upgrade scope for Dall Sheep hunt?

[Rob Lay]

I have a Swarovski Z3 4-12x50 on a Tikka T3 Lite 7 mag. This has been a great setup for me Mule Deer and Aoudad up to 425 yards. Only misses I've had were close on shooting sticks. I like shooting a factory Barnes TTSX 150 gr. I keep my system simple zeroed at 200 yards and I adjust MOA from iSnipe before shot so I can aim on crosshairs.

My concern now making a large hunt investment to get a Dall is that I should upgrade my scope. I love this scope and setup, but I want to maximize the odds for my success. I also notice at the 500 yard range that from 400 yards on the target starts looking pretty small and less focused zoomed all the way in. My MOA groups start suffering from 400 on.

Question #1: What would be a good magnification for my application? Sheep and Mule Deer up to 600 yards?

Question #2: Should I stick to the iSnipe/MOA system or should I go to a preconfigured dial for ease of use?

Question #3: Any particular scopes I should focus in on?

Thanks!
rob

 

[Tikkamike]

no doubt about it you have a very nice scope on there it will probably be fine.. however if something happens and its not ok you will wish you had upgraded. a NF compart 2.5-10x42 would be great with either a MOAR reticle or a Velocity 600 reticle. if you want more power a nxs 3.5-15 with either of those reticles would be great. and make sure you have a sturdy mount on the gun.

 

[Rick Richard]

Why not Z5 with a bit more magnification. That would give you the extra zoom, better optics than NF and be much less weight than NF.

If you do go NF, go for the 5.5-22, since it is the same weight as the 3-15.

 

[Rob Lay]

Why not Z5 with a bit more magnification. That would give you the extra zoom, better optics than NF and be much less weight than NF.

I like the looks of the Z5 3.5-18x44 Sheep Hunter. I wish the ballistics turret had exact distance increments like others, but the 3 color codes would still be OK zero 200, green 300, yellow 400, and red 500.

will the 3.5-18x44 lose anything over my Z3 4-12x50 up close or darker conditions?

thanks!

 

[bruce_ventura]

The Z5 has a little wider field of view than the Z3. The Z5 gives you a 5:1 zoom ratio, coil erector springs, and a side focus, which helps for long range shots.

The coatings are the same for both scopes so the only difference in low light performance is due to the smaller 44 mm objective on the Z5. If you drop the magnification 12% on the Z5 compared to the Z3, the low light performance will be the same between the two scopes. For example, the Z5 set to 8.8X will have the same low light brightness as the Z3 set to 10X. At magnifications below about 7X both scopes will have the same brightness because your eye pupil is probably no bigger than about 6 mm during legal hunting hours.

If you upgrade to a Z5 you should also consider getting the BRH reticle with the free Micrometer Style turret knob upgrade from HighPowerOptics. The BRH reticle allows you to hold off accurately for shots up to about 500 yds, and provides windage holdoffs. The Micrometer Style knobs allow you to accurately dial elevation at any range.
http://www.highpoweroptics.com/micrometer-style-turret-swarovski-brxbrh-reticle-p-26105.html

The extra magnification on the Z5 also has the benefit of making the BRH reticle 50% larger than on the Z3 (lines are easier to see in low light).

 

[Rob Lay]

If you upgrade to a Z5 you should also consider getting the BRH reticle with the free Micrometer Style turret knob upgrade from HighPowerOptics. The BRH reticle allows you to hold off accurately for shots up to about 500 yds, and provides windage holdoffs. The Micrometer Style knobs allow you to accurately dial elevation at any range.
Micrometer Style Turret for Swarovski Z5 - BRX/BRH Reticle

Thanks for your helpful information. I like the current stock turret just look at iSnipe and then click in the exact elevation for a crosshairs shot. However, do you have something that engraves or sticks like Ringtrue with exact yardages for my ballistics?

 

[bruce_ventura]

Yes, HighPowerOptics is a dealer for Custom Turret Systems. We can provide custom ballistic turret labels for the Micrometer Style knobs. This option isn't up on our website yet, but you can order a set of four custom labels via email for $27, including shipping.

We provide small tweezers and instructions for swapping labels.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Why not Z5 with a bit more magnification. That would give you the extra zoom, better optics than NF and be much less weight than NF.

If you do go NF, go for the 5.5-22, since it is the same weight as the 3-15.

Your experience with z5 and NF is diametrically opposed to mine. I compare two NF's with two z5's. Both the NF's were brighter and showed more detail at lower magnification settings than the z5's.

There is no argument the z5 has nice glass. I have one and delight in its low light performance.

 

[Boman]

Bruce,

Does your micrometer turret work on Swarovski A line 4-12x50 scope?

 

[bruce_ventura]

Bruce, Does your micrometer turret work on Swarovski A line 4-12x50 scope?

pm sent.