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SIG Sauer BDX ReviewThe all new Sig Sauer BDX system is the ultimate scope, Range finder combo, The BDX system uses Sig's patented BDX technology create an advanced shooting system.
Over the past ten years one of the biggest changes to the hunting industry has been the rapid advancement of long range shooting. I’d venture to say the increased performance has changed the way most of us approach each stalk. I was a late entry to the long-range game, I didn’t use my first ballistic turret until 2009. Just five years later I would estimate that 20 percent of hunters had gravitated to one form or another of bullet drop compensation. Today I would expect that number has increased dramatically.
With that said, while taking daily phone calls for optics sales at MuleyCrazy I have noticed an all too common problem. It seems most hunters are wanting to make the leap into long range, in fact, many even buy rifle scopes capable of making longer shots. Unfortunately, less than ten percent of them end up doing any more than holding high while hoping and praying for a hit. In other words, rather than learning some new tricks, they are doing the exact same thing they’ve always done, but with top of the line optics! |
While I’m not the most technologically advanced guy in the field, I can attest that having the ability to make a 500 to 600-yard shot with somewhat ease has increased my success significantly. The correct method for shooting long range is calculating minutes of angle, or MOA. Calculating MOA makes a guy or gal learn how to use the adjustments in the scope to compensate for bullet drop, and/or wind drift. I took a short cut into long range shooting by utilizing ballistic turrets. This fast-track is as simple as range, dial and shoot.
This works great for me, as I don’t intend on shooting much over 600 yards in real hunting scenarios. The downfall to ballistic turrets is the changing air pressure or air density as you change elevations. At 500-yards air density is not a big concern, yet when shooting at a 1,000- yard target at 4,000 feet above your turret elevation, the change in air density will equate to a miss!
This spring, an industry giant, Sig Sauer Electro Optics, announced an exciting new rifle scope so advanced that they dared advertise that it would “Change the way we hunt”! When they announced the Ballistic Data Exchange programming, or BDX, I was excited. Even though I was excited, I can’t say I was surprised since Sig Sauer Electro optics has continually impressed the hunting world in just a few short years. While Sig Optics does offer a great line of premium binoculars and rifle scopes, most of the buzz has been about the cutting-edge range-finding technology of the Kilo rangefinders. The Kilo is a very affordable, and insanely accurate series of rangefinders that are quickly rivaling sales with the leaders in the industry.
I finally got my hands on one of the first Sig Sauer Ballistic Data Exchange (BDX) systems available. The BDX is a rifle scope paired with a rangefinder. The word “pair” being the key, as this highly advanced system uses bluetooth technology to pair your smart phone, your rangefinder, and rifle scope together. This essentially allows those three components to communicate, then automatically adjust for the wind or drop. As the advertisement claims, just connect the dot and shoot.
What’s in the box?
The BDX system I was sent for review was the new SIERRA3BDX a 3.5-10x42 rifle scope and the Kilo 2200BDX rangefinder. I mounted the Sierra rifle scope on a Nosler model 48 custom .300 short magnum. As I read up on the setup I was quick to realize one fact: This technology, while actually pretty simple, is not for old dogs that refuse to learn new tricks. A hunter using this system needs to be iPhone and internet friendly. This is not a big deal as most long-range shooters already utilize an app on their iPhones to calculate wind and drop in the field. With that being said, let me tell you what I learned.
My demo did not come with instructions, but that information was easily obtained from the Sig Sauer Optics website. The factory had already paired the rangefinder and Sierra scope so all I needed to do was download the Sig BDX app. Applied Ballistics is the well-known app that Sig uses. In order for everything to work, your phone must have the bluetooth turned on. Once it recognizes your scope and rangefinder you just hit “device pairing” and the components begin pairing. A blue light on your scope will illuminate when the system has successfully paired. Once paired you enter your ballistic data for your rifle, and just that quickly you are ready to start.
With the rifle zeroed you can now begin to fine tune the system. The app will ask you to pick a target or range to shoot. My first shot was an inch (or a minute) high at 100 yards. After I punched that data into the program, and the app made the adjustments my second shot was dead on!
Being old school, I have to admit I spent more time worrying if I was capable of tackling the technology than the entire process took from start to finish!
The rangefinder will measure distance to target and calculate the windage and elevation holds in either MIL or MOA, and then relay those holds to the SIERRA rifle scope. These values are also shown in the rangefinder screen. At this point the reticle will illuminate, and if the shooter supplied the correct wind calculation the dot will also reposition to account for the wind. With the components doing the heavy lifting all the shooter has to do is simply place the illuminated dot on the target and shoot.
Elevation and pressure changes can be easily adjusted by simply resetting the values on your Sig App. The Sierra rifle scopes are all second focal plane scopes, but the BDX technology works the same on all the magnifications much like a first focal plane scope.
Sig Sauer Electro Optics is quickly becoming known for great optic quality; the Sierra scope features HD glass with good clarity and brightness on 30mm tubes. Another cool feature is the scope’s illumination. Triggered by MOTAC (Motion Activated Illumination), the scope actually senses movement, so it is able to power up or down automatically. Similar to a few of the new long-range model scopes on the market, the Sierra is also fitted with a digital level indicator (LEVELPLEX). This is visible on each side of the reticle to insure the gun is straight for optimum long-range accuracy. With all of these amazing features, the biggest pro of all might just be the retail price; the scope I tested is available for a mere $499. With all of the technology wrapped up in the BDX system, I have to constantly remind myself that the entire package is priced starting at under $700. Higher magnifications and the next step up in rangefinders are a bit more, but amazingly, you can get the Sierra 4.5-14 scope with the 2200 rangefinder for just $1299.
The technology is nothing more than an illuminated reticle, and my quick check showed the BDX system legal in all 50 States. Another of the functions also integrated into the new Sig Sauer BDX system is the kinetic energy transfer indicator, or KinETHIC. This means you can actually set an amount of kinetic energy. The reticle will blink if the energy drops below the threshold, a reminder to hunters they might need to get closer. This can also be turned off.
This brings up more questions, should the ethical issue be the amount of energy, or the distance of the shot? And who decides how much kinetic energy is enough? It’s an even larger debate for a different time, but you can bet I have my own thoughts about these growing concerns. Despite all this new technology, ALL hunters thinking about taking long shots in real hunting scenario’s better practice. And I don’t mean any of that perfect situation bull crap off a cement bench at the range! If you’re going to entertain making a long shot at an actual animal get out in the field and practice real hunting situations with rocks, brush, and cactus. A 500-yard shot in real hunting conditions is an extremely difficult shot!
One concern for myself is battery life. The rangefinder battery is said to last several seasons, and the rifle scope battery for a least one season. In the event batteries were an issue, you can pull the cap and dial the solution given by the rangefinder, the same as we have been doing for years with normal MOA adjustments.
At the start of the article I made mention of why most hunters are still stuck in the dark ages with 300-yard rifles. The reality is, until now long-range shooting has been expensive. Anywhere from 1000 to 2000 dollars for a quality rifle scope with turret technology and repeatable clicks. Then remember, you still need an accurate rangefinder, so tack on another 5 to 700 dollars. Well, the game completely changed when Sig announced the BDX, and prices starting at just $699! There is absolutely no doubt in my mind many hunters that are sitting on the fence are about to bail full throttle into an entirely new and exciting world of long-range shooting. I have no doubt the BDX will change how many Western hunters approach the next hunting season!
This works great for me, as I don’t intend on shooting much over 600 yards in real hunting scenarios. The downfall to ballistic turrets is the changing air pressure or air density as you change elevations. At 500-yards air density is not a big concern, yet when shooting at a 1,000- yard target at 4,000 feet above your turret elevation, the change in air density will equate to a miss!
This spring, an industry giant, Sig Sauer Electro Optics, announced an exciting new rifle scope so advanced that they dared advertise that it would “Change the way we hunt”! When they announced the Ballistic Data Exchange programming, or BDX, I was excited. Even though I was excited, I can’t say I was surprised since Sig Sauer Electro optics has continually impressed the hunting world in just a few short years. While Sig Optics does offer a great line of premium binoculars and rifle scopes, most of the buzz has been about the cutting-edge range-finding technology of the Kilo rangefinders. The Kilo is a very affordable, and insanely accurate series of rangefinders that are quickly rivaling sales with the leaders in the industry.
I finally got my hands on one of the first Sig Sauer Ballistic Data Exchange (BDX) systems available. The BDX is a rifle scope paired with a rangefinder. The word “pair” being the key, as this highly advanced system uses bluetooth technology to pair your smart phone, your rangefinder, and rifle scope together. This essentially allows those three components to communicate, then automatically adjust for the wind or drop. As the advertisement claims, just connect the dot and shoot.
What’s in the box?
The BDX system I was sent for review was the new SIERRA3BDX a 3.5-10x42 rifle scope and the Kilo 2200BDX rangefinder. I mounted the Sierra rifle scope on a Nosler model 48 custom .300 short magnum. As I read up on the setup I was quick to realize one fact: This technology, while actually pretty simple, is not for old dogs that refuse to learn new tricks. A hunter using this system needs to be iPhone and internet friendly. This is not a big deal as most long-range shooters already utilize an app on their iPhones to calculate wind and drop in the field. With that being said, let me tell you what I learned.
My demo did not come with instructions, but that information was easily obtained from the Sig Sauer Optics website. The factory had already paired the rangefinder and Sierra scope so all I needed to do was download the Sig BDX app. Applied Ballistics is the well-known app that Sig uses. In order for everything to work, your phone must have the bluetooth turned on. Once it recognizes your scope and rangefinder you just hit “device pairing” and the components begin pairing. A blue light on your scope will illuminate when the system has successfully paired. Once paired you enter your ballistic data for your rifle, and just that quickly you are ready to start.
With the rifle zeroed you can now begin to fine tune the system. The app will ask you to pick a target or range to shoot. My first shot was an inch (or a minute) high at 100 yards. After I punched that data into the program, and the app made the adjustments my second shot was dead on!
Being old school, I have to admit I spent more time worrying if I was capable of tackling the technology than the entire process took from start to finish!
The rangefinder will measure distance to target and calculate the windage and elevation holds in either MIL or MOA, and then relay those holds to the SIERRA rifle scope. These values are also shown in the rangefinder screen. At this point the reticle will illuminate, and if the shooter supplied the correct wind calculation the dot will also reposition to account for the wind. With the components doing the heavy lifting all the shooter has to do is simply place the illuminated dot on the target and shoot.
Elevation and pressure changes can be easily adjusted by simply resetting the values on your Sig App. The Sierra rifle scopes are all second focal plane scopes, but the BDX technology works the same on all the magnifications much like a first focal plane scope.
Sig Sauer Electro Optics is quickly becoming known for great optic quality; the Sierra scope features HD glass with good clarity and brightness on 30mm tubes. Another cool feature is the scope’s illumination. Triggered by MOTAC (Motion Activated Illumination), the scope actually senses movement, so it is able to power up or down automatically. Similar to a few of the new long-range model scopes on the market, the Sierra is also fitted with a digital level indicator (LEVELPLEX). This is visible on each side of the reticle to insure the gun is straight for optimum long-range accuracy. With all of these amazing features, the biggest pro of all might just be the retail price; the scope I tested is available for a mere $499. With all of the technology wrapped up in the BDX system, I have to constantly remind myself that the entire package is priced starting at under $700. Higher magnifications and the next step up in rangefinders are a bit more, but amazingly, you can get the Sierra 4.5-14 scope with the 2200 rangefinder for just $1299.
The technology is nothing more than an illuminated reticle, and my quick check showed the BDX system legal in all 50 States. Another of the functions also integrated into the new Sig Sauer BDX system is the kinetic energy transfer indicator, or KinETHIC. This means you can actually set an amount of kinetic energy. The reticle will blink if the energy drops below the threshold, a reminder to hunters they might need to get closer. This can also be turned off.
This brings up more questions, should the ethical issue be the amount of energy, or the distance of the shot? And who decides how much kinetic energy is enough? It’s an even larger debate for a different time, but you can bet I have my own thoughts about these growing concerns. Despite all this new technology, ALL hunters thinking about taking long shots in real hunting scenario’s better practice. And I don’t mean any of that perfect situation bull crap off a cement bench at the range! If you’re going to entertain making a long shot at an actual animal get out in the field and practice real hunting situations with rocks, brush, and cactus. A 500-yard shot in real hunting conditions is an extremely difficult shot!
One concern for myself is battery life. The rangefinder battery is said to last several seasons, and the rifle scope battery for a least one season. In the event batteries were an issue, you can pull the cap and dial the solution given by the rangefinder, the same as we have been doing for years with normal MOA adjustments.
At the start of the article I made mention of why most hunters are still stuck in the dark ages with 300-yard rifles. The reality is, until now long-range shooting has been expensive. Anywhere from 1000 to 2000 dollars for a quality rifle scope with turret technology and repeatable clicks. Then remember, you still need an accurate rangefinder, so tack on another 5 to 700 dollars. Well, the game completely changed when Sig announced the BDX, and prices starting at just $699! There is absolutely no doubt in my mind many hunters that are sitting on the fence are about to bail full throttle into an entirely new and exciting world of long-range shooting. I have no doubt the BDX will change how many Western hunters approach the next hunting season!
