experiance & advise

[birdseye]

Looking for some personal experiance or info on high end hunting scooes.I started looking for a high end rifle scope for hunting and long range target practice its between the
Swarovski Z8i 3.5X28X50 gen II with 40mm tube or
Zeiss Victory V8 4.8x35x60
Swarovski DS Gen II 5-25x52

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by birdseye

Looking for some personal experiance or info on high end hunting scooes.I started looking for a high end rifle scope for hunting and long range target practice its between the
Swarovski Z8i 3.5X28X50 gen II with 40mm tube or
Zeiss Victory V8 4.8x35x60
Swarovski DS Gen II 5-25x52

Just my opinion for hunting those huge objective lenses are not needed…. My 2.5-16x42(30mm)is the largest objective lens I have on anything I’ll hunt with, anything higher in diameter and the whole cheek weld and point ability thing goes right out the window.

Target optics you can go with big objectives and adjustable combs all you like.

Keep it low bro…… for hunting!

[DirtShooter]

If that swaro actually has a 40mm tube I'd steer clear. Can't imagine what few expensive options of rings you'd have.

NF SHV 3-10x42 with a 30mm tube is my favorite.

[waldedw]

I have 2 Nightforce NX8 2.5 - 20 x 50mm on my 6.5 PRC and my 7mm PRC and love them, also have a sig sauer Sierra 111 4.5 - 14 x 50mm they cover a broad range of hunting and long range shooting requirements.

[antmai]

I agree with the large objective size. Great glass on a 30mm tube will perform amazingly. 44mm objective or under. Low to bore and lighter to carry.
To offer advice strictly on your OP, reticle offerings matter a bunch to me. If you are dead set on those, i would take the best reticle for me.

[32-40win]

As I understand it, the big Swaro sale on at present is due to Swaro discontinuing a bunch of scopes and coming out with a new lineup. At least, that was the way it was presented, can't remember if it was an e-mail or a vendor post on CGN, 3-4 wks ago. They said something about most of the Z5 & Z6 were gone, maybe some Z3's as well, they ddn't know for sure. While the 50-56mm scopes are nice, I find them far bulkier than I like for hunting spot and stalk with, and there really isn't such a thing as a "lightweight" FFP scope either, they all seem to be 20oz or better, most being more like 25-35ish.
All according to what you want to do with it and how you want to use it.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Just my opinion for hunting those huge objective lenses are not needed…. My 2.5-16x42(30mm)is the largest objective lens I have on anything I’ll hunt with, anything higher in diameter and the whole cheek weld and point ability thing goes right out the window.

Target optics you can go with big objectives and adjustable combs all you like.

Keep it low bro…… for hunting!

Totally agree. You don't need to count the ticks on the critters back to make a good shot at any reasonable hunting distance.

[wallz]

What distances are you looking at for hunting, and target shooting??


I tend to agree, anything past the 50mm is just starting to push the physical size of the scope too much. I would be inclined to max at 52mm, and only say that as I have a 52mm March FX high master on a bench rifle, and you could use it for a hunting scope. I actually planned this from the purchase of it, just haven't had a chance to use it hunting yet, as its still my bench scope. I specifically looked for a smallish foot print of a scope, yet great optics. 4.5-28X52.

Me, and this is personal preference use a ZCO, (4-20X50) scope for hunting, but I also practice with this rifle out to 1100 m. No I have not had to shoot anything that far yet, but I am ready if need be and the environmentals are just right.

When I was getting into the game, I used an NXS 5-22X56, but it was just too big. Looked at the swaro DS, and the Revic, integrated range finder scope systems, but ultimately decided that they are too big of a physical size, plus the integrated range finder limited me to only that rifle. You have to physically see and handle one to truly see its HUGE factor. I decided in the end to go with the Leica pro bino RF with the ballistics program and I can use them with all my hunting rifles.

Also be warned, that once you use an alpha optic on one setup you are more inclined to want to purchase multiple for the rest of the rifles you own. They truly are amazing, if you have the $$ for them.

[1dayillgetaram]

Originally Posted by birdseye

Looking for some personal experiance or info on high end hunting scooes.I started looking for a high end rifle scope for hunting and long range target practice its between the
Swarovski Z8i 3.5X28X50 gen II with 40mm tube or
Zeiss Victory V8 4.8x35x60
Swarovski DS Gen II 5-25x52

I have a ds gen2
It’s fantastic
Skip the v8, very little elevation range in that scope
The ZEISS lrp is far better
I’d skip the Swarovski z8I too and look at the new kahles k328
Schmidt and bender has some new models
Tangent theta is very good
Zco is there also

Find out what features you really like and want, and that will steer you to the best one for you

[pikergolf]

IMO unless you are shooting off of a bench with a very good rest anything over 20 power is a waste, they are too hard to hold steady. If you are buying a First focal plain in the higher power scopes the reticle is pretty much useless at lower powers as well, it shrinks. If you are shooting steel at long range you don't need crazy power either. I have a 4X16 power scope on my coyote rifle, it never goes past 8 and that is using shooting sticks. Nothing kills confidence in a shot like watching your crosshairs bounce all over an animal because you have your scope dial to too high a power.

[1dayillgetaram]

Originally Posted by DirtShooter

If that swaro actually has a 40mm tube I'd steer clear. Can't imagine what few expensive options of rings you'd have.

NF SHV 3-10x42 with a 30mm tube is my favorite.

The best way to relate scope value is to think of it like a pickup
Take your shv, it’s like a ford ranger xl
A top tier scope is like a f350 limited
They both get you from point a to point b (100m shooting)
But when you need to put it to work (500m and further)
That’s when the differences become pretty obvious

[1dayillgetaram]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

IMO unless you are shooting off of a bench with a very good rest anything over 20 power is a waste, they are too hard to hold steady. If you are buying a First focal plain in the higher power scopes the reticle is pretty much useless at lower powers as well, it shrinks. If you are shooting steel at long range you don't need crazy power either. I have a 4X16 power scope on my coyote rifle, it never goes past 8 and that is using shooting sticks. Nothing kills confidence in a shot like watching your crosshairs bounce all over an animal because you have your scope dial to too high a power.

You don’t HAVE to shoot at max magnification. But say your hunting elk and the herd is 500 yards away. The cows and the bull are intermingling. That extra magnification will help you to make sure that you have a clear shot.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by 1dayillgetaram

You don’t HAVE to shoot at max magnification. But say your hunting elk and the herd is 500 yards away. The cows and the bull are intermingling. That extra magnification will help you to make sure that you have a clear shot.

The nice thing about a high magnification variable scope is it can be turned down to match the condition for the day to combat mirage or lighting .
Cat