Bad Choice?

[heelerx2]

I just got a Minox ZA5 4-20 x 50 for about $500. There are some really good buys out there right now on Minox. They are open box/display models.

 

[mopar440]

i have a viper and love it but you also look at sightron Siii

 

[tiswell]

The Minox ZA5 3-15x42 looks like just what I was looking for. Does anyone know if they have a good reputation for accurate tracking and customer service? And are the turrets water proof with the caps off?

Thanks again! Tiswell

 

[Sami]

The Minox ZA5 3-15x42 looks like just what I was looking for. Does anyone know if they have a good reputation for accurate tracking and customer service? And are the turrets water proof with the caps off?

Thanks again! Tiswell

Their warranty is lifetime. They say the scopes are completely waterproof so if you leave the turrets exposed and they leak into the scope, have it replace by warranty. Of course, I would leave the scope in dry open place to dry out after usage just to get the moisture out of the turret compartment. I actually would be more worried about dirt getting there.

Dear Mr. Kallio,

Thank you for your mail and the interest in our products. The rifle scopes are completely waterproof. Unfortunately you can not change the turrets. Please feel free to contact me for further information.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards Andrea Walter

 

[tiswell]

Sami and all that replied,
Thanks for the great info. I am headed to a large outdoor sports show next week and I am going to put my hands on a couple of these that I am interested in and make my decision. The Minox sounds good, if they have good "counter appeal" I will probably go with one. When I jump to the next price point, I will have to look at the Zeiss, Vortex and Elite Tactical before I make my decision. The Bushnell has the most of the features that I am looking for, 30mm tube, good eye relief, tactical turrets, unobtrusive objective, a wide power range that starts out low enough for close encounters. But as I said the Minox is for me the one to beat, the fact that it is $300-400 less is a big plus!

 

[Sami]

Minox is going to have much better glass than Vortex or Elite. Zeiss Conquest is about the same in glass quality. To get better glass than Minox I feel you will have to make a considerable jump to Kahles, Swaro and higher end Zeiss scopes. Of course, these will not come with tactical features either and Zeiss Hendsoldt is completely out of your budget.

One thing about the 3-15x42 is that it does not have parallax adjustment. You would have to get the 50mm model if that is of importance. Other than that it is a great choice, wide magnification range and fairly lightweight scope.

If you can live without the tactical turrets, here is a heck of deal on TOP QUALITY glass: Zeiss 3-12x56 Diavari VM/V Rifle Scope DEMO-B

The above model will put to shame any scope short of a nightvision when the lights get dim. I don't know what the exact difference is between that and the Victory Diavari T* but you can't really get any better low light performance no matter how much money you put on the table.

 

[COBrad]

I've had 3 Zeiss Conquest scopes. Optical quality was outstanding. The 4.5-14 tracked true and repeatable. I did a lot of medium range shooting, out to 750 yards, and was twisting turrets a lot.
Depending on what you really end up budgeting (GRINNING) have you looked at IOR or the Nightforce 2.5-10?

 

[bruce_ventura]

I did my usual glare test on the Minox 3-15X42 at the last SHOT Show. Glare performance was above average, about the same as the Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14X44. Neither one was excellent, but certainly not average either.

The Vortex 4-16X50 had poor glare performance. The Vortex 4-16X44 was better, but not above average. I would not recommend either one for big game hunting.

I find some variation in glare performance among Bushnell Elite 6500 scopes - mostly average to above average. The 6500 2.5-16X50 I tested at the 2011 SHOT Show had above average glare, but poor correction of on-axis chromatic aberration, which is unusual. Could have been an engineering sample, but was not labelled as such.

From an optical performance perspective, you're on safe ground with those Minox and Zeiss models.

 

[Sami]

Not sure i mentioned this earlier but the glass for minox and zeiss comes from same factory, Schott. Different coatings on different models but coming from a very reputable company.