Needing new hunting scope. Is Swarovski the best option?

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Sep 15, 2020
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You can't have a "dual erector" in a scope. The erector in a scope is a tube inside the maintube that goes from the ocular to the turrets which push it down/left or relieve and the spring pushes it up/right.

Z5s will dial all day, but if you bought it expecting a long-range dialing scope you'd be disappointed. Turret clicks being 1/4" instead of 1/4 MOA was a surprise to me but I guess they're expecting you to dial to their 3 rings set up with their calculator rather than dialing like a target shooter.
 
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Jul 20, 2019
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Joined
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I am new to this forum but am a long time hunter. I have always gone with budget scopes on my hunting rifles and am looking to move into a higher end scope. I recently bought a Christensen Arms Mesa 6.5 PRC and want to find a high quality scope to go on it. I have been looking through this forum and read many reviews and am just lost. For those that have Swarovski scopes, are they really worth the price or would a Leupold or Vortex be just as good?
I would look at nightforce. If you are trying to go lightweight, the 2.5-10x42 NXS. If its not about weight the 4-32 NX8 or 5.5-22x50 NXS. The ATACRs are tanks, but pretty sick scopes. The 4-16x42 is one of the best hunting scopes on the market IMO.
 

Kurts86

WKR
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Aug 15, 2020
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I ran a Swarovski Z5 for a couple of seasons and the glass is as good as nearly any scope on the market but it leaves a bit to be desired on durability and turret design. You only get 13.5 moa of travel so you will find yourself running out of adjustment between 600-800 yards.

Now I run Nightforce scopes for more durability and dialing potential since I can shoot out to 1250 yards at my range. On higher end scopes you are paying for mechanical features and durability rather than pure glass quality like on binoculars or a spotting scope.

I love Swarovski glass and I run their 10x and 15x binoculars but their rifle scopes are a bit quirky for the Western Hunting/Long Range shooting market and are a bit dated in the Z3/Z5 line. The Swarovski X5 is closer to the scope it should be but it’s SFP only unlike most comparably priced optics.

I think the 1” tube Swarovski scopes still have a place on ultralight builds or for a guy in the SE hunting green field food plots until the limit of shooting light who needs excellent light transmission and can be gentle with the scope.

I really like the 4W Swarovski reticle but I wish they made the 44mm Z5 in the 2.4-12x zoom range instead of 3.5-18. I also wish Swarovski would make a decent scope cap. The magnetic Swarovski flip cap is $115 and somehow terrible and requires removing the scope to unscrew it.

Swarovski is really good at making amazing quality glass but that’s pretty far down the list of what makes a good high end rifle scope and none of their competitors glass quality is inadequate and their mechanical features are better.
 
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I also wish Swarovski would make a decent scope cap. The magnetic Swarovski flip cap is $115 and somehow terrible and requires removing the scope to unscrew it.

Did you not realize that you can spin the ring that the magnets are on independently of the ring the threads are on, allowing you to ratchet it onto the scope without dismounting it?
 

Longleaf

Lil-Rokslider
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Lol - come on man…the best at what? Tracking? Definitely not. Holding zero? Definitely not. Glass? Definitely not? Weight and magnification range? Its a contender.
You may be referring to the older Marchs that used the NATO standard mil scale that caused people to see tracking issues, they now use mathematical mil. March is definitely alpha glass comparable to my ATACR.
 
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You may be referring to the older Marchs that used the NATO standard mil scale that caused people to see tracking issues, they now use mathematical mil. March is definitely alpha glass comparable to my ATACR.
No - I am referring to the new marches. Whether or not it is alpha glass is debatable at best.
 

Trogon

WKR
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Christiansen and Swaro, that’s a one way ticket to the Bermuda Triangle of finding zero
 

Article 4

WKR
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Mar 4, 2019
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Swaro is a great brand and although their mantra is NOT Long range hunting....in fact they bought another brand to address that market a long with the tactical and comp shooting sports...the glass cannot be outclassed

I personally have time with Swaro, Leupold, Nightforce and Kahles. The last IMO and IME is the best
 
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