Rifle Scopes SHOT Show report Day 2 - Minox ZL5?

[Mute]

At the Minox booth, the rep showed me an item that wasn't put out on the display. It's a new scope, tentatively labeled as a ZL5. Think ZP5 in a slightly lighter weight package. Turrets and all controls are exactly the same, including optics. It will be marketed as a hunter model, but basically it's a lighter weight ZP5. Estimated MSRP will be in the $2200 range. So for those of you who are contemplating getting a ZP5, hold off a bit and wait for this one. It will be worth the wait. My initial impression is that optically, it's exactly the same as the ZP5.

 

[BallisticPrimate]

Thanks for the heads up - any info on reticles and mag range? A lightweight 5-25 or 4-20 with MR4 Reticle would be very interesting.

 

[Glassaholic]

Is it FFP or SFP?

 

[Mute]

FFP 5-25. All the same reticle choices eventually. The one I saw had an MR4 reticle. I forgot to ask which reticle the initial offerings will come with or if all the reticles choices will be available. Since it's FFP, I don't see why they won't offer all the same choices.

 

[TheOE800]

I always buy stuff too early.

 

[BallisticPrimate]

FFP 5-25. All the same reticle choices eventually. The one I saw had an MR4 reticle. I forgot to ask which reticle the initial offerings will come with or if all the reticles choices will be available. Since it's FFP, I don't see why they won't offer all the same choices.

Thank you Alex, did Minox give you specifics re the weight differences? Assuming 34mm tube? Please forgive my badgering, the ZL5 sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. I had an order placed for the ZP5 but after 3 months waiting on the vendor to receive stock I eventually got a full refund... which is now burning a hole in my pocket

 

[Mute]

Thank you Alex, did Minox give you specifics re the weight differences? Assuming 34mm tube? Please forgive my badgering, the ZL5 sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. I had an order placed for the ZP5 but after 3 months waiting on the vendor to receive stock I eventually got a full refund... which is now burning a hole in my pocket

He gave me the weight but I forgot. Sorry. Old age makes me forgetful. I can say that just holding in my hand the weight difference is noticeable. If the price estimate holds true, I see one of these in my future.

 

[BallisticPrimate]

Thanks mate

 

[Glassaholic]

Thank you Alex, did Minox give you specifics re the weight differences? Assuming 34mm tube? Please forgive my badgering, the ZL5 sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. I had an order placed for the ZP5 but after 3 months waiting on the vendor to receive stock I eventually got a full refund... which is now burning a hole in my pocket

Money burning holes is not good Not to throw a wrench into things but Schmidt just introduced a new "competition hunting scope" 3-21x50 Improved daytime illumination, 7 power zoom, 34mm tube, auto-off, ST, LT, ZS, CT, DT, MT

 

[TheOE800]

Money burning holes is not good Not to throw a wrench into things but Schmidt just introduced a new "competition hunting scope" 3-21x50 Improved daytime illumination, 7 power zoom, 34mm tube, auto-off, ST, LT, ZS, CT, DT, MT

Their 7x erector scopes have lofty pricing, traditionally.

 

[Glassaholic]

Their 7x erector scopes have lofty pricing, traditionally.

Good point, though being a more "hunting" oriented scope it won't be like the PMII's, maybe the money needs to start multiplying in BP's pocket

 

[Moose]

Any pics floating around of this scope?

 

[BallisticPrimate]

Money burning holes is not good Not to throw a wrench into things but Schmidt just introduced a new "competition hunting scope" 3-21x50 Improved daytime illumination, 7 power zoom, 34mm tube, auto-off, ST, LT, ZS, CT, DT, MT

I did notice that, there's a video (in German) on YouTube - I kind of miss my PMII, waiting on specs like everyone else, what a time to be alive

 

[Glassaholic]

I did notice that, there a video (in German) on YouTube - I kind of miss my PMII, waiting on specs like everyone else, what a time to be alive

Do you have a link to the German video with this mysterious new scope? Heck ya what a time to be alive, I just wish I had the money I have now and the knowledge I have now but back in my body 30 years ago

 

[BallisticPrimate]

Hey Bill, here you go




It looks like a pair of spandex pants mated with a Vegas strip club but I'm betting a less risqué version will be available

 

[BallisticPrimate]

Seriously, can someone please head to Minox and get the lowdown (with pics) on the ZL5? @koshkin seems like the perfect man for the job

 

[Mute]

Any pics floating around of this scope?

I asked. The rep didn't want pictures taken.

 

[Basher]

I asked. The rep didn't want pictures taken.

Probably safe to say it's a ways from being released yet then, but still something to keep an eye on!

 

[BallisticPrimate]

Probably safe to say it's a ways from being released yet then, but still something to keep an eye on!

You're probably dead right. Typically if an item isn't ready for public viewing by SHOT it's likely to land late in the year at best - naturally I'd love to be pleasantly surprised

 

[Glassaholic]

Hey Bill, here you go




It looks like a pair of spandex pants mated with a Vegas strip club but I'm betting a less risqué version will be available

That is too funny BP. It reminded me of the pre-production cars they drive around with all the stuff on them to try and disguise them. This looks like another "short" design but come on S&B, get rid of that illumination tumor already! If this comes in FFP then it is definitely going to have my interest, I wonder how it would differ from the PMII, unless of course it is SFP like the Swarovski X5's.

Competition/Hunting, that is how they are advertising it, not quite sure what category this will fall under. Competition reticle like the LRR-Mil but lighter weight to fit the "Hunting" requirement, this could be one that garners my interest for sure. Between this and the ZL5, next year could be very interesting indeed. I say next year because Schmidt is always quick to showcase or talk about new products but very slow to actually get them to production so I do not expect these anytime in 2018. In fact, the PM II Ultra Brights were announced last year and has anyone gotten those yet?

Looking at the scope the rep is holding in the video it looks almost the same size as their Ultra Short 5-20 with maybe just a little more wiggle room between the illumination tumor and the turret housing, if this is under 30oz and with FFP reticle in MSR2 or LRR-Mil I'm going to do a back flip...

I correct myself, the scope definitely has more length than the 5-20, I had forgotten how little wiggle room their was with this scope, the more I look at the CH 3-21x50 the more I see the 3-20x50 Ultra Short body...

 

[Glassaholic]

FFP 5-25. All the same reticle choices eventually. The one I saw had an MR4 reticle. I forgot to ask which reticle the initial offerings will come with or if all the reticles choices will be available. Since it's FFP, I don't see why they won't offer all the same choices.

Back to the ZL5, is Alex the only one who saw this scope at SHOT? Why would Minox bring it to SHOT all the way from Germany but then keep it under wraps and only show it to a few people? Alex, you mentioned everything gave the appearance of being a ZP5 but that it was noticeably lighter than a 5-25 ZP5 holding it in your hands. One of the reasons I chose the ZP5 5-25 is because it was already one of the lightest 5-25's out, so if they have made a LT version of the ZP5 5-25 that will be very compelling indeed.

It took them a number of years but it sounds like manufacturers are finally catching on that shooters are wanting good scopes in lighter bodies. For the purely competition crowd this doesn't matter much, but for those of us who carry our rigs long distances that weight can add up

 

[TheOE800]

Lighter and with an allegedly lower cost gives me pause; too good to be true - what’s different? You know what I mean?

 

[Glassaholic]

Lighter and with an allegedly lower cost gives me pause; too good to be true - what’s different? You know what I mean?

I hear ya. Does $800 cheaper mean inferior manufacturing or? If it was SFP only I can see that, but according to Alex everything is the same, including the exact same turrets, just lighter, so how did they shave another $800 off the cost as well? Be nice if they had both ZL5 5-25 and ZL5 3-15, but I am very interested to see how this scope materializes and what the final specs are. Maybe Alex misheard and instead of $2200 MSRP it is $3200 MSRP, but since they weren't even telling the general public about the scope at SHOT, I doubt anything is set in stone right now. I also wonder if the ZL5 is part of the Optronika group who made the ZP5?

 

[Mute]

I hear ya. Does $800 cheaper mean inferior manufacturing or? If it was SFP only I can see that, but according to Alex everything is the same, including the exact same turrets, just lighter, so how did they shave another $800 off the cost as well? Be nice if they had both ZL5 5-25 and ZL5 3-15, but I am very interested to see how this scope materializes and what the final specs are. Maybe Alex misheard and instead of $2200 MSRP it is $3200 MSRP, but since they weren't even telling the general public about the scope at SHOT, I doubt anything is set in stone right now. I also wonder if the ZL5 is part of the Optronika group who made the ZP5?

The fact that they kept it in the cabinet leads me to believe that it's a prototype and most likely still has a ways to go to final delivery. My understanding is that items designated for the tactical market has significantly more export regulations to deal with vs. those designated as hunting items. I'm guessing these restrictions are also what adds to the price of the ZP5 vs. this item. I definitely didn't misheard on the pricing as I did a double take and asked again, if the rep did in fact say $2200. I just hope he wasn't underestimating what they'll be able to sell this item for.

 

[BallisticPrimate]

The fact that they kept it in the cabinet leads me to believe that it's a prototype and most likely still has a ways to go to final delivery. My understanding is that items designated for the tactical market has significantly more export regulations to deal with vs. those designated as hunting items. I'm guessing these restrictions are also what adds to the price of the ZP5 vs. this item. I definitely didn't misheard on the pricing as I did a double take and asked again, if the rep did in fact say $2200. I just hope he wasn't underestimating what they'll be able to sell this item for.

Thanks for this info, Alex. I've emailed Minox directly re the ZL5, if I get a response I'll update this thread.

 

[Glassaholic]

The fact that they kept it in the cabinet leads me to believe that it's a prototype and most likely still has a ways to go to final delivery. My understanding is that items designated for the tactical market has significantly more export regulations to deal with vs. those designated as hunting items. I'm guessing these restrictions are also what adds to the price of the ZP5 vs. this item. I definitely didn't misheard on the pricing as I did a double take and asked again, if the rep did in fact say $2200. I just hope he wasn't underestimating what they'll be able to sell this item for.

If that is the case - easier/cheaper for them to export a "hunting" oriented scope vs. a tactical scope then I'm curious what defines "hunting" vs. "tactical" for European manufacturers? Is it just in name only, because if the ZL5 has all the same specs, same mechanics as the ZP5 but in a lighter body, then what is the defining factor between the two, other than the weight. Thanks again for the info Alex, let's hope for the best as this scope begins to come alive...

 

[snarkscarbine]

I swung by the day after the initial post and the rep from Blaser/Minox USA knew little of the scope other than that it existed. She said that they'd already left with it back to Germany.

 

[Troy G]

I swung by the day after the initial post and the rep from Blaser/Minox USA knew little of the scope other than that it existed. She said that they'd already left with it back to Germany.

From another site:

Minox – advised they have a new model for long range shooters, the 5-25x56 ZE-LR; FFP, 34mm tube, shipping in Mar/Apr at an MSRP of approximately $2200.

 

[blakejw]

The current Ze line is SFP, I’m guessing this will be too

 

[BallisticPrimate]

The current Ze line is SFP, I’m guessing this will be too

It's referred to as a FFP scope by two seperate people on different forums so it's looking promising.

 

[TheOE800]

So will this be German made or PacRim sourced?

 

[Glassaholic]

The current ZE line of scopes are all 30mm and SFP, so if this new ZE-LR is 34mm and FFP that will buck the trend of the line which might be confusing. Also, the ZE line I hear is pretty impressive but it is not designed by the Optronika group; however, I do believe the ZE line still uses German glass. I would absolutely love to see a FFP version of the ZE 3-15x56 as a low light mid range scope!

 

[BallisticPrimate]

Reply from Minox HQ re the ZE-LR doesn't shed more light on this scope:

"I am sorry, there is no information available yet.
Please ask again in 2-3 months’ time."

I suppose we wait until someone in the know chimes in with specifics. I've been trying to purchase a Minox with MR4 since October 2017 (I'm based in Australia) but it seems there is virtually zero stock with vendors

 

[Troy G]

I've been trying to purchase a Minox with MR4 since October 2017 (I'm based in Australia) but it seems there is virtually zero stock with vendors

I talked to Minox Germany looking for Canadian distribution re the ZP5 5-25x56 with an MR4 reticle and they said they would have stock sometime in mid March.

 

[Lexington]

Given the prevalence of MR2 and MR4 that I see for sale, I must be one of the few who likes the MR5 and the duplex-like center. If only they provided a direct-read yardage scale on the left where the metric AQRAS scale is, I'd be ecstatic.

In their example of 60cm target x 7.5 scale = 450m distance.

Yards are:

23.5 inches x 21 scale = 493 yards (change the scale number)

Scale for the same target at 1000 yards would be about 43.

Eh, this is probably too fine for my idea.

 

[Delicatessen]

I like the mr4 for the longer range set up I have but I would definitely consider a lighter zl mr5 scope in the 3-15 range for the lighter weight build I am planning with the nucleus preorder.

 

[Chasing3]

Why doesn't Minox offer the MR4 reticle in the 3-15 range? I think they are losing business there. They could at least offer a floating dot reticle in that mag range that would compete with NF mil-c. I would buy one now if they offered it.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

I have forwarded this thread to the National at Minox. He replied:
"I wish We could get enough of the 5x25.

We are about 60-70 on back-order.


Once we get caught up we can look at it. The 3x15 doesn’t sell as well. "

 

[Chasing3]

Thanks gr8fuldoug!

 

[beretta_man11]

Any new updates on the ZL5 line as far as weight and other specs as well as release date? By the time I get finished with my next rifle, I'll be looking for a lighter weight, long range scope.

 

[Just Macca]

Anymore info out yet on the ZL5 or SnB 3-21??

 

[gr8fuldoug]

I reached out to S&B and their reply was:

ETA is August but that is not confirmed

No pricing or anything yet still

 

[Glassaholic]

I reached out to S&B and their reply was:

ETA is August but that is not confirmed

No pricing or anything yet still

ETA in August for the brand new 3-21x50 Competition/Hunting announced at SHOT? They don't even have specs out yet... but that would be fantastic

 

[beretta_man11]

Still hoping the ZL5 line comes true

 

[Glassaholic]

ETA in August for the brand new 3-21x50 Competition/Hunting announced at SHOT? They don't even have specs out yet... but that would be fantastic
View attachment 6919400

Obviously August did not happen for this scope, heck, Schmidt doesn't even have any specs out for it yet

 

[Just Macca]

Anything more heard about the ZL5 this shot show?

 

[koshkin]

Anything more heard about the ZL5 this shot show?

I do not think it exists in any sort of a production ready form.

Ilya

 

[Just Macca]

I do not think it exists in any sort of a production ready form.

Ilya

Copy, that sneak peak a year ago really was a pre-pre-production model!

 

[koshkin]

Copy, that sneak peak a year ago really was a pre-pre-production model!

I havn't the foggiest idea of whether it will ever see the light of day, so all we can do is wait patiently.

ILya

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Minox at SHOT this year was like an unmanned booth. I had an appointment with the National sales mgr and found out when I got there that he left the company, without a replacement, 2 weeks prior to SHOT. The gentleman from Germany who I have worked with for over 10 years also is no longer with Minox. They had a guy babysitting the booth but overall there was no representation and nothing new to report