Zeiss 4.5x14 Rapid Z

[idfishnhunt]

So I've been debating on this scope for a while, I really like the holdover reticle. My daughter has the Nikon BDC on her scope and it works well, and the Nikon Spot On software is a very nice compliment. The Zeiss is kind of the same deal, and the software is a nice compliment too...maybe an additional app for the iPhone would be nice too.

I went in to the store and was able to get my hands on his scope for the first time, and when I threw it up the first thing that was somewhat disappointing was the thickness of the reticle lines. They seemed really fat to me, especially compared to other ones I've looked through.

Can I get any others thoughts on this...those that have them and use them hunting, do you feel like they are too thick when making longer shots?

Just for the heck of it I tried out a Vortex, and it seemd to me these lines were actually too thin, it was hard to see the lines.

Would love to hear some feedback, thanks in advance.

[benchracer]

I have two of these scopes. One each of the Rapid-Z 800 and the Rapid-Z 1000 w/ target turrets. Here are my thoughts:

I love the glass in these scopes.

They don't have a large adjustment range, so I would recommend a 20 MOA base if you intend to do much shooting past 600 yards.

I have shot the Rapid-Z 1000 out to 600 yards and it performed well. The reticle on it is pretty thin. While that makes it easy to hold small at longer range, I consider this to be a daylight only scope. The RZ-1000 is also a pretty busy reticle, which makes me think that it would be very easy to use the wrong holdover line in low light conditions. The RZ-1000 is also calibrated for .308 (I didn't realize that when I bought if for my 6.5-284). It can still be used with other chamberings, but that makes it a little more complicated to use.

I haven't used my RZ-800 much yet, but I think the reticle thickness on this scope is a pretty good balance of precision and visibility. It is much more straightforward to use vs the RZ-1000. If I could have this reticle with the target turrets on the RZ-1000, I would consider it the best of both worlds.

I really don't like the Zeiss software for the Rapid-Z reticles. I find it to be imprecise and very limiting to use. So far, I have ignored it. I intend to figure out the reticle subtensions on my own at each magnification setting and match that information to my zero and the known trajectory for my handloads.

I think the RZ-1000 is the better target/varmint reticle and the RZ-800 is the better hunting reticle. However, if I bought another Zeiss Conquest, I would take a hard look at getting one with a Mil-Dot reticle (Zeiss #20, I think).