INTERVIEW: "We want to be the best with SIGHTMARK"

SIGHTMARK are optics from the USA, SIGHTMARK EMEA brings them to us. We spoke with Pavel Yakimov, the International Account Manager for Austria, about the brand, the optics, and what they can do.

SPARTANAT: Pavel, SIGHTMARK is known for high-quality optics. Where does the brand come from?

Pavel Yakimov: SIGHTMARK was founded in 2007 with the goal of revolutionizing the firearms optics industry and meeting the changing needs of modern shooters. SIGHTMARK offers functional products for the tactical sector, sports shooters, hunters, and authorities. Every SIGHTMARK product was developed with one goal in mind: to maximize accuracy. We want the shooter to be more precise with it than with any other brand or product on the market – even if the other brand charges a higher price.

SPARTANAT: SIGHTMARK takes the European market very seriously. SIGHTMARK EMEA specifically serves this market. How did this come about? What does SIGHTMARK EMEA do concretely?

A few years ago at SIGHTMARK, we realized that in order to better serve the European market, we need to be physically close to our partners and customers. This idea was so tempting that we made and implemented a plan to open our European headquarters in Sofia, Bulgaria. This location, centrally located in the EMEA region and within the EU, allows us to easily offer our partners a complete package of services: relationship building, marketing initiatives, back-end administrative support, and product shipping. Since we focus exclusively on the EMEA region, we are not burdened with first addressing the very hungry US market and then serving the EMEA region in second place.

Our proximity to customers ensures that we receive precise feedback through regular calls to customers and business trips to the markets. Professionalism is complemented by personal relationships and friendships, which only strengthen our position and allow us to better serve the market. We are proud of our customer service, which is very fast and allows us to address problems not only immediately but also in a very personal way.

SPARTANAT: Who should use the products from SIGHTMARK? Who are they best suited for?

Our core market falls within a wide range of education and income levels, but they all have one thing in common – they seek the best value for their money when striving to become more accurate and thus better shooters. That's why we design our products with the following benefits in mind:

• Be useful and easy to use for the everyday shooter.
• Provide the optimal features that add value to the shooter at different skill levels.
• Include accessories that are often sold as extras by other brands.

SPARTANAT: What are the latest news from SIGHTMARK that we should know? How does SIGHTMARK drive innovation forward?

SIGHTMARK is committed to producing the best optics and providing the best value for the end consumer.

Some of the latest products we have in the Sightmark portfolio are the solar-powered red dot sight (SM26041 Sightmark Element Mini Solar Red Dot), which uses a unique Eclipse Light Management System (ELMS). It automatically dims and brightens the red dot reticle depending on the environment. Therefore, it is not necessary to manually adjust the brightness of the reticle when the lighting conditions change. This red dot sight also features its own backup battery, ensuring smooth operation of the optic in all conditions.

Another milestone for us is the premium and boutique riflescope Sightmark Wraith 4K Max 3-24×50 with digital night and day vision. It complements and deepens the portfolio of the extremely successful digital night/day vision scopes from Sightmark in the Wraith series. The Wraith series (e.g. SM18011 Sightmark Wraith HD 4-32×50 and SM18021 Sightmark Wraith HD 2-16×50) was very well received in many markets worldwide last year. Therefore, we have decided to introduce the 4K Max as an addition to the series. It offers better resolution, further improving overall performance.

For shooting enthusiasts during the day, we have the SM13039MR2 Sightmark Citadel 3-18×50 MR2 riflescope, which operates on the first focal plane and is equipped with a Marksman reticle in MRAD dimensions. It is the perfect product for shooters looking to experience the full range and increase their accuracy in competitive shooting, while also wanting to use their optics on hunting trips. Due to its slim design and extreme durability, it is perfect for hunting at medium to long distances. And since it is a Sightmark product, we always have a little extra in the package for our customers. The Citadel riflescope series comes with a sunshade for the objective as well as an adjustment lever that makes zooming in/out dynamics much easier and faster.

SPARTANAT: Last year, SIGHTMARK EMEA also introduced another new brand to the European market, which was very well received. Tell us more about KOPFJÄGER - what do we need to know about this brand and what is unique about these products?

Indeed, the rifle rests from KOPFJÄGER that we offer our customers are premium systems and among the best on the market worldwide. These are premium high-end products designed and manufactured for law enforcement, long-range precision shooting, night vision/thermal enthusiasts, and experienced hunters. The unique feature of the Kopfjager products is the Reaper Grip system, capable of gripping any rifle, regardless of its stock characteristics, and providing extreme stability. The tiltable "head" ensures smooth and controlled movement of the entire system. The Reaper Grip systems can be equipped with the robust and stable aluminum tripod (preferred by police and precision shooters at long range) or the extremely lightweight carbon fiber tripod, perfect for hunters who regularly change positions and stalk their prey. The KOPFJÄGER brand also offers a lot of additional accessories aimed at maximizing the benefits and comfort of shooters. Overall, it is a special brand that has garnered increasing interest in the EMEA region since its introduction.

I'm often asked about the origin of the brand name - KOPFJÄGER. This is one of my favorite questions because it allows me to tell the story of the brand's creation. It was developed by two SWAT police officers and former Navy snipers who have served under the harshest conditions around the world. The "Kopfjäger" is a nickname among elite sniper units and precision shooters, awarded only to the very best shooters who have earned this title through their skills, endurance in the face of danger, leadership qualities, and bravery. I believe the message of the brand is that one must strive daily to be the best. In that sense, I love what the KOPFJÄGER brand stands for.

SPARTANAT: What SIGHTMARK device should every shooter own? And why?

That is a really difficult question for me, to be honest. Perhaps the most common product that should be found in every shooter's arsenal (whether a hunter, sports shooter, or law enforcement) is one of our scopes. We are globally known for the quality of our scopes and the variety of calibers in our portfolio. A scope can be used in various ways, from efficient and low-consumption zeroing at the range to dry training for precision shooting.

Aside from that, every shooter can find a SIGHTMARK product that suits them, depending on their specific needs and the context in which the product will be used.

For hunters who go on driven hunts but occasionally also practice the "walk and stalk" hunting, I would always recommend our SM13138HDR Sightmark Citadel 1-10×24 Hunting riflescope with dot reticle. It is the ideal riflescope for such a multi-purpose use, as the hunter can practically use the riflescope as a red dot for driven hunt shooting at simple magnification. However, from time to time, our perfect game also appears at a distance of 100 to 200 meters. In such situations, the SM13138HDR Sightmark 1-10×24 HDR riflescope offers up to 10x magnification option that can be quickly used, providing the shooter with the comfort of taking such a shot. As mentioned earlier, our Citadel series scopes are equipped with a throw lever that makes traversing the magnification range super-fast and efficient, allowing hunters to quickly adjust settings depending on the situation and switch between targets in the blink of an eye.

Another good example would be our top-performing red dot sight, namely the SM26043 Sightmark Mini Shot M-Spec. More and more shooters want a red dot sight for their pistols (both for everyday carry, home defense, or competition shooting), which has increased the demand for reliable and robust red dot sights that can easily handle the recoil of a pistol. We can proudly refer to professional IPSC shooters who use our red dot sight with great success and without any failures.

Since our brand is very refined, we also have something special for long-range precision shooters. Our SM13042PRS Sightmark Latitude 6.25-25×56 PRS riflescope is the best choice for people getting into long-range shooting. The scope is one of my favorites because it comes with beautiful high-profile turrets, ideal for sports shooters, a 34mm tube designed for a lot of windage and elevation clicks, plus a massive 56mm objective that allows for extreme light transmission. In my opinion, it is the best riflescope on the market for people who are about to discover the world of precision shooting and do not want to spend a small fortune on their first optic. And since it's a Sightmark, the SM13042PRS comes with a sunshade included as an extra.

HERE is the new German-language 2021 catalog from Sightmark EMEA for online viewing or download.

And HERE you can find all international Sightmark catalogs (USA and Europe, as well as French, English, Italian, and German).

SIGHTMARK optics are available through Frankonia and Fritzmann in Germany or ARMAMAT, EARMS and Black Shadow in Austria.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SightmarkEMEA

Instagram www.instagram.com/sightmark_emea/

SIGHTMARK on the web: sightmark.com