Field testing the Swarovski Z8i

Growing up stalking the lowlands of England I have never had need for a high magnification rifle scope. Creeping through woodland rides and around hedges at dawn and dusk, the need has always been for a scope with optimal light gathering abilities. Often the only chance of the evening will present itself just before total darkness arrives, and a quality scope that allows you to take a safe shot will be the difference between success or returning home empty handed.

 

The essence of stalking for me is being outdoors, on a never-ending journey of learning fieldcraft and getting to know the species you pursue. It also provides the best meat imaginable. Despite these pure intentions, I know few stalkers who aren’t secretly interested in the latest equipment advances. Using high quality kit can enhance your stalking experience, especially when it comes to optics. I remember when I was given a pair of Swarovski binoculars a few years ago, retiring my inherited pair of dusty and battered binos, that must have hailed from just after World War II. The whole event of stalking changed. Suddenly I could see every hair on the deer’s back, luxuriate in the complex detail of the birds that landed in branches next to my high seat, and more concretely analyse characteristics of a roe buck as I decided to let it live another year or add it to my cull figures.

 

I was recently given the chance to try the latest rifle scope from Swarovski, the Z8i 3.5 – 28 x 50. I was hopeful that the quality of the glass and the large objective lens would be ideal in low light scenarios. Equally, I was interested to see the effect of the high magnification. While I wouldn’t have the chance to use the scope over the long distances you might encounter in the Scottish Highlands or the American West, I could still test the sharpness at these ranges. Furthermore, as magnification increases generally the light gathering ability decreases. This would certainly be under scrutiny.

 

A very grey evening in late October, and I slowly peered round the edge of a maize block with pheasants streaming out, across the field and into the wood they call home a few hundred metres hence. My roe buck cull was more or less complete, but there would be space for a scrawny youngster if the chance presented itself. I was also on the lookout for any muntjac, which hadn’t been easy to track down through the summer months on account of the verdant cover. After a few minutes of waiting, a group of roe emerged, beginning to feed on the woodland edge. Luckily, there was a sunken track between us, which provided ideal cover for me to close the distance. I’d only spotted does, but where there are does there is often a reticent buck behind a leafy screen.

 

By the time I was 150 metres away I was watching a roe doe, her two kids and a buck having an evening feed. Oblivious to my presence, I scrutinised the buck. He looked a candidate for the larder, appearing middle aged and with under developed antlers. With a safe back drop, I raised the rifle to the sticks. An ideal chance to see what the new Z8i was up to. At 7x, my preferred magnification for most lowland stalking, the animal was exceptionally defined and there was no difficulty in finding the target. As you would expect from the top line Swarovski scope, edge to edge it was razor sharp, the day appeared lighter than to the naked eye, and even in a dreary Autumn scene the colours had an enjoyable depth.
 

Without hesitation I turned it right the way up to 28x. At this magnification, I was able to see every detail on the animal, and it was the perfect chance to analyse my initial decision. I could see his antlers were thin right the way to the bottom, he had minimal pearling, and that his coronets were beginning to slope downwards. Judging bucks by their antlers is an imprecise art, and by no means the only consideration when deciding what to take or leave, but these factors further re-assured me that this was a good buck to get. Amazingly, there was barely any difference in the perceived light transmission at the higher magnification. With the scope turned back to 7x, I squeezed the trigger and the deer died before it heard the report of the rifle.

 

My stalk continued into the last vestiges of light without further success. I was comforted though by the illuminated reticle, which was sharp and never too bright. Had a muntjac come at the last knockings, it would have been an invaluable attribute.

 

The 3.5 – 28 x 50 Z8i is an astonishing rifle scope. Despite a relatively large objective, it is light enough to be a companion on the longest of stalks. Its ability in low light and the unprecedented range of magnifications must make it the most versatile scope on the market. And beyond all of this, the sheer pleasure that comes from exquisite optics, enabling acute observation of your quarry right until the evenings close, is more than enough reason to add it permanently to my collection.