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Rifle Scopes ZCO Hunter scope at the IWA event

There must be something .mil going on zince Leupold mk5 has the mag and same form factor.
MkV is ±24oz weight, and weight data will be TBD for ZCO.
My thoughts exactly.
A 2-10x30 makes very little sense, especially at 24-27oz.
Unless it's for a potential military contract.

Can't wait to see a ATACR 2-10x30 that is 75% of what everyone has been asking for but a crap reticle, small objective lens and weighs 26oz.
 
My thoughts exactly.
A 2-10x30 makes very little sense, especially at 24-27oz.
Unless it's for a potential military contract.

Can't wait to see a ATACR 2-10x30 that is 75% of what everyone has been asking for but a crap reticle, small objective lens and weighs 26oz.
...the fc-dmx is anything but a crap reticle for gas gun use.
 
Pending reticle and price, I'll likely be an early adopter.
Yeah, it could be lighter and have a better mag range.
But look at it like this. Imagine getting the NXS 2.5-10 in FFP that we've always wanted, but with TT glass and a better reticle. Also likely better eye box/eye relief, better FOV/DOF, etc. That's what this is.
I'm expecting this to be a bomb optic.
 
We don't need 35mil of adjustment in this style of hunting scope. So a 36mm just adds unnecessary bulk without much advantage for the intended use.

There is a huge difference between a 30mm and 34mm scope on a hunting rifle. If your using a heavy rifle for long range shooting, weight won't be a huge factor so your not gaining anything over the 4-20 ZCO or multiple other scopes.

But for a compact or lightweight rifle where you are going to be OK with a 12x scope. You are prioritizing weight and size this doesn't add much if anything.
Did you miss the fact that this scope is for EUROPEAN hunters?

Newsflash some types of big game hunt in Europe are very different than anything we do here.
 
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Pending reticle and price, I'll likely be an early adopter.
Yeah, it could be lighter and have a better mag range.
But look at it like this. Imagine getting the NXS 2.5-10 in FFP that we've always wanted, but with TT glass and a better reticle. Also likely better eye box/eye relief, better FOV/DOF, etc. That's what this is.
I'm expecting this to be a bomb optic.
If it is indeed 27oz, then it's fair to say it is too heavy. The Mark 5hd got a lot of flack for being 24oz, and the Athlon Helos 2-12 is considered to be pretty awesome MPVO despite the Chineseium and the 26oz weight.

At 27oz and a 30mm (guessing here as havent seen the specs yet) you may as well get an LVPO or a 3-15/18.
The down side of an LVPO is the small objective isn't great in low light, the downside of a 3-18 is they are too heavy to replace a LPVO.

Here you get the Worst of both worlds.
It must be aimed at a military contract, if the Mark 5hd 2-10 was Leupolded then I'm not sure what this has been.

If it has a killer reticle (with illumination done right) and cost $2000 then maybe it'll be worth the weight. But as someone who's waiting for a proper 2-10/12 MVPO scope this doesn't appeal to me at all. But I'm guessing I'm not the intended market.
 
If it is indeed 27oz, then it's fair to say it is too heavy. The Mark 5hd got a lot of flack for being 24oz, and the Athlon Helos 2-12 is considered to be pretty awesome MPVO despite the Chineseium and the 26oz weight.

At 27oz and a 30mm (guessing here as havent seen the specs yet) you may as well get an LVPO or a 3-15/18.
The down side of an LVPO is the small objective isn't great in low light, the downside of a 3-18 is they are too heavy to replace a LPVO.

Here you get the Worst of both worlds.
It must be aimed at a military contract, if the Mark 5hd 2-10 was Leupolded then I'm not sure what this has been.

If it has a killer reticle (with illumination done right) and cost $2000 then maybe it'll be worth the weight. But as someone who's waiting for a proper 2-10/12 MVPO scope this doesn't appeal to me at all. But I'm guessing I'm not the intended market.
My thoughts exactly. A NX8 2.5-20 is 27 ounces...might as well run that if we are up in this weight category and give myself twice the top end and better low light capability.
 
At 27oz and a 30mm (guessing here as havent seen the specs yet) you may as well get an LVPO or a 3-15/18.
Tube size is 36mm like their full sized optics. Objective is going to be something like 30mm or 32mm. So not traditional tiny LPVO objective, but not a large bell either.

Like I said, I'll likely be an early adopter so I'll let the community know my findings. I haven't sugar coated any of my reviews so far and don't plan to for this one either.

Cheers.
 
Tube size is 36mm like their full sized optics. Objective is going to be something like 30mm or 32mm. So not traditional tiny LPVO objective, but not a large bell either.

Like I said, I'll likely be an early adopter so I'll let the community know my findings. I haven't sugar coated any of my reviews so far and don't plan to for this one either.

Cheers.
I think there is a use case for it and I'm sure it will be an outstanding optic for that use case. It's just likely a niche market
 
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Did you miss the fact that this scope is for EUROPEAN hunters?

Newsflash some types of big game hunt in Europe are very different than anything we do here.

Understood. Seems like what I've read about European hunting is dense cover and Forrest. I'm sure they are evolving the same way US hunting is. But the fact is we have more land hence more likely opportunity to shoot beyond 150yds.

Anyways. I can still wish for a hunting optic that is tailored to western hunting. Not just another LPVO. The objective is pretty small and maybe the 36mm tube will make up for it, but there are plenty of times where deer season is really about an hour after sun rise then another hour as it sets. My 40mm is as small as I'd really want to go.
 
If it is indeed 27oz, then it's fair to say it is too heavy. The Mark 5hd got a lot of flack for being 24oz, and the Athlon Helos 2-12 is considered to be pretty awesome MPVO despite the Chineseium and the 26oz weight.

At 27oz and a 30mm (guessing here as havent seen the specs yet) you may as well get an LVPO or a 3-15/18.
The down side of an LVPO is the small objective isn't great in low light, the downside of a 3-18 is they are too heavy to replace a LPVO.

Here you get the Worst of both worlds.
It must be aimed at a military contract, if the Mark 5hd 2-10 was Leupolded then I'm not sure what this has been.

If it has a killer reticle (with illumination done right) and cost $2000 then maybe it'll be worth the weight. But as someone who's waiting for a proper 2-10/12 MVPO scope this doesn't appeal to me at all. But I'm guessing I'm not the intended market.

As I said elsewhere, I just dumped a 27oz TT315M on a small-frame gasser for being too heavy, off-balance. Granted the TT designs are large footprint and throw the balance out of whack.

27oz in a smaller package over the receiver probably won't suck as bad but it's very disappointing to see it within a 1/4lb of a 4-16 ATACR and 5-20US. Then again ZCO's have been on the heavy side for their class...


Despite being serviceable, the MK5's are good optics, but they are not great by a long shot.
I've little doubt the ZCO 10x will punch well above an Athlon 12x. There really isn't much going on in this space without having to make a significant compromise.
 
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Understood. Seems like what I've read about European hunting is dense cover and Forrest. I'm sure they are evolving the same way US hunting is. But the fact is we have more land hence more likely opportunity to shoot beyond 150yds.

Anyways. I can still wish for a hunting optic that is tailored to western hunting. Not just another LPVO. The objective is pretty small and maybe the 36mm tube will make up for it, but there are plenty of times where deer season is really about an hour after sun rise then another hour as it sets. My 40mm is as small as I'd really want to go.
European hunting is incredibly diverse. It's not all driven hunts in forests. Not all forests are thick with very short range shots. There's hunting in most of the high mountain ranges across the continent (not just the Alps). Some countries have large, semi open plains; but not as large as our western deserts.

Some hunting looks like ours. Some doesn't.
 
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If you want bad DOF/FOV/Parallax/mismatched dual focal planes/fish eye/bad eyeboxes, there's a host of 1-10s out there that can better fit your requirements.

No kidding. All these magnification queens asking for 8x+ erectors are the reason we cant have nice(r) things. Could have some better scopes out there with good DOF/FOV/Parallax/eyeboxes and reticles that are useful on both ends of the mag range. But no, we need scopes that aren't particularly good at anything but have a high mag ratio because people need 4x (with a shitty reticle function) and 32x (with shitty glass function) on the same scope.
 
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Pending reticle and price, I'll likely be an early adopter.
Yeah, it could be lighter and have a better mag range.
But look at it like this. Imagine getting the NXS 2.5-10 in FFP that we've always wanted, but with TT glass and a better reticle. Also likely better eye box/eye relief, better FOV/DOF, etc. That's what this is.
I'm expecting this to be a bomb optic.

To me the NXS compact is a nice hunting scope option when weight and reliability reign supreme. I have a hard time seeing how adding 32% more weight and 12mm smaller objective is going to serve that purpose better. I'm pretty ignorant on the gas gun world though so maybe there is a much more applicable use case there.
 
To me the NXS compact is a nice hunting scope option when weight and reliability reign supreme. I have a hard time seeing how adding 32% more weight and 12mm smaller objective is going to serve that purpose better. I'm pretty ignorant on the gas gun world though so maybe there is a much more applicable use case there.
The NXS 2.5-10 fills that niche hunting scope role very well.
That said, it's also been a go-to gas gun and bolt action "tactical" option for when size to performance ratio matters. I see the ZCO210 shining in this category.
 
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2.5-10 NXS is nice with that big reticle at low power. But the 2.5-20 nx8 is still small and the FFP makes clip on hold overs easier (10x is too high for a lot of night work )

Best Gp / clip on scopes I’ve found so far are
Vortex 1-10
Nx8 2.5-20
Zco 420
 
Exactly this is a ZCO Hunting scope thread. So with the excitement of getting a good hunting scope, we got a better LPVO. I'm sure it'll be good, but I think there are a lot of us that want a better hunting scope, not a better LPVO.

People whining about not being an 8x/10x erector: see the manufacturer's name and philosophy.
People whining about weight: see the manufacturer's name and philosophy.

If you want bad DOF/FOV/Parallax/mismatched dual focal planes/fish eye/bad eyeboxes, there's a host of 1-10s out there that can better fit your requirements.

The weight is 100% a compromise. If they wanted the absolute best, Zero Compromise, optic it would be stationary. Given that is a extreme, anything short of it is a compromise.

There are a lot of us who want a reasonable 5x'ish erector that offers edge to edge clarity and good DOF. But for a hunting optic size and weight are pretty high up on the priority list. So is light gathering and FOV.
 
Which is ?
sh.jpg
 
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Did you miss the fact that this scope is for EUROPEAN hunters?

Newsflash some types of big game hunt in Europe are very different than anything we do here.
You are getting confused with the ZCO 1.7-12x50 which is what this thread was intended for, the scope everyone is talking about on this page is the new ZCO 2-10x?? in post #190 on page 4 - I do not believe that is designed for European hunters but is designed as an MPVO.
 
You are getting confused with the ZCO 1.7-12x50 which is what this thread was intended for, the scope everyone is talking about on this page is the new ZCO 2-10x?? in post #190 on page 4 - I do not believe that is designed for European hunters but is designed as an MPVO.
Yeah, the last part of this whole thread needs to be moved to the lpvo ZCO thread to avoid confusion
 
You are getting confused with the ZCO 1.7-12x50 which is what this thread was intended for, the scope everyone is talking about on this page is the new ZCO 2-10x?? in post #190 on page 4 - I do not believe that is designed for European hunters but is designed as an MPVO.
I think this is absolutely spot on. I hunt in Europe in a regular basis - driven hunts, spot and stalk etc. There is no way this scope /2-10×30/ is intended for European hunter. For driven hunts you use LPVO preferably with true 1x or some sort of red dot. For other type of hunts scopes with 50 - 56mm objective lense are what is used usually. 2-10×30 is targeted to the tactical market, possibly military contract. How much better it is than high end LPVO or combination of good MPVO plus red dot is another discussion.
 
I think this is absolutely spot on. I hunt in Europe in a regular basis - driven hunts, spot and stalk etc. There is no way this scope /2-10×30/ is intended for European hunter. For driven hunts you use LPVO preferably with true 1x or some sort of red dot. For other type of hunts scopes with 50 - 56mm objective lense are what is used usually. 2-10×30 is targeted to the tactical market, possibly military contract. How much better it is than high end LPVO or combination of good MPVO plus red dot is another discussion.
Sure wish the European ZCO 1.7-12x50 would make it's way over here??? I would prefer that scope over this 2-10x30 that weighs 27oz. I have no doubt this ZCO 2-10 will be fantastic optically, but 2-10 was not what I was hoping for in MPVO.
 
Sure wish the European ZCO 1.7-12x50 would make it's way over here??? I would prefer that scope over this 2-10x30 that weighs 27oz. I have no doubt this ZCO 2-10 will be fantastic optically, but 2-10 was not what I was hoping for in MPVO.
Yeah, what would basically amount to a FFP Swaro with real turrets and reticle would be niiiice.
 
The 2-10 ZCO would make better sense to me if it were a 2-12 with a 6x erector, maybe slightly larger objective given the weight. Again, maybe this was meant for a military contract, as many pointed out.
 
Sure wish the European ZCO 1.7-12x50 would make it's way over here??? I would prefer that scope over this 2-10x30 that weighs 27oz. I have no doubt this ZCO 2-10 will be fantastic optically, but 2-10 was not what I was hoping for in MPVO.
ZCO 1.7-12x50 is nicer than 2-10x30, but is 30oz. has less than optimal reticles and ballistic turrets that are mainly European think. Not very attractive for the American hunter. Since few 2-10 optics popped on the market at the same time I don't think that it is a coincidence. Especially in a magnification range almost nobody asked for. As stated earlier in this thread this is probably some kind of military requirement. Maybe we gonna see other players come out with products in the same magnification range. If ZCO makes something like 3-18x42/44 in 30mm tube, 10mil turrets and around 24 - 25oz or less if they can, I will be very happy man. Of coarse in FFP and adequate reticles. My guess is that there will be a long wait list for such a scope.
 
ZCO 1.7-12x50 is nicer than 2-10x30, but is 30oz. has less than optimal reticles and ballistic turrets that are mainly European think. Not very attractive for the American hunter.
I agree, we would want the “USA” turrets on a “USA” designated 1.7-12x50.
Since few 2-10 optics popped on the market at the same time I don't think that it is a coincidence. Especially in a magnification range almost nobody asked for. As stated earlier in this thread this is probably some kind of military requirement.
Leupold introduced the same 2-10x30 spec last year so maybe there is some weight to this theory.
Maybe we gonna see other players come out with products in the same magnification range.
So we have a 35mm tube 2-10, now a 36mm tube 2-10, maybe Valdada will come out with a 40mm tube 2-10.
If ZCO makes something like 3-18x42/44 in 30mm tube, 10mil turrets and around 24 - 25oz or less if they can, I will be very happy man. Of coarse in FFP and adequate reticles. My guess is that there will be a long wait list for such a scope.
With this 2-10 maintaining ZCO’s commitment to 36mm tube I have little hope for a future ZCO that is anything but 36mm so I think we can put our hope for a “lightweight” ZCO to rest, it is just not in their nature.
 
If ZCO makes something like 3-18x42/44 in 30mm tube, 10mil turrets and around 24 - 25oz or less if they can, I will be very happy man. Of coarse in FFP and adequate reticles. My guess is that there will be a long wait list for such a scope.
Leupold already tried this with their Mark 6 3-18x44 at 23oz. They even did it with a 34mm tube. But that scope has a love hate following. The original pinch turrets drove some nuts but even when they came out with better turrets but still struggled because a lot of users felt the IQ was just not there for the price. Leupold even had a $50+ million contract for this scope with the ECOS-O deal with SOCOM IIRC. I’m not sure why the piggyback idea of the ECOS never went beyond as I think it was a good idea, one that many have adopted in the civilian/competition world.

Everything else is heavier. Still wish the Vortex LHT 4.5-22 was a 3.5-18 instead, but wishing doesn’t make it real no matter how much we hope.
 
Still wish the Vortex LHT 4.5-22 was a 3.5-18 instead, but wishing doesn’t make it real no matter how much we hope.
That scope as it exists now is pretty much a perfect holdover small varmint killing machine. I’d like more FOV but I can deal.

For bigger game, yeah, a 3-18x or even 3-15x would be better.
 
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That scope as it exists now is pretty much a perfect holdover small varmint killing machine. I’d like more FOV but I can deal.
Not only that, it appears to be ideal for NRL Hunting comps that have been getting more popular. Right now I have mine on my FrankenRuger/Kidd 10/22.
For bigger game, yeah, a 3-18x or even 3-15x would be better.
That lightweight 3-15/3-18 for crossover (big game), something in the mid-range price point ($2kish) to give the Tangent Theta 315M some challenge. One could argue the Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x50 covers this and as much as I like the latest iteration of this scope (early models had some serious issues) I still feel that 8x erector in a short body presents a little too much finickyness for my taste. If done well enough, I would consider 12x max for a great crossover scope which I think the ZCO 1.7-12x50 would fit very well.
 
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30mm tube 650gm max weight please for the love of god. March have been doing it for what, 10+ years with a stupid 8x erector in the March F 3-24, someone just make that exact thing but 3-18 since the top end is unusable anyway.


So many hopes and dreams of the perfect scope and they never quite get there.
Mk5 3.5-18 = 35mm tube, too heavy
ZCO = too much compromise.
Nightforce = always too heavy
March 1.5-15 why is it a 34mm tube for the FFP version!?
Vortex Razor LHT = why is it a 4.5-22. 3-15x FFP version. please.
etc etc etc
 
I am considering the Swarovski 1.7 -13 42 SFP for a dangerous game rifle for for Africa. The Swaro is a popular option for this use. A lot of people also use the Swaro Z8 1-8. These are both 30mm tube 42mm objective scopes that weigh about 22 oz. 10 oz less than the ZCO 1.7-12x50. The European ZCO 1.7-12x50 might be a competitor. The ZCO seems to be a lot more scope for about the same price or less. Does anyone know if you can buy it from a European dealer?
 
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I am considering the Swarovski 1.7 -13 42 SFP for a dangerous game rifle for for Africa. The Swaro is a popular option for this use. A lot of people also use the Swaro Z8 1-8. These are both 30mm tube 42mm objective scopes that weigh about 22 oz. 10 oz less than the ZCO 1.7-12x50. The European ZCO 1.7-12x50 might be a competitor. The ZCO seems to be a lot more scope for about the same price or less. Does anyone know if you can buy it from a European dealer?
The Meopta 1.7-10x42 is also outstanding for this if you can find one
 
I’d love ZCO to offer something like 3-18/20x range with 44-50mm objective weighing in this 25-28oz range under 13.5” long while maintaining outstanding image quality, low light performance, and outstanding DOF & parallax forgiveness like they’ve done in the 5-27x. I love my ZCO 5-27x56 and Minox ZP5 5-25x56 for my target / comp guns but needing a crossover for hunting rigs.

Current options in play currently to fill my need for MPVO for crossover long range hunting and target shooting comes down to the following but I wish they had 18x+ on upper mag and all drop a bit of weight (TT weight is fine)
* TT 3-15x50
* Minox 3-15x50 -
* NF ATACR 4-16x42 - wish it don’t have rotating mag ring
 
I’d love ZCO to offer something like 3-18/20x range with 44-50mm objective weighing in this 25-28oz range under 13.5” long while maintaining outstanding image quality, low light performance, and outstanding DOF & parallax forgiveness like they’ve done in the 5-27x. I love my ZCO 5-27x56 and Minox ZP5 5-25x56 for my target / comp guns but needing a crossover for hunting rigs.

Current options in play currently to fill my need for MPVO for crossover long range hunting and target shooting comes down to the following but I wish they had 18x+ on upper mag and all drop a bit of weight (TT weight is fine)
* TT 3-15x50
* Minox 3-15x50 -
* NF ATACR 4-16x42 - wish it don’t have rotating mag ring
Is the Mk5 3-18 really bad enough not to consider? I've been looking at this scope a bit more closely lately. Wondering if some of the issues are overblown because if not on paper with the pr2 reticle now an option it seems like a decent avenue.
 
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Is the Mk5 3-18 really bad enough not to consider? I've been looking at this scope a bit more closely lately. Wondering if some of the issues are overblown because if not on paper with the pr2 reticle now an option it seems like a decent avenue.

If you don't mind the 35mm tube which is negligible over a 34mm tube. I liked mine for hunting. The illuminated tmr reticle was a nice for hunting. It was thick enough to see, but might not have been thin enough for paper punching. I preferred it to my atacr 4-16x42 for hunting.

I got rid of mine because I really like the 30mm tube over 34mm. Kept the atacr over the mk5hd for my ar10 because I was more comfortable it would hold zero over the leupold. Not that I've had a mk5 have issues, but piece of mind I guess.
 
If you don't mind the 35mm tube which is negligible over a 34mm tube. I liked mine for hunting. The illuminated tmr reticle was a nice for hunting. It was thick enough to see, but might not have been thin enough for paper punching. I preferred it to my atacr 4-16x42 for hunting.

I got rid of mine because I really like the 30mm tube over 34mm. Kept the atacr over the mk5hd for my ar10 because I was more comfortable it would hold zero over the leupold. Not that I've had a mk5 have issues, but piece of mind I guess.
I was considering the new ZCO 2-10 for a PWS UXR that will live in 6.5 CM most of the time but then wondered why would I buy a 26oz 36mm 2-10 when the 26 oz, 35mm 3.6-18 MK5 HD is a thing. Never really considered the scope before but seems like a decent option especially on a multi-caliber gun, would be a decent mag range, not too heavy scope with a good reticle (PR2) that is short enough for clip on work.
 
Is the Mk5 3-18 really bad enough not to consider? I've been looking at this scope a bit more closely lately. Wondering if some of the issues are overblown because if not on paper with the pr2 reticle now an option it seems like a decent avenue.
I have a TT315M, 4-16x42 ATACR, and had a 3.6-18 MK5. The Tangent smokes the other two IMO/E. I slightly prefer the ATACR overall to the MK5 - specifically at the used ATACR prices in the PX. BUT, if you are getting an unilluminated MK5 in the sub $1400 range, I think it’s a good choice and more comparable to the ATACR than different from a big picture view.

Because ZCO has been thrown out there, I’ll also say that I have a ZCO420, and I occasionally run that on my 6.5 pound hunting rifle. Balance is a non issue, the extra weight isn’t a big deal in real life, and in many ways I prefer it to the Tangent.
 
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