Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Swarovski z81?

Anyone have good or bad experience with a Swarovski z8i 3.5-28X50?

Great post. I have quite a few Z6i scopes. The glass is perfection. Curious to hear from Z8i owners to see what they think.

No one here likes Swarovski enough to buy one? All the reviews I found sound like advertisements.

I had a 2.3-18x56, in theory the wide FOV on the bottom end made it a great whitetail scope. However, I found something typical of all high ratio erector scopes, a pitiful eyebox on minimum power caused by a very small exit pupil compared to similar sized, but lower ratio, scopes.

For example, Swaro lists the 2.3-18x56 as having an exit pupil of 8.1mm at 2.3x, a Meopta R1 3-12x56 has an exit pupil of 15.2mm at 3x. A hunting scope that requires that much eye position discipline at 2.3x just isn't user friendly in the woods IMO.

I like Swarovski's optics; own several and would buy another. Maybe even another Z8i. However, I'm still waiting for one of 23 deciduous trees in my yard to sprout dollar bills ($) rather than leaves. . . . . . .


Until then my budget is limited . . . .

I recon this is the reason these high endcscopes don't get brighter as you turn down the magnification like on older scopes?

I don't know. Mine are on their lowest setting when hunting and on around 20X at the range. I like the extra top magnification to verify I want to kill the critter in the scope before I squeeze the trigger tech.

Since no one has kicked in with info, I ordered one with the idea I can return it if it does not beat my Bushnell 6500. The guy was a Swarovski fan and convinced Swarovski is better than Schmidt and Bender. We will see.

What model have you ordered??? Will be interested in what you think of it..

Are looking at purchasing a 1.7-13.3 z8 within next couple of months...

I ordered a 3.5-28x50. I think it has a brx reticle.

The z8i arrived yesterday. I was very excited to say the least. I laid out a large sandbag for the 8.5 Coyle and a small one for the new scope. The glass was a big disappointment! I really wanted it to smoke my Bushnell 6500 4 1/2-30X50. I adjusted the reticle clear and sharp in the clouds and put it back on 3 1/2X. I hoped it would match the 4 1/2X of the 6500. It didn't. "That's okay. It will shine at higher magnification," I thought. It didn't. In fact it is no better than the four z5 5-25X52 or the z6 5-30X50.

For $3,285 one twould think Swarovski would try to matchW theS&BB. Ididn't need to go back and forth to compare it with my scope. It's in another league above mine.

Looks like I will order a March 2 1/2-25X52. I already tried one of our.com friend's and it was like the S&B. No need to go back and forth trying to discover which was best.