Swarovski X5(i) Rifle Scope Review
By John Johnston
Recently I had the opportunity to attend the media debut of the new Swarovski X5(i) long range rifle scope. This event was held at the famous FTW Ranch in Barksdale, Texas, about a three hour drive from my home, which is located in what is referred to as the hill country of Texas. This 12000+ acre ranch is in an area of mountainous terrain with great mountains, hills and deep valleys. It was just a beautiful and perfect place for this type of event.
This is the model scope I was assigned and used.
Five writers from around the United States were invited to this debut. Along with the writers, Swarovski flew in the design team for this scope from the factory in Austria. Along with these folks, the Swarovski Optik administrators and marketing representatives attended. There were more Swarovski people than writers. This gave us a chance to really get to know what went into this scope plus they could answer any questions we may ask. After spending a few days with these people I felt they had a great since of pride in their work and products. They seemed genuinely interested in our questions, opinions and observations.
For most of us in the shooting industry when we hear the brand name of Swarovski we first think of great quality and then high price tags. Swarovski has been the benchmark for what sporting optics manufacturers shoot for in regards to quality of glass and workmanship in their products. A few may be able to match this benchmark but I do not know of any that are better. As far as value, yes, they are expensive but there are others that cost even more. To me if a long range shooter spends $5,000 plus for a rifle, then why not spend $3,000 to $3,500 for a top quality optic to get the absolute best accuracy.
This is the reticle on my scope.
To understand the quality of Swarovski products you need to know a little about their history. This is a very old family owned company located in Austria. They first started in 1895 developing and selling the machines to cut, grind and finish stone. This evolved into the optic division and their first binocular in 1949. Twelve years later they made their first rifle scope, a 7x32. Now they are a leader in sport optics worldwide. Swarovski is still family owned, devoted to quality and improving their products to best meet the needs of the end users.
The first evening, after a great meal, while sitting at the fire pit on the patio I had a chance to chat with Albert Wannemacher, CEO of Swarovski Optik North America. He asked what I thought of the scope. At this point I had just read the handout material and the shooting would not start till the next day. As he listened intently, I asked why it was not a first focal plane reticle? Albert told me there were several reasons. First focal plane scopes were not in high demand when they first considered this scope over five years ago. Tom Hogan, Senior Technical Advisor, said they felt the first focal plane reticles were cluttered plus they had tried them before in other models but discontinued them due to a lack of sales. It was a nice evening talking to these people and hearing the story of this scope.
The next morning Tim Fallon, the owner of the FTW Ranch, gave us a short welcoming talk and then turned it over to Swarovski Marketing. Rob Lancelotti, together with the rest of the design team explained what went into this scope. From the concept and research, it took over five years to get the X5(I) to the production line. This scope was designed new from the front to the back or top to bottom. In other words, except for a few of the small parts, this is a brand new scope. The scope and turret system is complex, with 201 parts total in the scope. The scope's 30mm aluminum tube is thicker than that used in their other scopes. All internal metal parts are stainless steel. Everything used to make this scope is made in house. So with a new scope they had to design and make the machines to produce the parts. Because of the tight tolerances that they required in the turret parts, new measuring devices were designed to meet these needs. They changed from the previously used coil spring in the turret to a new system.
Swarovski X5i rifle scopes are available at The Long Range Hunting Store - HERE.
By John Johnston
Recently I had the opportunity to attend the media debut of the new Swarovski X5(i) long range rifle scope. This event was held at the famous FTW Ranch in Barksdale, Texas, about a three hour drive from my home, which is located in what is referred to as the hill country of Texas. This 12000+ acre ranch is in an area of mountainous terrain with great mountains, hills and deep valleys. It was just a beautiful and perfect place for this type of event.
This is the model scope I was assigned and used.
Five writers from around the United States were invited to this debut. Along with the writers, Swarovski flew in the design team for this scope from the factory in Austria. Along with these folks, the Swarovski Optik administrators and marketing representatives attended. There were more Swarovski people than writers. This gave us a chance to really get to know what went into this scope plus they could answer any questions we may ask. After spending a few days with these people I felt they had a great since of pride in their work and products. They seemed genuinely interested in our questions, opinions and observations.
For most of us in the shooting industry when we hear the brand name of Swarovski we first think of great quality and then high price tags. Swarovski has been the benchmark for what sporting optics manufacturers shoot for in regards to quality of glass and workmanship in their products. A few may be able to match this benchmark but I do not know of any that are better. As far as value, yes, they are expensive but there are others that cost even more. To me if a long range shooter spends $5,000 plus for a rifle, then why not spend $3,000 to $3,500 for a top quality optic to get the absolute best accuracy.
This is the reticle on my scope.
To understand the quality of Swarovski products you need to know a little about their history. This is a very old family owned company located in Austria. They first started in 1895 developing and selling the machines to cut, grind and finish stone. This evolved into the optic division and their first binocular in 1949. Twelve years later they made their first rifle scope, a 7x32. Now they are a leader in sport optics worldwide. Swarovski is still family owned, devoted to quality and improving their products to best meet the needs of the end users.
The first evening, after a great meal, while sitting at the fire pit on the patio I had a chance to chat with Albert Wannemacher, CEO of Swarovski Optik North America. He asked what I thought of the scope. At this point I had just read the handout material and the shooting would not start till the next day. As he listened intently, I asked why it was not a first focal plane reticle? Albert told me there were several reasons. First focal plane scopes were not in high demand when they first considered this scope over five years ago. Tom Hogan, Senior Technical Advisor, said they felt the first focal plane reticles were cluttered plus they had tried them before in other models but discontinued them due to a lack of sales. It was a nice evening talking to these people and hearing the story of this scope.
The next morning Tim Fallon, the owner of the FTW Ranch, gave us a short welcoming talk and then turned it over to Swarovski Marketing. Rob Lancelotti, together with the rest of the design team explained what went into this scope. From the concept and research, it took over five years to get the X5(I) to the production line. This scope was designed new from the front to the back or top to bottom. In other words, except for a few of the small parts, this is a brand new scope. The scope and turret system is complex, with 201 parts total in the scope. The scope's 30mm aluminum tube is thicker than that used in their other scopes. All internal metal parts are stainless steel. Everything used to make this scope is made in house. So with a new scope they had to design and make the machines to produce the parts. Because of the tight tolerances that they required in the turret parts, new measuring devices were designed to meet these needs. They changed from the previously used coil spring in the turret to a new system.
Swarovski X5i rifle scopes are available at The Long Range Hunting Store - HERE.
Swarovski X5(i) Rifle Scope Review
Next they showed us their new improved El line of range finding binoculars. The grip had been changed and provided better control for the user. There was a new system to take off the neck strap which could be done quickly when needed. This system worked with just about any brand neck strap. Next they brought up the new spotting scope improvement. They had designed a new lighted reticle with MOA or MRAD markings for their STR80. I thought to myself, why? Soon I would learn why.
The person shooting next to me is one of the Austrian design team.
Unlike most marketing presentations, this show and tell only lasted about thirty minutes. It was time to put this scope through the paces. Each of the writers and some of the Swarovski team were each assigned a rifle to use for the next few days. With each rifle was a printed out range card for that rifle and ammunition. Overall there were about nine shooters on the firing line.
I was assigned a Ruger Varmint Target rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. All but one of the rifles that were assigned were in 6.5 Creedmoor and we were provided Hornady 140gr. Amax ammunition. Jessica, of Swarovski, was assigned a rifle owned by one of our instructors. It was a very heavy G.A.P. in .300 Win. Mag. It did have a suppressor and she shot 190gr. Black Hills ammunition. Each rifle had an X5(I) that either had a different power range, different reticle or had a lighted reticle or not. The one I used was 5-25x56 with a non-lighted 4WX reticle. All turret adjustments on my scope were 1/4 MOA.
I knew this rifle and ammo well, so I was pretty comfortable behind this combination. What was different for me was shooting in the prone position, which we used for all the stages. One of our instructors, a retired Navy SEAL, gave us a short instruction course in prone shooting, adjusting the elevation with a heavy glove on our off hand used under the butt stock. Trigger control and grip were also covered.
We proceeded to sight in our individual rifles at 100 yards. Laying prone and shooting off a bipod was slightly different from my bench shooting. The scope, having a 56mm objective, was mounted rather high on the rifle. FTW has their own adjustable cheek piece with padding that can be added or removed. I add one additional pad to get my check meld correct. After I was comfortable, I was able to group three holes that were touching.
Using this special tool to set the zero stop.
Next was to use the procedure to set the scope's zero stop. This task took a special combination tool. Using a small torx wrench, you loosen the screws on the turret and remove it, then using another adjustment tool, the reticle is zeroed and set. It does take a few times to get this procedure down. Being a specialized tool, I would suggest any person buying this model purchase an extra tool.
Another photo of the tool included that the shooter must use to set zero stop.
The windage turret is easy to set. Using the same torx wrench you loosen the set screws and turn the turret to your zero. In the window facing the shooter on the bottom of the scope will then show a "0" and subsequently when you turn it up it will show the shooter exactly which rotation you are in at that time.
After lunch we went to a hilltop range where we shot paper targets at 100 and 200 yards. Then we made shots on steel out to 500 yards. If we found our dope needed to be adjusted, we corrected it on our ballistic sheet. I changed a couple distance elevation holds but not by much. The weather was cool and windy but our instructor gave us all our windage calls. He did show us how they used smoke bombs to show which way the wind was blowing at different ranges. That was the end of our first day and after close to 130 rounds of ammunition I was not sore from recoil like I thought I would be. I was pleasantly surprised. My neck was not used to being in that position that long and did bother me a little. I had let Tom Murphy shoot my rifle some. He was not scheduled to shoot but I thought he just might want to try it out. This also gave my neck a rest and his grin after shooting was approving.
Day two started with a terrible thunderstorm which slowed down after breakfast. We started back at the 100 yard line and verified our zero. Mine needed a little tweak and I did the turret adjusting myself. We got new range cards that had been changed to meet the previous day's notations. Since all the transportation on the ranch was in open jeeps with high racks, we got a little wet.
We drove to a covered shooting position high on a mountain. From this position we could shoot from 500 yards out to 1800 yards. The 500 yard target seemed like a chip shot now. I did take the opportunity to check the zero stop part of this scope. I would dial it up and down several times then back to my dope hold. It was on each time. The turret is stiff but positive which I believe is due to the use of two ball bearings instead on the normal one. You get a click that you can hear and feel. It might be possible to turn it accidently but not likely. The X5(I) has 20 MOA per rotation in ¼ MOA increments depending on the scope. The increment markings on the reticle are 1 MOA apart.
I shot out to 1000 yards, usually with first shot hits but no more than two. After that, the 1200 yard target took a few. The wind was gusting up to 16 MPH on top of this mountain but we were shooting slightly down into a valley. I gave up when I got to the 1500 yard target. Even being still supersonic at that distance, the 6.5 Creedmoor was running out of juice, as was I. My instructor did take my rifle and hit the 1500 yard target but it took him several rounds. He said he had to use all the turret MOA plus all the hold over marks to get it done.
The person shooting next to me is one of the Austrian design team.
Unlike most marketing presentations, this show and tell only lasted about thirty minutes. It was time to put this scope through the paces. Each of the writers and some of the Swarovski team were each assigned a rifle to use for the next few days. With each rifle was a printed out range card for that rifle and ammunition. Overall there were about nine shooters on the firing line.
I was assigned a Ruger Varmint Target rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. All but one of the rifles that were assigned were in 6.5 Creedmoor and we were provided Hornady 140gr. Amax ammunition. Jessica, of Swarovski, was assigned a rifle owned by one of our instructors. It was a very heavy G.A.P. in .300 Win. Mag. It did have a suppressor and she shot 190gr. Black Hills ammunition. Each rifle had an X5(I) that either had a different power range, different reticle or had a lighted reticle or not. The one I used was 5-25x56 with a non-lighted 4WX reticle. All turret adjustments on my scope were 1/4 MOA.
I knew this rifle and ammo well, so I was pretty comfortable behind this combination. What was different for me was shooting in the prone position, which we used for all the stages. One of our instructors, a retired Navy SEAL, gave us a short instruction course in prone shooting, adjusting the elevation with a heavy glove on our off hand used under the butt stock. Trigger control and grip were also covered.
We proceeded to sight in our individual rifles at 100 yards. Laying prone and shooting off a bipod was slightly different from my bench shooting. The scope, having a 56mm objective, was mounted rather high on the rifle. FTW has their own adjustable cheek piece with padding that can be added or removed. I add one additional pad to get my check meld correct. After I was comfortable, I was able to group three holes that were touching.
Using this special tool to set the zero stop.
Next was to use the procedure to set the scope's zero stop. This task took a special combination tool. Using a small torx wrench, you loosen the screws on the turret and remove it, then using another adjustment tool, the reticle is zeroed and set. It does take a few times to get this procedure down. Being a specialized tool, I would suggest any person buying this model purchase an extra tool.
Another photo of the tool included that the shooter must use to set zero stop.
The windage turret is easy to set. Using the same torx wrench you loosen the set screws and turn the turret to your zero. In the window facing the shooter on the bottom of the scope will then show a "0" and subsequently when you turn it up it will show the shooter exactly which rotation you are in at that time.
After lunch we went to a hilltop range where we shot paper targets at 100 and 200 yards. Then we made shots on steel out to 500 yards. If we found our dope needed to be adjusted, we corrected it on our ballistic sheet. I changed a couple distance elevation holds but not by much. The weather was cool and windy but our instructor gave us all our windage calls. He did show us how they used smoke bombs to show which way the wind was blowing at different ranges. That was the end of our first day and after close to 130 rounds of ammunition I was not sore from recoil like I thought I would be. I was pleasantly surprised. My neck was not used to being in that position that long and did bother me a little. I had let Tom Murphy shoot my rifle some. He was not scheduled to shoot but I thought he just might want to try it out. This also gave my neck a rest and his grin after shooting was approving.
Day two started with a terrible thunderstorm which slowed down after breakfast. We started back at the 100 yard line and verified our zero. Mine needed a little tweak and I did the turret adjusting myself. We got new range cards that had been changed to meet the previous day's notations. Since all the transportation on the ranch was in open jeeps with high racks, we got a little wet.
We drove to a covered shooting position high on a mountain. From this position we could shoot from 500 yards out to 1800 yards. The 500 yard target seemed like a chip shot now. I did take the opportunity to check the zero stop part of this scope. I would dial it up and down several times then back to my dope hold. It was on each time. The turret is stiff but positive which I believe is due to the use of two ball bearings instead on the normal one. You get a click that you can hear and feel. It might be possible to turn it accidently but not likely. The X5(I) has 20 MOA per rotation in ¼ MOA increments depending on the scope. The increment markings on the reticle are 1 MOA apart.
I shot out to 1000 yards, usually with first shot hits but no more than two. After that, the 1200 yard target took a few. The wind was gusting up to 16 MPH on top of this mountain but we were shooting slightly down into a valley. I gave up when I got to the 1500 yard target. Even being still supersonic at that distance, the 6.5 Creedmoor was running out of juice, as was I. My instructor did take my rifle and hit the 1500 yard target but it took him several rounds. He said he had to use all the turret MOA plus all the hold over marks to get it done.
Swarovski X5(i) Rifle Scope Review
At this station I was able to spot for a couple shooters. Using the new lighted reticle on the STR80, I was able to give precise corrections in MOA. The reticle in this spotter was also MOA. What is unique to this system is if you do not want the reticle in your view, just turn off the light and it is back to a regular view, no markings. Even at 1000 yards this scope was amazingly clear; what a great spotting scope for long range shooting. The new improved EL binocular with laser range finder was right on with the distances to the targets. It was easy to get on target to get a reading and there were hardly any false readings.
Using a scope that is 5-25x56 has advantages but has a couple of disadvantages, at least for me. First it makes you use higher scope mounts. This can be a problem with different stock designs. It also made it difficult to find targets at long distances since the field of view is decreased at highest power. Even turning it down was not much help. It would be something that I would have to work on with practice. Plus I wear trifocals and next time I may just use clear shooting glasses.
The instructors brought out a .50 BMG and a .338 Lapua just to show how the scope holds up to heavy recoil. The .50 was zeroed in at 500 yards then he shot out to 1800 yards and made a hit. One of the writers also hit the 1800 yard target with ease. The instructor then showed how the below zero turret works. Using two little extensions that are in the left and right side windows at the bottom of the turret, you simply pull these up and the dial can be then turned down below zero. This new aspect in a scope worked perfectly.
After lunch we went to our final range. Like most shooting areas on the ranch, it was also high on a mountain top that looked down into a valley where two other valleys met. Needless to say, the wind was difficult to judge. There were targets from 250 to over 500 yards, from a steep downhill shot to others where the shooter had to move his rifle left or right. This was a great test of our shooting skills and ability to make quick follow up shots. The scope worked very well, exactly as I expected coming from Swarovski. It was evident that these people put a lot of thought and research into their product design. The marketing is really directed at North American long range hunters, but anyone who shoots long range will appreciate this fine scope. Packaged with the range finding El binocular and the STR 80 (I) spotting scope, all the optical needs of a long range hunter/shooter would be filled.
All together, I would guess the shooters put over 2500 rounds down range using a version of this new scope. I did not hear or see any malfunction. The X5(i) has a lifetime warranty. You can order a custom turret to match the ballistics of your rifle. It is called a Personalized Extreme Cam (PXC). It will only have two rotations or about a total of 40 MOA in total adjustments.
Swarovski products are not inexpensive nor will they ever be. They are a worthwhile investment for long ranger shooter or hunter. They have not made a cheap line nor do I think they will, due to the fact that all products are made in house. Nothing is outsourced like other manufactures have done do get prices down. The X5(I) is a great scope which took longer to develop than some scope makers have been in business. Each scope during assembly is inspected at each station, and overall before it goes into the box it will have had five quality control tests. It interested me that each assembly step technician goes through three months of training before they are allowed to be on their own.
The name "Swarovski" to me has always been synonymous with quality. This new X5(i) scope is definitely no exception. The X5(i) will be hitting the retail stores this fall. I know some of you wonder if I will rush out and buy one. The answer is "yes". I have a custom long range rifle being built that will be a perfect match for the X5(i). The only problem is which power/reticle/ illumination to purchase.
After twenty-five years with a major law enforcement agency, John Johnston retired to the hill country of central Texas. His law enforcement career was diverse with assignments with the tactical/motorcycle unit, patrol, and criminal investigation. After retiring, writing became his calling. He started with a newspaper column which, he still writes and then moved up to major magazines in the area of shooting and hunting. He is known for his unbiased product testing and evaluations. Having a full size range from 25-450 yards next to his home was his dream come true. 2010 marks his fiftieth anniversary in the hunting, shooting and reloading sports. You will notice his writing style is quite relaxed and he prefers to write like he is speaking to you around a camp fire. John welcomes questions and comments whether good or bad. You can reach John at [email protected].
Using a scope that is 5-25x56 has advantages but has a couple of disadvantages, at least for me. First it makes you use higher scope mounts. This can be a problem with different stock designs. It also made it difficult to find targets at long distances since the field of view is decreased at highest power. Even turning it down was not much help. It would be something that I would have to work on with practice. Plus I wear trifocals and next time I may just use clear shooting glasses.
The instructors brought out a .50 BMG and a .338 Lapua just to show how the scope holds up to heavy recoil. The .50 was zeroed in at 500 yards then he shot out to 1800 yards and made a hit. One of the writers also hit the 1800 yard target with ease. The instructor then showed how the below zero turret works. Using two little extensions that are in the left and right side windows at the bottom of the turret, you simply pull these up and the dial can be then turned down below zero. This new aspect in a scope worked perfectly.
After lunch we went to our final range. Like most shooting areas on the ranch, it was also high on a mountain top that looked down into a valley where two other valleys met. Needless to say, the wind was difficult to judge. There were targets from 250 to over 500 yards, from a steep downhill shot to others where the shooter had to move his rifle left or right. This was a great test of our shooting skills and ability to make quick follow up shots. The scope worked very well, exactly as I expected coming from Swarovski. It was evident that these people put a lot of thought and research into their product design. The marketing is really directed at North American long range hunters, but anyone who shoots long range will appreciate this fine scope. Packaged with the range finding El binocular and the STR 80 (I) spotting scope, all the optical needs of a long range hunter/shooter would be filled.
All together, I would guess the shooters put over 2500 rounds down range using a version of this new scope. I did not hear or see any malfunction. The X5(i) has a lifetime warranty. You can order a custom turret to match the ballistics of your rifle. It is called a Personalized Extreme Cam (PXC). It will only have two rotations or about a total of 40 MOA in total adjustments.
Swarovski products are not inexpensive nor will they ever be. They are a worthwhile investment for long ranger shooter or hunter. They have not made a cheap line nor do I think they will, due to the fact that all products are made in house. Nothing is outsourced like other manufactures have done do get prices down. The X5(I) is a great scope which took longer to develop than some scope makers have been in business. Each scope during assembly is inspected at each station, and overall before it goes into the box it will have had five quality control tests. It interested me that each assembly step technician goes through three months of training before they are allowed to be on their own.
The name "Swarovski" to me has always been synonymous with quality. This new X5(i) scope is definitely no exception. The X5(i) will be hitting the retail stores this fall. I know some of you wonder if I will rush out and buy one. The answer is "yes". I have a custom long range rifle being built that will be a perfect match for the X5(i). The only problem is which power/reticle/ illumination to purchase.
After twenty-five years with a major law enforcement agency, John Johnston retired to the hill country of central Texas. His law enforcement career was diverse with assignments with the tactical/motorcycle unit, patrol, and criminal investigation. After retiring, writing became his calling. He started with a newspaper column which, he still writes and then moved up to major magazines in the area of shooting and hunting. He is known for his unbiased product testing and evaluations. Having a full size range from 25-450 yards next to his home was his dream come true. 2010 marks his fiftieth anniversary in the hunting, shooting and reloading sports. You will notice his writing style is quite relaxed and he prefers to write like he is speaking to you around a camp fire. John welcomes questions and comments whether good or bad. You can reach John at [email protected].
