Sightmark Ultra Shot
If you are preparing for hunting season and need to get yourself a good sighting tool, you may find yourself overwhelmed by what is out there. There are a lot of different tools to choose from in this area, and not all of them will meet your needs when you are finally out there. We want you to be in the know and be able to choose what is best for you.
This company is relatively new. They appeared in the market for these products in 2007 and are actually best known for their red dot sight tools. Many hunters still have not heard of them and may not be able to tell you much about their equipment. So, let us be the ones to help you sift through the knowledge and give you all the details.
Mounting is fast and easy
Convenient and responsive digital switch
Great price.
Massive field of view
Five different brightness settings
Unlimited eye relief.
Versatile and works well with Sightmark magnifiers.
Uses small, hard -to-find, costly watch batteries.
Batteries don’t last long
Batteries are hard to change
Some units will not hold zero well
No night vision mode
Not FULLY waterproof
Height of the window can not be adjusted above co-witness.
Basic Features
Quite a few gun additions are made of heavier metals, after all, you want endurance when it comes to your gear. However, this company felt endurance could be had with a lighter weight and more sturdy build. They chose a box shape over the common rounded form and chose to use aluminum as the material.
Advanced Features
One of the main advanced qualities this particular model is praised for is the unlimited eye relief. What exactly does this mean? From all that we could locate in our research, it means this particular tool is completely adjustable and can be placed wherever you feel is most comfortable without losing the scope of your vision.
This feature is extremely important as it means you don’t have to worry about the kickback and possibly harming yourself through use of the scope. It also offers a low light vision, but it is not a night vision piece, so if that is what you are after, you likely want to hunt elsewhere for your tool.
This also has a low battery indicator which means you will have a warning before you are losing your optical sighting options and can switch out in a timely manner. It also has a motion sensor which activates when a target is in range, and what is nice is this can be turned on and off to conserve battery power if needed.
Its mounting system is also really well thought out. Unlike most where it is fixed or difficult to take on and off which can make switching out your equipment a pain, it has a quick lock and release. This cuts downtime so that you don’t lose what you are after just to get a better range, or a different style sight into place.
Clarity
This shot gives you a digital line up and allows you to set it according to what is best for the time of day as well as distance and comfort. This means you will get your best shot in and not need to worry that it is not going to be usable due to your field being cut down. With most tools in this range, you won’t have that kind of ability.
Primary Use
What does this mean for its primary use? It means that you are getting more for your money. In fact, if what you get it for is fast-moving targets, between the sight range and the fact it picks up on farther targets than you’d think possible, you are getting a lot more for your dollar.
The intention for all sights built by this company, however, has been initiated to give tools for the civilian hobbyists that allow them to just casually work with their guns. This particular sight is one of the first two aimed at pros to get them cheaper but as effective tools. Most people who have decided to go for this option have been surprised by the fact that it really is a lot more than they thought it would be.
The main opinion here is that, for being sold as a short-range sight, this product has great amplification and doesn’t need the laser sight. The only things really missing between it and some of the more expensive brands are the actual laser light and the night vision. That said, if you can live without them, this is a great tool to consider while keeping the bite out of your wallet!
Durability
The impressive part is that while it is made of aluminum, it is designed in a way that makes it able to handle automatic and semi-automatic weapons fire without tearing apart. Because of the choice of material’s, it is also about half the weight, which means heavy and durable no longer need to go hand in hand to be believable.
The only downside is that the durability does not hold up to water. This piece is water-resistant, but not waterproof and cannot be submerged. Of course, this also leaves the question of fogging up and how long it will last if you get caught in bad weather.
If cared for properly, and used properly though, any accidental issues or design flaws are likely to be easily taken care of. The company covers all of its products with a lifetime warranty which we will take a deeper look into when we discuss its price for you.
Mounting
The mount itself sits slightly higher than most iron sights, but it is extremely secure once put in place. Some might feel this will put it out of comfortable range to look through and use, but most have found that it is still perfectly aligned once in place.
It can easily mount to any rail with a clamp lever. This allows for it to quickly and easily be changed onto weaver and picatinny rail systems. It holds steady and strong, not needing any adjustment even when tapped or jostled around a bit. Recoil won’t affect the sighting as the mount holds strong and doesn’t have any give. It does not come with risers and doesn’t work too well with them so don’t bother.
With the fact that it is so sturdy, one would be impressed at just how easy it is to slip on and off. A simple switch and you can replace it with a different sight and not have to go to any tools to do so. For those looking to have easy on and off this is a perfect set up. Don’t lose sight of your target because you couldn’t move fast enough, at least not because of this product.
Weight
Looking at similar sights we find that this isn’t exactly half in its weight. You lose about 2-2.5oz in weight by the use of the lightweight aluminum in plastic. Most that we compared, however, are in the same price range and as stated earlier, this means not as high quality in many respects.
Most within the same price range sits between 8 and 10 ounces, so there is a difference there that already marks it for consideration. Many are also attempting to have the same build as this company, but those who actually compared between still fell that this particular product left them in the dust.
Body
Compared to others of similar make and model, it actually has much better shape and its ability to so easily mount and disconnect make it much better in quality. The fact that its sight is also highly adjustable, and the range and field of vision remain so much greater sets them far ahead in the lineup. The only things that users feel could have been done better are not so much in the body but in its extra features.
Body wise the only downside appears to be its height. Even then, the height does not detract from its usefulness, its more of a preference than an actual issue. Even sitting as it does with this build, you still get everything you need and it isn’t going to take away from the hold.
Price
So, how much is it? Well at current it is going for only $88 USD on Amazon. This is low for what it gives you in return. Comparatively, others of similar specs and qualities, you are getting what should be a $3-400 piece for less than half the cost. There have even been a few who said if you don’t need night vision and laser light, this could actually come close to being at the top.
We aren’t saying it is, but with some of the professional hunters out there we found, this is a great piece when you don’t need the extra’s and don’t want to pour out every penny for things they do not need. With its Lifetime warranty, this price is even more impressive. If cared for properly, the casing of the product use is covered for life, while the inner workings are guaranteed to work at peak performance for 3 years.
Key Features
-Low-light settings
-Little to no glare
-Unlimited eye-relief
-Lightweight
-Easy mount/dismount
-Price
-Lifetime warranty