Beyond 500yds varmits: Rapid Z or BRX on 5-25

[longarm]

I'm looking at either a Zeiss HD5 5-25 x 50 or Swarovski Z5 5-25 x 52 to put on a beyond 500 yard varmit rig. I don't want to dial in. I like the spacings and pattern of the Rapid Z 800, but I'm thinking it may be too thick for varmits out past 500 yards. The Rapid Z Varmit looks about the right thickness and the spacings are nice and close between the horizontal bars, but runs out of close horizontal bars at around 600 yards (if zeroed in at 300 yards). The Swarovski BRX looks about right for thickness of the lines, but I'm not keen on the dots between the horizontal bars, and would rather they be short horizontal bars. However, the spacing between dots and bars goes up in roughly 50 yard intervals and ends around 800 yards for my trajectory. So I'm leaning towards the BRX. I'm also wondering if the clarity of the HD5 glass is as good as the Z5 glass on the 5-25 Zeiss.

Has anyone compared these reticles and scopes for longer distance varmiting?

 

[marinetowgunner]

I prefer the Swarovski Z5 rifle scopes. I've used the BRX on prairie dogs out to 6/700 and really like the thickness of the lines over the Zeiss rapid Z reticles. I also really like the fact that the spacing of the BRX is in half mil increments. So not only can i use the reticle for hold over, but I can also use it to adjust my impact point if i'm off target , and I can also use it to range distance to target if i know the round about height of the target in inches. Yes most people own laser rangefinders these days but I figured because it's possible I might as well mention it.

Optically I can't say that one is leaps and bounds better than the other. However looking at the HD 5, I wish that there were lighter and had more tube real estate for mounting.

 

[longarm]

I prefer the Swarovski Z5 rifle scopes. I've used the BRX on prairie dogs out to 6/700 and really like the thickness of the lines over the Zeiss rapid Z reticles. I also really like the fact that the spacing of the BRX is in half mil increments. So not only can i use the reticle for hold over, but I can also use it to adjust my impact point if i'm off target , and I can also use it to range distance to target if i know the round about height of the target in inches. Yes most people own laser rangefinders these days but I figured because it's possible I might as well mention it.

Optically I can't say that one is leaps and bounds better than the other. However looking at the HD 5, I wish that there were lighter and had more tube real estate for mounting.

The Zeiss 5-25 weighs 24 oz and is nearly half an inch shorter than the Swarovski 5-25 which weighs 17 oz. I'm not sure why the Zeiss weighs so much more.
Do the dots cover up a prairie dog beyond 500 yards on 12 power? On 25 power?
I mostly use 12 power on my Swarovski 6-18 with TDS-4 reticle.

 

[marinetowgunner]

I honestly don't remember. For some reason I want to say that the squares are 1/8 moa at 25x but I'll have to double check that.