Zeiss HD5 5-25 x 50 or Swarovski Z5

[ANARCHIST]

My son grabbed my Conquest scope for his deer rifle, now I stuck choosing between the Swarovski Z5 5-25 & HD5 5-25 for my replacement - cost is my big issue, I know Zeiss customer service first hand is top notch, the scopes are very durable.

Is the price worth the difference for the Swaro Z5 over the HD5? the swaro warranty seems quite grey.

LTT Z-Plex on the HD5 or the ballistic turret / Plex on the swaro

Rifle is used strictly for hunting, Win70 300wby any thoughts greatly appreciated on scope pro's / con's.

TIA Gents

 

[bruce_ventura]

I think you get what you pay for. Z5 optics are better than HD5 optics. Z5s use an apochromatic triplet objective lens, compared to the HD5 doublet, which improves resolution at large elevation settings. Z5s use the same erector tube optical designs as the Z6 scopes, which privies better resolution across the field of view at all magnifications.

Zeiss customer service has been hit or miss, depending on the model and/or where it was built. Some scopes are taking several months for repair. Swarovski builds all the non-illuminated scopes in the US. Optical repairs on all models are done within a couple of weeks. Swarovski never asks for a receipt to repair a scope.

 

[newmexkid]

Mind you I have no experience with the Zeiss. I was ready to pull the trigger on a HD 5x25 but, I kept reading stories about months long wait for repair service and that cooled my fever for one.

 

[oeschampion]

I have both and would buy a swar over the Zeiss if i purchased another scope.

 

[Rich Coyle]

The HD is about 1/2 pound heavier than the z5. If weight is an issue go with the z5. The HD is about a grand while the z5 runs about $1500. If cost is a concern go with the HD.

 

[scottishkat]

The HD is about 1/2 pound heavier than the z5. If weight is an issue go with the z5. The HD is about a grand while the z5 runs about $1500. If cost is a concern go with the HD.

Agreed 100% the Swaro is in another class with the Nightforce NXS etc about 500.00 more than the Zeiss. The Zeiss also comes with the locking turrets you will probably pay 16 or 1700.00 for the Swaro with turrets.

I am partial to the Zeiss scopes for the money they're a good product I have atleast 8 including 2 HD5's they have there issues though. I also have 2 Swaro's they're are significantly lighter I can't see a significant difference but I don't shoot 1000 yd's more like 600 here on the east coast. I like that Z5 I would look at the NXS or the victory for comparison though.

Good luck and shoot straight.

Bob

 

[jrsolocam]

Does anyone have experience with the custom turrets available for the z5? Otherwise you can't spin turrets on the z5 like you can on the zeiss, which gives you 18 moa.

 

[LeddSlinger]

Swarovski will have better glass, but the zeiss is no slouch. My HD5 5-25x50 is crystal clear all the way to 25X,but eye box does get a little fussy and short on max power. The locking turrets are very nice on the Zeiss and 18 MOA per revolution makes turret dialing in the field easy to keep track of.

If turret dialing and long range shooting is your goal, the Zeiss is definitely the way to go with superior turret design and 65 MOA of elevation adjustment. the swarovski only offers 42 MOA of elevation. If glass quality is your main concern, go with Swarovski.

 

[re5513]

Mind you I have no experience with the Zeiss. I was ready to pull the trigger on a HD 5x25 but, I kept reading stories about months long wait for repair service and that cooled my fever for one.

newmexkid has it exactly right. I sent a Conquest 6.5x20 scope in for service back in April 2014 and was told that now (in August) they are still at least 4 weeks behind. Such poor turn around is unacceptable in my opinion. Perhaps it's because the Europeans take the summers off, I don't know. It's really a ridiculous repair lag time in my opinion when you compare it to either Burris (good) or Leupold (1 week - excellent). I sent a pair of binos back to Swarovski for service a few years ago and the turnaround seemed reasonable. I would love to see Zeiss address this problem in their organization.