The New Swarovski Z5+ Scopes are Here! This scope is so different from the Z5 line up, they should have given it a totally different name.

Maybe the “Swarovski Z5 Incredible” because just adding a little “+” sign does not even come close to describing the upgrades this scope has over the regular Z5.

Don’t get me wrong, we love the old Z5 scopes. They have great glass, they are very lightweight, and the price is very reasonable for the quality of scope you get.

However, the 1” tube diameter of the Z5 has two potential downsides:

First, we don’t have a good selection of high quality 1” rings designed for picatinny rails.

Second, the 1” tube diameter limits the amount of elevation you get from the ballistic turret.

The new Z5+, with a 30mm main tube, not only fixes these issues, it offers several other improvements.

Here is a list of the key new features from the Z5+:

• 3 Times more range of adjustment in the Ballistic Turret. The new Z5+ Ballistic Turret provides a whopping 40 MOA of adjustment in just 2 rotations. The old Z5 had just 13.5 MOA. So, instead of running out of clicks around 600 yards, the Z5 Plus turret will take most cartridges out to 1400 or so. We are not advocating taking anything close to 1400 yard shots on game, but the 40 MOA range means you can use the same scope for hunting and for shooting long range steel plates!
• You now have three options for how you set up the ballistic turret.
  • 4 distance rings that are much easier to see
  • MOA ring
  • Custom ring in yardage based on ammo and environmental data
• The Zero stop design is much improved.
• The Z5 Plus lockable turret to make sure it does not get moved accidentally.
• Better Glass! The Z5+ has Swarovski’s High Definition Glass.

What are the Models?

More good news.

Swarovski kept the 3.5-18 power but gave it a 50mm objective. This lets in more light and looks much better mounted on a picatinny rail. They also kept the light weight. The Z5 Plus 3.5-18X50 weighs just 19 ounces in the non-illuminated version and 21 ounces illuminated.

They also kept the 5-25 and went with a 56mm objective for maximum low light performance. Even with the 56mm objective, the illuminated model weighs just 22.6 ounces.

The third scope in the Z5 Plus line is very new. At 11.9” long the Z5 Plus 2-10X42 is amazingly compact and weighs only 17 ounces in the illuminated version. This scope provides a massive field of view for close shots on 2 power while also offering long range shot capability with 10X magnification and the 40 MOA ballistic turret. The combination of Swarovski HD glass in a 2-10 magnification with 42mm objective makes this an amazing scope in low light conditions. The scope tube is very short, so we recommend mounting this on a picatinny rail on any long action rifle.

How About Price?

Even with all these upgrades the price is not much more than the old Z5 models.

The Z5i+ 2-10X42 BT Illuminated is

 $1949.

The Z5i+ 3.5-18X50 BT Illuminated is $2169.

The Z5i+ 5-25X56 BT Illuminated is $2269.

Without illumination the scopes are about $200 less.

If you don’t want a ballistic turret, all of these scopes are available without the BT in either a Plex or BRS hold over reticle.

When you consider the glass quality, scope weight, turret features, and price, we think Swarovski has absolutely nailed it with the Z5 Plus!Matt Bettersworth