100% unbiased honest input on Leupold VX6-HD VS Zeiss Conquest V4

DartonJager

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Apr 1, 2016
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Been on a multi year quest of sorts to find and then buy the best rifle scope I can afford for longer range hunting and shooting, more shooting than hunting.
It will be primarily a all around hunting scope first and foremost and a fun longer range scope secondary while I spend the time needed to become a proficient longer range shooter. My goal right now it to be good enough to ethically take game to 700 yards. I reload all my rifle ammo and I already have several superbly accurate (for me at least) reloads for my Tikka T3
I am not trying to become a dedicated long range hunter as I will always get as close as I can before I shoot but sometimes you can not and I would rather be able to shoot farther than not.
It will sit atop a Tikka T3 in 300wsm.
All of all my must haves for the scope which are:
>Budget absolutely under $1600
>Zero Stop
>Adjustable for both elevation and windage
>Locking turrets preferred but not mandatory
>Simple reticle that has sub tensions that allow for elevation and wind holds similar to a MIL-DOT but with more sub tensions that allow for finer shot placement.
>SFP I gave a friends FFP scopes an honest try but just didn't like it for a hunting application. Actually REALLY didn't like it.
>2-3x minimum to 15x to 18x maximum power range.
>30mm tube
>reasonably light
>Reasonably sized
>Maximum 44mm front objective to help accomplish size and weight requirements
>NOT made in china

So far within my budget and my must haves The two scopes that best meets my requirements is a Leupold VX-6HD 3-18x42mm with the TMOA reticle. and Zeiss Conquest V4 4-16x44 with the Zeiss ZMOA-2 reticle
The Leupold meets my requirements better than the Zeiss due to the fact its turrets lock and would be much harder to accidentally bump off zero but is 60% more costly.
But the Zeiss also meets most of my requirements and is about 40% cheaper.
I have only three concerns about the scopes
Tracking and return to zero and durability as the scope will be sitting on a light weight 300WSM rifle.
I would like the input from those that have had enough first hand experience with either or both that they are completely confident in eithers scopes ability to track and return to zero to hunt with and are satisfied enough they would buy the scope again if they could do it over.

Great thanks for the help.
Art/DJ
 
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If tracking, return to zero, and durability are your biggest concerns I would be getting a Nightforce. You could get the new NX8 SFP for barely over your price range. If not, find a used Nightforce. Then when you accidentally drag it behind your truck for half a mile, your zero is still fine.
 
I have a vx6hd and a few other comparables. The 6hd is a nice piece of glass, I have a 3-18x50 Tmoa. I think there are better options if you are dialing all the time, but as a hunting scope the tmoa gives me all the holdovers I need for 99% of my hunting. And the clarity and low light performance is darned good.
They say the glass is the same in a vx5hd, and I have both I personally think the glass "pop's" just a touch more in the 6hd but otherwise you could save some $$ and go with a 5hd.
 
Been on a multi year quest of sorts to find and then buy the best rifle scope I can afford for longer range hunting and shooting, more shooting than hunting.
It will be primarily a all around hunting scope first and foremost and a fun longer range scope secondary while I spend the time needed to become a proficient longer range shooter. My goal right now it to be good enough to ethically take game to 700 yards. I reload all my rifle ammo and I already have several superbly accurate (for me at least) reloads for my Tikka T3
I am not trying to become a dedicated long range hunter as I will always get as close as I can before I shoot but sometimes you can not and I would rather be able to shoot farther than not.
It will sit atop a Tikka T3 in 300wsm.
All of all my must haves for the scope which are:
>Budget absolutely under $1600
>Zero Stop
>Adjustable for both elevation and windage
>Locking turrets preferred but not mandatory
>Simple reticle that has sub tensions that allow for elevation and wind holds similar to a MIL-DOT but with more sub tensions that allow for finer shot placement.
>SFP I gave a friends FFP scopes an honest try but just didn't like it for a hunting application. Actually REALLY didn't like it.
>2-3x minimum to 15x to 18x maximum power range.
>30mm tube
>reasonably light
>Reasonably sized
>Maximum 44mm front objective to help accomplish size and weight requirements
>NOT made in china

So far within my budget and my must haves The two scopes that best meets my requirements is a Leupold VX-6HD 3-18x42mm with the TMOA reticle. and Zeiss Conquest V4 4-16x44 with the Zeiss ZMOA-2 reticle
The Leupold meets my requirements better than the Zeiss due to the fact its turrets lock and would be much harder to accidentally bump off zero but is 60% more costly.
But the Zeiss also meets most of my requirements and is about 40% cheaper.
I have only three concerns about the scopes
Tracking and return to zero and durability as the scope will be sitting on a light weight 300WSM rifle.
I would like the input from those that have had enough first hand experience with either or both that they are completely confident in eithers scopes ability to track and return to zero to hunt with and are satisfied enough they would buy the scope again if they could do it over.

Great thanks for the help.
Art/DJ
Vx5 is better than the vx5 its clearer towards the edges
 
As usual the OP lists two scopes to compare and here come the other brand recommendations. Claiming you're going to drag your rifle behind a truck for half a mile and still hold zero is a bold claim. I have three NXS and with as good as they are dare I say nothing is surviving a drag down the road as they have lost zero when the rifle came loose in the trunk of my patrol car. So there goes that idea.


Several of my friends are due hard Zeiss fans and due to my occupation I have been steering more towards leupolds as of late. I can tell you for a purely long range shooting optic there are probably better options out there than the Vx6. But between the Vx6 and v4 I don't see much of a comparison. Price wise if you wanted to level then playing field it would be Vx5 vs v5 and in that case I still lean towards the vx5. Glass that's out of its price range, very light weight design, and the tracking has never been a problem for me in (5) vx5 and (3) vx6 respectably. I've killed deer with them between 3 and 1118 yards and shot steel further than that. For a hunting optic to my taste the vx6 hd is just about perfect.
 
My 4-16 V4's and 3-15 LHT have been perfect, they RTZ and track true Under heavy recoil. For extensive dialing I'd take either one over the Leupold.
Yup have the Razor LHT 3-15 on my 280 AI and very happy with it. Compared it to the vx5 and the glass was better it and the parallax adjustment as well. For the money great scope
 
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