or whatever it is you are focusing on come into focus, stop, cos you’re there, and will be over and over and over again. The SIII will also range accurately at much lower magnification, not something I often do, but there are times when circumstances dictate, and when I did, the scope was bob-on the mark.

One comment I made earlier, is that the range finding is extremely non-linear. It’s the same with all side-wheel scopes, but very noticeable with the SIII. This means that things get a little cramped on the wheel as you get closer to 55 yards; there are distinct gaps, but they are small. The way round this is a different type of side wheel, one which is not circular, there are several on the market but I shall stick with the factory wheel for a while longer and see how we get along.

In short, range finding on the SIII is reliable and repeatable and it is possible to range down to as little as a yard or a little less, what more can you ask for in an FT scope?

Conclusion

The one real criticism I can make of the SIII FT is the issue with flare when looking into a bright sky, but those targets, at least in the UK are pretty rare and there is a quick way around the problem; also, if I am being picky, I could live without the neoprene scope cover and scope enhancer and would prefer instead a couple of flip up lens caps.

Overall this is a highly competent scope, lighter than most and easily able to hold its own against rivals. There are better FT scopes out there, but at something like double the cost, so I shall be hanging onto this one, as it is good enough to live alongside my 20-50 Leupold.

My thanks to Optics Warehouse in Paignton for supplying the test scope.

PRICE (RRP):  £1050
DISTRIBUTOR: Aim Field Sports 01606 860 678 www.aimfieldsports.com