Swarovski Z3, Zeiss Conquest V4, or Leupold VX5?

WVTXn

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Swarovski Z3, Zeiss Conquest V4, or Leupold VX5?

Application is western big game and occasional whitetail. 300wm. Functionality and reliability are priorities over weight. Leaning Swarovski just because of the name.

Let the mudslinging and eye gouging of the optics thunderdome begin!
 
VX5HD for western...I've a discontinued VXR CDS 4x12x40 Firedot on the elk tool. Have a vault queen w/P-Ham that'll wear a Z3 but that's a different tool.
 
Best to look through them all in good light to see how your eyes work with each. Glass wise the Swaro is a definite step above in my opinion. The Swaro will also be measurably lighter. You can get the Z3 in a ballistic turret that allows for resetting if you change loads. I just put a Z5 on my Ruby and it is amazing. For the price of a VX5HD you can be in a Z5.......
 
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I’ve owned all 3 and like others above I’d recommend getting your hands on them.

My eyes and the Zeiss just didn’t mesh, I no longer have one.

I don’t think you can beat the glass on the Swaro and if you’re interested in dialing it I’d follow SFC’s advice and look into the Z5 with a ballistic turret. The plus side is that the turret can be reset for another load or if you need to make an adjustment when you arrive at a different elevation.

I don’t think there’s any easier system than Leupold’s if you have a load you like and hunt at a similar elevation. Anytime you alter that information you’d have to add another dial to your collection or figure out the difference. I actually like to just mark on the original cds dial with a sharpie (redneck as hell but it works). Then if I swap something just clean it up and start over.
 
VX5HD. I’ve owned the zeiss as well but it didn’t look near as good to my eyes.
 
Swarovski Z3, Zeiss Conquest V4, or Leupold VX5?

Application is western big game and occasional whitetail. 300wm. Functionality and reliability are priorities over weight. Leaning Swarovski just because of the name.

Let the mudslinging and eye gouging of the optics thunderdome begin!
Maybe an unpopular opinion, and a weird one at that, but go with what your eye likes.

I have an eye condition that requires me to wear a hard plastic lense. It’s my non dominant eye, but it’s also my scope eye.

If you have a chance, glass with each of them and hold for a minute or so and then open your eyes and see how you react. Go with the one that makes you less dizzy/feels better.

This is advice I wish I could give myself $1000 or so dollars ago with optics in general. Maybe an extreme example because of my eye but you get it. It’s why I chose Vortex over Zeiss, and why I chose a Viper over a Razor (Viper is a mid model, Razor is high end (specific to the scope)).

IMO, the glass chooses you, just like the gun chooses the bullet. I like Hornady and Federal but my Vanguard likes Nosler.

This got spiritual….
 
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