Zeiss HD5 vs Swarovski Z5

[matthewsg1]

I am in search for a new scope for my Remington 700 Sendero SFII 7mm Rem Mag. I have narrowed my search down between a Zeiss HD5 5-25x50 with custom long range turrets from Kenton Industries or a Swarovski Z5 5-25x52 with custom turrets from Outdoorsmans. I have searched, but have not been able to find any true full reviews on either of these scopes and know both companies make exactly products. Just curious if anyone has any experience with either, what the pros and cons of each are, and if the Swarovski is worth the few extra hundred dollars.

Thanks

 

[FSU Seminole]

I am in search for a new scope for my Remington 700 Sendero SFII 7mm Rem Mag. I have narrowed my search down between a Zeiss HD5 5-25x50 with custom long range turrets from Kenton Industries or a Swarovski Z5 5-25x52 with custom turrets from Outdoorsmans. I have searched, but have not been able to find any true full reviews on either of these scopes and know both companies make exactly products. Just curious if anyone has any experience with either, what the pros and cons of each are, and if the Swarovski is worth the few extra hundred dollars.

Thanks

Its a thread going now about if the HD is worth the money. I say yes!!!! I have 2 Swaro Z5s, I love both scopes, only wish the duplex recticle was a little heavier. I have them topped on a 270 wsm and 300 wsm. I was planning on getting a 5x25 HD for my 7mm mag.

IMO you can't go wrong with either brand. I'm a big fan of Zeiss and Swaro. I'm amazed at how Zeiss can produce this scope with all the features for just 1,000 bucks. Personally its a toss up you'll be fine with either.

 

[marinetowgunner]

Just my opinion, but I find the HD5 disappointing. When I saw that they were coming out with a 5x erector in a more compact package that it would be a game changer. Its compact but should be half of the weight. The glass quality is excellent but i find that all three models have a fisheye effect after you get a quarter of the way through. Maybe they should have stuck with Meopta making their scopes

The only thing in my opinion that they got right was the locking turrets and the zero stop. Pretty clever approach to how to cheaply make a zerostop.

Is the HD5 a good system.......sure. But IMHO its not a Z5 on the cheap.

I would stick with the Swarovski Z5 if I were buying today.

Zeiss Rifle Scopes

Swarovski Rifle Scopes

 

[MudRunner2005]

Just my opinion, but I find the HD5 disappointing. When I saw that they were coming out with a 5x erector in a more compact package that it would be a game changer. Its compact but should be half of the weight. The glass quality is excellent but i find that all three models have a fisheye effect after you get a quarter of the way through. Maybe they should have stuck with Meopta making their scopes

The only thing in my opinion that they got right was the locking turrets and the zero stop. Pretty clever approach to how to cheaply make a zerostop.

Is the HD5 a good system.......sure. But IMHO its not a Z5 on the cheap.

I would stick with the Swarovski Z5 if I were buying today.

Zeiss Rifle Scopes

Swarovski Rifle Scopes

Meopta has NEVER made any Zeiss scopes. I have talked to Zeiss themselves about this, and asked them, and they said that they get that alot b/c both of them have plants that are very near each other in NY, but that Zeiss Optics has always made every one of their own scopes. The difference in the Conquest and the Diavari/Victory lines is that the Conquests are assembled here in the US from German parts, and the Diavari/Victory lines are assmbled in their Germany plant with German parts. And also that the Victory/Diavari lines have slightly better glass and lens coatings than the Conquest series. Which is what makes up for the price difference in their different product lines.

I haven't had the chance to shoot behind an HD5, but have played with a few in the stores and took them outside and looked through them. They appear to be a nice optic. I am a huge Zeiss fan. I love the 2 Conquests I have, and they haven't given me any trouble. I love the 6.5-20x50 with Target Turrets....It's really solid. So is the big ole monsterous 3-12x56 30mm Conquest I have. I swear you could use it to hammer in nails and it would still zero. That things weighs about 20lbs by itself. But it's an awesome hunting scope.

 

[marinetowgunner]

Meopta has NEVER made any Zeiss scopes. I have talked to Zeiss themselves about this, and asked them, and they said that they get that alot b/c both of them have plants that are very near each other in NY, but that Zeiss Optics has always made every one of their own scopes. The difference in the Conquest and the Diavari/Victory lines is that the Conquests are assembled here in the US from German parts, and the Diavari/Victory lines are assmbled in their Germany plant with German parts. And also that the Victory/Diavari lines have slightly better glass and lens coatings than the Conquest series. Which is what makes up for the price difference in their different product lines.

I haven't had the chance to shoot behind an HD5, but have played with a few in the stores and took them outside and looked through them. They appear to be a nice optic. I am a huge Zeiss fan. I love the 2 Conquests I have, and they haven't given me any trouble. I love the 6.5-20x50 with Target Turrets....It's really solid. So is the big ole monsterous 3-12x56 30mm Conquest I have. I swear you could use it to hammer in nails and it would still zero. That things weighs about 20lbs by itself. But it's an awesome hunting scope.

That's pretty funny because the last time I toured the factory they were spitting out conquest rifle scopes like a machine gunner doing an ammo dump.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Hmmm, well, then I guess info got mixed up somewhere down the line...Oh well.

 

[highridge1]

Easy choice I would take te HD5 excellent scope , great glass, locking turrets etched reticle, known to handle recoil better than swarovski and a much better buy.I can't think of a reason to go with the swarovski.

 

[CLKHunter]

I love my HD5 5-25 so far. I personally do not have swaroz5 but played with few and loved it too. It's also 60% more $$ than HD5 so I hope it has better optics or better something if I was buying it. Personally if I was in market got $1500-$1600 scope i would get the z5, and If i wanted to stay at around a $1000 I would get the HD5. The only thing I would change on HD5 is the z1000 reticle. It little too thick for my liking. Maybe it's because the Varmint Z reticle on my Conquest is just about perfect.

 

[chopit]

Easy choice I would take te HD5 excellent scope , great glass, locking turrets etched reticle, known to handle recoil better than swarovski and a much better buy.I can't think of a reason to go with the swarovski.

You keep making this comment with no info to support it. Where are you getting this from? Do I need to return my new z5?

 

[highridge1]

I don't think you need to return your swarovski, just have known a few guys that have had swarovski's fail on rifles like 338 ultra, 338 lapua etc. actually had lenses comes loose and things brake internally. I don't know anyone that has had similar issues with a Zeiss. I think Swarovski makes a awesome scope it's just the fact that so does Zeiss at a better price and incredible reliability.

 

[Robster80]

what do u mean "fish eyes" when looking thro the hd5?? im considering the hd5 for my .270 .....wouldnt mind owning the swaro but isnt the swaro plex reticle on the z5 a bit thin???? thinner than the z3?? zeiss has a great plex reticle tho and thats one reason im leaning toward the zeiss...im gonna have to look thro one a bit before purchasing tho

if i dont end up with the hd5 im considering the regular conquest in 4.5-14x50

 

[chopit]

I was just joking I'm not gonna return my swaro. I don't think swaro has any more failures than zeiss.