What is the Perfect Hunting Scope?

I have a K318i and ordered a K525i they're up there, great glass. Much improved over the k624i in CA control. Both are short for their mag ranges too. That said the best is TT and Hensoldt. The three you've listed will all work. The Swaro X5 is supposedly the same as the new Kahles. Kahles is the sister company of Swaro so it makes sense. Though i don't have any proof that they use the same lens as the X5. I like NF but their weight and reticle selection i'm not wild about. I'd personally go Kahles for the SKMR3 between the three. The new 525i is supposedly nipping at the heels of the TT 525. Which is impressive. Still not quite up there but there is also nearly a $1400 difference between the two.
 
When it comes to twilight capabilities in a scope, a reputable outfit needs to do an updated version of the Finnish Low Light Test, using a range of several qualified testers - Many times I'll read anecdotal "scope test results" on the internet written by Joe Blow saying that his xyz is the best thing out there, and wonder what kind of vision the guy has ..... only to hear comments from other posters that "Joe is blind as a bat"

here is a copy of the original FLLT from 10 years ago. And for what it's worth, the top performers from back then still outperform some newer models that I've tested myself, and my diavari is still the last one on the table.

19 scopes with 56mm objective and illuminated rectile or red dot were chosen. A silhuette of a deer was placed out on a field abt 55 yards away from the testers. Then they waited for the sun to set. They looked through the scopes and when it was not possible to see the deer anymore, they put the scopes away.

Scopes tested were the following:
Barska Euro Pro 3-12x56IR
Docter Classic 3-12x56R
Docter Unipoint 3-12x56R

Kahles CBX 3-12x56L
Leupold VX-L 4,5-14x56

Meopta Meostar R1 3-12x56RD
Micro Dot 2,5-10x56
Night Force 3,5-15x56NF
Nikon Monarch E 2,5-10x56 SF M IL
Schmidt & Bender Zenith 2,5-10x56 FD LM
Swarovski 2,5-10x56 L LD
Vixen VF 2,5-10x56
Weaver Classic Extreme 2,5-10x56 SF
Zeiss Classic Diavari 3-12x56 T*
Zeiss Victory Diavari M 3-12x56 T*
Zeiss Victory Varipoint 3-12x56 T*
Zeiss Victory Diarange M 3-12x56 T*

At 4pm the deer was difficult to see the deer without a scope. Also at 4pm the first scope was put to the side. This was Barsk. The next seven in the order of how difficult to see were Luger, Vixwn JahtiJakt, Weaver, Leupold, Micro Dot and Nikon. All within 40minutes (4pm - 4:40pm).

With the rest of the scopes it was still possible to see the deer picture to be able to make a shot at it. The moon started to give some light, so the deer picutre was moved to a darker place. After that the scopes were put in an order by which it was hardest to see the picture and so on. The two scopes that fell out first were Meopta and Schmidt&Bender. The next two scopes were Kahles and Docter Classic It was still somewhat possible to see the outlines of the deer with Docter. The next two were Docter Unipoint and Zeiss Diarange. Zeiss Victory Varipoint was a bit better than the last two. Swarovski PVI-2 and Zeiss Classic Diavari were on the same level, a little better than the varipoint. The last scope on the table was the Zeiss Victory Diavari.

In Metsästys & Kalastus march 2009 there was another low light scope test. This time the test consisted of 13 2.5-10x50 scopes.

Top performers:
Zeiss Diavari
Zeiss Varipoint
Docter Unipoint

Middle class performers (low light performance is sufficient/ok with reservations):
Kahles Helia CBX
Swarovski Z6i
Nikon Monarch E (not sure if this model is available in U.S.)
Centaur (former MicroDot)

Low performers (poor low light performance):
Burris Euro Diamond
Bushnell Elite 4200
Weaver Extreme
Hakko Majesty
Milicom S
JahtiJakt Premium (generic chinese made scope)

The test also had Meopta Meostar R1 3-12x56 from the previous test as a benchmark. This scope performed better in low light situations than any other scope in the 50mm test.

Also 2.5-10x56 Trijicon Accupoint was reviewed separately. It was considered to be at least equal to the top Japanese made 56mm scopes in the previous 2008 test. Also Trijicon performed better in low light situations than any other scope in the 50mm test. Looks like the extra 6mm in objective size makes the difference.
 
My Leica ERi 2.5-10 X 42 #4. End of story!

IF you are familiar with Leica, perhaps you can explain the qualitative difference between the ERi and ER5 glass. I've asked some optics experts (and a guy at Leica CS) and never got a real answer.

I tested a 2.5-10x50 ER5 vs a zeiss diavari V(same specs) in June, and the ER5 faded out quite a bit before the older diavari. I also had an older Kahles Helia C which outlasted the ER5. (a leupold vx3i was done 15 minutes + before the Leica faded out)

Honestly, I'm a little turned off to Leica now because I also picked up a set of 8x50 Ultravid HD's in the spring, as well as a set of EL Swarovisions, and in the opinions of everyone who has looked through them, the EL's are sharper, brighter, and better in every conceivable way.
 
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ERi & ER5 are two totally different models ERi was at the top before the new Magnus.

I don't own any of their bins but reviews say the new Noctavids are the top of the heap.
 
IF you are familiar with Leica, perhaps you can explain the qualitative difference between the ERi and ER5 glass. I've asked some optics experts (and a guy at Leica CS) and never got a real answer.

I tested a 2.5-10x50 ER5 vs a zeiss diavari (same specs) in June, and the ER5 faded out quite a bit before the older diavari. I also had an older Kahles Helia which outlasted the ER5. (a leupold vx3i was done 15 minutes + before the Leica faded out)

Honestly, I'm a little turned off to Leica now because I also picked up a set of 8x50 Ultravid HD's in the spring, as well as a set of EL Swarovisions, and in the opinions of everyone who has looked through them, the EL's are sharper, brighter, and better in every conceivable way.
My Kahles Helia KX 3.5-10x50 1" is a low-light performer for sure. My Zeiss Conquests are solid performers, too. Haven't done much testing with my SWFA SS or Vortex HST scopes, but would like to, to see where they rank.
 
My Kahles Helia KX 3.5-10x50 1" is a low-light performer for sure. My Zeiss Conquests are solid performers, too. Haven't done much testing with my SWFA SS or Vortex HST scopes, but would like to, to see where they rank.

I had a 10x SWFA SS out this past winter, in the treestand side by side with my kid's old Zeiss MC diavari (not the same one as my diavari V model I've mentioned here) nearing dusk, the SS began to get hazy and faded out long before the zeiss. This has matched my other impressions of the SS scopes, which start to fade out about the same time as the older leupold M-series fixed and Vari-X II's. The newer VX3's seem to be brighter.

As far as the 50mm diavari V that I mentioned above, it blew the doors off the new 50mm vx3i leupold and was still "bright" at a range of settings when the 50mm Leica faded out, and was still "useable" around 6x when the 56mm Kahles Helia C started to fade.

I'm not sure why I didnt drag out my R2 meopta for that test, nor any of the other 1" meoptas or zeiss conquests.

Honestly, I'm considering an additional 8x56 fixed Euro scope right now. From what I hear, they are the brightest for low light (fewer lenses to diffuse light and good exit pupil) and still capable out to 500 yards
 
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ERi & ER5 are two totally different models ERi was at the top before the new Magnus.

I don't own any of their bins but reviews say the new Noctavids are the top of the heap.
Sure, they are different models, my question was about the glass itself.

I was told by one "expert" that between the ERi and the ER5, it is the same glass, the scope is just "assembled in Portugal" ......but then I was told by a different "expert" that the ER5 glass itself was finished in portugal (???!) Ironically the Leica CS guy was the least knowledgeable of anyone.

This is a common problem. When I was talking with Meopta, one of their CS guys claimed that the R1, R2, and Meopro glass was "all the same", which does not make sense considering the price differences.
 
My understanding is that Leica assembles the ER5 in the USA as does Meopta with their Meopro line. Swarovski do the same with the Z5 and Z3 models. I believe it is to do with the US import tariff on fully assembled items. The Meopta Meostar, the higher grade Leica and Swarovski scopes are all made in their home countries I think.
 
I asked my friend who is the Leica rep in the Southeast and all he could say was:the ERi was better glass and it has illumination.

I then asked Ilya Koshkin, opticsthoughts.com an optics expert for his opinion and he concurred ERi glass is better than the ER5 glass.
 
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