Swarovski illuminated vs non illuminated

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have an illuminated and also a non-illuminated Swarovski scopes. I use the illumination a lot and way prefer it to the non-illuminated.
For my last buff I used a Trijicon red dot, perfect!

 

[Green Chile]

I've noticed that Boddington is using more illuminated reticles also on buff, etc and asked him about it. He told me it helped as his eyes get older and he is using them more on double rifles also versus irons.

 

[VertigoBE]

For the few grammes of difference and having to change the battery every -years, I really don’t see the downside for having the illuminated option available.

If you don’t need it, don’t use it, but when you do need it… there is no real substitute either. As hunters we all know that it is often in golden hour where the magic happens, so having a little more confidence when light is failing is worth the slightly bigger and heavier scope

Come to think of it, the difference in weight between the illuminated and non illuminated version is likely equal to one or two rounds of ammo anyway. So it is a non issue.

 

[rookhawk]

I have the Z6i & Z8i. Thinking about it, I have never used the i. Not even once. The scope is amazing in low light without the illumination.
I would rather save the weight. Too bad the Z8 isn't available without illumination. I know the Z5 and probably Z6 come without illumination.

Gotta be an oz or 2 of electronics to illuminate.
Anyone ever really need the illumination feature of any scope?

I'm a z6 and z8 straight-tube fanboy and I've owned a lot of them: illuminated, non-illuminated, EEs, etc. 95% of the optics I've owned in the past 20 years have been these models.

For non-DG, I had no issues with the non-illuminated options. I used them on many small bore rifles and the clarity and light gathering were fantastic for my purposes when I was in my mid-30s. As I age, my maximum pupil dilation continues to decline so the limitation continues to be the light gathering of my eyes in low-light more so than the optics themself. For deer, elk, plains game and bear you don't need illumination.

For leopard from a blind or for fast shots on dangerous game inside of 80 yards, you really ought to have illumination to direct your eye to the target quickly whether in low light or for an instant shot.

All of this is a waste of time if you don't have these optics in low or ultra low rings where you can make an instantaneous shot without having to creep around on the scope. But yes, in a proper scope mount your illuminated is just an RMR with more versatility. People omit this last part and it unravels the whole point of the illumination for speedy, accurate shots.

 

[SETH RINGER]

NEVER WOUDA THOUGHT I WAS HIGH TECH BUT ALL MY SCOPES ARE ILLUMINATED. MOST OF THEM TURN OFF WHEN YOU SET THEM DOWN AND BACK ON WHEN YOU PICK EM UP. JUST CHANGE THE BATTERY BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT TO BE SURE.

 

[coreydb]

I have the Z6i & Z8i. Thinking about it, I have never used the i. Not even once. The scope is amazing in low light without the illumination.
I would rather save the weight. Too bad the Z8 isn't available without illumination. I know the Z5 and probably Z6 come without illumination.

Gotta be an oz or 2 of electronics to illuminate.
Anyone ever really need the illumination feature of any scope?

I have numerous times at dusk in Africa. But that's just me.

 

[Desaad]

I have a Z8i, and absolutely love the illumination on it. I have a bit of an astigmatism, and get zero bloom out of it at all. What's particularly useful is the low-light/bright-light switch is uses - just a flick of that switch and I have clear red-dot visibility in bright desert sunlight, or dim but clear visibility at night, as dim or as bright as I want. All you need to do to adjust either of those pre-sets, is hit the rubber-coated +/- buttons just in front of it. It's significantly more convenient than any of the dial-illumination scopes I've used, or especially the Leupold side button. The dot itself seems optimal for me - small enough to be precise, but large enough for instant location in fast situations. Can't speak highly enough about it.

 

[Philip Glass]

I agree 100%. Every scope I've bought in the last 3 years has been illuminated. Dark reticles on dark animals like buff, bears, etc are so easy with an illuminated reticle. To the point being made about brightness, I prefer a scope like Swaro which when switched the left is on the low light setting...to the right on the day time setting. Each can be adjusted easily. Hand to God, the illuminated reticle has helped me take some of my best trophies in poor lighting conditions.

I've never had the battery wear out but even if it did, the reticle is still there. Replace them every year or two and I've never had an issue. Saying you don't want a battery there (with the current technology) is like saying you don't want a rangefinder in your binos. Why not? It's great technology. Even if I was hunting with iron sights, I would still want to know the distance...especially with irons. If you haven't tried the lighted reticle, give it a try sometime. It is very helpful and truly helps make better shooting in poor conditions, which can happen any day on a hunt.

I agree the Swaro is the superior system with the three position switch. The battery lasts forever! But even the Leupolds last pretty long. I just change the battery before a big international hunt and never think about it again.