Help with scope choice: Swaro Z3 vs VX6 vs Zeiss HD5 vs Sightron SIII

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shanesymyrozum

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Putting a new scope on a Finnlight I just picked up. I want to get something with good quality that I will be happy with for a while. My options are: Swaro Z3 vs VX6 vs Zeiss HD5 vs Sightron SIII. I would welcome feedback on any of these that you have had. Please elaborate on your thoughts, as "this one is my fav" or "I'm a Leupold guy" isn't that helpful:)

My hunting takes place in farm country, so long(ish) shots are frequently encountered.
 
You'd easily be happy with the optical quality of all of those options, but I would say that for clarity/brightness the Zeiss/Swaro will be the clear choices. That said, you may want to pick the "right scope" for your gun. If you are looking at the same magnification ranges in each model, pick the one that is the most compact/light or that "fits" your rifle the best. Try not to be tempted to overscope the gun, even if you are taking longish shots you don't need more than ten power on big game and a large/heavy scope will not be consistent with your choice of rifle,

Cheers,

Patrick
 
Hands down the Swarovski or Zeiss. I have the Swaro, and a friend has an HD5. Both are optically excellent.

I think there has been a lot of Sightron flavored kool-aid consumed by members on this forum. Certain vendors are all too happy to have you believe they are on par with the likes of Swarovski, Nightforce, etc. They're good but not that good.
 
marcoman said:
Hands down the Swarovski or Zeiss. I have the Swaro, and a friend has an HD5. Both are optically excellent.

I think there has been a lot of Sightron flavored kool-aid consumed by members on this forum. Certain vendors are all too happy to have you believe they are on par with the likes of Swarovski, Nightforce, etc. They're good but not that good.
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+1

To the OP: what caliber are you shooting?

In the Swaro Z3 line, the 3-9x36 ($859) or 3-10x42 ($969) may not offer enough magnification for "longer" shot, thus the Z3 4-12x50 with the ballistic turret ($1,159) or BRH ($1,069) reticle would be the best Z3 candidate. If you step up to the Z5 series, the 3.5-18x44 with the BT ($1,729) or BRH ($1,639) would work beautifully (it's one of the very best hunting rifle scopes on the market for the money).

The Zeiss HD5 scopes are also excellent choices: the 3-15x42 ($1,199) or 5-25x50 ($1,399) with the Rapid-Z reticle (600 or 800 depending on your caliber) offer high definition glass, very useable mag ranges, crisp adjustment, and a bombproof design. I have new and demo units of many of virtually all of the above scopes.

The VX6 are very nice scopes, and I'm a Leupold dealer, however unless a customer insists, I generally recommend Zeiss or Swaro for a number of reasons. I have sold Sightron benchrest scopes, and they are very good within their price range, however I'm not sure I would take one hunting.
 
We recommend going to a rifle match as you will have the opportunity to check both Sightron and Nightforce and as a dealer and owner of both, we state that NF and SIII optics are similar in quality. You won't see much of the other mentioned scopes as they are hunting scopes.

Nightforce does beat Sightron on build quality but they also beat all others.

We simply recommend that shooters look through scopes and compare side by side.

Regards,

Peter
 
I think a Finnlight with a Z3 would be a wicked package but if you are hunting fields and going home at night there may be better options for both rifle and scope. Something with a bit more magnification and a longer barrel heavier rifle would be doable out of a tree stand or blind off a solid rest. Keep in mind that likely you are only carrying from the truck to the stand/blind.

That being said.....my next rifle, to be used for inclement weather hunting and mountain hunts will likely be either a Finnlight or Winchester Extreme SS with a Swarovski Z3/Z5. Simple and classic affordable yet quality package that can take all kinds of abuse and be relied on when it counts. I love the Swarovski scope...so clear and lightweight. They are also very pretty (if that counts...which IT DOES!)

I don't think that a Finnlight and a Swaro would be a bad choice for your specified use. You would do just fine out of a treestand or on the prairie. I am not sure where you are located or how you hunt but if you ever plan on doing some outfitted hunts in Alberta, NFLD or Alaska (etc) that would be a nice package to chase mountain mulies, sheep or moose when walking and crappy weather is the order of the day. I love my Win Model 70 wood/blued (I am taking it to Africa with me in June) but it is a pain in the butt to keep clean and rust free when weather is bad in our northern hunting grounds.

All the best in your choices. There are many guys on here much more experienced than me who will likely chime in.
 
If weight is critical the the Z3 in 3-9x36 or the 2.5-10x42 is the best choice. If not, then the VX6 is nicer optically (compared SxS) and the VX6 comes with the CDS turret which is very nice and gives a very large amount of adjustability with one turn of the turret - 19MOA iirc. The VX6 also has the best eye box by far - it is very forgiving. The downside is that it weighs about 4oz (1/4lb) more than the Z3. At the price range you are talking about I'd look at one of the Leica ER scopes that Omer is clearing out. They have fantastic optics, excellent eye relief and huge mounting space. I own a VX6 2-12x42, but at the clearance prices I'd pick the Leica over the others.
 
Have you considered the Meopta Meostar? Awesome quality, full transferrable lifetime warranty, optically comparable to the Swaro at a lower pricepoint.
 
I have a Swaro Z5 3.5-18 and the old Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40. Both are awesome scopes. I'm sure the new HD5 with hunting turrets is even better than the old Conquest.

I actually do like more mag on a hunting scope. I may not use the higher mag hunting but I like it when doing load development at the range (and I do a LOT of load development).

That said the old Conquest is hard to beat for the price. lOVE the fixed eye relief.
 
I have a Z3, Conquest, Trijicon Accupoints, and have owned many Leupolds, etc. Out of what you mentioned, I would go the Z3 for sure. Outstanding resolution, a decent reticle (get the BRH, not BRX -it's too fine for hunting), but more importantly its light weight and physical size is well suited to a Finnlight. The HD5 is very nice, but heavy.

I would also look at the Trijicon Accupoint 3-9x40. The glass is good - (not quite Swaro good, but IMHO better than a VX-3), light weight, good eye relief, and illuminated reticles. The illuminated reticle is amazing, and really needs to be used to be fully appreciated. On overcast days, in big timber or at dawn/dusk, it can be a deal breaker if a quick shot needs to be made..
 
had a chance to visit a local WSS and looked at the many brands they carried just to get caught up on new stuff. All were in the 3-12 range if available.

All were at least as expensive if not double the cost of the Sightrons I offer. Very enlightening in how poor the current crop of scopes are. Nothing impressed optically and that was just looking at a big banner on the other side of the building and a 8x11 sale sign with large print.

A few big name brands were so wonky, I asked the clerk if these had been dropped or damaged. We even considered sending 1 back for repair but the big boss said it was brand new... WONKY

Very surprising indeed given the brands and the costs..... but don't take my word for it ( I am a Sightron dealer ). Have a look, work the mag ring, check the focus both eye and side if available.

Sorry, but I have yet to find another brand that impresses me enough without spending a lot more money.... and then there are only a couple worth that extra money

YMMV

Jerry
 
Are you going to show us a sighting comparison/calibration bar chart, so we can make up our own minds without the possibility of any kind of bias creeping in?

I only have one centre-fire rifle modern enough to warrant putting a modern scope on it, and in spite of being able to afford anything I choose, I chose the particular Nightforce scope that I looked through. To me, it was better than anything else I had also looked through in the 1000 - 3000 pound category at that time.

Maybe if Sightron had been around then I might have changed my mind, who knows?

tac
 
shanesymyrozum said:
Putting a new scope on a Finnlight I just picked up. I want to get something with good quality that I will be happy with for a while. My options are: Swaro Z3 vs VX6 vs Zeiss HD5 vs Sightron SIII. I would welcome feedback on any of these that you have had. Please elaborate on your thoughts, as "this one is my fav" or "I'm a Leupold guy" isn't that helpful:)

My hunting takes place in farm country, so long(ish) shots are frequently encountered.
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I have a Z3 3-10x42 on my 22-250 and it's a very nice scope. Simple, lightweight, as clear and bright as the best ones out there. I hunt on open fields and farmland.
I'd omit the Sightron from your list, they're pretty much an unknown in hunting circles and generally not regarded as hunting scopes. The features they possess aren't really needed for your application, IMO, especially on a Finnlight.

If you're mainly using the gun for coyote and the like, I've found you'll rarely have time to fiddle with rangefinders and turrets as the animals are constantly moving and time generally doesn't permit it.

Mine has a simple duplex reticle and for a high velocity caliber you're good out to 400 or so without much holdover. I'd say the majority of hunters can tell by a quick glance if an animal is within 400 yards. Like most, I have trouble estimating ranges beyond that, especially as it's critical to get exact range when you're out there that far.

There are better choices for target scopes, but then I suspect you wouldn't have bought a Finnlight. If you'd tell us what caliber you have and intended quarry, that would be helpful as well.
 
you're not far from the price of Schmidt and Bender. Have you considered those?
I don't own any or them, but they impressed me most when looking at high end scopes.
Wolverine has a 2.5-10 Summit for around 1500, which looks like a great price.
 
Mystic Precision said:
had a chance to visit a local WSS and looked at the many brands they carried just to get caught up on new stuff. All were in the 3-12 range if available.

All were at least as expensive if not double the cost of the Sightrons I offer. Very enlightening in how poor the current crop of scopes are. Nothing impressed optically and that was just looking at a big banner on the other side of the building and a 8x11 sale sign with large print.

A few big name brands were so wonky, I asked the clerk if these had been dropped or damaged. We even considered sending 1 back for repair but the big boss said it was brand new... WONKY

Very surprising indeed given the brands and the costs..... but don't take my word for it ( I am a Sightron dealer ). Have a look, work the mag ring, check the focus both eye and side if available.

Sorry, but I have yet to find another brand that impresses me enough without spending a lot more money.... and then there are only a couple worth that extra money

YMMV

Jerry
Click to expand...

Did you look at the Z3 or HD5 specifically? I'd be extremely surprised if you could say that those two scopes were "wonky" as you put it.
I looked at the new Sightron S-Tacs at SHOT and honestly, I walked away wondering what the hell all the fuss is about?! Pretty disappointing if that is representative of Sightrons glass. But then again I didnt ask the guy if they had been dropped or damaged.
 
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z3/z5, when yo objectively and fairly compare the clarity of the glass with all others, it comes out on top. The only glass that really compares is Meopta....at a lower price point, and the Schmidt and bender hunting line, at the same price point. I wouldn't look at anything else.

There is something special about the european glass when compared to Japanese. They have managed to capture light better, so that you can actually distinguish distance better, and see better in lower light or adverse light conditions. All scopes work fine during the day and bright light, not all scopes work the same when the animal is just inside the tree line, on the horizon, or in adverse light conditions. You cannot fairly compare scopes looking at banners in stores, you CAN compare scopes fairly when looking at the bark of a tree that is well inside a tree line, and at a good distance, where any different lighting conditions are apparent on the tree.
 
I got the chance to look through a Sightron scope this morning, stuck on top of a Barnard-actioned .284 set up for LR target shooting. It had a very fine crosshair with a minute, almost hardly there dot, and was pretty clear, but then, for almost $1800 here in UK, it darned-well should have been.

tac
 
My experience has been that when I compare scopes, I need to have them all lined up and look through them under the same conditions.
Looking through one at a store and thinking it's as clear as the one you looked through out of your deer blind three months ago won't work.
 
I had a dream rifle in mind. Sako Finnlight in 30-06, McMillan Edge and a Z3 on top. The Z3 was light weight and extremely clear until the cold weather hit and it fogged up. Not just on the outside but internally. I sent it in and they sent it back with a list of things that had been replaced and resealed of course. First time out in cold weather and it fogged again. There was no chance of breath or warmth from my coat causing the issue as it was leaning against a tree for several hours. I noticed the fogging before I even picked it up. When I cleaned the lens it looked perfect but there was a halo of fog internally. To add insult to injury, I met up with my son at dark and his Bushnell 3200 was as clear as a bell.

Anyway, the Z3 is gone back to the retailer who was good enough to give me a full refund.
 
Well I ended up getting the Z3 4-12x50. I took it out last night, well after shooting time was up, the game warden danger zone so to speak. Man was it ever something:) Tonight I am going to take it out and compare it to a Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14x44 and a Viper 4-12x40 for a side by side. Pretty sure I know how that is gonna shake out.
 
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