ZCO 5-27 vs 8-40

[Nagor]

Hey all, Im pretty locked in on getting a ZCO optic but having a debate in my mind right now. Would there be any downside to go with the 8-40 over the 5-27 besides the loss in windage and elevation along with slightly slimmer reticle at the same magnification? The 8-40 has 7 less mils of elevation and 8 less windage, which isnt a small amount to lose. The optic would be going on a 6.5cm and dont have anywhere close that would allow me to really need dial to the higher parts of either scopes available clicks. With the top tier glass would there be a downside to having the extra magnification if the optical quality will be superb all the way to 40?

thanks for any and all info

 

[NiteQwill]

Go for the 5-27.

 

[DarinC]

5-27.
I don’t see why you’d ever need more than 25x on a creed.

 

[Covertnoob5]

I’ve got both and used the 527 most of the last 2 PRS seasons. While I love both I’ve found the 840 to seem brighter even more so than my 527 and my TT525P. Take that for what it’s worth. Both are excellent and you’ll be happy either way.

 

[pineoak]

In shooting, you really don't need too much over 20x for inside of 1k.

But in spotting for others, scoping paper, seeing your hits on marked up steel, etc. it's nice to have higher magnification

If you have other optics with you at the time, you won't need it, but it's really nice to have more magnification on the rifle.

Assuming the high mag is usable, which on a ZCO should be a solid yes.

Unless you have a need for the lower magnification as priority.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

I faced this same choice for the same primary caliber . I already had one 527 and ultimately decided in another 527. I really don't think you will be unhappy regardless the one you choose and for pure paper, you may like having the higher mag for seeing shots or for spotting as has been pointed out already.

For actually shooting, I felt like the 527 was the better fit all around. I'm transonic at 1460 ish with my 6.5cm, which is 16.5 mil for me, so depending on the rail you have it on, the bullet you shoot and how fast it runs, the 28 mils available in the 840 could potentially be limiting. 20moa is 5.8mil. So "IF" you are in the center of that 28 mils (14) + 20moa/5.8 mil you'd have a total of 19.8 mils. That's plenty with the 20moa rail. Without the 20moa rail, not so much. "If you are in the center of that available mil range"....

That's how I looked at it, and I decided the 527 ( I think I get 23 ish mil or so, but "if in the center of its range + 5.8 mil, youd get 23.3 mil with a 20moa rail ) , with 20 moa rail was a better choice. Of course I already had one and knew how clear it is and how much that helps in seeing things at distance, and how much liked the field of view and reticle (not exactly the same options in reticle between the two, which was a factor for me) so I wasn't as worried about the extra mag.

I may trade it or sell it for an 840 one day if my calculus changes or just to try it out, or I will more than likely just get an 840 to try out and move scopes around and replace my beloved AMG on my 223 with a 527, then put 840 on one of the bigger rifles. Again, I think both are fantastic. That was my thought process though.

Hope this helps you.

 

[CSTactical]

Hey all, Im pretty locked in on getting a ZCO optic but having a debate in my mind right now. Would there be any downside to go with the 8-40 over the 5-27 besides the loss in windage and elevation along with slightly slimmer reticle at the same magnification? The 8-40 has 7 less mils of elevation and 8 less windage, which isnt a small amount to lose. The optic would be going on a 6.5cm and dont have anywhere close that would allow me to really need dial to the higher parts of either scopes available clicks. With the top tier glass would there be a downside to having the extra magnification if the optical quality will be superb all the way to 40?

thanks for any and all info

Give me a call at 916-670-1103x2 tomorrow and I can go over everything in detail with you -Richard@CST

 

[Dave62677]

I’m only 22x with my 8-40 at 2000 yards.

 

[CSTactical]

This thread through the different ZCO's (and other scopes) is helpful as well from @Squibbler

Rifle Scopes - Reticles: thru scope pics! ZCO, TT, NF, S&B, Minox, Horus, Steiner, Kahles, March, Vortex, and More!

S&B 3-27 GR2ID - Pride!

www.snipershide.com

 

[Glassaholic]

OP, do you ever plan on shooting rimfire seriously? I’d give the 8-40 the nod if you ever think of doing rimfire work. Mirage will always be your enemy at distance with higher magnification but at rimfire distances could be useful as long as the elevation doesn’t hinder you too much (with rimfire ballistics). Another thing that is not discussed much is the “sweet spot” area of a scope or Goldilocks zone, as with most zoom optics rifles scopes tend to not perform the best at the extremes of the magnification and that sweet spot tends to be somewhere in the middle although in my review of the ZCO 5-27 I actually found the ZCO to do extremely well at the upper end of the mag range. I have not seen a 8-40 yet so can’t say but would expect it’s sweet spot to be to last a little longer than 5-27, the question then becomes do you need it? This summer me and a bunch of Hiders went out and shot out to 1.5 miles, 100 plus degree heat and we didn’t go above 16x and had no issues getting hits at distance. It is a fallacy that you need high magnification to hit targets at distance, may be good for other things already mentioned but I’ll take better optics at lower magnification almost any day over poorer optics with higher magnifaction - good news with ZCO is you get both.

 

[Sprayed99]

I have had several of both, I choose the 8-40 for my primary PRS rifle and use my 5-27s on hunting guns. I run the 8-40 at 20x for every stage except the PRS barricade.

 

[Glassaholic]

I have had several of both, I choose the 8-40 for my primary PRS rifle and use my 5-27s on hunting guns. I run the 8-40 at 20x for every stage except the PRS barricade.

Curious - any difference in FOV when both are at 20x?

 

[Dough300]

I'm super happy with my Zero Compromise Optic (ZCO) ZC420 4-20×50 and I think I've reached that pinnacle. Optical clarity is at the top.

 

[CK1.0]

Reviving this thread…

Thinking of going ZCO because YOLO but can’t decide between the 5-27 or 8-40?

~2 years later, what y’all think?

 

[CSTactical]

Reviving this thread…

Thinking of going ZCO because YOLO but can’t decide between the 5-27 or 8-40?

~2 years later, what y’all think?

Give me a call at 916-628-3490 and I can go over the differences to help you pick the right model

Richard

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

Reviving this thread…

Thinking of going ZCO because YOLO but can’t decide between the 5-27 or 8-40?

~2 years later, what y’all think?

Pm me. I have both and like both but for different things

 

[CK1.0]

I'm leaning 5-27, but it's a lot of loot and I'd like to get it right first swing lol.

It occurred to me that I know a couple of guys at my club that run ZCOs... I think the next time I see them, I will pester them more seriously for a few minutes behind their fancy glass. One of the guys is deeper into the rimfire thing and it's a good bet he's got an 8-40, the other dude is a a really good PRS shooter and more into that I think, so it's probably 50/50 that he's running the other one.

Though, I have zero patience and kind of want to stop comprimising and order it right now...!

 

[wooferocau]

The 5-27 is a far better scope than the 8-40!! The 8-40 really loses it after 30x ..

 

[oldrifleman]

I have both and I have not seen the fall off on any of mine. I love both, and they suit different use cases for most. Most of my ARs wear 5-27s, one is an 840. my one zco rimfire is an 840 and my precision bolt rifles are 840s. I really can’t tell a big difference in terms of optics quality. If I was an active PRS shooter I might pick the 527 as it is shorter and at 20-25X you see less “wobble”. At 35-40x I would have to drop a RMR on top to do target acquisition.

 

[NCStaccato]

I have a 840. I'm building a new rimfire and was curious about the 527. Why do the the people making the comments say the 527 is far better?

 

[oldrifleman]

Not sure way better, I have multiple copies of each, I think the 527 is slightly better at 27 than the 840, but not that much. My rimfire ZCO is an 840 (MPCT 1x). For PRS shooting many prefer the 27X but ZCO rimfire PRS shooters are moving towards the 840. all my ARs wear 527s, my bolt rifles wear 840s, in real use they are equal in construction/optics and visual loveliness.

 

[D_TROS]

Not sure way better, I have multiple copies of each, I think the 527 is slightly better at 27 than the 840, but not that much. My rimfire ZCO is an 840 (MPCT 1x). For PRS shooting many prefer the 27X but ZCO rimfire PRS shooters are moving towards the 840. all my ARs wear 527s, my bolt rifles wear 840s, in real use they are equal in construction/optics and visual loveliness.

which would you say has better FOV at 27 power? 20 power?



I will only add my thoughts on my 8-40...it is easily the brightest scope I have ever looked through. makes my tangent look dark. Not sure if thats good or bad...during bright snow on ground days this spring it was borderline bad lol. but i have no sunshade which would have helped alot. its on a rimfire now.


GL
DT

 

[oldrifleman]

Zco as a whole seem to be very bright and very contrasty ( which I love). My ZCOs are replacing a fleet of NF ATCAR 7-35s ( both F1 and F2) and they are so much nicer. I think the fov at 27x is a little better on the 527 both better than the NF, I never shoot at 20x.

 

[CSTactical]

2 time PRS Champion Austin Orgain is now using a ZCO 840 on his PRS Rifle.

 

[oldrifleman]

On a non ZCO topic, that CRB Comp profile barrel is huge!

 

[carbonbased]

which would you say has better FOV at 27 power? 20 power?



I will only add my thoughts on my 8-40...it is easily the brightest scope I have ever looked through. makes my tangent look dark. Not sure if thats good or bad...during bright snow on ground days this spring it was borderline bad lol. but i have no sunshade which would have helped alot. its on a rimfire now.


GL
DT

I do not own an ARD device, but I think some models would help darken the image. However, I think, but cannot accurately remember, that I read that Aandland’s (or was it MKM’s?) ARD did not darken much, if any.

Anyway, do some research before going that route.

I am considering going that way, as I guess ARD’s can also really help with flare from the sun (light at me from just outside the image). If what I read is true, an ARD that’s not flush with the scope can be equivalent of a sunshade twice as long.

Don’t need an ARD to reduce light bouncing off my objective lens.

March also makes some aperture reducer ring that also darkens the image (as well as increasing depth of field).

And I don’t believe sunshades darken the image at all.

See here for some discussion:

ARDs vs Sunguard vs Shemagh

I feel like I learned a lesson this weekend that I should have already learned long ago, but alas, I have questions. I ran into an issue at a competition this weekend running an LPVO where the timing of my particular stage run was exactly when the sun peaked over the berm directly into my eyes...

www.snipershide.com