Zeiss HD5 recoil question

DartonJager

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Apr 1, 2016
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Was over at another quite popular rifle website and a member posted a request for opinions of Zeiss HD5 series of scopes and two persons in particular posted claiming thier experience with the HD5 scopes were a 100% failure rate when they were placed on heavier recoiling rifles that equal the recoil of a .375 H&H mag.

I found that quite odd as I have 4 scopes in the $300 price range that have withstood combined very close to 3K vary heavy bouts of recoil sitting atop smokeless muzzleloaders and 12ga magnum slug rifles and all are still function perfectly.

I find it quite perplexing that a scope costing $1000-$1200 or more is less well made than a scope costing 70% less.

Anyone else hear of Zeiss Conquest HD5 scopes being unable to handle heavy recoil? The one poster claimed at least 7 or 8 HD5 failed at under 100 rounds of smokeless ML loads.

The scopes that sit on my two Savage 10ML-II's had to withstand the recoil of the fallowing loads and have done so admirably:

300 grain .458" Barnes Original at a MV of +/- 2450-2500fps
290 grain Barnes T-EZ ML bullet MV of +/- 2450-2550fps
245-250 grain Barnes Spitfire or T-EZ ML bullet MV 2650-2850MV
325 grain Hornady Flex tip at a MV of 2400-2450fps
250 grain all copper Hornady .458 GMX MV of 2800-2900fps

Just one of my slug guns has digested 12ga 3" magnum ammo that shot 1.25oz sabot slugs at 1400fps MV and 1.375oz sabot slugs at 1800fps MV and the older VariX-II never as so much as blinked and is still going strong after 200++ rounds.

I just find it nothing short of bewildering if scopes costing at or under $300 can withstand 100'sand even 1000's of heavy recoiling rounds and a $1000-$1200 Zeiss can not?

Thoughts or first hand experiences anyone?
 
I can't say what caused it to fail, but I had an HD5 that lost zero one day and could not be re-zeroed. Really liked the scope, especially the Rapid Z 600 reticle, but won't tolerate one that won't hold up, so down the road it went...

John
 
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