Zeiss Conquest V6 vs. Leupold VX-6HD

907to406

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Messages
212
Location
BZN,MT
Parts are coming in for my light weight 300WM Tikka build and I'm having a tough time deciding on the right scope. This rifle is not going to be "a range or safe queen", I've got guns for that. It will spend its life in the mountains on the side of a horse or slung over my shoulder with the intended purpose of killing deer and elk at ranges varying from 25yds to 800yds. I've got it Narrowed down between the Zeiss Conquest V6 3-18X50 and the Leupold VX-6HD 3-18X44. I have zero experience with owning Zeiss scopes but from everything I've read and heard they are pretty top notch and folks are happy with them.

I can pick up the Zeiss for about 600 bucks cheaper than the Leupold but I think the Leupold has a slight edge due to the following: A couple Oz lighter weight, lower profile turrets, built in level and locking turrets. I don't like that the Zeiss doesn't have a locking windage turret or a covered windage turret strictly from a hunting standpoint. The gun will be coming in and out of a scabbard a lot and if its a quick get off the horse and shoot situation the last thing going through my head is to check my turrets. I've had exposed turrets rotate on scopes before while coming out of a scabbard or after having the gun over my shoulder rubbing against my pack but caught it as there was plenty of time to set up the shot. Leupold in my experience has always been great when it comes to customer service and getting issues resolved but that being said I've read of some issues recently with poor tracking. I've never had an issue with my VX-5 or VX-3's.

I've never handled or looked through a Zeiss V6, only a V4 and preferred the Leupold VX-6HD over the V4 by a long shot. Is the V6 a different animal than the V4 or is the Schott glass in the V6 superior?

I'm not a huge glass snob but like the glass in my Nightforce NXS over the glass in my Bushnell LRHS. I'd like to hear from folks who either own both or have used both and which you would buy again, pros and cons/likes and dislikes. I'm willing to forgo a couple extra ounces, locking turrets and keep an extra 600.00 in my wallet for good repeatability and glass quality. What would you do?
 

BJP

FNG
Joined
Apr 9, 2019
Messages
43
I've got the leupold vx6 3x18x44 on a lightweight 300wsm and my buddy has the zeiss on a lightweight creedmoor both have tracked perfect so far out to 800 yards only plus to me is the locking turret on the leupold , otherwise both scopes are almost identical.
 

Turkeygetpwnd38

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Messages
2,456
Location
Florida
I would give the edge to Zeiss on the glass, but would still probably go with Leupold for the locking turrets, real nice feature for hunting.
 
OP
907to406

907to406

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Messages
212
Location
BZN,MT
Ended up ordering another VX-5HD 3-15X44 with the duplex firedot reticle. I wanted the VX-6HD primarily for the TMOA Reticle and locking turrets but for the price difference I couldn't justify it. Worse case scenario I'll send the Leupold in and have a TMOA reticle retrofitted in the VX-5HD at the custom shop. Nothing against the Zeiss and part of me wishes I would have got one just to try but ultimately I feel much more confident with a covered windage dial, a locking elevation turret and like the lower profile turrets on the Leuopold for my application. The electronic level would have been nice but at the end of the day less electronics and gizmos on my hunting rifle the better, just one less thing that could fail. Plus I've got a couple of bubble levels laying around that one of them will find a home on this scope.
 

DRUSS

WKR
Joined
Mar 6, 2016
Messages
464
Location
nw oregon
I got a vx5 impact 29 reticle this year, because I couldnt get it in TMOA. the custom shop told me currently could not put the TMOA in a vx5. I wish they could. I was wanting the TMOA 3-18x44 thought was perfect setup for my 300 WSM. but got 2 vx5 scopes for roughly same as a vx6. really like the zeiss but locking turret was a selling point for me.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

cowboy300

WKR
Joined
Jul 14, 2014
Messages
765
Location
Western Colorado
Anything going in and out of a scabbard says locking low profile turrets. I have a V6HD for this reason. To my eyes the v6hd glass is better than nxs and I have had and used both scopes. Having guided a lot of hunters and been around buddies without locking turrets/capped turrets I have witnessed quite a few misses usually due to a spun windage turret.
 
OP
907to406

907to406

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Messages
212
Location
BZN,MT
Anything going in and out of a scabbard says locking low profile turrets. I have a V6HD for this reason. To my eyes the v6hd glass is better than nxs and I have had and used both scopes. Having guided a lot of hunters and been around buddies without locking turrets/capped turrets I have witnessed quite a few misses usually due to a spun windage turret.

Couldn't agree more.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2019
Messages
1,635
I know this is an old thread but something to consider about the Leupolds with the CDS-ZL2 turret duals. The turret dial design will not allow you to dial beyond 38 MOA (almost two revolutions) regardless how much elevation you gained with a 20 MOA or larger rail. You’d have to get a VX5 or VX6HD with the CDS-ZL3 turret dial if you want to dial beyond 38 MOA.

The Zeiss elevation turret dial will allow you to utilize all the available elevation you gain with your rail. I put my Conquest V6 on my 6.5 Creedmoor so I can hit steel at 1250 with my Tikka T3x. With the 20 MOA rail in my Tikka, I can get 63.7 MOA with the Zeiss turret.

Something to consider if your hunting rifle scope will also do double duty shooting long range.
 
Top