Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Zeiss Conquest DL vs. Leupold VX6 vs. Swarovski Z3 vs. Kahles Helia C

I'm in the market for some new glass and got it narrowed down to these 4:
Zeiss 3-12x50
Leupold 2-12x42
Swarovski 3-10x42
Kahles 2.5-10x50

I'd like the best glass possible, that will thrive in any weather/light conditions I may encounter while hunting North America from Texas hog/audad hunts to caribou/bear in AK.
I'm leaning toward the Zeiss but am not committed 100% yet.
Thanks in advance.

my preference is Zeiss, coatings are better for my eyes where I hunt, own a victory and the diavari they seem similar to me. The fire dot in a 1-6 vx6 and is bigger, thicker reticle, its a good hunting reticle. the button is not as easy to use as knob on victory, The IR#60 can hunt as soon as I can see very good adjustments, best IR. The DL buttons however look interesting. Europtic has or had a demo 2.5-10 x 50 victory HT.

Thanks for the input. I'm not really interested in any sort of IR, just happens a couple of these have that option.

I have the wrong magnification but I have a Swarovski z5 5-25X52 and a Leupold VX-6 4-24X52and a Bushnell 6500 4 1/2-30X50. In normal daylight hunting comparing them side by side on an eye chart at 127 yards away and deer antlers at 131 yards away in the woods, the Swarovski glass comes in behind the other two. What I discovered if the z5 needs say 15X to resolve a particular line on the chart, the 6500 needs only 14X and the VX-6 needs only 13X setting for me to resolve the same line.

In low light the 6500 falls way behind the other two which punk out about the same time on the deer antlers a few minutes after the 6500.

Something you didn't ask about is color. I didn't notice the color in the 6500 and z5 until the VX-6 arrived. The colors are more vivid in the VX-6.

That was completely unexpected information! I had no idea the VX6 was on that level!
I do have a VX6 4-24x52 (HEAVY 34mm tube) and VX3 1.75-6x33 mounted on a couple bolt guns but figured I'd appreciate some German glass on my newest big game build.

Does the VX6 have any sort of coating similar to the Zeiss lototech?

No

if your woods hunting the #60 or I guess #6 without IR is very fine/light, not a very first light device in my opinion with IR. The Zeiss 20 I think is the same as the Zplex in conquest that is a good dark reticle.

I have owned all of the above mentioned scopes in your question. the Zeiss DL 3-12x50 was my low light champion untill I received my 2-12x42 VX-6. There was no discernable difference that I, friends or family could see. With that I sold the Zeiss and kept the VX-6. At this level though they are all damn good and different sets of eyes may see different things. The Kahles and Swaro were just a wee bit behind with the edge going to the Kahles. The absolute king in my collection for low light though is my Victory Diavari FL 4-16x50 T*. It is truly amazing, but a lot more expensive. For the money the VX-6 is hard to beat and any of these will take you well past "Legal" hours in most U.S. locales. For what its worth that 2-12 VX-6 is on my go too elk rifle and there it shall stay. It is that good and in a reasonably compact and lightweight package.

I was recently where you are. I compared just about every high-end hunting scope I could get my hands on and found the VX6 to be as good as any German glass I tried. Purchased a 3-18 and have not been a bit disappointed.

Don't expect much regards reliable adjustments on the VX6

Mine tracks perfectly.

Upon what do you base this?

Mine sure seems to also.

Both of my VX6's have tracked perfectly so far too. It also has the best duplex reticle of any scope made IMO.

Mine is back at the mother ship, 16 1/4 moa clicks at 50 yards should equal 2 inches not 8 inches. Legendary.

Check again. Maybe it should be 4".

....at 50 yards.

BobinNH,



That's the sorta thing that reminds me why I'm no longer impressed with me.

Ringman we all have those moments....