Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50 AO MC ???

coleridge

coleridge

Active member
I recently had a 6mmBR built as an all purpose varmint/fun rifle (keeping it light enough to carry). I currently have my old 6-24X44 Burris Signature on it. I have got the bug to upgrade the scope. The Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50 AO MC has struck my eye. Anyone have any experience with these scopes. Likes/Dislikes??? Trying to talk myself out of an extra $500 for a NightForce (that will add an extra 10oz). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
I just bought one of those Conquest scopes. Hasn't arrived yet but I do know what to expect optically. The glass is definitely a step up from the Burris Signature. That's not saying that the Signature is inferior or of lackluster quality in any way. The Conquest line features glass with better clarity and resolution than the VX-III and Black Diamond. They are just a tad "worse" than that used in IOR, Swarovski, Kahles, etc.

Should definitely work well for your applications. Best of luck. Hope this helps.
 
I bought the first one last spring, I end up upgrading 70% of my Leupold to the Conquest, just bought one more last week. They are not S&B, but are very clost to Swarovski but cost 30% less, I feel it's a very cost effective way to get in to European optics.
BTW, I.O.R is not even close being in the same league, I.O.R are Eastern European, Romanian to be exact.
 
Coleridge,

6BR is one of my favor varmint cartridge, I am interested to hear about your build, how about some pedigree?

Buzz
 
nightforce all the way.that extra 500 will be the best money you ever spend.took me along time to save the money to get mine.some things are worth the wait.be warned if you do get one you will want one on ever rifle you own.i am saving for a 3.5-15x56 nxs right now and thinking very serious about selling my nvg 3gen.
 
I have a 3-9x50 Conquest. The glass is great. Way better than my VXIII. As for the Night Force I would by a Zeiss VM/V. I have one in 6-24x56. It is top notch. If I hade it to do over a gain I would have bought a Zeiss rather than the VXIII. Just my two cents...
 
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BTW, I.O.R is not even close being in the same league, I.O.R are Eastern European, Romanian to be exact.



With all due respect...

I own an IOR 35mm 6x24 50mm scope, a Meopta Meostar R1 4x16 44mm, Kahles CL 3x12 52mm, and a Zeiss Diavari VM/V 3x12 56mm. I've owned quite a few other brands and sampled/tested at the range a LOT of different rifle optics. While I certainly don't know everything I am pretty well informed as to what's out there. With that being said, I have NEVER looked through a Conquest that was better than an IOR from a clarity, resolution or brightness standpoint. The Conquest line is very, very good and is more than adequate for 99% of applications. However, IOR glass is going to be just a tad better and point of manufacture (Romania) isn't going to change the fact that the glass and coatings are simply of a higher grade.

Not trying to get in a pissing contest with you but the notion that rifle optics manufactured in eastern Europe are inferior simply due to point of origin is no longer valid. This may be the case with 75% of scopes built over there but not with the whole lot. IOR, along with a few others, is one of the exceptions...

Flame away...

p.s.--I totally agree with you in that switching your lineup from Leupold to Conquest is an upgrade. Good move on your part!
 
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I struggle with this one. About 80% of my scopes are VX-III's and the other 20% are a mix of VX-II's and Nikon Monarchs. Tried a Conquest 4.5-14 two years ago and didn't like it. Didn't think it was any better than my VX-III's. I have a buddy who is constantly trying to talk me into a Nightforce. The $1200 price tag really scares me off. Clarity, color, etc. may all be important but I constantly fall back to a simple question, "am I putting my bullets where I want them to go?" I primarily shoot varmints in bright, sunny conditions so lots of light gathering and resolution at low light levels isn't too important. I think my $$$ would be better spent on a super good set of binoculars as I spend a whole more time looking through them than I do a scope.
 
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I struggle with this one. About 80% of my scopes are VX-III's and the other 20% are a mix of VX-II's and Nikon Monarchs. Tried a Conquest 4.5-14 two years ago and didn't like it. Didn't think it was any better than my VX-III's. I have a buddy who is constantly trying to talk me into a Nightforce. The $1200 price tag really scares me off. Clarity, color, etc. may all be important but I constantly fall back to a simple question, "am I putting my bullets where I want them to go?" I primarily shoot varmints in bright, sunny conditions so lots of light gathering and resolution at low light levels isn't too important. I think my $$$ would be better spent on a super good set of binoculars as I spend a whole more time looking through them than I do a scope.



I can totally relate to your dilemma! Been in the same spot as you about 3 years ago.

Here's what I did that helped me with the decision. You mentioned that your friend has been trying to talk you into a Nightforce. Would he let you hunt/shoot with the scope for a couple of sessions? Do this and then go back to your VX-III and you'll be pulling out your credit card after the hunt!

I had a friend that allowed me to deer hunt for an entire weekend with his Swarovski PH 3x12 56mm. After that, my Burris Black Diamond just didn't cut the mustard.

Once you eat of the forbidden fruit, you'll be hooked!
 
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I have two Zeiss Conquest, one in 3-9 that my 30-06 wears and one in 6.5-20 that my .223 wears.

The glass is very nice! Between the Zeiss and Leupold VXIII's, I believe the Zeiss has better glass.

I use my 6.5-20 for a little long range shooting/hunting. Has held up well and it's very reliable.

BTW, NightForce is suppose to go up another 5% after 2/1/07 I believe.

I believe you'll be happy with the Zeiss Conquest, I'd say go for it!
 
I've got (4) Zeiss Conquests; 3x9, (2) 4.5x14, & 6.5x20. I believe they are definately better glass than my Leupolds, Elite 4200's, and Burris Signatures and Euro Diamond. The only place I would give Leupy's the edge would be in looks and weight; otherwise, no contest! I think the Conquests are the best "bang for the buck" out there. Just my .02!!!
 
Caylonc,
No flames and no feelings hurt.
Optic choice is pretty much a personal preference and a matter of opinion. With that said, you have your standards and I have my. When I evaluate a scope, glass is not the only quality I see, I look for the overall package and I do not consider I.O.R a high end scope.
I can’t speak for your 6-24x50mm, but I’m speaking of my personal experience, a fixed power 26mm 8x56mm that I have had for 4 years.
To start, the finish on this scope is black paint, I don’t know what your feelings are about paint on a high dollar scope but that’s not my preference of choice. Construction wise, it’s made of 3 piece threaded steel tube, for one, I don’t care for the weight, threaded housing is 40 & 50’s technology most of them will leak from vibration under heavy recoil, I prefer one piece alloy construction first and only.
I know that you know a thing or two about rifle optics, take a look at the seal around the glass and the adjustment knobs on your IOR, tell me what you see and I will tell you what happened to the scope I had. I don’t need to get in to the tracking and the values on the adjustment, but I can tell you on my IOR it’s neither metric, standard or MOA.
However, I’ll say the eye relief is acceptable, good contrast and the image is very crisp & sharp. I also like photo engraved cross hair, tome its a very important feature. Unfortunately, they can’t take credit for the fame, they buy these finished lends from Schott Glasswerk of Germany just as other rifle optics companies mentioned in your post. If you take away the glass, what you have is a perfect example product from eastern Europe, I have nothing against Romania but IOR is no par in my book.

Buzz
 
If I may, I'd like to relate a story about the Nightforce NXS scopes. When I competed in F-Class here in Canada I thought that Leupold reigned supreme....hence all my scopes were Leupy's. When I attended the first F-Class Worlds in Ottawa, I was amazed at the number of Nightforce scopes. Leupold was still dominant...specifically the 8.5-25X50 LR....but not by much. The third day of the match was the team shoots. I applied for the Canadian team but was rejected as I was shooting a 308. Instead, I was selected for a 4 man "open" team consisting of myself, a Kiwi(New Zealander and team captain), and two South Africans.

The Kiwi had a beautiful 6.5-284 in a Stolle(I think) action with a Nightforce NXS mounted on top. During the team match, the game plan was for me to shoot my 308 at 800m as my shooting was consistent at that distance...and I would switch over and shoot the Kiwi's rifle at 900m. My 308 at the time had a Leupold Mk4 16X mounted. When it came time to shoot 900m...I was stunned by the difference in lense quality between my Leupy and the Nightforce...the latter being so much better in all catagories. The difference was so immediately apparent that there really was no comparison between the two scopes.

I promised myself then that I would someday own a Nightforce...although I've come close cash-wise...something else more important always comes up. But that experience moved me deeply and I WILL own a Nightforce someday!
 
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