Swaro Scope for Rimfire

I have a Z5 on my .22, it has been mentioned here earlier by Malx, and my pal has a Z6 on his, both with ballistic turrets, both bought on here. We have had a lot of other scopes on them in the past, and have tried other reticals and turrets, but these ones do exactly what we want – the others simply could not and were a disappointment. We very much enjoy using them, and spend a fair bit of time shooting rabbits during the day, before stalking in the evening on a superb bit of ground an hour from home. We both have Swarovski scopes on all our centre fires, tend to fire them once, or perhaps twice a day when out, and have a bullet drop of say up to 1-3 inches over the range we shoot at.
With the .22, we fire them probably 50 times a day when out, and have a bullet drop of 0-13 inches, though the rifles are effectively zeroed at 50, 75, 100 and 120 meters, so they are point and press at each of these ranges. We get at least as much enjoyment out of this as we do with our stalking, we try to go out once a week, and so it makes sense to have a decent scope on the rifles that makes a clean kill in what can be difficult conditions and ranges. The topography makes this type of shooting at these ranges a necessity, and though we have some areas we can sneak about and shoot with the air rifles, in most cases the shots are longer range.
Over the last 6-8 years I have probably spent more on scopes for the .22 than the z5 cost me, and I fully expect the rifle and scope to be being used in the same way in 20 years. So I agree that a Swarovski scope is overkill for shooting tins off a wall twice a year, but for what we do it is ideal, decent investment, retaining high residual value, actually does what we want it to do properly, is a pleasure to use and own, and I now have no need for another scope, so happy with my choice.
 
Thanks for info gents.

Swarovski Z5 looks like a nice scope.

I am slowly learning that the quality of the optics is everything, so performance is directly proportional to cost.

In complete contradiction to my own thread title, the ZeissConquest DL 2-8x42 launched in 2014 looks like a very useful tool indeed with the AVT and illuminated reticule. There is a large price difference between the Z5 and the Conquest.......anybody have experience of them both.
 
I had 2 stalking rifles both with z6i 2.5-15x44 4ai ret scopes on them I sold the one rifle and kept the scope as a spare , one day I was messing around with the rimfire and thaught I'll stick the z6i on it just to see what it's like
consequently it stayed on there and I have no intention taking it off its wonderfully bright and as has been said its a pleasure to use shooting rabbits and small vermin thru quality glass and also everything is familiar to use and the same sight picture on both rifles


Everyone bangs on to buy the best scope / glass for stalking or foxing but as soon as a .22LR is mentioned all that's suggested is "huh don't spend any more than £80. Etc on a rimfire scope as that's all you need "

take pride in your shooting and the quality of your gear buy the best you can afford whether it's for a .22LR bunny Basher or a 308 stalking rig
 
The Z5 really is growing on me, but the Z6 Gen2 2.5-15x44 P BT L absolutely perfect. Big money but should last a lifetime.

I could buy it with a view to using on a 22-250 in 6-9 months time, but use it on the rimfire in the interim....see how it goes.

Noticed that the Slovenian optics place is looking good value to the impending Euro meltdown, 1500 GBP.

Anybody have experience of using them ?

Cheers
 
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I was led to believe that the more expensive scopes with their better lenses and coatings etc. not only gave better clarity at long ranges, but also allowed better light transmission which is vital when shooting deer at dusk. For rabbits and foxes, however, you can use a lamp or night vision/thermal and you're unlikely to be shooting further than 100yds with a .22LR (slightly longer with an HMR, granted). Each to their own but I'd rather save the money for something else
 
Understand your logic Spandit, but my reasoning is a couple of very quality scopes that I will keep for decades and use on different rifles, whether centrefire or rimfire.

I have gone through the BSA to MTC to Bushnell to Swaorski path......and wasted money along the way. I am not into lamping or night shooting....after an incident where I nearly shot my neighbours cat.
 
Just to give you a laugh, I just missed a fox at about 10 yards using my 308 with a Swaro Z6 2.5-15x44, ***** scopes....
 
Just to give you a laugh, I just missed a fox at about 10 yards using my 308 with a Swaro Z6 2.5-15x44, ***** scopes....

Well I shot one at about 30 yards a couple of days ago & I couldn't for the life of me find an entrance or an exit wound, although it just collapsed to the frontal chest shot as it should. The bullet (Sako 100g .243 gamehead) obviously didn't expand at all. Could be you did hit it, just not exactly where you hoped, although if the bullet had expanded it would have done for it.

Stonedge 150701.jpg
 
Everyone bangs on to buy the best scope / glass for stalking or foxing but as soon as a .22LR is mentioned all that's suggested is "huh don't spend any more than £80. Etc on a rimfire scope as that's all you need".

Totally agree. Ironically it is in part the US who's responsible for this and c/o their production of toy-like 22 rimfire rifles that invite no less an approach to scopes choice.

That your best bet is a CZ rifle unless you want semi custom such as Cooper or Kimber is testimony to this.

K
 
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Well I shot one at about 30 yards a couple of days ago & I couldn't for the life of me find an entrance or an exit wound, although it just collapsed to the frontal chest shot as it should. The bullet (Sako 100g .243 gamehead) obviously didn't expand at all. Could be you did hit it, just not exactly where you hoped, although if the bullet had expanded it would have done for it.

Nope, he ran off a good couple of hundred yards, think I must have nutmegged him. Never mind, I've a cool box full of bits from a roe I butchered today to tempt him and the other two that were in the park at the same time. The annoying thing was that I was squealing to the two other foxes which were a couple of hundred yds away, and then this lad appeared out of the grass coming straight for me. Should have just taken his picture instead.
 
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