Swaro vs huskemaw vs leupold rifle scopes

bellboy

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So I am getting closer to finishing a rifle build and trying to decide on a scope. Rifle is a 6.5 saum built on defiance,bartlein, McMillan, jewel components. I have narrowed it down to the three Swarovski z5,huskemaw blue diamond,and the leupold vx6 hd. I want it to click in moa and have some sort of wind hold reticle in moa. I have owned lots of leupold and loved all of them but I know their reputation on repeatability is not so good as far as the turrets tracking correctly. I plan on shooting deer out to 5-600yd and hopes of practicing on steel out further to maybe 1000yds. I guess my questions are

Does the 1/3 moa of the huskemaw affect anything other than thinking in thirds instead of quarters and how is the quality of glass?

Do the new leupold vx6 hd have a repeatable turret system?

I own swaro binos and spotter, is the glass on the rifle scopes just as good?

Which scope will give me the best all around low light picture, clarity, reapeatability, ease of use?(I plan on using moa turrets on all no cds type)

Thanks in advance let me hear your input.


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Jordan Budd

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Does the 1/3 moa of the huskemaw affect anything other than thinking in thirds instead of quarters and how is the quality of glass?

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Negative, just you thinking in thirds. And as far as wind holds go there's not a better system for that other than the huskemaw system IMO. Glass quality is great as well, the glass is from Light Optic (same as nightforce uses). I think the quality can really run with some of the higher end glass in scopes. Then if you shoot your data and send it in you can get turrets burnt for your conditions. If you have any questions on their system or anything let me know, I've spend A LOT of time around that particular scope and system.
 
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bellboy

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Thanks Jordan budd for the info. That's good to know about the quality of glass. I plan on using moa turret and my sig rangefinder instead of a custom turret. The swaro z5 is cheaper than the huskemaw, I would imagine that the swaro glass will beat out the huskemaw but I haven't had the chance to look through either. I am leaning towards a huskemaw unless I can get the same results with better glass and at a cheaper price.


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Jordan Budd

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Thanks Jordan budd for the info. That's good to know about the quality of glass. I plan on using moa turret and my sig rangefinder instead of a custom turret. The swaro z5 is cheaper than the huskemaw, I would imagine that the swaro glass will beat out the huskemaw but I haven't had the chance to look through either. I am leaning towards a huskemaw unless I can get the same results with better glass and at a cheaper price.


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Oh for sure, it's best to just look through both and see. The huskemaw will actually give you your wind holds if you have a turret burnt, and it coordinates with the reticle. Kind of why that system is so cool. But a lot of people just run the moa turret. And now they're actually making a double stack turret that you could do moa on one then a burnt turret on the other. Just to have the wind hold numbers available. Pretty slick really.
 
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bellboy

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Oh that's right I forgot they have the stacked turret. Ya I need to get ahold of a couple to look through to final my decision. Thanks for the input


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bellboy

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Does anyone have any opinions comparing these scopes side by side?


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1760yds

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Been using a Leupold Vx 6 on my kids 6.5 Grendel for over two years now and have had no problems with it tracking. My kids have all shot deer with it and we dial it for every shot. Furthest deer was 429. I've shot coyotes with it past 800 and it tracks as good as anything out there. The new locking ZL turrets are made to be dialed and I love them. It's a great scope and the glass is a real upgrade over older model Leupolds.
 

ATX762

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Had several VX-6's which i dial for when hunting but not hardcore dialing. Very reliable.

The swaro glass is swaro glass, period. At least from what I've seen.
 

excaliber

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I've not seen the same quality in the Huskemaw glass that others have stated. I think it's a cut below the others. The Swarovski and the Leupold VX-6HD has much better glass in my opinion. Line all three up and see for yourself.
 
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bellboy

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All good info thanks guys


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Ryan Avery

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I've used all three. I don't consider the Z5 or VX6 to be great scopes for dialing. If you dial a lot I would go Huskemaw. Never had luck with dialing any Lupy including the mark 4. The glass clearly goes to the swaro, the husky being the worst. But mediocre glass is ok in a rifle scope IMO!

If dialing is the game with the scopes above, get the huskemaw.





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WRO

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if you want to hit 1k in a swaro it's either the z8 (it'll do 7 mils) or x5. But you're looking at 2-3k on those.

My buddy has a husky 2x12 nib for 500$ if you're interested.

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mcseal2

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I've used all 3. I'd put the Huskemaw glass last but the scope is good in every other way. I have the 5-30x56 Huskemaw and its a giant of a scope. It's on a specialized long range 264 and would be to much scope for anything I planned to carry much.

The VX-6 has been a good scope for me. I have one on my main deer rifle in a 3-18x50 with the TMOA reticle and CDS. I have used it quite a bit dialing to 700yds and it's held up. Its a hunting rifle and I don't dial it that much, not like a target rifle. It is just as good in low light as my Swaro Z5 3.5-18x44. I can't really pick a winner between them and neither can my hunting buddy. The Leupold is a 30mm tube with a 50mm objective so the Swaro glass is better, but not by a great deal. I like both very much, one is on my main deer/antelope rifle and the other is on my mountain rifle. I've owned the Swaro a shorter time and dialed it less but it's also been fine so far.

I like that the Leupold has a covered turret so it can't be unintentionally dialed. I have VX6's on 2 of the rifles I use for coyotes that get beat around in the truck and UTV a great deal and they have held zero well.

Really there isn't a bad choice in the list of options, it's more about what you want. For me dialing is secondary to low light performance, I like practicing out to 600 or 700yds and knowing I can take those shots if conditions require it. I like getting closer much better to take the shot when I can. I have been deer hunting when it was still legal light but foggy and overcast and my Leica binos could show me the deer I wanted to take clearly, but my cheaper scope wouldn't do the same. Since then I want my scope to be as good as my binos, that was really frustrating.
 
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bellboy

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Man so basically if I want the scope to work as advertised I have to buy the husky? It just blows my mind that something as mechanical as a turret system can sometimes be off or not repeatable???I haven't done any tests personally of any scope turrets does anyone have any personal experience walking their turrets in a square to verify Bullet impact finishes where it started proving turrets are working properly? I have heard plenty of rumors about leupold having a problem with this but can't seem to find any hard evidence of it. Neither any info on the swaros. I really appreciate everyone's input. The only thing steering me away from the nightforce is the weight...and price.


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WRO

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I've dialed the z5 a bunch of times, the problem is it's a 1 rotation turret that only has 13.5 moa and won't get you to 1k.

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Formidilosus

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I just found this video on the vx6 starts at about 7:15 mark. Seems legit to me....

Leupold VX6? Is it worth the cash?!?! - YouTube


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Two things...


One, you're taking advice from two guys who were given a scope by a company...

Two, "box testing" is near useless. 4 moa of adjustment isn't going to tell you anything.


As to your other point- you are correct. If you want a scope to adjust correctly and reliably every time, you have to buy a scope built from the ground up for that purpose. The erector system in hunting scopes- Leupold, Swarovski, Zeiss, Nikon, etc, etc., were designed when NO ONE dialed their turrets. Those same erector systems are still being used on those scopes "meant" for dialing now.
 
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bellboy

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Ok thank you for making that clear about the electors. That does help me narrow things down. That gets me looking at nightforce huskemaw and vortex


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