Review: Swarovski Z6i 1-6x24

Daniel Swarovski developed the first electrically operated grinding machine for precious stones in 1895. Since then, his factory has sired several subsidiaries offering products ranging from grinding equipment to polished precious stones and crystal all the way to high-precision long-range optics. In 1935, Wilhelm Swarovski, the son of the company founder, utilized the methods already available in his father’s company at the time to develop a new production and grinding process for prisms. 

He founded Swarovski Optik KG in Absam (Tyrol) in 1949, and in doing so laid the foundation for a long-range optics company with a global reputation. His first series product, the Habicht 7x42, remains to this day a standard in hunting optics, and is still being manufactured. In 1959, the Habicht was followed by the first riflescope, then the first extendable riflescope in 1967, in 1971 the first rubber-reinforced telescope, and in 1976 the first riflescope with the proprietary Nova Telescope Ocular technology to avoid eye injuries when shooting from unfavorable positions. Further game-changing developments also followed. Since 2007, the Z6 6x zoom riflescope range has been highly popular among the international hunter community.

VISIER has now received a driven hunt riflescope for review. It is well-known that the optics from Swarovski are among the best. Hence, as expected, the Z6i 1-6x24 did not disappoint. Read on for our review:

The image quality is entirely convincing. There were deductions due to the very minimal colored fringing (which is almost unavoidable, -1 point), due to an image that was not entirely flat (-1 point), and due to an average transmission of 89.2 % (-1 point). For a riflescope with such a large field of view, the edge sharpness was outstanding. The color neutrality and balanced brilliance/contrast ratio are very good. The resolution in black areas is excellent. At 42 m, the field of view is unparalleled at 1x magnification. The LD-I reticle is optimized for rapid shots at moving targets. Hunters will undoubtedly first need to get used to this feature. 

Together with the accessories in the packaging is an insert with the technical data, in which the reticle is briefly described, with a link to the website www.abdeckmasse.swarovskioptik.com. At this link is a truly outstanding program which shows all reticles in precise detail — at all magnification levels.

During the shock and shooting stability test, a grain of dust became stuck to the reticle (-1 point). And during the leak test, a small amount of water entered the illumination control unit, but did not do much damage (-1 point). 

One small disadvantage is the battery compartment, which can only be opened with a coin. Using a hunting knife causes ugly scratches — resulting in one minus point for user-friendliness, which otherwise left nothing to be desired. The workmanship is top-notch, and the manual is also written in good English and very well-illustrated.

Our verdict on the Swarovski Z6i 1-6x24:

A top-notch riflescope from Swarovski Optik. The Austrian company is undoubtedly one of the world’s best manufacturers of hunting riflescopes. However, it is a pity that the Tyrol-based company has focused exclusively on the hunting market so far. We can certainly imagine Swarovski releasing exciting new products for sports shooters.

VISIER’s assessment of the Swarovski Z6i 1-6x24 riflescope:

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