Zeiss Conquest V4 3-12x56 Illuminated

Zeiss Conquest V4 3-12x56 Illuminated

 I love rifle scopes. Over the years I have bought and sold a number of scopes that I have topped my 35 Whelens with. Over that same period of time I have been amazed at the steady increase in quality for the same price points. 

Recently I replaced my Swarovski Z3 4-12x50 with a Zeiss 3-12x56 Illuminated scope which I topped my 35 Whelen with. I haven't hunted with the scope yet, but I have sighted it in and tested it a bit.  Here is my initially summary.

Sighting in was a breeze. It took 2 shots at 25 yards to get things basically in the zone ... the clicks were very accurate. At 100 yards I took 2 more shots and I was set. I used a tape measure after the first shot at 100 yards and dialed in the exact amount I wanted to move. My second shot was right there ... the clicks are perfect. 

The illumination knob is a standard on/off between clicks. Brightness can be turned to daytime bright, or all the way down to low light dim. 

The low light capability of this scope is amazing. Those early morning or evening cloudy day hunts in November are going to be that much more doable. 

The turrets are capped.

If there is a downside to this scope, it's the size of the 56mm objective lens. I had to purchase a rail mount and high rings to clear the barrel. The result was that lining up the crosshairs when sighting was a bit awkward. To compensate, I purchased a padded cheek rest which raised the alignment. It worked perfect... and actually reduced the felt recoil. Some may not like the added hardware strapped to the rifle, though.

The sight window is very generous and quick to attain. At 3 power this scope is perfect for close in or heavy brush work. Even when dialed all the way up to 12 power, target acquisition is quick. The glass is ultra clear and crisp... when viewing a snowy scene it's shockingly radiant. 

In my opinion 12 power is plenty for 300 yard shots. Given that I am using this scope on my 35 Whelen, it's all that I need.