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What Is The BDX
Sig Sauer’s Ballistic Data Xchange (BDX) is not a single item but rather a system consisting of three things – a range finder, scope, and an app on your smartphone or tablet. They can work separately, but really they need each other to be impressive.Next Gen Optic
$560
at Amazon
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
The Kilo range finder is the most simple part of the system, it works like any range finder would and doesn’t really have any surprises under the hood, except for its BlueTooth ability to talk to your phone. But more on that in a moment.
Finally, the app is the brains of the operation. It does the math, communication, and heavy lifting. You can set profiles, input load data, and even set custom zeros for the scope.
Who Is It For?
The techy hunter. Yes, they hunt too. While this technology has huge potential and unlimited applications, right now what this is really designed for is hunting and due to its nature, the kind of hunter that will really get the most out of the BDX system is not your uncle Fudd.
Field Testing and Grouping
Since the BDX has such a huge range of applications and ability to pre-load multiple calibers/loads, I wanted to run through a whole wack of options to see how accurate the data and math would be.
After that first hiccup, everything ran great. And the maths were all rock solid on point. After zeroing, the BDC dots all worked perfectly at 100, 200, and 300 yards.
Most impressive – it worked perfectly across all 3 rifles, 2 calibers, and 5 cartridges I tried it with.
Glass Quality and Reticle
Sig Sauer has great glass, I’ve never looked through a Sig scope and felt disappointed. It does feel busy though, with the lines for the dots and the reticle itself – it feels more cluttered than it really is. Also, and again this must be due to the illuminated dots, the reticle lines themselves are T H I C C. They have to be for the illuminated dots and since this is a hunting optic, that isn’t a huge deal. But it does, in part, prevent you from being able to use this as a hyper-precision long-range scope if you wanted to do so. That said – the glass is good. There isn’t much distortion at the edges, colors are firm and sharp, everything is very crisp to look at out to at least 400-yards.Reticle and BDC Dots
By the Numbers
Reliability 4/5
Everything worked every time I tried it – nothing ever failed on me. But there is one issue…since all of these runs on software, it needs to be updated. Thankfully, during my pre-range-trip inspections, I’ve seen every time that it needed an update before heading out. I don’t know what would happen if I had taken it into the field and then tried to use it on an old version of the software, but it is something I’ll be careful about. That said…if I was taking this on a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, I might back a backup scope in my rifle bag just in case technology decided to not work the morning I go stalking.Accuracy 5/5
Scope worked every time. After I zeroed it all I needed to do was change the settings and poof – right on target.Ergonomics 4/5
Sig really did a nice job with the range finder, it fits well in the hand and has some rubber over-molding to give you a decent grip even when your hands might be wet from sweat or rain. The Sierra scope knobs are not my favorite. Zoom and illumination are tight but workable. The parallax knob is VERY stuff though with ultra-aggressive texturing for grip, so aggressive that it kind of hurts.Customization 5/5
The app is amazing. It has basically everything you can think of and the ability to add handloads with profiles, custom settings, and so much more. As a tech guy, this is a NICE app!Bang for the Buck/Value 3/5
Starting at around $700 for the 3.5-10x and running up to $1,400 for the 6.5-20x system, for a hunting setup, this is on the pricey end. However, it needs to be said that the range finder that comes in these kits are really nice pieces of kit and are worth at least $200 for the Kilo 1400 and around $800 for the Kilo 2400. Once you factor in those prices – the scopes are almost a bargain. Still – as a set, this will set you back. But awesome tech isn’t cheap.Overall Rating 4/5
If you’re gearing up for a hunting trip of a lifetime – say an Elk trip, then getting a BDX system is a no-brainer! The ability to set your scope perfectly for your load, range a target, and know basically exactly where your shot is going to land is invaluable when you’re taking a once in a lifetime shot. But for the average hunter, it’s going to really depend on what you hunt and where you hunt it. I hunt deer in California where 300 yards is the average shot, my brother-in-law hunts deer in Wisconsin where it’s unheard of to take a shot past about 75 yards.Next Gen Optic
$560
at Amazon
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Conclusions
Tools that make hunting easier and surer of an ethical harvest are great to have, but this is a niche set of tools for a niche clientele. Every part of this system works when you need it to and honestly offers more tools than most people will ever use. If you’re interested in this idea for a scope then I highly recommend the Sig BDX – it really doesn’t disappoint and is great to use.
My hope is that this is just the start and that Sig will improve this tech and expand it to other applications, but until then I look forward to taking this into the field next deer season to see if I can fill a tag with it.
Maybe looking for something closer range or less techy? See some of our other favorite picks for Best Scopes & Optics.
14 Leave a Reply
Has anybody tried this system with a muzzloader?
We did not test it with a muzzleloader. But it does support custom profiles, as long as you had accurate bullet velocity data it should work like normal. However, I'm not familiar with muzzleloaders in general so I don't know how consistent their bullet velocity is.
Burris eliminator spin-off. Although you don’t need a separate rangefinder to get it done with the Burris. With all three purchases I’d also say the price is relatively the same.. I have the eliminator And you are dead on about it only being good for hunting. .I ignorantly bought it for a creedmoor RPR to in attempt to cheat my way to calling myself a 1k shooter.... in the words of our president “WRONG”! The Burris is now on a 6.5 grendel and the RPR is now topped with a nightforce.
Scopes with built in laser rangefinders are the future. This seems like more tech crap.
Just for everyone out there considering this package. I purchased it last year when it came out. In 2019 Oregon has since banned any “scopes that can get data from a rangefinder” to hunt big game with. From what we can find out is that if the scope is paired to the rangefinder that makes it illegal. IF however you have your ballistics entered and are only using the BDC drop point mode make it ok to use. Just something to remember
Great article on the scope. Blue tooth transmitters definitely interfere with a camera with any sort of autofocus, or auto ranging capability. So will vehicle window defroster elements. Not quite as bad as an F-117's ram coating, though.
TIL, thanks!
I already have Two Laser Rangefinders and need a Third like I need a "Hole In the Head", especially one where I'm required to purchase Three items in order to use just one of them...
You can buy scopes and rangefinders separately or together.
Nice review and cool new toys out there but,, I’ll keep my dope card and my .308 that I have used for the last 20 yrs. Military training carried over to civilian shooting . It’s never failed me.. I can count on 1 hand the number of missed shots over hundreds of rounds when it counted.. honestly don’t know how many fired in training,, certainly in the thousands.
I was wondering how compatible the Schmidt & Bender 3-27x56 PM II High Power Digital BT was with any bluetooth rangefinder and app. I hope the price says the setup is less of a pain than you describe on this one.
The set up is extremely simple and very easy. To input the information is very fast and intuitive. The author makes a big deal out of it but it isn't at all. The system works exceptionally well. I have been shooting for several decades. This system is an innovation in the right direction. The glass of the scope is of excellent quality. I have been in the field enough times to know that a range finder is an excellent addition to shoot at unknown distances. Anyone who has hunted enough knows that there are times where it is crucial to read the distance properly and I am not referring to shooting a mile away either. The author calls this system the "Serria". It is Sierra, as in Sierra Nevada.
I have no idea if it is compatible to any other system than the Sig Sauer it comes in. I highly doubt it would be compatible with any other make scope. It may be...
My opinion; the set up was a breeze. And it works ! I love mine. (No one paid me to say any of this. I just appreciate a good product). This system is better than good, it's great and works flawlessly. I also understand from the posts I'm reading that there are other manufacturers who make similar scopes. I'm only familiar with this one.
Thanks, excited about the concept but I know how fussy tech can be. I saw a comment elsewhere about some sort of profile limit to 800 yards with non-sig scopes. I've not been able to verify, but the specs list distances well beyond that. Any insights?
Thanks again.
So, it's pretty much just a newer version of what Nikon has been doing for years with their "Spot-on Nikon" app. That works with any Nikon scope and any caliber and load.