In January, Swarovski Optik unveiled its Z5(i)+ lineup of riflescopes. Launching with three different magnifications, these new second-focal-plane riflescopes were designed with features intended to accomodate the needs of North American hunters. Swarovski’s Z5(i)+ lineup can handle everything from the dense forests common on the East Coast to the wide open spaces found in Western hunting, with a modern design featuring improved ergonomics, increased overall range of adjustment and a high performance ballistic turret for long-range shooting.
All three Z5(i)+ models sport 30 mm maintubes, 80 MOA of total elevation adjustment and 50 MOA for windage. Regarding the latter, 50 MOA of adjustment eliminates the need for a windage adjustable base. Plus, there’s an optional advanced ballistic turret that has three times more adjustment range with two revolutions, for a total of 40 MOA of external ROA (20 MOA per turn) and a zero-stop function. (Previous Z5 models had 13½ MOA of adjustment.)
Swarovski Z5(i)+ riflescopes also include built-in tool storage, and are available with four reticle options in illuminated or non-illuminated versions. The illuminated models feature 10 brightness settings.
Available reticles are traditional Plex and 4W reticles, as well as new BRS and BRW MOA holdover reticles. The BRS reticle is optimized for holdovers, while the BRW reticle is designed for combined turret and reticle compensation. Three of the reticles are glass-etched for a nice and clear black image. The only one that isn’t glass-etched is the non-illuminated Plex model, which is a mechanical reticle, meaning it’s made from stainless steel.
Made For America
To develop the Z5(i)+ lineup, Swarovski Optik asked North American hunters what they want in their riflescopes.
“We received a lot of feedback from North American hunters,” Swarovski Optik Media Relations Specialist Evan Dextraze told me. “Z5(i)+ riflescopes are packed full of features, with a lot of options as well.”
There are three different magnification ranges available, 2-10X 42 mm, 3.5-18X 50 mm and 5-25X 56 mm. Built on a 30 mm maintube, Z5(i)+ scopes are lightweight and feature MOA adjustments which are popular with North American hunters. But what’s most exciting is the new ballistic turret that allows adjusting the point of impact up to a total of 40 MOA, which is plenty for hunting applications and target shooting. Hunters that typically take their hunting rifle and only take shorter shots, but want to be able to head to the range and practice at 1,000 yards will appreciate this option. The new turret system is dual revolution and also has a locking coupler.
Besides the standard MOA turret ring, Z5(i)+ riflescopes include four colored distance rings, which you can set to provide additional points of impact. For an additional charge, Swarovski also offers a customized ballistic ring. Provide your sight head above bore, muzzle velocity and any atmospherics, and Swarovski will cut the personalized ballistic ring for your ballistics.
Something else to note: the two higher magnification scopes, 3.5-18X 50 mm and 5-25X 56 mm, have high-definition glass, which aids in eliminating color fringing. With HD glass, all of the colors of the spectrum come to one focal point rather than spread out, which provides a better resolution. For the 2-10X 42 mm optic, HD glass isn’t necessary at that low of a magnification, as it’s not as important to have that reduction in chromatic aberration.
With the three different magnification ranges, there’s really something for everyone in the new Z5(i)+ line of optics. For hog hunting, the 2-10X 42 mm is a solid option. If you are going to shoot prairie dogs, the 5-25X 56 mm is ideal with its larger objective lens. And for those folks that are hunting in the Western United States, there is the 3.5-18X 50 mm model, which has the versatility to tackle different hunting scenarios.
At The Range
I had the chance to try out the new Z5(i)+ riflescopes with Swarovski Optik staff at the PrairieFire facility in Pahrump, Nevada, last year. (In January 2025, PrairieFire Nevada rebranded itself as Staccato Vegas.) Swarovski staff walked our group through the zeroing process and how to set the advanced ballistic turret at 100 yards, prior to tackling a variety of true-to-size steel animal silhouettes set at distances up to 1,400 yards. For long-range shooting, we were using the 3.5-18X 50 mm and 5-25X 56 mm scopes mounted to bolt-action rifles chambered in 6.5 mm Creedmoor from Bergara, Weatherby and a few others.
To put the 2-10X 42 mm magnification riflescope through its paces, it was mounted to a Daniel Defense pistol-caliber carbine chambered in 9 mm Luger that we ran through PrairieFire’s Gunslinger Canyon. This challenging course involves running to multiple stations in order, each featuring eight to 10 different steel targets, then going up some stairs to the top of the canyon and engaging each station again in reverse order.
The turret design is a big improvement over the previous Z5 models. The setup process is simplified, with the zero-stop design having only two set screws. It took less than 15 minutes to have the Z5(i)+ zeroed and ready for long-range shooting. In addition, since the new turret can be locked in place with a 30-degree turn, you don’t have to worry about your adjustment changing if the optic gets hung up on something, like a tree branch you might encounter while hunting in a forest.
Regarding the glass, edge-to-edge clarity and resolution are solid, and exactly what I’ve come to expect from Swarovski Optik products. Another thing that impressed me about the Z5(i)+ optics was their light weight. Even the heftiest model, the 5-25X 56 mm with illuminated reticle, only weighs 22.6 ounces. Build quality is solid and these scopes are robust enough to take a light drop and probably not take any damage, although I wouldn’t advise it.
Retail price for Swarovski’s new Z5(i)+ riflescopes starts at $1,649, which the company considers to be “mid-tier” pricing. To me, it’s more like an entry-level price for quality Austrian glass. All three magnifications can be purchased either illuminated or non-illuminated and with or without the advanced ballistic turret. If you decide to add illumination, add $200 to the price of the scope. For the ballistic turret, it’s a $100 upcharge. There’s no change in price for any of the reticle options. Learn more at swarovskioptik.com.
