Just curious as to which 3X9 you got - their website lists 4 - SII39X42, SII39X42ST(stainless steel) , SII39X42D (one minute dot), SII39X42IR (illuminated reticle). Hadn't heard of this line before but their website does list a dealer here in Manitoba.

Randyh.. as some might know, I am not a believer in high dollar scopes. My other scope is a simple Bushnell Banner Dusk to Dawn 1.5-4.5X32mm. I think that scope is on sale for $64.00 right now. And don't get me wrong it is a great scope. The Banner has excellent clarity, and light gathering capabilities. Its just that I wanted something different. I wanted a 3-9x40 and when I saw the Sightron well, it was a done deal for me.

Poster Triple Se7en long ago, I asked him his opinion of a good low end scope. I value his opinion of things a great deal. That includes just about anything to do with this sport. He told me at that time about Sightron Scopes. They sounded just like something I wanted to look at. Of course no one in my back woods area of the world carry anything like a Sightron.

Since the Sightron 1 model 39X40GL is on sale for $119.00 I figured I it was time. The place I got it was MidWay USA. item # 268-061. Also impressive was their shipping. I ordered it on 8/24/05 and it was delivered on my porch the afternoon of 8/26/05...not to bad in my book. Also Mid Way USA is a great place to buy from. If you're not happy with something they bend over backwards to make things right.

I then got a set of B-Square Sport Series Utility Rings which are a medium height1" aluminum wrap around style ring to hold the Sightron. Again, low end rings but B-Square are a very strong high quality ring. I've used them on a lot of rifles I own and mounted for other people. I tried the Burris Quick Release a while back and was not impressed with them at all. I like Leupold but I do not like paying for their name. Although I will admit, their excellent quality. And even their prices are starting to come to do a working man's level on some items. I decided once the scope is on the rifle it can stay on the rifle..

All this started because of the Winchester Primers I shot. I needed to order a new 209 nipple for the Black Diamond XR. Since I was getting a new 209 nipple I ended up getting a new Breech Plug. Since I got the breech plug I ended up getting more anti seize. And then they had some bullets I wanted to try.. Well then the scope. You get the idea.

Later today I will run out to the 100 yard range and see how close the Sightron is at that distance. I will then decided what bullet I want to sight in too, and leave it alone then.....

cayugad - since the old birthday is rolling around soon, I have been dropping hints re the Bushnell Dusk to Dawn 3X9. Best price I have found here in Winnipeg is $98 CDN plus taxes (14%). Regardless of scope I will not be moving it once its mounted. Rest of my guns have their own optics. Unfortunately the dealer here who handles Sightron is in Brandon, about a 2 hour drive away. But I will 'scope" it out(excuse the pun - I couldn't resist!!) re price, etc. I again had to postpone my first trip to the range with my Pursuit LT. Company here from Alabama until next week. Might have to just bite the bullet and take a day of holidaysso I can actually burn some powder and start talking from a semi-experienced point of view on some of the many issues dicussed on the forum.

Re the primers, nipple, ......... Already, and as you now I'm a newbie to the sport, my betterhalf is starting to just shake her head when I give her the"just going to pick up a few things" speech!!

Add my name to those who like Sightron scopes. Although I have a mostly VX III Leupolds, one of my customers talked me into trying a Sightron 4 X 16 Sniper scope with mildots about four years ago. This scope has some of the best repeatability, in terms of return to zero after making windage/elevation adjustments, of any scope I have ever used. It now sits on my .308tactical rifle.

I really like the clarity of the scope and the eye relief is real nice. I found it to be dead on at 100 yards although I had increased the powder measure yesterday and never put it back, so I was shooting 90 grains of Goex 3f and a 240 grain Thompson Center Mag Express XTP. The three in a line under the bull are 375 grain Buffalo Bullet SSB's. I shot those three on a fowled barrel just to see how they would fly. I think the Wolverine likes those 240 grain better.

randyh.. never fear, they get used to the smell of black powder and all the other stuff that goes with it...

Cayugad,

What benchrest setup do you use?

As with most things, I built the bench rest myself. The table is made from left overs of an old deck project. The legs are 4X4 posts. And the top, shelf, and supports are made from cedar. The cedar boards I had made on a friend's saw mill from trees I cut on my property. They are a true 1" thick for extra support. Cedar of course is less prone to warp and rot. They are all attached with deck screws.

The table is setting on steel castor's. The two in the front of the table pivot, so all you have to do to move the entire unit is to push the whole unit like a cart around the yard from station to station. Because of the weight of the table, this is a very solid unit. And easy to move.

Off the back of the table is a removable bench seatthat locks to the off leg of the table. You can adjust the height of the bench or seat with simple pieces of deck boards placed under the foot of the bench. It comes right off and rides on the shelf built under the main platform for storage and moving the bench around.

The shelf located under the main deck is where when shooting,I store my powder when on the range to protect it from erratic flyingsparks. Its also is in the shade, so I store my lubes, boom box, and camera there. And a beverage or two.

The cradle which the rifle rest in, is made fromcedar also, and left over deck material makes up the two paddles you see. In the back of the cradle is where the stock of the rifle rests betweenthe twin paddles. They are only held at the base of the paddle with deck screws. This allows them to flex open, or you can snug them tighter depending on which rifle you have in the cradle. They are shaped so you can not crowd the rifle when you address it. I find this makes me hold a similar sight stance each time which I feel leads to better accuracy. Inside the paddles is a cord that keeps the rifle from kicking backward. The cord absorbs recoil at the same time. The cord also tightens the tension or loosens the tension of the paddles to the butt stock of the rifle.

The butt stock of the rifle is raised and lowered inside the paddlesby simple incline wedges that you slide under the butt of the rifle until it is at the desired height. The paddles also make sure the rifle can not cantor or fall off the cradle when you are not holding on to it.

The main frontrest is a $2.00 garage sale trailer jack stand. You raise and lower the rifle with a simple turn of a knob which works the jack bolt that runs through the stand. The trailer jack is attached to the cradle through the base of the stand with a simple eye bolt held in place with a wing nut. This makes it easy to take the jack off the cradle when you need to put the whole thing away,on a portable table or transport the cradle and jack to a shooting blind. The pad on the jack is a simple piece of newspaper rolled up and then bound together with duct tape. When it wears out, I make a new one and throw the old one in the burning barrel. It rests in the groove of the jack stand and is attached with more duct tape of course. (I have red and green suspenders for those that wonder) The pad also has a high side that the rifle rest into for added support and also this is a place to put your off trigger hand to rest andsupport the rifle.

I was never happy with the store ones I looked at so I examined them close, took the best features they had, and built my own. I have about $10.00 in the whole projecte. It really works good. Also the cradle and jack can be taken into the woods ahead of time to a ground blind with a small table built in it.I have the blind of some other property down the road. The blind overlooks a largehayfield. It makes it nice I figure if I ever (which so far I have not had to) had to make a real long shot across the field.