OpticsTalk by SWFA, Inc. Homepage SWFA     SampleList.com
Forum Home Forum Home > Scopes > Rifle Scopes
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Best  all-round scope?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Visit the SWFA.com site to check out our current specials.

Best all-round scope?

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Renico View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice


Joined: March/08/2013
Status: Offline
Points: 113
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Renico Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Best all-round scope?
    Posted: April/14/2013 at 13:33
Which would you pick for an all-round scope?

Khales Helia 5 2,4-12x56i

or

Swarovski z6i 2-12x50


Good thing about Khales is that it is x56

Good thing about Swaro is that it can go down to 2.

Both Illuminated, both SFP.

Back to Top
helo18 View Drop Down
Optics Jedi Knight
Optics Jedi Knight
Avatar

Joined: December/02/2006
Location: Montana
Status: Offline
Points: 5620
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/14/2013 at 14:40
I really like my Swaro 2.5-15x50 4a Illum.  Perfect match for a couple of my rifles.  Love the glass!!!  I guess either would do great, but I think I would go Swaro between those two.
To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.

GEORGE WASHINGTON
Back to Top
Renico View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice


Joined: March/08/2013
Status: Offline
Points: 113
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Renico Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/14/2013 at 14:55
Yeah pretty hard to choose. Swaro have a nice fild of wiew at 2x.

But Khales got x56 which may be a bit better for the really low-light hunts..

Also heard that Swaro's #4 reticle should be pretty thin. But never looked through one before.
Back to Top
mike650 View Drop Down
Optics God
Optics God
Avatar

Joined: May/14/2006
Location: West of Rockies
Status: Offline
Points: 14569
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/14/2013 at 15:54
I have the z6 2-12x50 (non-illumination) and its the best all-around scope for me. I really likevSwaro's illumination so between the Swaro and Kahles I'd pick the Swaro every time.
“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
Back to Top
Urimaginaryfrnd View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Resident Redneck

Joined: June/20/2005
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline
Points: 14964
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Urimaginaryfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/14/2013 at 19:22
The idea of an all around scope may assume too much. Not only does a scope have to be matched to the rifle and caliber that it will go on but also to how it will be used. For me of the scopes I have the best all around scope that I own is this:
SWFA SS HD 5-20x50 Tactical 30mm Riflescope Illuminated Mil Quad SWFA SS HD 5-20x50 Tactical 30mm Riflescope
Stock # - SSHD520X50MQI
  • Patented First Focal Plane Illuminated Mil-Quad Reticle
  • 30mm
  • HD Model
  • Locking Ocular Adjustment
  • 0.1 Mrad Elevation & Windage
  • 10 Mils Per Revolution
  • 30 Mils Of Total Travel
  • Side Focus
$1,499.95 

"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do".
Bobby Paul Doherty
Texas Ranger
Back to Top
mike650 View Drop Down
Optics God
Optics God
Avatar

Joined: May/14/2006
Location: West of Rockies
Status: Offline
Points: 14569
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/14/2013 at 19:58
Yes, that's true Urimaginaryfrnd , my opinion is based on a deer hunter using a hunting rifle.
“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
Back to Top
RifleDude View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
EVIL OPPRESSOR

Joined: October/13/2006
Location: Texas
Status: Offline
Points: 16337
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/15/2013 at 09:09
Between those two, I'd get the Z6i. Yes, all else being equal, you get slightly better light transmission with a 56mm objective vs. 50mm, but 50mm on a quality optic still provides excellent low light performance. Optically, those two scopes will be very close, but I'd give the slight edge to the Swarovski. The other thing I like about the Z6 is it has virtually no tunnel vision at the lowest magnification, so you get the full benefit of its monstrous FOV at low power.

Keep in mind since you're discussing illuminated reticle scopes that illumination negates any concern about reticles being too thin for visibility in low light. Kahles has a very well-designed illumination system; one of the best there is. That being said, the Z6i has perhaps the very best illumination system in existence in my opinion. It has a broad intensity range for both day and night use, with a toggle switch to quickly switch between saved preset intensity preferences for both. Swaro does an excellent job of controlling illumination "bloom," so the illuminated portion of the reticle stays sharply defined. This, combined with the amber colored illumination means you have very good reticle contrast and visibility in low light even at very low intensity settings, so the reticle doesn't overpower the view through the scope.

I personally prefer more compact scopes, and I don't like objectives larger than 50mm, or any objective wider than the forend of the rifle the scope is mounted on. I realize I lose some low light performance by picking a more modest sized objective, but with good optics, I've never felt handicapped with "only" a 50mm objective. In fact, in most hunting situations, a 42mm objective works just fine.
Ted


Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.
Back to Top
Renico View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice


Joined: March/08/2013
Status: Offline
Points: 113
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Renico Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/15/2013 at 11:04
Thanks for the info.

As I have understood, Kahles should be too high quality to have tunnel vision in a new produces scope right?

Yes its a pretty hard choice between these two, but Im soon getting a Helia C 2,5-10x50, so maybe ill like Kahles so much that ill just go for the Helia 5i.

Another thing to choose from is my hunting situations. the z6i may be best at driven hunts which is very seldom I perform that kind of hunts. Havent tried it yet.

And the helia5 may be a little bit better in night-hunting because of the x56, and that ill perform more often than driven hunting.

And if I should on a driven hunt sometime, the 2,4mag in helia5 should be Ok.

But lets see how it turns out.
Back to Top
RifleDude View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
EVIL OPPRESSOR

Joined: October/13/2006
Location: Texas
Status: Offline
Points: 16337
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/15/2013 at 11:26
Originally posted by Renico Renico wrote:


As I have understood, Kahles should be too high quality to have tunnel vision in a new produces scope right?


I haven't looked through this particular scope, but I own 3 other Kahles scopes. None of them exhibit extreme tunnel vision, but there is some tunneling effect on lower magnification on all of them. It's not a huge deal, and this characteristic has nothing whatsoever to do with the quality of the scope. Schmidt & Bender and a few other very high end scopes typically have some tunnel effect on low magnification, for example. Once the tunneling starts becoming apparent, this just means that as you decrease magnification, the image in the scope becomes smaller, but you don't gain a corresponding increase in field of view. If you don't get any additional field of view increase, there's no benefit to further decrease in magnification so the true "usable" magnification range is reduced on the low end.

Again, I don't know if this is the case with the newest Kahles C scopes, but there is some tunneling on my Helia C 2.5-10X50; a bit more than my Zeiss Victory 2.5-10X50. I don't consider this a big deal, however, as I seldom use less than 4X on either of these scopes anyway.

The thing that is so remarkable about the low end of the Z6 series scopes is their complete lack of any tunneling whatsoever. The image appears to extend all the way out to the very edges of the eyepiece. So, you get the full benefit of the large field of view at the lowest power. Whether or not this benefits you depends on your style of hunting, however it certainly never hurts to have that feature even if you seldom ever "need" it.

You will never go wrong by selecting either of these very fine scopes. Both are outstanding. I'm personally not a big fan of 56mm scopes for the added bulk and higher scope mounts they require, but everyone has different tastes and priorities.
Ted


Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.
Back to Top
Renico View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice


Joined: March/08/2013
Status: Offline
Points: 113
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Renico Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/15/2013 at 11:35
Thanks.

The new 2,4-12x56i seems to be pretty expensive, so any tunnelvision would have me leaning to the z6i.

Well ill just have to look both of them, or wait until some people can tell anything about this new Kahles.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.128 seconds.