Scope Opinions Wanted...Zeiss Diavari or Nightforce NSX??

[Ingwe]

Hello Fellas!
I am about ready to go for a premium scope so I would appreciate your comments on my choices.

My rifle is a Win M70 7mmRemMag. It is blueprinted, Benchmark Barrel, and shoots 168gr Accubond LR's at 3,128fps sub 1/2" at 100 yards. It will soon be in a Manners stock. I am currently using a Zeiss Conquest 4x14x44 Scope, which I have been very happy with.

I am primarily a hunter who used this rifle for almost all of my big game hunting. I also use the rifle once a year for Prairie Dogs in Kansas. I also do some 1,000 yard shooting with it but just for fun when I get the chance.

I am a former Law Enforcement Sniper, but I am not the type who will sit with a ballistic computer and a weather station and click off windage and elevation for my shots. I do however, use a range finder all of the time and I have a calibrated Turret Knob on the gun which I DO click off the range with. I usually judge wind or use a Kestrel (if the hunt/shot permits) and hold off for wind.

Since I am primarily a hunter, I want a scope with maximum clarity and light transmission. I am NOT worried about shooting out to 1,500yards, but I do need to be able to calibrate a turret know out to 1,000. I don't plan on throwing the rifle off of a cliff or using it in combat, but of course I want a rugged scope.

So with this in mind, I have 2 scopes in mind:

Zeiss Victory/Diavari 6x24

Nightforce NSX 5x22

I was leaning towards the Nightforce since it is a bit cheaper but I have read that the optics are not the best, which is most important to me.

I have a Vortex Viper 6x24 PST on my 204 Ruger. It is an awesome scope, but I don't think that the optics are any better than the Zeiss Conquest that is on the 7mm now.

If any of you have the Diavari and the Conquest, I would be interested to hear how the optical quality compares?

So Fellas, If you have the time, I would really appreciate your thoughts!!

Thanks!

 

[marinetowgunner]

Hello Fellas!
I am about ready to go for a premium scope so I would appreciate your comments on my choices.

My rifle is a Win M70 7mmRemMag. It is blueprinted, Benchmark Barrel, and shoots 168gr Accubond LR's at 3,128fps sub 1/2" at 100 yards. It will soon be in a Manners stock. I am currently using a Zeiss Conquest 4x14x44 Scope, which I have been very happy with.

I am primarily a hunter who used this rifle for almost all of my big game hunting. I also use the rifle once a year for Prairie Dogs in Kansas. I also do some 1,000 yard shooting with it but just for fun when I get the chance.

I am a former Law Enforcement Sniper, but I am not the type who will sit with a ballistic computer and a weather station and click off windage and elevation for my shots. I do however, use a range finder all of the time and I have a calibrated Turret Knob on the gun which I DO click off the range with. I usually judge wind or use a Kestrel (if the hunt/shot permits) and hold off for wind.

Since I am primarily a hunter, I want a scope with maximum clarity and light transmission. I am NOT worried about shooting out to 1,500yards, but I do need to be able to calibrate a turret know out to 1,000. I don't plan on throwing the rifle off of a cliff or using it in combat, but of course I want a rugged scope.

So with this in mind, I have 2 scopes in mind:

Zeiss Victory/Diavari 6x24

Nightforce NSX 5x22

I was leaning towards the Nightforce since it is a bit cheaper but I have read that the optics are not the best, which is most important to me.

I have a Vortex Viper 6x24 PST on my 204 Ruger. It is an awesome scope, but I don't think that the optics are any better than the Zeiss Conquest that is on the 7mm now.

If any of you have the Diavari and the Conquest, I would be interested to hear how the optical quality compares?

So Fellas, If you have the time, I would really appreciate your thoughts!!

Thanks!

If twilight performance is the most important, go with the Zeiss. The Nightforce is a bomb proof system, but the two instruments optical systems are built for different purposes.

 

[Lrdchaos]

I have had the Nightforce NSX 5.5-22. It's a great optic, I would recommend it to anyone. I have not used the zeiss so I can't comment on that scope.

 

[918v]

I had the 4.5-14 Conquest and 6-24 Divari, but sold them to get a Hensoldt 4-16 and NF 3.5-15 F1. I had the Divari and Henny for a week and they are equal optically. I currently have the F1 and the Henny and believe it or not they are also equal optically (resolution/contrast/abberation). I've observed damm near everything in all kinds of conditions and cannot see a difference. I even got new glasses and looked at resolution charts side by side. The new NF is better than the old NF, which I agree rendered a pretty dull image.

The only differences are the NF is a little dimmer due to the smaller objective and has a smaller eyebox, meaning the Henny eyebox is like watching TV on a big screen. Honestly, Zeiss eyeboxes cannot be matched. They are superb.

But, the NF has better turrets, matched to the reticle, with zero stop. It has twice the elevation range and bombproof durability. It is a better scope for what you wanna do.

 

[Ingwe]

Thanks for the insight guys.....keep it coming please!

918, after reading your comments about the Zeiss, I was surprised to read that you recommend the NF at the end.....so you base your recommendation on the turret and reticle of the NF over the optics superiority of the Zeiss? I just want to be sure that I am understanding your opinion is very relevant since you owned both scopes

With a 7mm billet at 3,128fps, do you think that the Zeiss will give me enough clicks for 1,000 yards? The Conquest gets me to 850yards.

How would u rate the optical quality of the Diavari over the Conquest??

 

[918v]

Not optics superiority. Eyebox superiority, cuz in terms of resolution and contrast they are the same.

The Diavari has 15% less elevation adjustment than the Conquest. It has better glass. How much better? Well, the Conquest is closer to Leupold VariX-III and the Diavari is Zeiss awesomeness.

But it is not a scope for long range shooting.

 

[Ingwe]

The Diavari has LESS elevation than the Conquest....that's not good.

Not sure what you mean about "eye box" though.

Can you recommend a $2000+- scope for me?

 

[918v]

Eyebox is like a TV screen. It's the size of the image you're seeing, irrespective of the magnification. Zeiss eyeboxes are bigger and easier to acquire than competing scopes. It's like watching TV on a 60" vs a 50" screen, for example.

Between the NF and the Diavari I would take the NF because of the turrets, reticles, emevation range, and all you are giving up is 5% of the FOV.

If I were you, however, I would buy the NF F1. I prefer FFP and mil adjustments. I don't need 22x magnification. Even when I had my 6-24 I kept it around 16-18x. I think the F1 is the best scope for the money and I'm actually regretting the Hensoldt. I could have saved $1000 and been just as happy.

 

[Ingwe]

Too bad I can't have the NF with the optical quality of the Diavari

 

[918v]

Why don't you wait till the new Steiner 5-25 comes out? People who have played with the prototypes at matches are crowing about how wonderful it is.

 

[Ingwe]

918,
I think that I might be confusing myself with terms. When I say "Optical Quality", what I mean is how crisp and clear the image is, and how bright the image is in low light. Like looking through a $59.00 pair of binoculars then a pair of Leica's.

Mechanically I know that I definitely want the NF's, but with what I wrote above in mind, how does the image/clarity/light etc compare with the Diavari's??

Thanks for your effort in explaining this to me and for your patience as well!!

PS I just checked out the Steiner 5x25 and I see that it has a 34mm tube, which I think will overpower my sporter-sized rifle.

I should have added that I would get either the NF or Diavari with the 30mm tube....maybe the 30mm tube changes your recommendation??

 

[Gary Kaney]

+1 on the Steiner. Don't be in a hurry on the new T5Xi . Inquired about my 3/15 yesterday and was told January delivery. Europtics has the discontinued Model 5312 on sale for 1089.00.

 

[918v]

918,
I think that I might be confusing myself with terms. When I say "Optical Quality", what I mean is how crisp and clear the image is, and how bright the image is in low light. Like looking through a $59.00 pair of binoculars then a pair of Leica's.

Mechanically I know that I definitely want the NF's, but with what I wrote above in mind, how does the image/clarity/light etc compare with the Diavari's??

Thanks for your effort in explaining this to me and for your patience as well!!

PS I just checked out the Steiner 5x25 and I see that it has a 34mm tube, which I think will overpower my sporter-sized rifle.

I should have added that I would get either the NF or Diavari with the 30mm tube....maybe the 30mm tube changes your recommendation??

No it doesn't because the Diavari and the NF only come with 30mm tubes. Maybe you missed it, but I owned the Diavari for a long time.

Per your definition of optical quality, i.e. clear/crisp/bright, they are pretty much the same. The only difference is the eyebox. That's it.

 

[Ingwe]

Thanks my Friend!

I am going to play around a bit and see whats coming out in 2015 and probably get the NF NSX 5x22x56 with calibrated reticle