Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics So what is the consensus on Minox?

Some scopes are notorious for the "black donut" effect when viewing through. Check out a Weaver V10 classic sometime if you want to see reality. And we're not talking about the black image around the lense if the fore/aft isn't correct, it is the constant bold black ring around the edge of the scope regardless of image. Leupold has virtually zero for some reason.

Swarovski z5 is like the Leupie. My Bushnell 6500 and the Nightforce I had has more tunnel vision than the z5. It doesn't seem to affect field of view.

My replacement Minox ZA 5 2 X 10 X 40 was at my door in less than 72 hrs. Thanks Doug, and Greg at Minox! And they sent me a pre paid label to ship old scope back.

So Art, what do you think about the 1.8X8 on a 375 H&H? and while I think of it, your opinion on say a 3X9 power scope for a 375? jorge

Jorge
As I posted earlier in the thread I do not have a 1.5-8 to look at, so I would be guessing. I did shoot the Kodiak bear I shot with Rick Bin with the 3.5-10x Leupie intentionally set at 6x. The bear turned out to be 24 yards away in the alders.

Close enough some would think there might be issues... I was able to find a hole big enough to make a hole through the bear's neck with no problem.

The 1-4x Vortex I have on the 375AI now seems to me to be a really good choice. I do not shoot foxes at long range with a rifle like that and the compromises are nonexistent on a big game target.

I used a fixed 3x Leupie a lot and have one on my 375H&H, some 300 magnums; Norma, WM, and H&H; and even a 10-22... But, I see no advantage in the upper end of the 3-9 scale, personally, on a bigger rifle.

When I used the 3.5-10 Leupold it was more of a test outside my usual fixed power comfort zone. It worked just fine, but was replaced fairly quickly with a 3x until testing with other scopes moved it off. These days it makes less difference, but I would want less magnification than the 3x if I was looking to maximize scope potential and the upper end seems largely a waste IMO.

Jorge
To add... I would consider the 1.8-8x a very reasonable compromise and would have no issues with trying it out. And I drew a Kodiak bear tag for this coming spring in the same unit my buddy shot the monster in May of '12...

And I recognize how much overlap and so on makes this a hair-splitting contest...
art

Thanks! Doug has a good deal on it here but the reticle available sucks for big game. Looking hard at the Meopta 3.5X10X44 RD or the Zeiss HD 2X10X44 for my 375, although I don't know why, it has a perfectly working Leupold 1.75X6X32 (HD) on it since 2001. Guess I'm being paranoid about low light.

The Versa-Plex would not bother me a bit for a big game reticle...

I found I really like the illuminated TMCQ reticle in the Vortex... If given a choice of any of the scopes I have used the Vortex 1-4 PST with TMCQ reticle would be my first choice on a big rifle.

Pulled the trigger on a Meopta 3.5X20X44RD. It was a close run between it and the Zeiss Conquest 2X10X42. Mule Deer made me do it! Thanks John! .. And Doug!

A 3.5-20 on a 375??? That should be interesting...

I'm pretty sure it's 3.5-10.

I certainly hope so!

ooops, sorry, it's a 10X. a 20X? NEVER!

Whew....was going to have to start calling you RingmanII...

[bleep], it took me over two weeks and confering with the likes of MD and other sages to convince myself to go with that magnification on a 375!

Like I said earlier I used a Leupold in the same power range for a Kodiak bear that turned out to be far closer than expected when we topped the ridge. It was also in thick alders... And set at 6x it worked just fine.

Yeah, 6x is much more effective at close ranges than most people think. My closest shot was a running wild boar at 10 yards.

I suspect the "scope full of hair" stories about 6x being too much for closer ranges started back in the really old days when scopes not only had small main tubes but small ocular lenses. Today's 6x scopes, or variables set on 6x, generally have a FOV at 100 yards of around 18 feet, which means 4.5 feet at 25 yards.

I find that if I keep both eyes open, I can track just about anything, at virtually any distance, that I can see with a fixed 6X.

Just bought another one last week, the Meopta.

Steve

Just recieved my Minox ZA5 1.5-8x32.........initial inspection is great so far, just the slightest hint of ghosting at the edges on 1.5x but clears by about 2.5x and crystal clear "edge to edge" from there on up to 8x. Only discernible thing I can find is the noticeable barrel distortion while panning from 3x-6x.....not horrible, but it is there. Don't know if this is the compromise of the optical system to get the 1.5 low power and 5x range or not. Others have spoke of such on other reviews of this scope, so a call to Minox will clarify.

*Update*

Rubber cover over power ring??? Who's the f'n engineer who decided that one??? .......what a joke!!! Started slipping and coming loose after just 5-6 turns. Almost decided to just rip the thing off, but there's no quick change knob underneath it. At least there seems to be a nice knurled ring under it that won't look too bad without the cover. Don't know whether to just re-glue it better or send it back, cause there really wouldn't be a fix, due to being a design flaw.

On a positive note, the low light performance is outstanding!!! Only misgiving is the duplex they use is just a hair bit too skinny in the thick part of the crosshairs.