S&B gets the "Boot" for Zeiss HT

greenhillstairs

Well-Known Member
Well i've bit the bullet, expensive one at that! just made the switch over on my Scope to a New Zeiss HT 2.5-10x50. The S&B ironically also 2.5-10x50 has been a faithful servent since going on my rifle from new some 12 years back. I suppose like many others I have been swept'd up in the media hype with regards the current "Must" have illuminated scope syndrome. I'm sure i'm not alone, taking off the S&B i felt a real twinge of guilt, almost a sense of betrayel. On mounting the Zeiss in good day light, then looking through both scopes,no noticable difference! Haha if anything i prefered the familarity of the Owd S&B, then again supposed that is to be expected.

However its the illumination that caught my attention and swayed my descion, aside from UK Deer Stalking, I hope to go to Europe again and possibly further afeild too Hunt/stalk Wild boar amongst other game.

Anyone made a similar switch from a quality non illuminated for similar reasons, did the investment pay off in due course? Was there any occasion You belive your illuminated scope made the difference.The moneys been spent now,so no going back. Sad in reality the S&B un-likely to go on my rifle again, I shoot with a Sauer 202 and I have the two calibre barrels i belive cover all my forseeable needs, another rifle(rimmy aside) aside simply not required and could not justify it, work & family ties depict the number of days Hunting.

Started the thread purely out of interest to hear other Folks experiances.

Regards; Steve
 
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I have both illuminated and non illiminated scopes (S&B and Zeiss and have had a Nightforce as well) and would not particularly say that I greatly value the illumination feature. In fact it hardle ever gets used in my hands
 
Recently got a second generation Swarovski Z6i for my .243 - lovely scope but don't really value the illumination, pointless really. The S&B non-illuminated on my .308 still a beauty and the equal in low light.
 
I have the S&B zenith illuminated on all my rifles - perfection is the word that comes to mind, they do what they say, and on the button for costs.

No frills but quality from top to toe.

Can't see me changing to Swarovski.


Phil
 
I have Swaro illuminated and non-illuminated scopes. The 8x56 with the illuminated dot is beneficial on Fallow at very first or last light. When the Fallow are dark coated and against a dark background it makes the difference between being able to place a shot with certainty or not. For me it makes the difference between one in the bag or a blank, in those particular circumstances.
 
When the Fallow are dark coated and against a dark background it makes the difference between being able to place a shot with certainty or not.

+1 This is the reason why I am in the process of moving to a Zeiss Victory HT. The illumination can obviously be turned on and off to suit the conditions when a shot arises. RoeHunter
 
Thanks for the replys, on another thread i wrote of the difficulty on a recent trip to Poland on picking up the reticle against a wild boar in very poor light. That was the principle "driver" for going for illumination, Zeiss appearing a little better value for money then Swaro. Norm's comment on Fallow i'm sure will apply likewise on coming accross Sika at the death of the day. For me 1 clean kill of a Boar or Sika will represent a worthwhile investment, as to weather the same result would of occured with the S&B, that i guess ile never know the answer too!!
 
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I have just bit the bullet too. from a S&B 3-12x42 from my .243 onto my .17 HMR to a new S$B 2.5-10x56 L3 Illuminated on my .243 no other choice in my book. For me there is only one good scope and that is SCHMIDT & BENDER to each there own.
 
I've found illumination essential when it's essential! Perhaps 95% of the time it's not used but it certainly has enabled me to take confident shots in those last few minutes and usually with the merest bit of illumination. I certainly wouldn't buy a deer scope sans light! All my centre fire scopes are Swarovskis but decided that for my new 6.5X55 I should try the Zeiss Victory HT. The first one was very "graunchy" with a reticle that wouldn't move through part of its travel, the replacement wouldn't hold zero so having lost confidence its back to Swarovski. I'm told that my experiences with the Vic HT are not unusual.
 
Thats a tad worrying Frog!!! Plump'd for Zeiss because of there reputation for quality!! The old S&B wont be going anywere until i'm 100% sure the new scope is bang on !!
 
I have a Leica Magnus on my Blaser at the moment.

Cracking bit of kit.

Without the IR I would be minus 2 silver medal Roe bucks and a fair few fallow. I would almost go as far to say if you shoot a lot at first/last light a IR is essential.
 
Ha!! Cheers Eggy, after the last response, met just manage a few hours kip now. Being honest, all responses appreciated!!! next week i got 3 days on my ground in the lovely rolling hills of Moffat. Looking forward to putting it on the test both on the range and in the forest.
 
Just a follow up to my earlier post about the problems I had with the Zeiss HT. The first problem i.e. the graunchiness holds true. The second problem I had, namely not holding zero, turned out to be a fracture in the mount and not a scope problem at all. I have now got an Ht being held awaiting the arrival of my new R8.

Richard
Deer Diary
 
I have both, illuminated and not, agree about the fallow but roebucks are a different story, should you be taking shots at (hopefully) trophy roebucks in that lower light? Thats when mistakes are made, deer move, change positions, another one pops out, etc, etc... Kill the wrong one and you wont be popular. Ok on your own deer but not when guiding for someone else. Same as in doe season, shoot an adult buck which is next years gold and see what happens!
 
I have both, illuminated and not, agree about the fallow but roebucks are a different story, should you be taking shots at (hopefully) trophy roebucks in that lower light? Thats when mistakes are made, deer move, change positions, another one pops out, etc, etc... Kill the wrong one and you wont be popular. Ok on your own deer but not when guiding for someone else. Same as in doe season, shoot an adult buck which is next years gold and see what happens!

Another couple of points I would also agree with being made here.

An illuminated dot may well show up on a dark target better than crosshairs but that still does not show you the angle that deer is standing at and assist in where to place that bright dot to ensure the bullets passes through the vitals. I noticed exactly that a couple of weeks ago when looking at a hind in daylight but up a very dark shut in ride. I couldn't tell from where I was if the angle she was standing at was quartering away or towards me. So I placed the shot in the neck. Point being that the illumination only helps in placing the shot on a surface point. You still have to be sure in low light where the bullet is going to go thereafter.

That said I have toyed with getting the HT as well for a 308 for Sika who also have a tendency to pop out last thing. I could honestly count though on one hand the number of times where I think by not having an illuminated reticle it cost me a shot...
 
i have a meopta 7x50 on both of my stalking rifles and a small one on my .22 rimmy never missed a beat never fogged moved off zero the built in rangfinder is a nice extra cant fault em i used to be a s+b follower but changed about 7 years back . different strokes for differnt folks i reckon but i wont change anytime soon i dont think.
 
I have a swarovski Z6i. I most defiantly use it 9 times out of 10 using the red dot the one time being where I have only a split second to shot. I find the dot great you are on the target within Seconds.I would advise anyone to get a scope with illumination you can use it when required.Glendine.
 
Well, having sat up in a high seat the last couple of weekends at first light (but still when it's legal to shoot) I would certainly have found it difficult to take a shot without having an illuminated scope (in my case a Zeiss Victory 2.5-10x50).

The seat is in dense woodland, so looking down onto muntjac and roe in their winter coats whilst they are standing against foliage, when it's light enough to see but not light enough to determine colours, is for me perhaps the most difficult conditions under which to see the centre dot of the reticle. I know that there is only one deer there (I'm shooting downwards after all), I know the sex, I know the species, etc. but a muntjac standing in thick bramble does not present a nice clear silhouette! At last light I wouldn't take the shot, but at last light I wouldn't be in that seat anyway.

This might just represent 1% of the shots taken in the course of a year but it's still the difference between being able to take a shot or not.

Whether it's worth you getting an illuminated scope or not I can't say, as it really depends upon the type of stalking you'll be doing, but personally I'd find it hard to go back to a non illuminated reticule.

willie_gunn
 
I have very little experience, but one outing I struggled to see the crosshairs against a muntjack, at last light, in woodland, using the none illuminated estate rifle. The following outing I used the guide's personal rifle with the latest illuminated Swarovski (simple thick crosshairs, tiny red centre dot) and found it very beneficial (1 roebuck, 2 muntjack and the chance of two more). With the roebuck in particular it really helped, lasered at 149 yards, off sticks, down a long narrow dark woodland ride.

I'll be looking to get one. You do have to be quick and decisive with muntjack, and I think the red dot really helped.
 
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All my scopes are illuminated, best is my hako with just the central mil dot illuminated. I must say i find it quite difficult when out lamping with a none illuminated scope, for me to see the light needs to be quite bright and thats not conducive for foxing, so illuminated it is.

First illuminated scope I purchased was a Nikko Sterling MRE which sits on my Daystate, cracking bit of glass, but i suspect its Japeneese.

D
 
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