Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leica Magnus or Zeiss V8?

I am a long time Zeiss guy. Most have West Germany on them and still function flawlessly. As I am now looking for a new scope and have read and watched videos endlessly, I am overwhelmed. The offerings are substantial as are a lot of the prices for last light glass with durable features .

I have narrowed it down to these two, even though I’m still intrigued by the Meopta meostar for almost half.

Can anyone offer first hand recommendations, issues or unresolved concerns with either scope brand?

I’m looking at probably a 44-56mm 3-20ish variable. Unsure of illumination since I have never owned one, and concerned it is something that may cause problems 10 yrs from now, BUT, people I have asked swear by them.

Any help is appreciated.

Can't help with the Magnus or V8 comparison as I have never owned them, but I can tell you that for hunting the illumination feature on the Swarovski Z6 is more of a distraction than a help and I do not notice any more usable shooting time with it.

Never owned them. Buy the more expensive one.

Thank you! I was some how hoping for this response. I’ve never used one in 50 plus years and figured I’d be fine without it, but I haven’t bought a scope in 20 years so thought maybe it was worth a look.

Ha!!!! I’d prefer not to spend it all, but I also don’t want to buy and have issues with glass clarity, edge resolution and contrast.

I have no experience with the Leica, but with the Victory V8 2.8-20x56 and a variety of Swarovski Z6is and the Z8i 2-16x50.
Out of these, the Zeiss is easily my least favourite. It's a lot heavier than the Swarovskis, 8 ounces to be precise, and it cannot compete in terms of edge clarity and color contrast. The illumination unit on the Zeiss is also more awkward (to me, at least) since I have really gotten used to the day/night setting on the Swarovskis. Not to mention that 34mm stovepipe on the V8 which I just find plain unpleasant to look at.

I have both the Magnus and the Z6i. I prefer the red dots, and the one on the Magnus is better. It has an auto shut off and if for nothing else the battery lasts years instead of a single season. The dot is for low light situations and or moving animals in the dark timber. You can set either of them to your preference or not use them. I mentioned in another thread that I prefer Swaro's. I've owned them for years and I've developed a brand loyalty. I recently purchased a Cooper in the 6.5 CM and put the Magnus on it. I have spent a lot of time behind this new gun, and now I have to say it's a tie between my Z6i and the Magnus. I don't own a Z8, and my only Zeiss was made by Meopta.

I am not, nor do I claim to be an authority on color, edge to edge or anything else that high end optics are judged by. I expect those things to be there at that particular price point. I also expect that the high end Euro optics be clear in the twilight as night hunting is allowed there. Whether or not the scope can be adjusted and return to previous zero, and do the adjustments happen when I twist the dial or does it take a couple of rounds to settle in, is what I judge it by. Fit and finish should be a given.

Lastly, I should add that my Swaro Z6i is eleven years old, and my Magnus just two. Leica has gone through a bunch of revisions in those eleven years and it shows. Z8i or Magnus, either will be state of the art scopes. It will come down to which you can afford and which looks better to your eye.

[quote=Boomer454]I have no experience with the Leica, but with the Victory V8 2.8-20x56 and a variety of Swarovski Z6is and the Z8i 2-16x50.
Thank you. Like I mentioned in my original post, I have and still use the older Zeiss diavari marked west Germany. I am leary of Zeiss now since they farmed out the original conquest to Meopta and one of the new scopes is made in Japan. I know Japanese glass is used a lot, it just is not the German Zeiss I used to know.

I have the Magnus and had a V8 but never compared them, I have compared my diavari 6x24 and 3x12 to the Leica, all great scopes btw. All have great fov’s but the Leica is a little picky at power. I’d take a diavari over a magnus or the v8 though. In your case if I was going for power I’d go the V8, it may not have quite the contrast of a Swaro, Leica, or Schmidt during he day, but what is does have is a brighter, better, more resolving image after hours, Overall the Zeiss is my best glass bar none unless you get a lemon. If late evening hunting is your thing I’d go Zeiss, it has no equal imo, not that I’ve found anyway.

Thanks Lee. Is there a money’s worth difference in the z6i and z8i?
I realize with Zeiss , Swarovski and S&B (less so with S&B) that a lot of the price goes to marketing, but I am a believer that you get what you pay for and a great rifle with crappy glass is a crappy rifle. Put money in your optics kind of thing. But, that said, I also am a firm believer that the most expensive is not always the best. I hunt in the woods so it gets darker a little quicker than sitting on a field, so being able to clearly see is ideal or there is no point . I go back and forth on the meostar r2
and one of the big euro 3.

I appreciate the reply.
They do t give them away, which is my apprehension in quickly choosing one. I agree with Lee W about the top turret. I watched that review on YouTube with the guy from the UK and he was complaining of the plastics used. When you pay premium for something, corners should not be cut in a product.

You do know that the Glass used in a Swaro and Zeiss as well as most top scopes comes from Schott which is owned by Zeiss? S&B has their own glass plant in Hungary.

Swaro makes fantastic binoculars , I own a 8x42 and 10x56 and they are the best. Their scopes not so much, I do not like their Exit pupil for one. I am down to one Swaro scope now a 2.4-12x50 and I can take it or leave it. The scopes from the German company that makes nothing but scopes are the best IMHO, that said my brother has a Leica Amplus and that appears to be a highly underrated scope.

Spear., If you want bang for your buck, Check out the Meopta MeoStar R1/R2 line of rifle scopes. Great quality for less than you will spend on some other name-brand optic's. When it comes to low light visibility, the MeoStar line is where you want to put your $. I am not just saying this because I do some work with Meopta (no sales), I'm saying it because I have seen it first hand. A number of my friends have now switched over to MeoStar scopes/binos, after borrowing mine and seeing the difference. There's a reason other companies have used Meopta glass in their pwn products.

I have not bought a R2 but the R1's are really good in lowlight.

On the very highest end of riflescopes, a lot comes down to personal preference. Of all I have seen, Leica Magnus agrees with my eyes the best and for my money, I would take it over Zeiss and Swaro. However, I can obviously see how someone would make a different choice for them. These are all really nice scopes.

Meopta R2 will get you very close to this level of performance for a lot less money.

ILya

I knew Zeiss and even Meopta use schott glass but did not know Zeiss owned them. I also know it’s the coatings that really do a lot for a scope.
I am not a fan of Swaro after owning one since 2001. Always like s&b just not the price and like the Polar but .....$ is S&B the company you speak of? I have friends in Europe and Leica is well liked and respected. They must have been horrible in the past because EVERYONE says they have come a long way. .....
thoughts?

I have talked to Erik a lot and he has answered ALL my questions with facts and proof. I am saving up for the S2, but need a scope too and this scope will be on detachable mounts to use between two same brand rifles .

ILya, I absolutely agree. I’m stuck as a Zeiss loyalist, intrigued by the Leica, but know the Meostar makes absolute sense. So ridiculous how I’m digging myself into a deep hole with this back and forth BS. Wouldn’t be me if I didn’t stress and analyze it to death. It’s tiring and exhausting.

AJ

Unless there is someone else that makes just strictly Alpha Scopes then S&B is who I meant. $ for the Polar? It's the best lowlight scope I have looked thru so far and it is priced with all the other top Alpha scopes. DO you need a Polar depends on you. A Meopta R1 will take you there as will others for less then Swaro, Zeiss and S&B top models.

A little OCD does go a long way. Unfortunately, for many of us here, a little OCD is so far behind us that I can't even see it in the rear view mirror. Or maybe it's just me.

Zeiss has been hugely disappointing for me in the last few years, but the V8 is good.

ILya