Sell Zeiss V6 for two 6x OR two 3-9x SWFA?

[Fatcamp]

I have them both. Wasn't a hard decision. Reliability matters most to me and it's just not worth $1000 for a perceived improvement in optical clarity.

I have a chart to 400 on my rifle and have no problem there. Used it to 600 at the range.

 

[BRTreedogs]

If you're only shooting to 600 an swfa will work fine. Much past that and its just not clear enough for me.
No zero stop and I think the overly long turrets are ridiculous.
But it works.

 

[ndlawrence]

I have them both. Wasn't a hard decision. Reliability matters most to me and it's just not worth $1000 for a perceived improvement in optical clarity.

I have a chart to 400 on my rifle and have no problem there. Used it to 600 at the range.

The optical quality isn't even comparable. I've even had swfa hd glass and it feels like looking through saran wrap compared to the V6, which I don't consider anything to write home about itself. They are reliable yes, but I find swfa lacking in every other regard.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

 

[scott_co]

I have not used a SWFA scope, but I don't think I would swap out a Zeiss scope for a budget scope and lose the optical clarity from Schott fluoride glass and reliability of the Wetzlar turret mechanisms used by Zeiss.

 

[Bater]

I run my 3-9 & 3-15 SWFAs right alongside my two 4-16 V4’s past 1k quite often and can barely tell a difference. Honestly don’t pay much attention to “glass quality” as they are all good enough and stout internals matters WAY more. It’s not until I shoot them next to my NX8 and March that I see a bit of difference, and even then only at the longer ranges.

 

[Fatcamp]

The optical quality isn't even comparable. I've even had swfa hd glass and it feels like looking through saran wrap compared to the V6, which I don't consider anything to write home about itself. They are reliable yes, but I find swfa lacking in every other regard.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

I just don't think it matters. Not like I'm looking through it for hours at a time. It's an aiming device with a fine reticle. All it needs to be is reliable, all the rest is fluff.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I just don't think it matters. Not like I'm looking through it for hours at a time. It's an aiming device with a fine reticle. All it needs to be is reliable, all the rest is fluff.

For me at 1050 in the sage brush in 75ish heat it made a difference. A large one.

 

[Fatcamp]

For me at 1050 in the sage brush in 75ish heat it made a difference. A large one.

I don't know what that means. If you are saying at 1050 yards you had a problem, that doesn't apply to me in any way.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I don't know what that means. If you are saying at 1050 yards you had a problem, that doesn't apply to me in any way.

Yes 1050 yards.
It does apply in the fact that your giving advice on here that they are good enough.
When they are not.
Sure there good enough for you but 400 yards is not very far.
Swfa are not all they are cracked up to be imo.

 

[Fatcamp]

Yes 1050 yards.
It does apply in the fact that your giving advice on here that they are good enough.
When they are not.
Sure there good enough for you but 400 yards is not very far.
Swfa are not all they are cracked up to be imo.

Well, there you go. Plenty of people feel they work just fine. You don't.

 

[stevevan]

Well, there you go. Plenty of people feel they work just fine. You don't.

Do not do it. You are going backwards if you dump that V6 for a SWAFA. The Zeiss has it beat in all respects. Even the Zeiss V4 top Swafa. Yes, both the Zeiss models are well built and reliable.

 

[rickjames80]

Never looked through the Zeiss V6. My experience is VX6, LRHS, and SWFA 3-9 HD. It plays out like this. VX6 is by far the best glass, (Great) followed by LRHS (Good) then SWFA (Acceptable). The SWFA is more than enough to 700 for me. However the eyebox is not as forgiving, the glass is noticeably worse and not having a lock "could" cause issues. I looked through a 6X SWFA once and didn't like it. I have never had a time when the SWFA glass was a liability, but could see that in some extreme condition it might come up short.

 

[Shraggs]

I love good glass, ZEISS, trijicon are most of my scopes. My ZEISS are the rapid-z bdc reticles. Fine to 400, but past that I feel dailing is better.

hard to know who’s who here, but there are some folks here who have hundreds of thousands rounds through most scopes. I trust their statistical perspective. NF, swfa, us optics, s&b are some I recall.

my two first ZEISS failed, and were replaced by the two HD5 3-15 sitting in boxes new. It was not a good customer service experience. Sure I can have them change reticle with turrets. But i think selling them and getting proven mechanically is where I’m at.

swfa will be a step down optically but I’ll have hard stop at 600. But like the reticle and weight. NF, in my price range is sfp and harvier. Pick your trade off...

 

[ID_Matt]

Ideally, $1,400-ish. Would allow me to buy two scopes, rings, and ammo to burn without adding additional financial commitment.

No clue what refurbed V4s are going for (or where I’d buy one besides the classifieds here) but I’d be interested granted they matched the durability and reliability of the SWFAs at a price point that still allowed me to accomplish the above. To that end, I’m assuming that margin will be less considering we’re talking Zeiss?

This is exactly what I was going to recommend... sell the V6 and get 2 demo V4 4-16's from Redhawk.... I think they are $700 ish a piece. Little bit of a step down in glass but same turret system. Very nice scopes and would give you all the range you need.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I love good glass, ZEISS, trijicon are most of my scopes. My ZEISS are the rapid-z bdc reticles. Fine to 400, but past that I feel dailing is better.

hard to know who’s who here, but there are some folks here who have hundreds of thousands rounds through most scopes. I trust their statistical perspective. NF, swfa, us optics, s&b are some I recall.

my two first ZEISS failed, and were replaced by the two HD5 3-15 sitting in boxes new. It was not a good customer service experience. Sure I can have them change reticle with turrets. But i think selling them and getting proven mechanically is where I’m at.

swfa will be a step down optically but I’ll have hard stop at 600. But like the reticle and weight. NF, in my price range is sfp and harvier. Pick your trade off...

The older Zeiss prior to the V line was produced by Meopta

 

[carsonkeys]

This is exactly what I was going to recommend... sell the V6 and get 2 demo V4 4-16's from Redhawk.... I think they are $700 ish a piece. Little bit of a step down in glass but same turret system. Very nice scopes and would give you all the range you need.

Appreciate the recommendations. I should’ve clarified, after taking a few LR courses recently I’m trying to swap over to FFP mil/mil. Which, according to my research, eliminates Zeiss entirely?

 

[ID_Matt]

Appreciate the recommendations. I should’ve clarified, after taking a few LR courses recently I’m trying to swap over to FFP mil/mil. Which, according to my research, eliminates Zeiss entirely?

Ahh. Ya that would eliminate the Zeiss. I don't know of any lighter weight hunting scopes in that price range that come in MIL that are reliable for dialing.... I don't have any experience with the SWFA

 

[carsonkeys]

Ahh. Ya that would eliminate the Zeiss. I don't know of any lighter weight hunting scopes in that price range that come in MIL that are reliable for dialing.... I don't have any experience with the SWFA

No worries man. Appreciate your feedback!

 

[Bater]

And that brings us back to 3-9 or 3-15 SWFA unless you can find a deal on a couple LRTS and don’t mind a little extra weight

 

[carsonkeys]

And that brings us back to 3-9 or 3-15 SWFA unless you can find a deal on a couple LRTS and don’t mind a little extra weight

Back to square one lol. Got a couple feelers out for a 3-9 or two and have one pre-ordered, just in case. That said, for anyone interested, I have a Zeiss V6 3-18x50 with the ZMOA-2 reticle I’m looking to part ways with soon.