Zeiss HD5 5-25x50, Sightron S3 6-24x50 and S-TAC 2.5-17.5x56 comparison

[richness]

As i mentioned recently in my quick comparison of the old Conquest to the new version, the HD5, the new series continues on that tradition of american-influenced 1' elegant hunting scopes. The 3-15 version I've already looked at so today I'm concentrating on the larger 5-25 model with the varmint ladder ret and the big clicky turrets with a zero stop feature


Starting with the first impressions, this is really one of the finest looking scopes you'll ever see, smacking of euro quality and elegance. Somehow even with turrets sporting 15 MOA per turn, you don't feel at all that this is a big bulky tactical scope. The thing is though, it'll do that tactical stuff! Somehow Zeiss have got 65 MOA range in to this 1" tube. It's square, too, so at the top of your elevation you aren't limiting your windage range at all, which is 40 MOA. That is outstanding and a very welcome feature

Here's a folder of pics: https://www.dropbox.com/sc/e6n0w3iy2...UZgjJNNSMhx7Ua

I'm not vaguely interested in zero stop but it is very popular and this scope sports it. What it means is that if you have cranked say three turns on for shooting a loopy 308 to 1200y, you can just blindly twist down and you turret will stop at your zero point. You cant be a whole turn too low, for example.
Now Zeiss have incorporated that in these beautifully-finished turrets but there is a bit of catch. It's only "1turn " zero stop. It stops you at zero and then 1rotation later. So you can only get about 15moa on before you run out of room. So for a fast flat cal like a 204 where you'll never be dialling 15moa on, you're not limited. Yet a 1000y calibre is going to need more dope than that so you'd have to remove the little screw that removes the zero stop facility. Still, better than nothing in my opinion.


For me this scope fits in a useful niche. When you want a good scope for hunting that needs to be dial-able and yet mustn't be some god awful tactical scope with big bits of knurling and knobs sticking out left right and centre. Not too heavy, either! Normally you end up with a 1' scope with lo pro useless turrets, very limited internal adjustments etc...These HD5s really bridge that gap wonderfully offering 1" hunting rifle elegance but with some real long range potential thrown in too.


Optically, they are progress from the impressive old version except in field of view. They offer anti-water smear coatings which are very handy. As you zoom in, the sight picture remains completely perfect and there is zero tunnelling at the bottom end.




At this point i'm going to start comparing to Sightrons, both the S3 6-24x50 IR and the S-TAC 2.5-17.5x56 IR These have been tested and compared day and night side by side with the HD5 and offer a very different perspective. Comparing these different scopes should give us a better idea of the real strengths and weaknesses of the HD5 5-25 we're reviewing here.










On the more target and varmint-orientated Sightrons, the weight is about the same realm as the big HD5. You're saving at least 6oz on a Nightforce and other full-on tactical scopes.
They are 30mm and also have turrets offering 15moa per turn but no Zero Stop. Internal adjustment is very generous and they are known to have outstanding resolution and edge to edge sharpness.
The first thing one notices is the focus snaps in and out very well. I say well because i like a fussy focus; i adjust it until it pops just right and i'm happy. Foxers have said to me though that they prefer a less fussy system that doesn't need tweaking all the time so if a fox runs 100y the focus will still be on. This is the case with the Zeiss and not the Sightrons. I personally much prefer the Sightron system as it is fussier but sharper but many will prefer the greater depth of field of the HD5.




I compared at great length the Sightron S3 6-24x50 to the latest S-TAC 2.5-17.5x56. The S-TAC is inseparable from the S3, which is interesting, The S3 does have a fussier eye box but that makes sense given that it has higher mag so the exit pupil shrinks and of course it is a 50mm not a 56mm like the S-TAC.
The Sightron S3 does everything well. The big wow factor is resolution. Everything else is really solid too. So many are sold because they tick so many boxes for so many people! Res, edge to edge, eye box, build quality, light weight, turrets, easy to reset the zero, loads of internal adjustment, perfect ret, sorted IR.
It's exactly the same deal with the S-TAC but with an even less fussy eye box! Field of view also seems more or less identical
It is worth commending Sightron on keeping the cost of the S-TAC down. They've done this by moving some of the assembly to the Philippines which of course sends shudders down the spines of optics lovers. I can say here though that side by side with the Japanese S3 the difference is not noticeable by this tester in high light and last light and everything else in between! Indeed the S-TAc is pound for pound less fussy due to the lower mag and bigger objective




On a long range precision rifle, the ret on the Sightrons is just perfect - that floating centre dot is just right. The more regular ret on the Zeiss scopes will be much preferred for larger game though


This particular version of the Zeiss HD5 5-25x50 sports the Varmint Rapid-Z tree ret, enabling quick dope out to considerable distance as its holdover lines match up to your trajectory. The finer matching of this is done by working out what mag you need to be on for your trajectory to match the lines just right.This is done on the free tool at the Zeiss website and once you know what mag to use it works flawlessly. There are different types of "tree" to match various calibres. Clearly the one for 204 ruger and 22.250 is very different to the one tuned for 308....


In the field shooting rabbits out to about 450y, the famous Sightron resolution was much more important to me than the superior last light contrast of the Zeiss scopes, as i need every last drop of resolution to pick out the small targets. The last light contrast on the Zeiss would certainly be magic for a deer rifle though, or foxing at dusk.


On the Zeiss, well the strong point there is the poor light performance and contrast. They don't score especially well for out and out resolution or brightness but when the conditions start to challenge they hang in there remarkably well.




With regard to flare control (looking toward sunset etc) and stray light control all these scope are classy. The HD5s are the most adept at controlling any and all issues and giving you the clear ret and sight picture you need. There is a period as the light first starts to dim when the S3 (not the S-TAC) can produce some ghosting towards max mag but this is actually only noticeable for a few mins then stops being apparent in the darker light when the still-good resolution and the nicely variable illuminated ret enable you to still shoot perfectly well. The HD5s just plough on, though, and are just not troubled at any time by any stray light from either in front or behind.






It is worth noting that these are great scopes, each having a speciality but all are really good.
However, an Alpha scope will humiliate them in many areas. My IOR 9-36 was just so much wider, so much brighter, so much clearer as to raise a giggle from the testers at dusk! That's what happens when you spend twice as much. A Zeiss Victory has about 25% more field of view alone.
So the Sightrons have the resolution to let you shoot in last light, the HD5 has the contrast to let you shoot in last light but both take a lot of looking and straining if compared directly to the IOR. That has BOTH and much much more fov besides so the image just jumps out at you, relatively speaking.


So optically there is a step up the ladder left beyond these scopes here.
What is doubly relevant is how much better these scopes are over scopes just a few hundred pounds cheaper. The Sightron has resolution to rival any target scope, and the coatings on the HDs are just pure top drawer.




It is also worth noting that i tried a cheap but well-regarded scope at dusk when i was trying to split hairs between the Sightrons and the HD5s (and the IOR was making it look easy) The cheap scope was totally unusable. It seemed to reflect stray light from the distant house behind the shooter on to the ocular, making it a total reflective mess. And the image downrange when it could be made out was so soft and dark as to be unusable.




I'm not wanting to be negative about anything here. It's just a "this is the best scope ever" review doesn't take in to account all the variables, including spending thousands of pounds. I think a realistic appraisal of these scopes' strengths and weaknesses at different price points is more useful.




So....as a hunting scope - HD5, definitely. As a precision varminter or target scope - the Sightrons have it easily


I certainly struggle to think of many scopes in the HD5's class that can offer what it offers!
Likewise the Sightrons, especially the brilliant 7x mag range S-TAC, are just magic.


I recommend these scopes for sure. I hope this has proven useful in discerning some of the differences between these various models.