Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scope Choice Swaro vs Leica

Looking to try out a different brand of scope on a new rifle. Looking at a Swarovski 3-10x42 or a Leica 2.5-10x42.

Looking for a lighter scope that isn't too big. One difference is the Leica has a 30 mm tube vs 1" for Swarovski.

Had any of a number of leupolds, Vortex, Zeiss and 1 NF over the years. Looking for some firsthand experience out there.

Thanks.

I had a Kahles AH 3-9 and a Leica 3.5-14, they have been replaced with a Swaro Z5 3.5-18 and a Swaro Z6i 2-12 The Z5 is 15.9 ounces and is excellent optically. The Z6i is 19 ounces but the optics are even better and I LOVE that little red dot for hunting dark timber.

The Leica was almost identical to the Z5 optically, if weight isn't a huge factor I'd choose whichever had the reticle you liked better or was cheaper. I think Eurooptic had great closeout deals on the Leicas.

I went looking for a Kahles but had no luck there.

Yes, EuroOptic has some great deals on the Leicas. My price point on this experiment is around $900-$1000 so I'm looking at the Z3 vs the Leicas EuroOptic is offering.

Both are great glass, long term you may think about the warranty and CS factor. It has been beat to death here so just do some searching. Spence

I have both optics, the Swaro 3-10x42 and the Leica 2.5-10x42. Both are excellent. The Leica is new to me but I've been using Swaro's for years.

See any difference?

Do you have a preference?

Is it possible to get a replacement turret for either to be able to dial elevation?

I owned the Leica ER 2.5-10. I no longer own it only because I wanted a ballistic turret on the rifle and didn't like how easy theirs was to turn. It moved with very little resistance. They fixed the turrets with the ERi update by making the turret lockable.

Optically it was phenomenal to my eye with typical Leica fit and finish. The A8 reticle was a little thin for my preference.

Overall a great choice at Europtic's price.

I have both and tend to like the Leica's just a smidge better than the Swarovski's. Nothing I can hang my hat on, just a personal preference. Both have excellent glass, both have phenomenal coatings and both are VERY well built scopes.
If you can, try them out in the evenings or at night and see if you can tell the difference. I was given the Swarovski scope by my Dad so it's not going anywhere and I bought the two Leica's I had after setting up in the front of a store and trying to read license plates out in the parking lot one evening.

Have Both As Well. And For Me Nothing Beats The Swarovski AV 3-10. I.M.O. Best All Around Scope Ever Made.

Swarovski offers Ballistic Turrets as upgrades but only on the 4-12 power and above. It wasn't available on the 3-10x42's I have.
Any difference in the two scopes is very minor, both are excellent.
I really have no preference. If one of each scope were in a basket, I'd shoot with which ever one I pulled out.

Swarovski for the warantee

Also Swarovski. They fix them when they break. I hear that Leica is very picky, even to receipts and etc.

Leica is good glass but I'd never buy it again due to the poor warranty and CS. Swaro is my pick.

Eric

I've had no occasion to use either company's customer service so I'll defer to those who have.

Mull, what reticle and how does it compare to a 3-9 Z3 ?

Never owned a Swaro scope so I can't say which to pick between those two. I have heard the reports about Leica CS, but it seems to be mostly about their hand held range finders. Leica has a well earned reputation for building solid bino's and spotters and fantastic optics. I recently bought one of their German made ER rifle scopes and I hope they are built with their same legendary durability as their bino's and spotters. I know John Barsness put some rounds on one under a rifle that he called Mr. Miserable or something to that effect, that is known to him for breaking scopes rather quickly. He reported no problems and said it tracked perfectly. The glass on mine is better than any scope I've ever owned or looked through. I joking told folks that if it breaks, I'll attach a digital camera on it and use it for digi-scoping.

4A'S. Thats Pretty Much All I Use. While The Leica Is Good Glass. The Swarovski Just Fits My Needs Better. It's Couple Of Oz Lighter And I.M.O. A Little Brighter.I Hunt Mostly Early Morning, And Late Evening,In The Woods. And Shots Are 100 Yds Or Less. So I Have No Need To Twist Knobs. Myself I Prefer The AV's To The Z-3.I Have Them Both.If Going Turrets I'd Use The New Z's As The Can Be Fitted With The Outdoorsman's Ballistic Turret.

Where is the Leica made? I saw a picture of one the other day and it wasn't Germany, or Austria. It was something like Indonesia. I was very surprised.

Mine says made in Germany on the box. I saw one in the classified's that said made in Portugal. That was one of the one's with the illuminated reticle.

I think that was what I saw too. It was Portugal, not Indonesia.LOL