What? Sig Sauer makes optics? Yes they do, and the results are exciting and innovative.
Sig has a lot to talk about, so I’ll focus this article on two of their new products, the Kilo 2000 Rangefinder and the ROMEO4 red dot scope. Over the years, I’ve used about every brand of rangefinder, and the new Kilo is radically different. First, the device is “one touch.” Its internal ranging system monitors an object four times a second; when you settle the 4X optic on a tree, stump, or deer and push the button, the range jumps out at you. With every other ranging binocular and palm-sized rangefinder, you must push once to establish the target and again to gain the range. This double-tap takes time and fractions of a second can be critical in a hunting situation. Additionally, the range reads diagonal distances in case you’re shooting at a steep angle up or downhill. Ranges are measured up to a mile and reported in 1/10th of a yard. Finally, the device offers a Lumatic display that automatically adjusts light to ambient conditions so the readings won’t blow up in low light or get washed away in bright light.
I mounted the new ROMEO4 on a Mossberg UltraMag shotgun during a recent turkey hunt and found that Sig’s new red dot mounted in seconds and adapts to any picatinny rail. Once done, I remembered that red dot sights are adjusted like the front sight of a rifle, not like a traditional scope. I shot a test pattern at 30 yards and moved the red dot into the center of the pellet mass. The ROMEO4 has a battery life of 50,000 hours and additionally has a small solar panel atop the sight for extra battery life. The red dot adjusts easily for brightness, with toggle arrows clearly displayed. Hunters often think of missing turkeys at long range, yet the close ones are the easiest ones to miss, due to tightly choked turkey specialty guns that prevent the pattern from expanding. I got a shot at eight yards and the big tom went right down. Its approach was incredibly exciting, but the shot was easy because the red dot allowed total concentration on the gobbler’s head. For a quick look at each, go to sigoptics.com.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
