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Leupold and Swarovski Optics

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skids929

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Feb 14, 2020
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Just curious, aside from price why Airgunners don't use any of these brand scopes? I have had the pleasure to look through these for consideration to be mounted on my FX Crown .22, just haven't pulled the trigger yet. I really like the weight of these brands, well below 20 ounces, I just can't get past the weight of the Hawkes and some of the other brands most AGners are using so was willing to spring for a good optic at a higher price. Just wondering what you give up in terms of options in the scope like Leupold or Swarovski, wanted to gather some opinions here. I also really am stuck on 50mm objective in terms of look on this rifle and allowable light.

Would like to hear from any one running scopes like this on their air rifle. I also have a FX Dreamline Tac set up AR style with a leupold 1.5 x4x20 on that and absolutely love that scope for that gun and the optics. Just looking to get my Crown outfitted with something nice from either Leupold or Swarovski but want to hear from folks here if they make anything that would work well on an airgun. I have my eye on the Z5 line from Swarovski and from Leupold the VXi 4.5x14x50. 
 
Swarovski glass and overall quality is stellar. The quality of Leupold scopes is not what it used to be.
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yeah I agree, Swarovski is a cut above with glass. How important do you find having Paralax and adjustable objective in your air guns? I am more focused on the features I know the overall quality is good, just want to know if guys are running anything like this and wishing they went with a Hawke, UTG, NF or something else. 
 
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Yeah those are great scopes but at that price point the Swarovski wins with lower weight and likely better glass. Paying over $1k is something i need to get past to get the scope I want. Seems the more I spend the closer I get to everything I want.
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Yeah I agree I need to identify one with paralax adjustment and dig into the details on that i find that to be something I like if I am not going to get adjustable objective, which only seems to add weight. 
 
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I have a 12X Leupold that I had the factory reduce the parallax to 10 yards and install a mil dot reticle. It is at least a pound lighter than the Hawk scopes I have. SFP doesn't matter on a fixed power scope and it is very bright and clear for a one inch tube and 40mm objective. I use the mil dots for aiming points. All my varmint centerfire guns are Leupold and I dial the range. Very repeatable so I may start dialing the 12X. Have fun, Scott
 
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Everything has compromises and it seems more so with rifle scopes.

Friends have the BTX spotter system, Swaro 15x bino's, and a X5 hunting scope. They are nice but they aren't "THAT" nice, sorry. There are many 99% equivalents for half the cost on the market. It literally often take's extensive testing to "see" the difference in real life, and when atmospherics come into play, like dust, fog, mirage, etc, one can't see any difference to the 99% equivalents. I've seen and read the comparison's.

My point is to not make any one brand, model, or feature, make or break your decision on which riflescope to get. For example, don't get hung up on glass if you have to settle for no parallax adjustment or 50Y minimum parallax adjustment. Don't get hung up on the lightest scope, if it lacks other convenient features. etc. 

Here's my latest example that happened to me just two days ago. I was sighting in my AR-15 with a Burris 1-8x24 on top. This scope does not have parallax adjustment. Okay this scope I paid $1100 for, it has very blah glass above 4x, a good reticle, and is reputabley a very tough scope, it was my "best" compromise in the timeframe when I was researching a scope to buy. I just bought a Athlon 1-4.5x24 service rifle scope for my 308 that cost me 1/4 the price. It has adjustable parallax down to 10Y, a great reticle, a single turn turret, weighs less, is shorter, and has nicer glass, Man it works so much better in various ways than that Blurris! In this example I'd rather sacrifice the 8x on top for the 4.5x for sure!! The other end's would be either a super expensive $4000 S&B 1-?, or a super cheap 1-?. The question is, what will be the sacrifices and the benefits of all of these rifle scopes??? Unless I was LEO or MIL, I'd never even consider a $4000 scope for a 1-8, and I already know super cheap scopes won't cut it for me either. I'd allmmmoossstt consider a $3000 March 1-10x24 because it has a 10Y side parallax adjustment but it's still more than I would pay for a 1-?.

Another example, the Swaro X5 5-25 my friend has, it's SFP, is a huge scope(hunting with it???), has 50Y parallax adjustment, but has slightly superior glass than my S&B 5-25. But my S&B is FFP, has a superior reticle, focuses down to 10M, is a proven military grade sniper scope, and has a huge elevation adjustment range, in every other way it's a wash. 

That S&B of mine is so versatile that I've won Field Target air rifle matches with it, won 22 rf matches with it, won centerfire tactical matches with it, and have scored the highest at a ELR rifle match out to 2050Y!!!!!!!!!! As well as done some varmint hunting too. 

Nope no way I'd take that Swaro over that S&B!!! 

I'd widen your search parameters more than Leu or Swaro. 


 
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