Zeiss or Nightforce choice ?

[skany]

Good point Dave forgot the new ziess is minus a wind turret !

How bizarre a idea!

 

That's a no no straight away along with 1 cm clicks I don't think they are suited to vatminting anymore !

 

Cheers Andy

[borden]

Good point Dave forgot the new ziess is minus a wind turret !

How bizarre a idea!

 

That's a no no straight away along with 1 cm clicks I don't think they are suited to vatminting anymore !

 

Cheers Andy

 

I Have the new ziess 6x24-56 victory fl,And it does have the wind turret and i had mine in 1/4 clicks

[22/250 foxer]

I Have the new ziess 6x24-56 victory fl,And it does have the wind turret and i had mine in 1/4 clicks

 

was that a extra on the current price to have this ?

[fizzbangwhallop]

Zeiss Diavari's for me now although still got Swarovskis on a couple........ My 6-24x56's have elevation and windage turrets - all are 5mm clicks and reticle 63 (as per 43 but with circles instead of solid dots and no longer available to the public);

 

My 'Hubble' (6-24x72) only has the elevation turret with 1cm clicks and is a 60 ret. And my 4-16x50 is 1cm too. This came with a Rapid Z7 reticle and Zeiss put a BDC elevation turret on it for £150 for me, so they can be upgraded if needs be... although I agree with Baldies comment that they s'be standard fitting.. after all Zeiss is Hensoldt is it not?

 

Fitting the BDC turret was done in WGC and only takes around half an hour with a bit of notice.

 

All are excellent in low-light, especially the Hubble! (As you'd expect)

 

I'd always gone for Swarovskis over the years and can't fault them for quality... and their excellent after-sales care, got a PM2 but have never really liked it and have only looked through a couple of NF's.

 

That's me,

 

atb

 

FBW

[borden]

Zeiss Diavari's for me now although still got Swarovskis on a couple........ My 6-24x56's have elevation and windage turrets - all are 5mm clicks and reticle 63 (as per 43 but with circles instead of solid dots and no longer available to the public);

 

My 'Hubble' (6-24x72) only has the elevation turret with 1cm clicks and is a 60 ret. And my 4-16x50 is 1cm too. This came with a Rapid Z7 reticle and Zeiss put a BDC elevation turret on it for £150 for me, so they can be upgraded if needs be... although I agree with Baldies comment that they s'be standard fitting.. after all Zeiss is Hensoldt is it not?

 

Fitting the BDC turret was done in WGC and only takes around half an hour with a bit of notice.

 

All are excellent in low-light, especially the Hubble! (As you'd expect)

 

I'd always gone for Swarovskis over the years and can't fault them for quality... and their excellent after-sales care, got a PM2 but have never really liked it and have only looked through a couple of NF's.

 

That's me,

 

atb

 

FBW

No - the turrets were standard and I specified 1/4" rather than 1cm. I had to wait for the shop to order it in (about 2 weeks), but the price was the same.

[sir-slots-alot]

There are not that many people who would argue NF scopes are better optically than Zeiss.

 

when people sum the optical qualitites of NF scopes ( FOV - brightness - twilight capabilities ) Phases like " Good Enough

 

and ok " appear - - Never brilliant

 

BUT , is that really "Good enough" for a scope that costs £1500 ???

 

 

If the intended use of the scope is long range varmint shooting or foxing ( when the capabilities of good optics really come in to play )

 

you should demand the very best optics for your budget.

 

Why is it so important - IME , the quarry we shoot at ( rabbits - fox ) blend in very nicely to the country side.

 

They are also most active during the last part of the day when natural light levels are fading. This is when I want my scope to perform.

 

I regularly go out with a mate who uses a NF scope - he is forever focusing and fiddling with the thing.

 

When I watch him do that - it instantly brings back memories of my experience of owning a NF scope and the reason we parted company.

 

 

The issue of internal adjustment on the zeiss and NF was raised on this thread - whilst it is true the NF has far rmore -

 

is this really an issue for long range varmint / fox shooting ?? The victory on my 22.250 has enough adjustment for 1200 yrds

 

( it is sat in standard optiloc mounts with zero MOA ) - I have never needed to shoot further than that. For me not an issue.

 

Night force scope are well built - precise as a swiss watch and have great options in terms of reticules and high mag choices - but they at let down by the glass.

 

 

 

ATB

Alan

[TonyH]

There are not that many people who would argue NF scopes are better optically than Zeiss.

when people sum the optical qualitites of NF scopes ( FOV - brightness - twilight capabilities ) Phases like " Good Enough

and ok " appear - - Never brilliant

BUT , is that really "Good enough" for a scope that costs £1500 ???.......................................[snip]..........

Night force scope are well built - precise as a swiss watch and have great options in terms of reticules and high mag choices - but they at let down by the glass.

 

Alan, pretty much my own instinctive feeling too. Do NF really cost £1500? I wouldn't dream of spending that much on a scope (for the same money I could have a damn good 2-week hunting trip abroad!) but if I did I'd want guaranteed world-class optics. I know what good glass is all about: what other people spend on scopes, I've been spending on top camera lenses since the 1970s, by such as Nikon, Canon, Schneider and Fujinon. I'd go with Zeiss too, and I echo your words about adjustments. In the real world, 400-500 yards is very long range when aiming at a rabbit, crow or groundhog, and if a scope has that sort of elevation it's more than adequate for me.

Tony

[monkeyspanker]

If possible try before you buy, it's the only way you will really know what suits your eye.

 

ATB Neil

tryed most scopes for foxing and for me nightforce every time although u dont get as much adjustment on high mag nxs as 22x nxs{100}

np2dd best ret ive used. just put a swarovski 24x on a 204 although good wish i had bought another nxs ive had tracking probs on zeiss in past

[223magic]

For me , Optically the Zeiss are significantly better - Field of veiw is wider - Definately better at dusk or low light - Better colour resolution in day light - and I found better on the lamp.

 

In terms of build quality , they are both top draw - both are reliable and the adjustments are precise.

 

Nightforce scopes have a better choice of reticules and higher magnifacation options - They are also cheaper. They also come up for sale alot more ( which worrys me )

 

 

When I owned my Nightforce scope - I was really disapointed with it optically - Optically they are good - but not special - I only kept mine a few months.

 

Optically they dont come any better than Zeiss - ( which is why I have three 6-24 Victorys )

 

Here is a video of the manuacture of Zeiss scope - 25 mins long but well worth watching if your thinking of raiding the piggy bank.

 

 

 

http://www.fieldsportschannel.tv/index.php/watch-again-2/zeiss-sports-optics-tv

 

 

The best thing you can do is to compare them side by side and make your own mind up

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

 

ATB

Alan

 

 

Thanks for the reply and the link, very usefull, I am a fan of your work keep it coming.

[223magic]

If its an out and out hunting rifle, buy a zeiss with a simple reticule [not that there is a lot of choice ]The optics are the best.

 

If you intend doing any long range target work or varminting, you want a scope that has features. The zeiss do not.

 

You want the variety of reticules to choose from. You also want diallable turrets on BOTH elevation and windage. Why zeiss think that the the big tactical scope only needs a bdc on the elevation shows how much they know about the tacticle scope market !

 

The scope needs to be ultra reliable. I dont think i,ve ever heard anyone say a nightforce didn't repeat, etc.

 

I have 5 of them, and none of them have ever given a minutes trouble, in some very hard use, and hard weather extremes. When you dial that cap back to zero, it goes. You dont also dial the wrong way. I sold two PM11,s for this very reason.

 

A scope is much, much more than a set of lenses. You will rapidly find a feature you dont like, or it doesn't have will hamper, and tick you off.

 

Optically the nightforces are not the best. They are good enough for most applications, including lamping. They would not be my choice for a twilight hunting sight , unaided by a lamp.

 

I,ve compared the sightron, side by side with an nxs, on two rifles, side by side, on the same target, at the same power, with the man who imports them, he,s a very good friend of mine. Optically better without a doubt, but i wouldn,t have one given. The build quality is not good enough on a scope that cost a grand. If they were £500 they would be a good buy, but they are now the same price as an NF and they aint the same quality.

 

If cash is tight, and you dont have a problem with a front parallax ring, then check out the nightforce NF models. These are benchrest scopes that are perfectly good for hunting. They are illumintaed, have all the rets, are diallable, and are 1/8" moa clicks, but front parallax.

 

That , however, gives them a far superior lens clarity over an NXS.

 

My next nightforce will be a 8 -32 x 56 NF with the np2dd ret. I dont think there is a better scope made for target/lr varminting.

 

Thanks for the reply Baldie, I did previously own a Nightforce 8-32/56 NF model but I found the field of view to small for foxing

work, but never the less a top scope. I do quite a bit of low light work and my lamp man likes a very dim light !some say change the lamp man not the scope but he has girls voice and quiet wellies !!!

[223magic]

which would be a better scope the Zeiss Victory 6-24 T FL IR or the Nightfoece NSX 5-22 with Zero stop, does anyone have a view on which would be the best optic for medium range foxing and Iam starting to get interested in some long range work. Your thoughts would be very much apprechiated. Thanks for looking.

Many many thanks to all who have taken the time to view and reply, it shows that the Ukvarmitting forum has a lot of very helpfull and dedicated members.

 

Regards to all

 

Mike...................

[skany]

It's good that u can get the ziess with both turrets and finer clicks still!

 

And Alan has just reminded me one of my main dislikes of the nxs!

 

Very focus fussy at night!

 

The ziess with 60 ret is brilliant foxing!

 

The internal adjustment is more of a prob with loopy cals but the windage adjustment is pretty sparce if ur gun dosent center well!

 

Cheers Andy

 

Cheers Andy