Zeiss or Swarovski

Shooting Supplies : Ammo - Reloading - Firearms - Optics - Accessories
I use a Z6i 2.5-25x44 it’s perfect

Buy a used z6I for £1K and pocket the rest or spend it on stalking

Lifetime warrantee which I’ve used a few times and I’ve never had to pay
 
On the Zeiss V6 range you have nice compact scope, good glass, I can get my eye upto it nicely without it being too eye fussy. Same as the Swarovski Z6, the z6 however has less light transmission percentage 90% to 91% (albeit a fraction) and less windage and elevation available. Again , on the V6 range, you choose between adjustable parallax or IR, they don't do both on one scope. Models with IR have a fixed 100 parrallax. And they only offer one or two scopes with IR anyway. The v6 has the 92% light transmission. The v8 has both parallax and IR.

The real level competition here is Zeiss V8 vs Swarovski Z8i, similar pricing points (with the right deals), IR and parallax, similar level of light transmission but the swarovski has the edge (swaro z8 is 93% and Zeiss v8 is 92%) . I'm unaware of the amount of elevation and windage adjustments available between the two.

However from what I see the level of light transmission on a v6 zeiss and v8 zeiss is the same at 92%, although that's not the whole picture when it comes to glass quality of course.

I would say personally, if you don't need IR, get a zeiss v6, you save upto a grand. If you want both IR and parallax, get a swaro z8i, as others have said..the warranty will probably treat you better with iR issues too. I would say its that simple if it's between these two makes strictly.

Swarovski have a 10 year warranty these days but I've not seen clauses on electrics? There may well be none.

Zeiss seem to state 3 years warranty these days on new? I believe limited to 2 years on electronics.

For me personally, it comes down to: usability, last light ability, contrast of colour and brightness overall, clarity on high magnification, reputation and warranty.
 
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Tazz said:
I understand your point but the scope is targeted at hunters not long range target shooters for which 1 CM is fine
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I disagree, I primarily stalk and in my opinion the Z6 is a much better scope. The Z6 is much easier to zero. My Z8i will be sold. I've been using Swarovski scopes since 1992 and to date the Z6 and Z6i are the best scopes that I've used.
Regards
JCS
 
If you want one of the best scopes for low light I would suggest the Swarovski Z4I four times zoom which helps a lot when the light goes these are among the best hunting scopes I have looked through IMHO.


D
 
I have a Z6i, Z6 and reckon they are about perfect for stalking. Illuminated is nice but to be honest I don’t use it much.
Optical quality, design, build and aftercare - Swaro all the way.
I just had a Z6 that I fell onto returned from Swaro. Damaged the tube, it’s out of warranty and self inflicted damage anyway. £180 and they rebuilt on a brand new tube, new ballistic turret and spare caps, new seals, regassed snd tested, new bikini cover. Basically a new scope. Was back to me without fuss in 4 weeks.
Swaro every day.
 
John Gryphon said:
Ha you will get it!

What? For head shooting rabbits with my 220 Swift? Ok i wont take your word for it.
A 4x doesnt stand a chance at 300 yards against higher powered scopes ESPECIALLY as you get older.
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For deer stalking not varminting obviously 🙄
I tend to correct my vision through contacts or glasses, not via my hunting optics…susss
 
SkippyDoo said:
For deer stalking not varminting obviously 🙄
I tend to correct my vision through contacts or glasses, not via my hunting optics…susss
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There is no suss whatever. I wear reading glasses only but @ a soon to be 70 years my eyes have lost the intensity and sparkle of youth and a higher power is basically necessary to be able to properly see one`s target,that is indisputable.... we all cop wear and tear and Australia`s super bright sunlight expediates that too!
A higher power when picking out a "bit of deer" IE the identifiable part that you want to place the bullet into in a 'cover window' certainly helps.
See an eye you can put a bullet into it with more X power but its a tough ask with a 4X and if 4x was so good we would all have 4x binos ha ha.
 
Leicas for spotting, Swarovski for shooting.

I have Leica Geovids HDR binos...love them.
I just got Swarovski z8i....Best scope you can get. Probably overkill, but you only live once.
 
I have Swaro scopes on my two main rifles and Zeiss binos - I’d be happy with either as they’re both top quality glass and perform great in low light.

My impressions of Zeiss is the glass is gives more of a “blue” quality whereas Swaro seems to be more yellow/green but otherwise I can’t say I notice a difference in performance.
 
SkippyDoo said:
Have taken reds out to 345 with Zeiss 4x32, no bother at all.
Taken roe to 240, it was easier than with a high mag scope giving sight wobble.
Not taken roe at 300, but larger species is easy. Having taken many reds on the hill with 4x32, 8-12 x mag scopes, and 3-9; on high mag, you’re so much more likely to have a poor trigger pull as you visually observe the scope wobble moving around slightly. On low mag, the wobble zone is still there, but you don’t see it, so you break the shot much more cleanly, you’re far less tense because in your head, the reticle is dead still on the target. On high mag, it’s the same wobble zone, but you’re trying to wait for ‘that’ moment when the cross hairs are ‘perfect’, resulting often in a jerked trigger pull and worse shot placement than with a confident no-stress pull with low-mag anywhere in the invisible wobble zone.
This is especially true on the hill where a bit of wind can mess with your wobble zone perception and psychology

I’ve got a 3-9x36 as well, and it never goes over 4x.

Reg. swaro over Zeiss, they are all over engineered now, wouldn’t have one if thrown at me. Look for either a classic Zeiss distal za t* or diavari, or Swaro Z3 model.
I live S&B, but have lost interest in their range since they stopped 4x36 and moved to non-gloss 1” tube offerings. Reticles are also too think. I’d consider a Klassik 6x42 again.
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Sight wobble? Isn’t that what air rifle shooters get, we all know the sight wobble just as much on 4x as it does on 32, you just see it less.

I like to load test with a 20+ x mag scope to allow actual accurate shooting, an ‘wobble’ isn’t the issue
 
25 Sharps said:
Sight wobble? Isn’t that what air rifle shooters get, we all know the sight wobble just as much on 4x as it does on 32, you just see it less.

I like to load test with a 20+ x mag scope to allow actual accurate shooting, an ‘wobble’ isn’t the issue
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Spot on, you see it less, that’s why under pressure when taking shots on game, it leads to much better breathing and trigger pull executions, it’s well documented and trialled in practice.

Yes, for load development and zeroing, a higher mag scope does have its advantages at times, can’t deny that
 
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