Takes a licking and keeps on: torture testing Zeiss' Conquest 6.5x20

If you're going to pick a fight with someone, it certainly behooves you to pick an individual to dance with you're sure to beat. Just common sense right? Well common sense isn't always so common, and I'm somewhat miffed to report that I recently had the knuckles put to me by an old and respected gentleman from Germany.

The scoop? Well pull up a chair and relax for a bit, and I'll regale you with a tale of how Carl Zeiss made your old friend look like a silly green horn.

Like most tales of woe, mine starts with correspondence from a lady. In this case it was a call from Shannon Jackson of Carl Zeiss Optical, Inc. Jackson, knowing my penchant for quality European optics, was curious if I'd be interested in playing with one of their new 6.5-20x50mm Conquest rifle scopes.

Now I've been lusting after a Zeiss 8x30 binocular for some time, so I was ever so eager, to receive one of their riflescopes in for testing. After all, while Carl Zeiss is justly famous for their superb binoculars they're also well respected for their outstanding riflescopes. So in short order I had a box with the Zeiss logo arrive on my doorstep.

Well-Deserved Reputation

Why this fascination with Zeiss optics? That my friend is an easy question to answer.., quality. It's a simple fact that Germany has long been a leader when it comes to producing precision optics. While there are certainly other noteworthy German optical manufacturers, Carl Zeiss has been well respected for some 150 plus years. During this time Zeiss has been a leader in improving the quality and performance of high-grade optical equipment.

Not only can Zeiss be considered the father of modern binoculars, but they've also made great advances in manufacturing and polishing lenses, designing and applying special anti-reflective coatings, and producing internal mechanisms that adjust precisely and reliably.

In addition, their lens glass, produced at Schott Glaswerke (part of the Zeiss family), is generally considered the finest optical glass in the world. So it's no surprise that since the turn of the century, Zeiss riflescopes have had an enviable reputation for superb resolution and contrast, excellent light transmission and reliable adjustments.

Serious hunters have long sought Zeiss riflescopes for their handsome looks and quality optics. On a more serious note, it was German Scharfshutzen scanning the trenches through Zeiss riflescopes that introduced the world to modern sniping in 1914. This is another reason why Zeiss optics are so respected, they've been and done.

Sounds good huh? Well, to be blunt, an old name and a European address may impress your friends, but I was more interested in how this new scope performed. With a retail price of only $799, the 6.5-20x50 Conquest is priced lower than a comparable Leupold 6.5-20x50 LR. Think about that for a bit.

Pulling the Zeiss from its box, the first thing I noticed was the "Assembled in USA" notation on the ocular and the 1-inch tube body. A 1-inch tube? I thought these went out in the '90s! And this is where I made my mistake. Staring at the Zeiss I presumed that with a retail price this low (hey remember, we're talking Zeiss here) corners must have been cut with quality suffering accordingly.

This new Zeiss was probably a Zeiss in name only, I surmised as I plotted against it. Emily is constantly telling me I'm too quick to judge, one of these days perhaps I'll listen to her.

Built To American Tastes

The new Conquest 6.5-20x50mm was developed with one person in mind, the American long-range shooter. As Americans we're a fussy bunch, with distinct likes and dislikes and strong opinions on how things should be. The Conquest keeps our quirks in mind. For instance, the scope itself is based upon a rugged 1 inch anodized aluminum tube.

While I prefer 30mm tubes, 1-inch remains the American standard and it does provide for a lighter scope. In the center of the tube, the mechanism block sports well designed and compact target turrets. These are readily adjusted and feature coarse, audible clicks, and are clearly marked for easy reading. Adjustments are in 1/4 MOA (1/8 MOA optional) clicks, with a total of 45 MOA available.

Full turret rotations are easily kept track of by Zeiss's simple marking system so you don't accidentally end up one full rotation off. On the left side of the mechanism block is a knob for adjusting parallax from 50 yards to infinity. In addition to being easier to adjust, this feature reduces both size and weight compared to a scope with an adjustable objective.

Magnification runs from 6.5x up to 20x. This provides either a huge FOV (a whopping 170 degrees at 100 yards on 6.5x), or an up close and personal look at a distant target simply by turning the magnification ring. To the rear of the ocular is a European fast-focus eyepiece.

Big And Bright

For superior light transmission, the Conquest sports a large 50mm objective lens. This lens diameter, mated to fully multi-coated lenses using Zeiss' proprietary coatings, provides a bright, sharp image. The etched reticle is located in the second plane and thus does not change size as you power up and down. Five different reticle designs are available with my test scope featuring the venerable duplex. Additionally, the Conquest features a constant eye relief of 3.5 inches. Finished in matte black, it's guaranteed to be water and dust-proof and comes with a lifetime transferable warranty.

"Humbug," said I whilst mounting it via a set of Warne steel rings onto a Les Baer .223 Match rifle. Rule number 1 of fighting: End things before your opponent knows they started, then go enjoy the rest of your day. With this in mind I set about checking the Conquest's tracking. When put to the test, all too many scopes have adjustment, tracking, or repeatability issues. With the Les Baer printing consistent .25- to .35-inch five-shot groups at 100 yards, any shortcomings would soon become evident.

Precise And Repeatable

Settling behind the rifle I had to admit the image quality was quite good. However such things are frivolous if the scope doesn't track reliably. Unfortunately, after "boxing" it and laboriously shooting group after group while adjusting windage, elevation and magnification, the Conquest came out on top. Putting a ruler to the adjustments showed them to be, well, perfect.

"Sheer luck," I scowled whilst rummaging about for a Zeiss Test Pattern (ZTP) chart. Rule number 2 of fighting: If the sucker punch or shot to the groin fail, keep your head and get technical. With this in mind I posted the ZTP chart at 50 yards and proceeded to examine the Conquest's optical merits.

The ZTP is a specialized chart designed for examining optical instruments, and examine we did. The first thing I noted is the Conquest's image is bright and color transmission seemed dead on perfect. All too often you'll notice a hint of yellow or gray in the image of a scope, but not here. I also noted that the field of view, whatever the magnification, was large. This is a very good thing, in my book the larger the FOV the better.

In addition, the constant eye relief is a wonderful thing, especially on a hard kicking rifle. Usually on a scope in this magnification range, eye relief can shrink up to an inch simply by dialing in more magnification. With the Conquest though, you're not forced to crawl the stock as you zoom in and out.

Technically Superior

Peering at the ZTP I noted that resolution (the ability to see fine detail) was excellent from the center of the image out to the edges with only a slight degradation noticed past 16x. Still, I was able to cleanly resolve down to the number 4 block on the chart on 20x. During this portion of testing I detected no curvature of field or spherical aberration.

Contrast was very good and no astigmatism was noted. No barrel distortion and no rolling distortion was present, however, I did note some pin cushion distortion. As the sun went down I checked the Conquest's low light performance. After cranking the magnification down to increase the exit pupil diameter, the Zeiss impressed me with its light transmission capabilities. I was able to detect and successfully engage targets that were invisible to the naked eye. While the Conquest may not be the absolute pinnacle of the Zeiss line, optically, its heritage is quite evident.

"Yes the glass looked good," I grumbled as I removed it from the Les Baer, "but how would it stand up in the real world? Rule number 3 of fighting: If getting technical gets you nowhere fight dirty!

The Cold Shoulder Treatment

With this in mind I plopped the Zeiss into a pail of water, and stuck it out on a cold Maine night. By morning the water had frozen solid, encasing the scope in a block of ice. I had me a "Zeissicle." Cool.

With the sun coming out, I stuck the block of ice containing the Zeiss into my freezer. Four days later I peeked inside with a silly grin on my face. Tossing it into the sink I burned the Conquest out of the ice with hot water. Then with no let up, it was placed in the shower and subjected to a prolonged steam bath. Would the seals hold tight or would the Conquest fail and fog internally? When my hot water heater finally asked for a break we had a look. No muss no fuss--I had simply cleaned the Zeiss off.

Pulling Out The Big Guns

Scratching my head while examining the Conquest a light bulb suddenly came on. Rule number 4 of fighting: If fighting dirty fails, hit them with whatever you've got left! With this in mind I tightened the Zeiss down onto one of Ed Brown's personal rifles I had on loan. Brown builds truly handsome rifles, and it looked excellent topped with the Zeiss in Warne rings. However this was no ordinary Ed Brown rifle, this was a .50 Peacekeeper.

The spawn of J.D. Jones, the .50 Peacekeeper is a .460 Weatherby Magnum necked up to take .50 BMG projectiles. To put things in perspective think about it this way, imagine a 13-pound rifle hurling 650-grain, .50 cal APIT (Armor Piercing Incendiary Tracer) slugs at 2,400 fps. Pounding rounds through this puppy is, well, exhilarating.

Believe me, this rifle will dismember lesser scopes in relatively short order. So one afternoon the Zeiss, Brown's Peacekeeper and I danced our way through my stockpile of 650-grain API, APIT and 700-grain AP rounds. When the smoke cleared and I'd had my fill--the Zeiss was still ready for more. And no Virginia, reticles etched directly onto glass don't break like wire reticles.

I contemplated hitting it with a big rock, but what would that prove? So I meekly said "Uncle" to the Zeiss and gave up the fight. The Conquest may not be the top-of-the-line Zeiss rifle scope, but it none the less remains true to its heritage. The resolution, color rendition, and low light performance are all very good. The turrets are short, a good thing, and the clicks are coarse and distinct. To be blunt, it's a good piece of glass, especially for the cash.

Is it perfect? Heck no, but I've never found anything that was. Personally I don't like scopes with 1-inch tubes. In addition, I'd like more than 45 MOA of total elevation adjustment, especially for those really long shots (although a 20-MOA incline base will suffice). Also, I wish it came with a screw-on sunshade and a reticle with rangefinding capability. That's it for gripes though.

If you're looking for a quality scope in this magnification range for your long-range hunting or varmint rig, the Zeiss Conquest is one to consider. Simply put it's a rugged and reliable riflescope with optics befitting the venerable name of Carl Zeiss.

SPECIFICATIONS: CONQUEST 6.5-20X50 MC


               Magnification  6.5x20x
     Objective Lens Diameter  50mm
              Overall Length  15.6 inches
                  Eye Relief  3.5 inches
                      Weight  21 ounces
                  Adjustment  1/4 MOA
       FOV (feet at 100 yds)  17.6 at 6.5x, 5.8 at 20x
    Exit Pupil Diameter (mm)  7.7 at 6.5x, 2.5 at 20x
Maximum Elevation Adjustment  45 inches/100 yards
               Parallax Free  50 yeads to infinity
                Retail Price  $799

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Carl Zeiss Optical, Inc.

[800] 441-3005

Ed Brawn Custom, Inc.

[573] 565-3261

www.edbrown.com

Les Baer Custom Inc.

[309] 658-2716

www.lesbaer.com

Harris Engineering Inc.

(Harris Bipod)

[270] 334-3633

SSK Industries

(.50 Peacekeeper Rifies)

[740] 264-0176

www.sskindustries.com

Warne Manufacturing Co.

[800] 683-5590

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COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group