James Mock Reviews Sightron SVSS ED 10-50x60mm Scope
Sightron’s Latest and Greatest Long Range Scope
Field Test and Review by James Mock
When I was writing for Precision Shooting Magazine I appreciated those vendors who would trust me to test their products. One such person was Alan Orr of Sightron. Alan was willing to send his scopes to me for testing and I found them to be some of the best values. I have shot Sightron’s SII 36X BR, the Sightron SIII 10-50x60mm Long Range (30mm tube). Recently I tested latest and greatest (in my opinion) high-magnification Sightron — the SVSS ED 10-50x60mm with MOA-H reticle. This unit boasts ED Glass and has a fat 34mm main tube.
Sightron’s SIII 10-50x60mm riflescope (30mm tube) is a fine value at $1050-$1190 street price. That popular 10X-50X LR optic (PHOTO HERE) delivers great performance for the price. However, long range shooters wanted more and Sightron has delivered with the new-generation SVSS ED 10-50x60mm ZS MOA-H optic (34mm tube). This impressive new scope features higher-grade ED (Extra Low-Dispersion) glass and many great features. These features include illuminated reticle, zero stop, and FAST parallax adjustments with coarse and fine adjustments. Also, there is a locking windage turret for the models NOT fitted with zero stop. I tested the Zero-Stop (ZS) version.
This new scope has exactly what I look for in a scope since most of my shooting is at 600 yards. This boasts Sightron’s proprietary “Exact Track” and a 7-layer lens coatings. One feature that is drawing rave reviews is the new parallax side focus control. This employs BOTH a coarse and a fine adjustment, as found on premium spotting scopes. This seems like a minor point, but it allows one to fine-tune the parallax with little effort. This, along with the fast-focus eye piece, enables one to get a crystal clear and sharp image quickly. The 1/8 MOA clicks are positive and the clicks are very audible.
Review in a Nutshell — This scope is amazing and I have used some of the best scopes to be found. It is as good or better than some scopes costing $1200-$1500 more. What does a Sightron 10-50X SVSS ED cost? If you shop around aggressively you can find the basic (non-illuminated) version for under $2000 (See footnote*). I know that seems like a lot of money and it is, but this product represents true value, as it performs with scopes costing $1000 more.
With its large 60mm objective lens with ED glass and the 7-layer coating, this scope has the brightest image of any that I have tested at high power settings. (Of course there are premium scopes that I have not yet tested that may equal or exceed this one.) A person must choose a scope best suited for the type of shooting planned. For long range benchrest competition, I don’t think that there are many optics that exceed the quality of this riflescope (especially for the cost).
The test scope has 1/8 MOA adjustments and illuminated MOA-H reticle. The MOA-H has hash marks that subtend 2 MOA at 24X; therefore the hash marks are 1 MOA apart at 48X. Since this scope is so bright and clear, I tend to leave it at 48X for most of my shooting. During very bright conditions, the depth of field can be increased with an aperture ring that can be purchased from Sightron. The illuminated reticle has 11 brightness settings. The above picture displays a high brightness level. Personally, I don’t envision using illumination during my shooting sessions.
This reticle is a little “busy” for many shooters who use the scope at close range. But for longer range, it seems ideal for my old eyes. If you wish, you can order a 10-50X SVSS ED with a 1/10th-MOA target dot reticle, non-illuminated. You’ll save money with that more basic version, model #27008.
Competing with New Sightron Scope at 300 Yards
I shot the scope in its maiden match at 300 yards. Spotting my 6mm bullet holes was easy, even in Louisiana’s famous mirage. I shot the entire match at 48X. The scope tracked perfectly during the match and the 1/8 MOA adjustments were spot on. At this 48X power, the MOA hash marks serve as a great aid in determining how far one needs to adjust his aim. The set-up for the match is shown in the photo above. The scope performed excellent even in tough conditions — it was hot, windy, and mirage was very bad. Today really tested my ability to battle the conditions with this new scope. The sun was bright; the ground was wet; and the wind was blowing; and it was hot. I shot the four score targets with a 49/50, a 50/50, another 49, and finished with a 48.
What Things Could Be Better
What, if anything, are things I dislike about this scope? Most reviews that I have seen object to the 42-ounce weight, but with my benchrest rifle, this is not a problem for me. Another complaint that I have seen is the indicator line for the elevation turret. This scope has a Zero Stop and that stop obscures the indicator line. I added a line with a pencil and the problem is solved.
Tester Was So Impressed He Bought this Sightron SVSS ED
I have tested many premium scopes in the past and have chosen to purchase two of them after testing. This is one of the two I bought. If you are in the market for a $2000-$2500 (street price) scope that will compare favorably with $3500 scopes, this may be the one for you.
This is a quality scope in every way and there are few things with which to find fault. The reticle seems too busy for me, but many long range shooters use the tree-shaped series of dots that are 1 MOA apart at 48X and 2 MOA at 24X. Part of my problem is 76-year-old eyes that need cataract surgery. One cannot fault a scope for this problem.
I can recommend this scope for the long range shooter without reservation. If your type of shooting can tolerate the weight and the cost, I believe that you will find this scope to your liking. Good shooting — James Mock
Here is a European video review of the Sightron SVSS 10-50x60mm with ED Glass:
* There are TWO different Sightron SVSS 10-60X scopes. The basic model (#27008), non-illuminated without Zero Stop, can be found for under $2000, but typically retails for around $2300. As tested in this review, the Zero Stop Model with illuminated MOA-H Reticle (#27011) is about $2450 street price.
Durability is not usually an issue with target shooters as the scope will mainly be used in benign environment on a fixed-distance range. So, as long as a scope tracks and performs reliably, most target shooters won’t fret about durability. For those that may use their rifles in a tactical or field situation, or when hunting, the added robustness of the NXS scope may prove quite important. Now the BR scopes are no slouch as far as durability compared to similar scopes, but, in my experience, they cannot take quite the abuse that the NXS scopes can.
Another point of consideration is the availability of a “zero-stop.” This is particularly useful in the same situations that the NXS scopes make the most sense. Namely, tactical or field situations where there may be stress combined with longer shots where dialing the turrets is required. The zero stop allows the shooter to set a stop point, usually a 100-yard zero. Then no matter where the turret is positioned in its span of travel, the zero can be quickly re-established by spinning the turret down until it stops at the pre-set zero.
