Optic Overkill?

[ZDresner]

I have the opportunity to put a Zeiss Conquest HD5 5-25 x 50 Scope on my Tikka T3 30-06. I am not confident shooting over 250 metres. The great thing is that it is brand new and I am getting it for half of what it normally costs. Overkill or not ?

 

[Royal27]

I think it depends what you mean by overkill. 500 yard shots on a sheep hunt? Great scope. Average PG hunting? Too much magnification for me personally.

None of my hunting rifles go above 10x and I've never cranked it up to that.

I actually find that more magnification can hurt my shooting. Higher magnification means more wiggle of the cross hairs and I'm more likely to snatch the trigger. Therefore, I leave a scope at the minimum whenever I can.

And there is a big difference in quickly finding an animal in the brush at close range between 3x and 5x.

Not saying don't buy the scope, but I personally wouldn't want it on an everyday hunting rifle. And for the record, the buff in my avatar was shot using a Zeiss HD5, 2x10. Magnification of 2x upon the shot.

 

[Royal27]

Also worth stating that the scope itself won't make you more confident shooting further than 250m. That takes practice much more so than equipment.

 

[Rob404]

Maybe but who says you have to crank it all the way up to 25 power, I like the long range capabilities for long range practice but have seldom used much more that than the lowest settings in actual hunting all my game was taken at 3 power where field of view is more important than magnification

 

[ZDresner]

Royal27. That is exactly what I mean. Thank You for the feedback. Literally to much scope for the rifle. I like to hear from more experienced hunters as I value their opinion.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I'd enjoy the light gathering on that one, but I am not sure I would like to carry that height around in the woods.

 

[ZDresner]

I have heard only good things about the low light capabilities of the Zeiss as well. Hunting.plains game more than anything else. But I must tell you that it is currently scoped with Leopold VX3 4.5-14 x 40.

 

[Royal27]

I have heard only good things about the low light capabilities of the Zeiss as well. Hunting.plains game more than anything else. But I must tell you that it is currently scoped with Leopold VX3 4.5-14 x 40.

Nothing wrong with the scope you have at all. Again just personally, if I was going to replace that scope I'd want something with less magnification at the lower end, as opposed to more at the higher end.

And since you aren't in a hurry make sure you get exactly what you want. Deals are there all the time if you're patient.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I have the opportunity to put a Zeiss Conquest HD5 5-25 x 50 Scope on my Tikka T3 30-06. I am not confident shooting over 250 metres. The great thing is that it is brand new and I am getting it for half of what it normally costs. Overkill or not ?

If I was limiting myself to 250m, I'd say this is a bit more scope than you want. I've never been a big fan of the 50mm scopes either. But, a great deal is a great deal and I'd be inclined to buy the scope but for a different rifle for a different purpose.

I have the Zeiss HD5 3-15 on one of my rifles. I might not go to 15X at 250m, but if the shot was setup and I had time and the target was relatively small I would.

 

[Shootist43]

Probably a great scope for long distances i.e 500 yds. + providing you can re-zero the turrets but for 250 meters and less a 3-9 is a lot more practical. I'll dial mine up to 8 or 9 on a range but down to 4 in the field.

 

[rookhawk]

I have the opportunity to put a Zeiss Conquest HD5 5-25 x 50 Scope on my Tikka T3 30-06. I am not confident shooting over 250 metres. The great thing is that it is brand new and I am getting it for half of what it normally costs. Overkill or not ?

Harmful, beyond overkill.

I'm comfortable from a rest out to just under 350 yards and I much prefer to shoot 225 yards and under. For those distances 6x is plenty of power.

But the harmful side comes in for close work. It is very hard to find your target at 50 yards at that 5x minimum zoom.

 

[Red Leg]

For me, a 50 mm scope turns a useful, agile rifle into the equivalent of a crew-served weapon. I am sure there are unique situations, but in 50 plus years of hunting with a rifle for big game, I have yet to encounter a shot that would have required anything more than 6x.

 

[Divernhunter]

If you want my 2 cents and you did ask.
That is too much scope.
I would also use a Leupold and it would be a 3X9X40 or 3.5X10X40 Non-AO with duplex reticle sighted in 2.75" high at 100 yards. Hold on the animal and you will have meat in the freezer or your mount if you do not keep the meat. This has worked well for me for many, many years. I have taken game at ranges from 3 feet to 600+ yards with the above scopes.
On my last Africa trip my daughter and I used the 3X9X40 Leupold scopes and took 20+ head of game at ranges from 135-480yards(used rangefinder to see how far) and all were one shot kills on PG. I also shot some 20 approx other animals for control purposes at 250-350 yards.

I did recently put a 4.5X14X40 Leupold set up like above on a new 257W for my next Pronghorn trip. This is replacing the 3.5X10X40 I had on the last 257W. The 3.5X10X40 now sits on top of my 265win mag. Both rifles are used for long range shooting as well as closer range. I have never felt under scoped using the above(3X9X40) scopes.....especially with a 30-06 class cartridge.

Also consider that you have a Tikka(they are great I have 2) and a large scope looks out of place on them.

The 50mm len also causes you to have an in-natural cheek weld. You really gain nothing for hunting with the 50mm lens contrary to some peoples misguided understandings about scopes. Stick with the 1"" tube, 40mm lens and the factory mounts are just fine. One thing to do is put a Limbsaver Direct Replacement Recoil Pad on the Tikka. You will be happy you did.

That is my 2 cents.

Flame away boys............especially the ones who know everything but have done little hunting and probably with less success. Good old arm chair quarterbacks. Got to love them


Well there is my 2 cents.

 

[rookhawk]

Just to add that math matters.

Males over age of 35 on average, with 20/20 vision can open their pupil to 5.5mm in total darkness. An amazing mutant of a man might get 6mm.

So let's take a 1-6x24mm straight tube scope vs a 5-25x50mm gigantic target scope. For twilight hunting, which is better?

At 5 power divide by 24mm =4.8mm pretty close to as much light as a human male can absorb is coming through on the tiny straight tube scope.

And 5 power divide by 50mm = 10mm but the human eye can only absorb 5.5mm so that's all you get. 12% better light transmission at dark at 5x with the huge 5-25x50 monstrosity over the svelte 1-6x24.

Now if you were to drop the magnification to 4x? Then it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.

So put simply, unless you're shooting at 20x at twilight, there Is no point for that scope to exist. Extra large glass for No benefit.

 

[wesheltonj]

You gain nothing with that scope other then you have a Zeiss Scope (for name dropping). Thats a 1" tube. For that Tikka you should have a 30mm tube. That would require to move up to the Conquest DL and a much higher price point. If you want a brand name scope (relatively speaking at a budget price), put on a Leica ER5 or Swarovski Z3.

 

[edward]

I have heard only good things about the low light capabilities of the Zeiss as well. Hunting.plains game more than anything else. But I must tell you that it is currently scoped with Leopold VX3 4.5-14 x 40.

love the leopolds.

 

[lcq]

If you want my 2 cents and you did ask.
That is too much scope.
I would also use a Leupold and it would be a 3X9X40 or 3.5X10X40 Non-AO with duplex reticle sighted in 2.75" high at 100 yards. Hold on the animal and you will have meat in the freezer or your mount if you do not keep the meat. This has worked well for me for many, many years. I have taken game at ranges from 3 feet to 600+ yards with the above scopes.
On my last Africa trip my daughter and I used the 3X9X40 Leupold scopes and took 20+ head of game at ranges from 135-480yards(used rangefinder to see how far) and all were one shot kills on PG. I also shot some 20 approx other animals for control purposes at 250-350 yards.

I did recently put a 4.5X14X40 Leupold set up like above on a new 257W for my next Pronghorn trip. This is replacing the 3.5X10X40 I had on the last 257W. The 3.5X10X40 now sits on top of my 265win mag. Both rifles are used for long range shooting as well as closer range. I have never felt under scoped using the above(3X9X40) scopes.....especially with a 30-06 class cartridge.

Also consider that you have a Tikka(they are great I have 2) and a large scope looks out of place on them.

The 50mm len also causes you to have an in-natural cheek weld. You really gain nothing for hunting with the 50mm lens contrary to some peoples misguided understandings about scopes. Stick with the 1"" tube, 40mm lens and the factory mounts are just fine. One thing to do is put a Limbsaver Direct Replacement Recoil Pad on the Tikka. You will be happy you did.

That is my 2 cents.

Flame away boys............especially the ones who know everything but have done little hunting and probably with less success. Good old arm chair quarterbacks. Got to love them


Well there is my 2 cents.

xx2 on the limbsaver for Tikka from personal experience with a T3 laminated in 300wsm. not so much different from your 3006 synthetic after factoring in the extra weight of mine.

 

[thriller]

I shoot stuff at 50 yes on 10x so I think it would be fine but I like extra magnification personally!

 

[Ray B]

For a "hunting" rifle I prefer to keep the objective at 42mm or less & 6x as a standard for open country.

 

[thi9elsp]

As others have said, this feels like too much magnification to me for hunting. Now, if you could buy it, then trade it for a Leupold VX6 2-12x42, I would do that. I'm assuming your purchase price is around $600. Just don't know how easily you could trade it on the Leupold.