Thread: Dreams are free - Ideal do it all riflescope for NZ

I did this recently, Z5i 2.4x12

Great input so far thanks.
So no one’s doing 4-20? I thought it might be too much scope for bush but haven’t used one.

Originally Posted by thatguy

Great input so far thanks.
So no one’s doing 4-20? I thought it might be too much scope for bush but haven’t used one.

Yesh I had one, great scope but the 34mm tube is a bit dumb with the 52 front end, the Vx5 series seemed to of priced themselves way above the quality of glass your getting now.
I think there's better out there for the $ you can get a top spec z5 and still have 8 hundred in the bank.



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Originally Posted by Blackmac

Hi Dannyb, how did you find the vx6 on 2 power did you see the suppressor?

yup it was a unsuppressed 22" barrel, I can still just see the suppressor on my 20" 308 @ 2 power but it's not by much and it's not an issue to me.

If you’re mostly bush hunting the last thing you need is a big heavy fat arse scope hanging off it. As others above have mentioned plenty of good options in 2-10x or 2-12x or 3-12x or 3-15x or a 3-9x will do the job nicely. With a short bbl 708 these will all get you to 4-500 yds, no problem. On my 308 bush rifle I run a Leupy VX-r Patrol 3-9x42 with firedot reticle & mil turrets, these were precursors to VX6 & VX5, and no problems hitting gongs at 550 yds. I prefer to stick with 40-44mm objectives for bush rifle and avoid the 50mm objective scopes. The exception here is Swaro Z5 or 6 2.4-12x50 or Z3 4-14x50 as they are pretty light weight and low light performance is brilliant. I run the Z5 2.4-12x50 on my 284 bush pig. If you are patient there are good deals to be had on 2nd hand optics.

There was a great thread a while back about a do it all rifle. My take home message was that one rifle can do a lot, but not everything well. The areas of compromise are extreme close range bush shooting and long range shooting. On balance, a VX-5 2-10x would be a nice scope that would cover most situations.

Originally Posted by chainsaw

If you’re mostly bush hunting the last thing you need is a big heavy fat arse scope hanging off it. As others above have mentioned plenty of good options in 2-10x or 2-12x or 3-12x or 3-15x or a 3-9x will do the job nicely. With a short bbl 708 these will all get you to 4-500 yds, no problem. On my 308 bush rifle I run a Leupy VX-r Patrol 3-9x42 with firedot reticle & mil turrets, these were precursors to VX6 & VX5, and no problems hitting gongs at 550 yds. I prefer to stick with 40-44mm objectives for bush rifle and avoid the 50mm objective scopes. The exception here is Swaro Z5 or 6 2.4-12x50 or Z3 4-14x50 as they are pretty light weight and low light performance is brilliant. I run the Z5 2.4-12x50 on my 284 bush pig. If you are patient there are good deals to be had on 2nd hand optics.

Appreciate that yes.
My thought was just if I’m gonna get something nice, get something that I’ll never need to replace, even if I change calibre and want to shoot long range.

Are the Z5 custom turrets as simple as Leupold’s CDS? I see it’s ordered after?

I reckon the Bushnell Elite 2.5-10x is the ideal all rounder. I've got one on the .223 and it's great. They till pop up new from time to time

Have you considered a compact 1-4x20 scope?

I ran one on my bush rifle and it was great, even took shots out to 300 mtrs on deer no worries but the majority of my then hunting was bush.

I also have some VX3 2.5-8 scopes and they fit the role of lightweight, compact yet have good magnification at both ends, I even sent those scopes over to NIOA in Oz to have Leupold CDS turrets installed

I've got the Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16 which goes pretty good. I like the 2.5 for close and can zoom it up to 16 for the longer shots ( only shooting at paper so far).

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I reckon the Bushnell Elite 2.5-10x is the ideal all rounder. I've got one on the .223 and it's great. They till pop up new from time to time

Been using a couple of Vx6 3-18x44 on my .223 & .308 rifles for a while, enjoy having the clear glass, zoom range and light transmission at low light. Always recommend them if you have the coin.

Originally Posted by rugerman

I've got the Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16 which goes pretty good. I like the 2.5 for close and can zoom it up to 16 for the longer shots ( only shooting at paper so far).

I've been using this exact scope for over 10 years now and cant rate it highly enough. It's a pack horse especially with the rainguard feature. I abuse it, and it's going strong.

Holds zero and dials well (does over dial, but once you know... it's not an issue). 2.5-16 is a great zoom range IMO. Glass could always be better, but it's a hunting scope and is good enough for me.

Quite an underrated scope IMO.

Originally Posted by thatguy

Appreciate that yes.
My thought was just if I’m gonna get something nice, get something that I’ll never need to replace, even if I change calibre and want to shoot long range.

Are the Z5 custom turrets as simple as Leupold’s CDS? I see it’s ordered after?

Have never bothered with custom turrets.
Just get a moa turret then you can use it on any rifle.

What is your version of “ Longer Range “ when the need arises ?
Are you going to dial or use holdover guesstimation ?
The Leupold CDS system gives a little bit of “ reach out there “ without to much complication .
My own personal favourite scopes are 2-10 Meopta and 3-12 Zeiss because when I look through them they are Cristal clear and precise not matter what the ambient light is and time of day , but….. they don’t offer dial ability.
Once you go over about 12 power on most modern scopes you then have parallax to account for and the adjustment dial for that is an added complication in the heat and excitement of an animal engagement .
I have higher power scopes with all the Bells and Whistles, but for me if I think the majority of my encounters are going to be 275 m and in then 12 power is my upper limit.
Keep it Simple and easy .
It’s rare to have you Cake and eat it too

@Ground Control
Hard to say as I’m not doing open country hunting “yet”.
Going with approach of; “buy once, cry once.”
For argument sake, let’s say 500m as that’s likely the max I can achieve with my rifle and good loads.
I like the idea of dials.
Thanks