Zeiss Conquest V6 3-18 x 50 Feedback

[General RE LEE]

I'm a fan of the VX5HDs and run several. I bought a Zeiss Conquest V6 3-18 X 50 and ended up shipping the Bergara it was going on back to Bergara for repair.

I decided to put the Conquest V6 on my primary rifle Tikka T3x 6.5 Creedmoor and use it before season ends. Amazing glass my only gripe is it does have a bit more of the "looking through a paper towel roll" effect vs my VX5HDs which have the glass image all the way out to the edge and then a small thin black edge.

Anyone running a Conquest V6 on their primary hunting rifle?

 

[BEEMAN]

Tagging in. I'd like to hear feedback as well. They look like a nice scope and not to heavy. I'd like to know how the turrets compare to NF or March.

 

[7.62 Gunner]

I had one for a bit, same issue with tunneling it drove me nuts. Also it didn't track well

 

[Mark37082]

I just bought one to try out. I have several Lupys to compare it to. I've only had it to the range for a short load development and barrel breakin session. I really didn't notice the tunneling, i haven't really put through its paces yet. I figured the only real way to evaluate a scope is to use it. I will say the first impression was it has clear glass and good low light performance. I also wanted a light weight scope for the rifle.

 

[Rick Richard]

I have one and have not noticed what has been described. Great glass and light weight for the price point.

 

[BEEMAN]

How are the turrets? Crisp or mushy feeling? I like my March the best for crispness.

 

[Mark37082]

Turrets are fine. Not as tactile as March or NF, but as far as discernible clicks and an effective zero stop, no complaints. As I mentioned earlier, I haven't completed a tracking test yet.

 

[General RE LEE]

I spent a weekend at the range and hunting with the V6. The tunneling I describe is really all about position of the eye in relation to the ocular aka eye relief. If you "lean into it" like I often do for a solid shooting position, my eye is closer to the ocular and more of the internal scope is visible. If I am in more neutral position with eye further back, the FOV extends to the edges. Its a small thing and not something that has kept me from really liking this scope.

I dialed at my range 100,600,750, 1K, and 1250 back and forth multiple times and the return to zero was perfect and it tracked at the ranges listed above.

In the field, the image is sharp and clear to the edges, reticle is very sharp and the glass makes the view "pop" right until and after legal shooting light. I have the Z-MOA2 reticle and it is plenty thick to see up to and slightly after legal shooting light.

I also checked POI if there was any shift with magnification changes. POI remained constant from 3x to 18x.

I have a 20 MOA rail on my Tikka so with the internal adjustment of 103 MOA, I have approximately 63.7 MOA elevation adjustment with my zero. I was hitting steel at 1250 right at 47 MOA with my Tikka 6.5 Creedmoor shooting handloaded ELD-X at 2700 FPS. My VX5HDs do not allow more that 37 MOA adjustment so I can't go beyond 1K with my 6.5 Creedmoor.

The turret clicks are very tactile and audible with no slop or mush. They are more than adequate for range or field use.

This is my 2nd Zeiss Conquest and I opted to not do a quick throw lever on this Z6. The right to left adjustment for the variable power puts the throw lever right in the way of working the bolt on my Tikka when scope is set on low power. With that said, the zoom and parallax adjustments are smooth and not sticky.

No the scope doesnt have illuminated reticles, but the SFP reticle is just the right thickness to be seen in the lowest of light but still not too thick for long range precision. I do think the design is more for the hunter vs precision long range shooting.

The windage adjustment is not capped, but its stiff enough I see no concern with it moving with regular use. Someone pulling a rifle in and out of a scabbard might have slight concern but if they index the windage at "0", a quick spot check would alleviate the concern.

I currently own three Leupold VX 3-15 x 44s and one Zeiss Conquest V4 4-16 x 44 along with this V6 3-18 x 50. The V6 is clearly the best scope I own in regards to image clarity, sharpness and function. The Leupys are very nice, but the V6 is just a bit better.

 

[General RE LEE]

Tagging in. I'd like to hear feedback as well. They look like a nice scope and not to heavy. I'd like to know how the turrets compare to NF or March.

See my review in this thread from last weekend. Great scope.

 

[General RE LEE]

I just ordered a 2nd demo V6 3-18x50 to replace a Windplex VX5HD for my 6.5 PRC

 

[shinbone]

I'm not a scope expert or an optics guru, but after doing a lot of research and using various scopes over the years including Swarovski, Meopta, Leupold, Burris, Nikon, Tract, older Kahles, and other Zeiss models, I finally settled on the Zeiss V6 3-18x50 as currently the best balance of optical quality, features, and price for western hunting.

I am not a tactical guy, and it seems the majority of modern scopes are aimed at the tactical market with huge turrets, complex reticles, and extreme weight, leaving us hunters with reduced options. I hunt deer, elk and antelope in the west, and I want a scope that provides a good image, works until after legal shooting time, has a simple plex type reticle, and has moderate sized turrets that I dial for elevation and hold for wind. The V6 optics provide good clarity, good eyebox, minimal eye strain, and good low light capability. I have never noticed any of the "tunneling" effect mentioned by others. The 3x to 18x power range works great for all hunting terrain/conditions, and works well at the range during handload development, too. For me, the Zeiss V6 fits the western-hunter category perfectly, and I own 4 of them.

Its true that:

You can't pound nails with a V6;
That you don't have 120 MOA of elevation;
The turrets are not so tactile and audible that your hunting partner can tell how much elevation you just dialed;
You can't measure the diameter of an elk's brow tine with the reticle;
You can't count the eyelashes on an antelope with the scope's extreme magnification; but,

I don't need any of that. I just want a good scope to hunt out 600yds, where I am not paying a weight or dollar penalty for features I don't need. The Zeiss V6 fits that niche. Not to mention that the Zeiss lifetime transferable warranty is sweet, which makes buying used a little safer.

I might add that the Zeiss V4 scopes are a good option for those on a tighter budget.

JMHO

 

[General RE LEE]

I'm not a scope expert or an optics guru, but after doing a lot of research and using various scopes over the years including Swarovski, Meopta, Leupold, Burris, Nikon, older Kahles, and other Zeiss models, I finally settled on the Zeiss V6 3-18x50 as the best balance of optical quality, features, and price for western hunting.

I am not a tactical guy, and it seems the majority of modern scopes are aimed at the tactical market with huge turrets, complex reticles, and extreme weight, leaving us hunters with reduced options. I hunt deer, elk and antelope in the west, and I want a scope that provides a good image, works until after legal shooting time, has a simple plex type reticle, and has moderate sized turrets that I dial for elevation and hold for wind. The Zeiss V6 fits this category perfectly, and I own 4 of them.

Its true that:

You can't pound nails with a V6;
That you don't have 100 MOA of elevation;
The turrets are not so tactile and audible that your hunting partner can tell how much elevation you have dialed;
You can't measure the diameter of an elk's brow tine with the reticle;
You can count the eyelashes on an antelope with the scope's extreme magnification; but,

I don't need any of that. I just want a good scope to hunt out 600yds, where I am not paying a weight or dollar penalty for features I don't need. The Zeiss V6 fits that niche. Not to mention that the Zeiss lifetime transferable warranty is sweet.

I might add that the Zeiss V4 scopes are a good option for those on a tighter budget.

JMHO

I wholeheartedly agree. I wonder how many people see what a FFP looks like for the 1st time when getting their new, forum recommended scope out of the box. This happened to me. I bought a Leupold Mark5 HD 3.6-18 after scouting forums only to find the reticle was useless under 5x for low light hunting. I bought the illuminated reticle but not crazy about relying on something electronic to make a shot. I sold it.

BTW the 3-18x50 does have 103 MOA internal elevation adjustment. Better than Leupold VX5/6HDs 75 MOA.

 

[shinbone]

BTW the 3-18x50 does have 103 MOA internal elevation adjustment. Better than Leupold VX5/6HDs 75 MOA.

Good to know. I edited my previous post accordingly. Except for centering a reticle many years ago, I've never explored the limits of the V6 turrets.

 

[General RE LEE]

Good to know. Except for centering a reticle a long time ago, I've never explored the limits of the V6 turrets.

With my 20 MOA rail I can get 63.7 MOA in elevation with my Tikka 6.5 Creedmoor. Plenty of room for banging steel.