Carl Zeiss Sports Optics recently announced the Zeiss-Kenton Industries Custom Turret Promotion. Here’s how it works. When you purchase a new CONQUEST HD5 Riflescope, you get one of two Kenton Custom Turrets calibrated for your specific load — either a LR Hunter Turret or Speed Dial Turret. Eligible models for this offer are the Zeiss CONQUEST HD5 3-15×42 #20 reticle with Lockable Target Turret, and the CONQUEST HD5 5-25×50 #20 reticle with Lockable Target Turret. The retail value for the free custom elevation turret is $125.00.
Mike Jensen, President of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics USA explains: “With our custom turret system, you just set the dial to the number 4 for 400 yards and you are done. No complicated math, no color codes to compensate for the bullet drop. The numbered markings on the custom turret by Kenton Industries are easy to read and intuitive. Our new CONQUEST HD5 scopes with 5x SuperZoom provide maximum brightness, image quality, and field of view[.] Now add a ‘no-hold-over’ PLEX reticle with the Kenton custom target turret and you have an extremely accurate and very robust long-range shooting setup.”
To receive a free Kenton Custom Ballistic Turret for your Zeiss scope, the qualifying CONQUEST HD5 Riflescopes must be purchased from an authorized ZEISS dealer between 07/01/2013 and 09/30/2013. Customers need to mail-in the completed order form together with a copy of the sales receipt. Once approved, the custom turret should ship within 2-3 weeks and is very easy to install. The order form requires typical ballistic information such as: cartridge, ammuntion type (factory or handload), bullet weight, zero distance. This offer is valid for U.S. customers only. To learn more about Carl Zeiss Sports Optics products visit www.zeiss.com/sports or log on to the Zeiss Sports Optics Facebook Page.
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Leupold & Stevens, producer of riflescopes, spotting scopes, and laser rangefinders, offer an interesting two-part video showing the production process at Leupold’s Beaverton, Oregon manufacturing facility. Leupold is one of the world’s largest scope-makers. Each year, the Leupold factory machines over two million pounds of aluminum. Laid end to end, as extruded, this aluminum would stretch over 400 miles. That’s a lot of scopes. To see how Leupold produces its riflescopes, using high-tech machinery (as well as old-fashioned human craftsmen), watch the videos below.
Leupold Tour Part One
Leupold Tour Part Two
Leupold Issues Warning About Counterfeit MK4 Scopes
In related news, Leupold has issued a “customer alert” regarding counterfeit Leupold scopes illegally imported from the People’s Republic of China. These products bear many of the marks and trade dress of current Leupold riflescopes making them very hard to distinguish from authentic Leupold products.
Counterfeited Leupold Mark 4® riflescopes have begun to arrive with increasing regularity at Leupold’s headquarters for service. These products are not manufactured by Leupold and are not covered by the Leupold Full Lifetime Guarantee. Leupold employs serial number tracking for all its riflescopes, so if you have a suspect scope, call 1-800-LEUPOLD with the SN, and Leupold can immediately confirm whether the optic is genuine or not.
Most of the counterfeit scopes appear to originate from the People’s Republic of China, and have “Leupold Mark 4” laser engraved on the bottom of the turret in a silver etch, while the black ring on the objective is etched in white and does not include the name “Leupold.” The scopes also do not bear the Leupold medallion, a mark all Leupold scopes will always possess. An authentic Mark 4 riflescope will always be engraved black on black and have the name “Leupold” engraved on the black ring.
Leupold is now offering an $80.00 rebate on select VX-3 rifle scopes. The qualifying optics are: Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40mm (SKUs 59260, 66090, 66110) and Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x40mm (SKUs 59270, 66215, 66220, 66225). This offer is limited in time. The scope(s) must be purchased from August 2nd through September 30, 2012.
To get your $80 rebate, complete and return the Leupold Rebate Form with the original on-line or store sales receipt, plus original UPC bar code cut from the product packaging (originals only, copies not accepted). Mail these materials to: Leupold VX-3 Riflescope Promotion, Dept. # LS12-8710, P.O. Box 472, Scottsdale, AZ 85252-0472. CLICK HERE to download Leupold Rebate Form.
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Carl Zeiss Sports Optics has introduced a “No-Fault Policy” to supplement its current limited lifetime transferrable warranty. This “No-Fault Policy” is being initially offered to customers who purchase new Conquest HD Binoculars or Conquest Duralyt Riflescopes from Zeiss dealers in the USA or Canada. Under this new No-Fault Policy, Zeiss will repair or replace any of these new models for free for the first five years of ownership if they are damaged during normal and intended use. NOTE: The new policy is for original owners only and is not transferrable.
“This policy is being introduced at a time when customer service expectations are at their highest level in history. Asking consumers to pay for a repair soon after they have just invested a considerable amount of money for a high quality product is simply no longer acceptable,” said Michael A. Jensen, President of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. “Anybody who purchases equipment at this quality level always takes great care of it. However … serious hunters and birders are hard on our optics, and accidents happen. This new policy simply allows those who purchase Conquest HD or Conquest Duralyt products to pursue their passion with extra peace of mind.”
Product Registration Required for “No-Fault” Coverage
Customers must register all new Conquest HD Binoculars and Conquest Duralyt Riflescopes with Zeiss within 60 days of purchase to qualify for the No-Fault Policy. Scope owners will then be covered for five (5) years from the initial date of purchase. Visit www.zeiss.com/register to register these products online. This No-Fault Policy is in addition to the limited lifetime transferrable warranty. To learn more about the No-Fault Policy for Conquest HD Binoculars and Duralyt riflescopes, visit www.zeiss.com/sports or call 1-800-441-3005.
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If you’re an airgun or rimfire shooter, you need a scope with the ability to focus at short distances, since you’ll typically be shooting at targets from 10 yards to 55 yards (50m). Scopes used for centerfire shooting may not be able to focus sharply at these close ranges. That’s why various manufacturers have developed EFR (Extended Focus Range) scopes.
Add Nikon to the list of EFR scope-makers. Nikon just introduced the ProStaff Target EFR 3-9x40mm riflescope featuring an adjustable objective lens that can focus from 10 meters to infinity. That’s right, Nikon’s affordable ($189.95) new 3-9X EFR scope goes all the way down to ten meters (about 33′). That makes it very useful for Airgun and BB gun shooters.
The waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof EFR boasts Zero-Reset turrets with 1/4-inch adjustments at 50 yards (i.e. 1/2″ at 100 yards). Make note of that — if you are shooting mostly at 100 yards and beyond, you don’t want this scope — it really has been set-up for the short stuff. Total adjustment at 100 yards is 80 MOA; that give you an adjustment range of about 40″ at 50 yards. Nikon’s new ProStaff 3-9x40mm Target EFR scope comes with a matte finish, and retails for just $189.95.
Like all Nikon riflescopes, the Target EFR is optimized for use with Nikon’s Spot On™ Ballistics program. The Spot On program can be purchased for iPhone, iPad and Android or utilized for free at nikonhunting.com/spoton.
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We first ran this video a couple years back, but now that Carl Zeiss Sports Optics has taken over North American distribution of the super-premium Hensoldt line of optics, we thought our readers might enjoy another look at the remarkable Hensoldt 6-24x72mm SAM scope.
This optic integrates superb, ultra-bright apochromatic fluorite glass with a calculator module that provides ballistic info and weather data to the shooter. SAM stands for “Sniper Auxiliary Module”. An integrated ballistics calculator can be programmed for up to four different types of ammo. Sensors in the integrated ring mount measure weather parameters. These values, as well as scope data, are then directly projected into the visual field of the eyepiece. This provides selectable displays of elevation clicks, windage clicks, angle of fire, cant angle, temperature, and air pressure.
This 6-24x72mm Hensoldt may be the most advanced rifle scope on the planet. With a price of $11,982.00, it is certainly one of the most expensive. Take a 360° tour with this cool video:
More Hensoldt Scopes — Video Review
Here’s a related video from CS Tactical, reviewing a variety of Hensoldt scopes, including the “monster” 6-24x72mm.
Alan Orr of Sightron unveiled some impressive products at the 2011 SHOT Show. The first is a fully upgraded Sightron SIII 10-50X60mm LR scope. When first introduced in 2010, Sightron’s 10-50X scope became an immediate “hit” with AccurateShooter.com readers. The 10-50X offered seriously powerful magnification with reasonable weight — all in an affordable package. With “street price” under $1000.00, the Sightron 10-50X was much less expensive than rival “big-name” scopes with comparable magnification. As first released, Sightron’s 10-50X scope was a smart choice for F-Classers and long-range benchresters. For 2011, the 10-50X scope has been made even better, yet the price has stayed pretty much the same. That’s the kind of progress we like.
As upgraded, Sightron’s 10-50x60mm scope has new target turrets, a new reticle option (hash marks with center dot-in-circle), and dual-color, selectable illumination. At around $995.00, this scope is in a class by itself. Looking at the offerings of other scope-makers, you’d have to pay hundreds more to get a comparable 50-power riflescope with reliable tracking and good glass. Yes the Schmidt & Bender 12-50X scope is better, but the S&B costs three times as much as the Sightron. The Sightron 10-50X’s price to performance ratio makes it a very attractive choice for F-Class and long-range Benchrest.
Exclusive ‘Sneak Preview’ of New 1-7X Sightron ‘Tactical Hunter’
After showing us the updated 10-50X scope, Sightron’s Alan Orr gave us an exclusive look at Sightron’s prototype 1-7X Tactical/hunting scope. This all-new scope offers wide field of view, selectable illumination and choice of 1/3 MOA or Centimeter clicks. This versatile, illuminated riflescope can be used for everything from tactical matches to big-game safaris. We definitely expect to see this compact 1-7X illuminated optic on many multi-gun rigs in the months ahead. The “street price” for the new 1-7X is expected to be right around $950.00. Expect the first units to ship in 120 to 150 days (i.e. at the start of summer).
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Here’s a sweet deal for you game hunters out there. Cabela’s is offering a FREE Garmin eTrex hand-held GPS with the purchase of a 3-9x40mm Burris Fullfield II scope. Total cost: $189.88. Typical “street price” for the 3-9×40 Fullfield II Rifle Scope by itself is $209.95, while the Garmin eTrex retails for $99.00 by itself. So, if you subtract the value of the GPS, you’re getting the Burris scope for about 90 bucks. Not bad for a scope with fully-coated lenses and the Burris No-BS “Forever” warranty. Here’s what one Cabela’s buyer said: “Great price for a scope and a free GPS. I have no problems recommending this scope it is a good quality scope with clear optics. The GPS is first generation without the features most people want but it will get you home if you are lost.”
The Garmin eTrex GPS is considered a rugged classic. It is compact and light weight at mere 5.3 ounces with batteries, with the buttons positioned on the side for easy, one handed operation. The casing is rugged and waterproof to IPX-7 standards. The eTrex will operate for about 15 hours on two AA batteries.
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Jim Kelbly recently let us know that a new March Scope will be entering production soon, a 5-32x52mm. This scope will be available, exclusively from Kelbly’s Inc., in December 2008. The new 5-32x52mm will be the second variable-focal-length scope in the March line-up, complementing the superb March 10-60x52mm zoom. Our friend Joe Friedrich recently received one of the 10-60X March zooms and he has compared it with Leupold comp scopes and his own 45x March. “You won’t believe it”, Joe told us “but I think this thing is brighter than my 45X March when set at the same magnification. As for the Leupolds… well, there’s no comparison. This 10-60X is a fantastic scope.”
The new 5-32×52 scope features 60 MOA of elevation and 40 MOA of windage adjustment, with 1/8th MOA clicks. Max field of view (at 5-power) is 4 degrees, and eye relief is near constant, at 3.34″ to 3.89″ over the entire zoom range. Three reticles will be offered: Fine Cross-Hair, Fine Cross-Hair with 1/8” OR 1/16” dot, and the new MTR-1 tactical ranging reticle. The scope has a 30mm main tube, is 16.02″ long, and weighs 25 ounces. The 5-32x52mm March will be priced at $2400.00, or $2600.00 with MTR-1 reticle. For more info, call Kelbly’s at (330) 683-4674.
New MOA-based MTR-1 Ranging Reticle
Kelbly’s is also introducing a new MTR-1 ranging reticle for March scopes. Though dubbed a “tactical” reticle, it does NOT have military-style mil dots (for use with milrad scope clicks). The reticle is a fairly fine black crosshair with vertical and horizontal “hash marks” at 2 MOA intervals (when set at 20X magnification). Both the horizontal and vertical directions have a total of 20 divisions each. These hash marks can be used to hold elevation and windage for long-distance target engagement.
For American shooters, who typically think in inches and MOA, the MTR-1 reticle should proove “user-friendly” for horizontal hold-offs at long range since one MOA roughly translates to 1″ per hundred yards. For example, if you are shooting at 600 yards with the scope set at 40X, and your sighter ends up 12″ wide of your point of aim, that’s 2 MOA so you can simply move over one hash mark. This is a quite different than mildot ranging, but we think many competition shooters and varmint hunters (as opposed to military snipers) will find it easy to use. (On the 10-60X52 March scopes, you can also use this reticle at 40-power. At that setting, one hash-mark span equals 1 MOA.)
The MTR-1 reticle can also be used for ranging. For example, if a target of a known height of 12″ is seen through the scope and appears to match one hash-mark division, then you can calculate your distance as follows. Dividing 12″ by 2 MOA equals 6, which means the distance to the target is 600 yards. For benchrest shooters, the hash marks can be used to easily estimate the size of a group (provided of course, you are shooting at a known distance and can see the bullet holes).
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Just this week, Sightron sent us one of the new Sightron SIII 8-32×56 LR D rifle scopes for evaluation. This new optic features a 30mm main tube and weighs 24.7 ounces. Clicks are set in 1/4-MOA increments. The reticle is a fine cross hair with 1/4-MOA dot. The scope comes with a 3″ sunshade, turret covers, and rubber-connected, see-thru lens caps. Jason Baney had a chance to test the scope and give his initial impressions of its optical qualities. We will follow this “First Look” report with more extensive testing of the scope’s mechanical tracking and long-range resolution.
Overall, Jason was extremely impressed with the new scope. It was very bright, with excellent color rendition and contrast. The image remained bright and sharp out all the way out to the edges, with no shadowing or distortion. Compared to a Nightforce 12-42×56 BR scope set at 32-power, Jason thought the Sightron had better contrast and more vivid colors. Jason concluded: “At this point, the new Sightron seems like a good value, and compares well with the Nightforce BR model.”
Parallax and Focus
Importantly, the Sightron’s parallax control worked perfectly. There was no lash issue and Jason was able to attain minimal parallax with the target at maximum sharpness. With some other scopes, if you set the scope to have the target in best focus, you’ll still have too much parallax.
Elevation and Windage
This is a scope you can use to 1000 yards. Jason ran the adjustments top to bottom and recorded 75 MOA of both Elevation and Windage, based on the stated 1/4-MOA click Value. (That’s 75 total MOA available from one extreme to the other.) The target knobs have 15 MOA per turn and operate VERY smoothly and positively. Jason said the clicks “feel similar to Nightforce NXS clicks, but the Sightron clicks engage with a slightly softer feel, with less resistance.”
Resolution Tests
Jason used two resolution charts, the USAF 1951 Optical Chart, and a line-width/text size chart. To judge resolution, Jason did a comparison test of the new Sightron 8-32×56 and a Nightforce 12-42×56 BR, with both scopes set at 32x with their sunshade attached. Jason looked through both scopes at the resolution test targets at 100 yards, and then at target frames, grass, and flowers at 300 yards. Viewing was done late in the day, with some shadows on the range. Keep in mind these were less than ideal conditions for viewing.
The test charts have incrementally smaller focus lines and text. Both scopes were able to resolve down to the same line/text level on the two resolution charts. The new Sightron showed comparable, but VERY slightly less resolution than the NF. Both could identify the same size of text, but the NF saw it just a bit more crisply. Jason reports: “I could go to the same resolution level with both scopes, but the last line was just a touch more crisp with the Nightforce. Still, the Sightron is very close in resolution.”
Contrast and Color Fidelity
The Sightron was the winner in this category. In fading light, the Sightron delivered better contrast. Green, yellow, red, and white colors showed more differentiation and all the colors were more vivid. Weathered target backer boards also showed more contrast through the Sightron. Jason checked this several times nearing dusk, and the Sightron always seemed more vivid and showed more contrast looking at a patch of grass and colored vegetation. In terms of color temp, the Nightforce has a more whitish tone, whereas the Sightron seemed “warmer” with more vivid colors.
Brightness/Light Transmission
Along with its superior color and contrast, the Sightron seemed to be consistently brighter through the fading light. We note, however, that manufacturers’ published light transmission factors are nearly identical for the Sightron 8-32 and the Nightforce 12-42. The greater brightness of the Sightron is Jason’s subjective perception, but he said “the Sightron definitely seemed brighter.”
View to Edge
With many zoom scopes, at high magnification, the center of the “circle of light” is bright and sharp, but the edges are faded or shadowy. The brightness attenuates (fades out) on the edges. In addition, you sometimes see some image distortion or focus loss at the edges. The Sightron showed none of these issues. At SHOT show, this editor looked through a prototype 8-32 Sightron and it was bright and sharp all the way out to the edges. Jason observed the same thing: “The Sightron was noticeably clear edge to edge, where the Nightforce showed some fading or darkening at the edges. This point was quite surprising to me.” Jason also noted that the Sightron had about a 3-4″ wider field of view at 100 yards.
Fringe Effect with Highly Reflective Subjects
With the Sightron, when looking at extremely bright, reflective objects, such as a car’s chrome trim, Jason did observe some minor fringing–what he called a “thin halo”. This also appeared around the edge of a white target paper viewed in bright light. A through-the-lens photo appeared to show edging colors (purple fringe), so this may be Chromatic Aberration*. It wasn’t a major issue and it did not affect the sharpness or contrast of the viewed object itself. This was visible only on the periphery of very bright objects.
Conclusion–Impressive Optics for $825.00
We only were able to comparison-test one sample of each scope, Sightron vs. Nightforce. As noted, the performance was very close, and it is possible that different samples might perform slightly better or worse in each optical category. In this test the Nightforce had a very slight edge in resolution, while the Sightron was brighter. We plan to do more testing, with bullet-hole targets set at long ranges. That should give us a better sense of how the Sightron can resolve bullet holes and target lines out past 300 yards. Jason will also do a box-test to check the tracking and repeatability of the Sightron. Based on what we’ve seen so far, however, the Sightron, with a “street price” of about $825.00, is a very good value. Jason concludes: “Given the 8-32 Sightron’s price point, I’d say most people will feel it is a great scope for the money.”
*Chromatic aberration occurs in a riflescope when white light, bent by the objective lens, separates into different colors (wavelengths), each color bending at a slightly different angle. When that occurs, the colors don’t focus at the same point. This most often appears as a deep blue/purple or yellow edge on the image, particularly straight black and white edges.
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Mike Jensen, President of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics USA explains: “With our custom turret system, you just set the dial to the number 4 for 400 yards and you are done. No complicated math, no color codes to compensate for the bullet drop. The numbered markings on the custom turret by Kenton Industries are easy to read and intuitive. Our new CONQUEST HD5 scopes with 5x SuperZoom provide maximum brightness, image quality, and field of view[.] Now add a ‘no-hold-over’ PLEX reticle with the Kenton custom target turret and you have an extremely accurate and very robust long-range shooting setup.”
Leupold is now offering an $80.00 rebate on select VX-3 rifle scopes. The qualifying optics are: Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40mm (SKUs 59260, 66090, 66110) and Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x40mm (SKUs 59270, 66215, 66220, 66225). This offer is limited in time. The scope(s) must be purchased from August 2nd through September 30, 2012.
Exclusive ‘Sneak Preview’ of
New MOA-based MTR-1 Ranging Reticle
Resolution Tests
