Swarovski Z5 scope

The edges are blurred more when you add the ballistic compensation options, be they reticule based or external ‘target’ style turrets.

Well Swarovski have a very user friendly range of scopes that utilise a very easy and accurate way to tune the elevation adjustment for instant and accurate trajectory compensation from your loads, be they factory or reloads.

The Swarovski Ballistic Turret (BT) system is available on their range of rife scopes with the Z6I being ever popular and their top of the range model, but I actually prefer their smaller Z5 series that give you all the same Swarovski quality lenses but in a more lightweight and compact design.The Z5 3.5-18x44 BT is one such scope that offers excellent zoom range and a large field of view, all on a one inch scope body, and best of all it has a super quick (and accurate) ballistic turret to ensure one shot kills.

Z5 Ethos.

The Z5 is so called due the optical power range of magnification. In that I mean the difference between the lower magnification power and the highest is a factor of five.  This gives you two distinct advantages; one the overall magnification range is very good i.e. 3.5x is great for close quarter encounters in a woodland scenario whilst the high end 15x is better for longer range hill stalking or varmint shooting. Ordinarily other scopes offer 2.5-10x or 3-12x, the Z5 gives a broader more useful range of magnifications for the shooter. The second advantage is field of view at 100 yards is 30 foot on 3.5 mag and 6 foot on 18 mag. So it makes the Z5 an incredibly versatile scope suitable for all sorts of sporting usage.

Build Specs

What is instantly evident is the lovely proportions and build quality of this Z5 scope. The velvety smooth characteristic Swarovski anodised aluminium body is evident instantly and this gives the Z5 a light 450 grams weight making it less noticeable when mounted to the rife. Also we all like the big 30mm scope body tubes, they allow a greater degree of elevation and windage adjustment but really do we need that all the time, would not a slimmer lower mounting scope look and actually work just as well? I think yes; the lens quality is still giving you 90% light transmission and sometimes a one inch tube matches the slim lines of a sporter or single barrel rife better, and I know some people are obsessive in mounting their scopes as low as possible.

This is further enhanced by the use of the 44mm objective lens diameter, more than enough light transmissions through this and your field of view is impressive too. 

Similarly your exit pupil or light reaching your eye ball is 10mm at 3.5x and 2.4mm at 18x mag and so as not to plant the scope in your eye ball on heavy recoiling rifes the eye relief is a good 3.74 inches.

A side mounted parallax adjustment turret sited to the left of the central main adjustments is easily accessed by the left hand,  you can swiftly pre-focus or adjust the parallax as the range and magnification is decreased or increased accordingly.

The eye piece is your standard fast focus type with rubber edged outside edge and can cope with dioptric compensation from -3 to +2.

Reticule choice is equally good but with the BT turret I would suggest using the No 4 or plex reticule as any elevation adjustment is made in the turret. However the BRX and 4a-300 reticule are still excellent for instant trajectory compensation when a movement to adjust the elevation turret is inappropriate.  All reticules are in the second focal plane.

Ballistic Turret

Of particular interest to me on this model and the basis for my initial test was the addition of the ballistic turret on the elevation adjustment. This is a really effective way of allowing you to set the fall of shot or trajectory of your bullet at differing ranges into the Z5`s elevation turret, which can then be instantly changed out in the field when the range to the target is judged correctly. Swarovski offer an excellent ballistics program online on their website that you can program in your bullets details i.e. ballistic coefficient, bullet weight, velocity, type and then it will provide information to set your turret parameters to match the trajectory of your own bullet.There are three coloured ring assemblies that can be set for downrange bullet drops and a lower ring that indicates the initial zero range. First off remove all the rings by unscrewing the turrets cap with the key supplied and the rings can all be removed.

Sight in as usual, one click represents 0.25 inch at 100 yards as you would normally and sight in exactly at your zero range usually 100 yards but can be any range you like. Now rotate the lowest part of the adjustment ring clockwise until it stops. Now you can replace the zero coupling back on top so as the white pointer arrow lines up with the dot on the scope which will always stop at this point so your initial zero is always maintained.

It is important now to check you have enough adjustment range within the scope for the following operations, so turn the elevation turret anti clockwise to check you get at least a 360 degree turn. If not you will probably need some MOA adjustable scope rings such as the superb Third Eye Tactical Rings.

Next step is the first of the down range settings i.e. past 100 yard zero setting. Click the elevation anticlockwise the necessary number of clicks as indicated by the ballistic program calculated earlier and then place the first coloured ring - in this case green - back on so that the green dot aligns with the white dot on the scope.

Repeat this step for the yellow and then red ring in the same way, clicking the elevation until the correct number of clicks for your down range compensation is achieved. With all the rings set, turn the whole turret back clockwise to your initial zero point and replace the turrets cap so that its raised prominent ridge is facing you and in line with the white arrow and white dot on the scope. Now you are in business.

Sounds fussy but really it is very easy and fast to use, and if you change zero range or bullet weight etc. you can readjust as necessary.

Field Test

The ballistic turret is only as accurate as the information you put in, i.e. you need to measure the velocity on a chronograph and do not rely on data from the ammo`s box.

Let`s look at a few examples with differing calibres. I fitted the Z5 3.5-18x44mm to my Tikka M55 .308 rife and shot some factory Winchester Ballistic Silver Tips, 150 grain with a BC of 0.435 travelling at 2811 fps. I typed this data into the Swarovski ballistic program and with a 100 yard zero it recommended six clicks for the 200 yard zero and green tab, then plus 10 clicks for 300 yards and the yellow tab, with the final red tab on another 12 clicks for hits at 400 yards. I tried this out for “real” against some marauding steel fox targets down range and I have to say other than the obvious need to adjust for wind the zero at each range was pretty much spot on. Any deviations were easily corrected with a click back or forward as necessary.

Similarly I shot some Federal .223 Rem 40 gr Ballistic tips from my RPA rife with a BC of 0.221 and travelling at a velocity of 3712 fps and zeroed dead on at 100 yards. 3 extra clicks gave a spot on 200 yard zero indicated by the green tab on the location ring and the yellow tab with an additional 6 clicks got those 40 gr B Tips ringing the 300 yard steel fox. The 400 yard zero and red tab required 10 more clicks which still left 31 clicks of rotation so you could reach out even further if desired. I was less than ½ MOA out at 400 yards which is pretty damn good and certainly inspires confidence of accurate shot placement.

I took the Z5 out in Scotland after some late season roe does and despite the horrendous horizontal rain the little Z5 performed perfectly and harvested a nice doe with a shot at 138 yards (lasered).

Conclusion

Just because you can dial in an extended ranges does not mean you can hit what you are aiming at, you still need a degree of marksmanship and good judge of wind, but if you do possess these skills then the Z5 BT system will maximise your efforts.

No complicated reticules are needed so the game is clearly seen behind the fine cross hair and after the initial “programming” of the elevation turret as the tests prove you can accurately place shots at some impressive ranges.

I particularly like the very positive and clear markings to indicate the differing range zeroes and the prominent top cover tab indicates the initial zero even in complete darkness.

Lens quality with 90% light transmission is very good indeed with sharp, bright, well defined images and I did not find any compromise with a 1 inch tube design, in fact quite the opposite, the saved weight and trim build was an asset in the field when a long walk is the norm.

The Swarovski 3.5-18x44mm Z5 scope is a really nice scope that is a bit over shadowed by its bigger brother the Z6, but to me the Z5 a great all-rounder suitable for woodland and hill stalking, combined with a spot of lamping foxes and my favourite,  long range varminting , what more could you want?