I don’t think you realize how backwards this sounds. Your scopes get bashed around so your solution is a Leupold? Ok.
If you value durability and reliability, pass on the Swaro. If you like to chat up your buddies about how great your glass is, go for it.
I've seen you on here and I think on other forums too, never missing a chance to poo poo on swaro and you often say how you used to like it too, but something happened
I’d guess the clear majority.
Fair question and I have addressed it before. 3 instances and I owned 6 Swaro Z series scopes. I had a Z3 that had a wandering zero. Very unpredictable. I even thought I had a bad barrel or something as I couldn’t find an accurate load. Changed scopes and got easy bugholes. Then I had a Z5 that would not track and return to zero. Every time you dialed it up, there was no telling where it would return to. This issue showed up after about 300 shots. Then I had a Z6 where the elevation turret broke clean off at the tube. Scope was brand new. While this wasn’t necessarily the direct fault of the scope, it revealed the erector adjustment guts are made of thin, cheap plastic, not brass or metal like most other scopes. That was the final straw. Unloaded them all. I’m not bashing them. I’m simply stating facts that the way Swaro makes the Z series so light is with very thin tubes and plastic erector mechanics. Why do you think they state a 17” pound max on rings, which is a joke. If all that sounds ok to you by all means rock on. But I think anyone with any common sense can tell that such construction is not going to hold up to any kind of significant use.
I have. And mountain goat too.
I have never shot a sheep. Ran around in the mountains of Afghanistan hunting other critters. Nightforce was my choice then and is now. I like lower magnification so I can see impact, or my spotter can. Booked for my sheep in 2024. I have helped on 2. Dear god judging a legal one is way harder than I thought. A slight tilt of the head and he looks so different.
I have had 3 scope fails. A Burris, Bushnell and Leopold. One fogged two went all over the place with the reticle. They two where on 30 Magnums and one on a 7mm 08. Never had a problem with Nightforce, or Vortex but I also have a 40 year old Weaver that still rocks.
Too many folks on forums appear to be of the mind that if it didn't happen to them or one of their buddies then it didn't happen. Not looking to hijack the thread but SDHNTR appears to have once had great faith in Swarovski, owned several and they failed him. It happens. Also happened to me. A few years back I bought a Z5 3.5-18x44 (brand new) that was a disaster from the start- internally fogged on first trip to the range, later developed a wandering zero (on a 6.5CM) - Swarovski fixed that - then after a few hunts, once again developed a wandering zero. Own(ed) volumes of scopes over the years and most were rock solid - remember a zero-shift issue with a Zeiss I had on a 300wby, but once fixed it stayed fixed.
I was just about to jump on and write this exact post. Glad somebody said it, as it can't be overstated.
I've been fortunate enough to take the 4 NA sheep. Used the same rifle/scope combination. Just a plain ole fixed 6x (Leopold, LOL). Simple, durable enough, light weight. and never felt I needed more than the 6x to make a kill shot.
That fixed 6x is a far more durable scope than a newer Leupold with CDS and all the latest features.
