Sightron SVIII ED 5-40×56 FFP IR Zero Stop

About the Company

Before we take a closer look at Sightron SVIII ED 5-40×56 FFP, let’s dedicate a few words about the company behind the product. Sightron INC. is a Japanese-owned manufacturer of sport optics that is headquartered in Youngsville, North Carolina. While the parental company Kenko supplied decades of technical know-how from medical and photography fields, Americans matched those credentials with their own entrepreneurial spirit and fresh outlook on modern shooters’ needs.

Find out more about Sightron

From the mid-1990s, Sightron built its reputation on series after series of high-end scopes for tactical and sport shooting. Their innovative erector tube design with an integral ring, aptly named ExacTrack, guarantees constant and accurate point-of-impact at and off zero. This breakthrough in the tracking system propelled Sightron scopes to the forefront of elite tactical scope manufacturers.

Combine the scope precision with the recoil-proof build, top-notch optical performance, versatile reticles and it’s a no-brainer why Sightron remains the go-to brand for competitive shooters worldwide.

Though long-range riflescopes remain the backbone of the company’s production, Sightron also makes binoculars, spotting scopes, and red dots for a variety of uses.

Physical Properties

• lightweight single-piece aluminum tube
• 40mm tube, Picatinny rings included
• 3 rotary-type turrets > W&E, illumination
• Nitrogen purged ⇒ fogproof & IPX7 waterproof
• heavy & rugged
  • high-caliber recoil, accidental impact
• aluminum screw-in lens caps

Sightron SVIII ED 5-40×56 FFP is made from lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum, coated in a matte black finish.

While models with 34 and 36mm tubes are the most common in tactical riflescopes, Sightron followed the “the bigger, the better” principle here. The single-piece tube has a diameter of 40mm, which allows for even greater turret travel than most tactical scopes. The maximum travel possible is 20 MRADs of windage and 40 MRADs of elevation. But more on turrets and their functions later.

Years back, the bigger tube would raise concerns about finding a suitable mounting solution. Luckily, there is now an abundance of choice and Sightron went the extra mile of including a pair of 40mm Picatinny rings with the product.

The scope is resistant to hard recoil and is shockproofed against accidental impact.

All that robust construction comes with a price. The scope weighs whooping 1390 grams (49 oz.), almost 500 grams more than competitor scopes of the same configuration. Like March FX-Tactical 5-40×56 FFP, for example. The scope is also quite longer than comparable models from Vortex, Leupold, and ZCO. With a 3-inch sunshade installed, that’s a true heavyweight.

The insides of the tube are Nitrogen-charged, making the scope impervious to liquid damage and fogging of the lens. All air-to-glass surfaces are coated with scratch-resistant varnish.

Model Measurements

Windage & Elevation Turrets

• CCW tactical turrets ⇒ tall & exposed ⇒ oversized, super-tactile knobs
• audible 0.10 MIL clicks
• high-visibility white markings
• MAX turret travel:
  • 40 MRADs vertically
  • 20 MRADs horizontally
• internal zero-stop mechanism ⇒ audible hard stop
• full turret turn: 10 MILs
• ExacTrack windage & elevation tracking system

The turrets are tall and exposed. The oversized, ridged knobs are super-easy to manipulate, so you won’t ever have to look away from the target.

Thanks to the 40mm tube, the scope is optimized for an increased amount of turret travel. The elevation turret can be adjusted counter-clockwise to 40 MRADs. The windage turret can be adjusted to 20 MRADs max.

The soft and audible mechanism moves 0.10 MILs per click. The high-visibility markings on W&E turrets are printed in white, not etched into the surface. In addition to enumerated clicks, the elevation turret rotation is also marked with UP and DOWN so there’s no second-guessing when making fast adjustments in the field. The windage turret has matching marks for LEFT and RIGHT.

Another useful feature is 10 MILs per turret revolution. Dialing through singular clicks can be rather bothersome mid-competition, so a full turret turn is an efficient solution to getting a fast and reliable shot on target.

Sightron is known for ExacTrack, its superior W&E adjustment technology that compensates for bullet drop and wind drift. The tracking system ensures constant alignment between the turret adjustments and the erector tube. That’s of paramount importance for scope accuracy on longer ranges. The P.O.I. remains accurate at zero and at extreme adjustments.

Another useful function is the internal zero-stop, which guarantees tactile and audible stoppage for dead-on zero settings.

Optical Properties

• ED glass ⇒ reduces chromatic aberration
• wide field of view
  • fast target acquisition
• MC-777 multi-coating technology
  • 7 layers of lens varnish
  • high light transmission rate
  • anti-reflective performance
• close focus at 10 meters

Quick target acquisition is essential when shooting at an object at a greater distance. The variable 5-40x magnification is optimal for tactical and sport shooters.

The generous field of view of 9 meters at 100m (23.7ft – 2.9ft at 100 yards) puts this scope at the very top of premium tactical scopes. There are way pricier scopes from other renowned brands that cannot compare like Nightforce ATACR.

While the optical performance of Sightron devices still cannot match the brilliance of absolute top-notch brands, the view-through does not fail to impress. In large part, this is thanks to superior materials used in constructing the prisms. High-quality extra-low dispersion (ED) glass reduces optical distortions such as chromatic aberration. In the tactical niche of sport optics, Sightron scopes rank high.

The lenses are coated in 7 layers of Sightron’s MC-777 varnish on both sides of the glass. This multi-coating formula gives colors their true tone and maximizes the light transmission rate so that the image remains bright, no matter the shooting situation. The anti-reflective properties of the coat are a must for any tactical use.

Reticle Properties

• MH-6 reticle
• LRM reticle
• 1st focal plane reticle ⇒ size does not change with magnification
• reticle values remain constant in relation to your target
• glass-etching technique
  • minimum tolerances
  • no fading with use
• red illumination
• side-mounted illumination turret
  • 11 levels of illumination intensity
  • ON/OFF rotary-type dial

The Sightron SVIII ED 5-40×56 FFP IR Zero Stop scope comes with two reticle options – MH-6 and LRM.

Both reticles are in the first focal plane, which is the only usable plane for tactical use. The reticle size does not change with the magnification setting. That means the distance between holdover lines remains the same. FFP reticle values can be used to calculate the distance and to compensate for the bullet drop at any distance, any magnification power.

Both reticles are illuminated in red. Though this is not a necessary feature, illumination may come in handy on the few occasions where the competition gets prolonged to early dusk.

11 intensity levels can be adjusted with the rotary-type dial on the side turret, powered by a single CR2032 battery coin.

The side-mounted focus system has been redesigned for improved minimum focus performance.

Another noteworthy feature is that reticle is etched into the glass. It means that the reticle won’t lose shape or fade with prolonged use in varying temperatures.

Comparison between LRM Reticle and MH-6 Reticle

Illuminated LRM Reticle

Illuminated MH-6 Reticle

0.2	A	0.2
0.2	B	0.2
0.1	C	0.1
0.03	D	0.03
0.2	E	0.075
1	F	0.03
0.05	G	1
/	H	0.03
/	I	0.2
/	J	1

A = Width of wide bracket bars
B = Height and width of 1 Mil bars W/E
C = Height and width of .2 Mil bars W/E
D = Width of W/E center line
E = Distance of spacing
F = Distance of spacing
G = Center dot diameter

Accessories in the Box

Many brands count on selling complementary products for their optics. This Sightron SVIII model comes with many extras included.

• 3-inch aluminum sunshade
• aluminum screw-in lens caps
• 40mm Picatinny rings with side nut
• T-15 Torx wrench
• Allen wrench
• CR2032 battery
• lens cleaning cloth
• leaflet with instructions

Country of Origin & Warranty Info

Sightron values this premium-class scope at €2,889.00 (without VAT).

All tactical Sightron scopes of this level are made in Japan. The European warranty on these scopes is 10 years from purchase. The after-sales services are located in North Carolina, USA.

You can read more about the Optics Trade’s warranty policy HERE.

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