I have a 6 dasher PRS style build I’m looking to get a scope for. Looking at the ZCO527 and 840. For those that have handled both is there a preference between the 2? Which is “better” overall in your typical shooting magnifications (15x-20x) the lower end doesn’t really matter and the higher end of the 840 is only beneficial on paper or ELR spotting which is cool. Price weight and length are not a factor. Looking at the PRS blog the 527 was more popular but the shooters in the top 10 were all running the 840, I am nowhere near the top shooters but seeing what they run is pretty cool.
I’ve have multiple examples of both and my favorite that I shot most of last season with is the 8-40 1x reticle 10 mil turrets. I shoot normally around the 20-22x power and prefer it to the 527 in those mag ranges as it’s squarely in the middle as opposed to closer to max mag on the 527.
Give me a call at 916-628-3490 later today and I can answer any remaining questions you have and get you set up
- Richard
I agree with the 8-40. I also have multiples of each and my PRS type rifles all have 8-40s. My preference is similar to the above. I love the 1x reticle and 10 mil nle.
You want the 8-40 then get it. It still has the power range you use most and you will use the higher power above 27x more than the lower power between 5-8x.
I had the opportunity to try my friends 8-40 for a while. I don't think it is as good as my 5-27. When operated above 30X, the image got darker and was not in the same league in terms of clarity. It could be me, but I would try it before you buy it. Even if it is only at a match looking at someone else's.
Yeah, Everyone's Eyes react differently. I don't have the same observation. For me the 8-40 is just as good as the 5-27.
There are guys out there who think the 8-40 is brighter, which may be due to upgraded coatings on newer production models. Everyone sees stuff differently.
I shoot a zco 527 and have a friend who I shoot regularly with that has a tangent theta 5-25 and to be honest I haven't found why his costs 1500$ more than a ZCO, you aren't going to go wrong with either because both are kick ass pieces of glass. If I was making the purchase I'd go with either the ZCO 840 mcpt1 depending on if you prefer dialing your scope and want less clutter in your lens at higher zoom or the ZCO mcpt3x which is my favorite reticle on the market hands down. Reading reviews guys say the glass clarity even at closer to high zoom is similar on the 840 as it is to the 527.
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
I will be going with the mpct1x and 10mil NLE turrets. 840 is only about $150 more than the 527 so I do want to get it right from the get go. I have tried out a 527 and thought it was amazing have not been behind the 840.
I didn't know that. The one I used was an early production model so that may explain it.
Same for me... MUCH prefer the 5-27 over the 8-40 ..... 8-40 gets dark and soft at higher powers...
Your specific samples had issues, your experience does not reflect the thousands of others that did not have a problem.
My "issues" had NOTHING to do with the "OPTICAL attributes of the scopes!!
Still have a 5-27 here that has had zero issues...
Compare from a few weeks ago.. .current production ...
Attachments
In that particular comparo...the ZCO 8-40 faired VERY well.... TT overwhelmingly first ...then S&B and ZCO ... oh so close..
You could also give the new Kahles 540 a try when more reviews come in, beats the ZCO 8-40 in all specs on paper.
If so I would have it checked out. I have 7 8-40s and have never had that happen on any of mine. I also have 4 or 5 5-27s ( also spectacular scopes) and I don’t see any optical differences.
March scopes have always been great optics. The big issue has always been their service. No USA service center so scopes had to be sent overseas. Probably not as bad anymore but for years it was not in-Common to hear of 6-8 month turnarounds.
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You really have 11 ZCO scopes…..? That is crazy/badass haha
He's not my only customer with that many ZCO's
But for the typical competitor running ZCO's, they have multuple.
You should know, you sold most of them to meHe's not my only customer with that many ZCO's
.
I have/run an ZC527 MPCT1X NLE and really don’t have anything bad to say about it… it’s great.
Before I got the ZCO, I was playing a bit of “musical scopes” for a few months going between a couple different Razor G3 units, a MK5HD PR2, and a newer MK4HD PR3, while trying to find something my eyes jived best with, and found myself creeping up on the magnification to ~20-22x most of the time. The ZCO changed that, and the combination of the better glass and simpler reticle has been the Goldilocks spot for me, and due to me seeing more, I’ve actually backed off on the magnification and am back to running 15-18x most times. The superior depth of field is the biggest thing I’ve noticed with the ZCO, it’s amazing and I never knew what I was missing, and IMO that’s what the extra money buys you versus most all of the others. I don’t just see the plates, now I can count the layers of paint.
I was after an ZC840 but found mine secondhand so I jumped on it, but I’d say if I were buying new that I’d personally go with the 8-40 because the higher mag would be useful here and there when shooting groups and such and for the random mirage-free day.
I’ve seen my 527 next to a buddy’s 840 a few times now and as far as I can tell they look the same (to me). But buying new… more is more lol.
Before I got the ZCO, I was playing a bit of “musical scopes” for a few months going between a couple different Razor G3 units, a MK5HD PR2, and a newer MK4HD PR3, while trying to find something my eyes jived best with, and found myself creeping up on the magnification to ~20-22x most of the time. The ZCO changed that, and the combination of the better glass and simpler reticle has been the Goldilocks spot for me, and due to me seeing more, I’ve actually backed off on the magnification and am back to running 15-18x most times. The superior depth of field is the biggest thing I’ve noticed with the ZCO, it’s amazing and I never knew what I was missing, and IMO that’s what the extra money buys you versus most all of the others. I don’t just see the plates, now I can count the layers of paint.
I was after an ZC840 but found mine secondhand so I jumped on it, but I’d say if I were buying new that I’d personally go with the 8-40 because the higher mag would be useful here and there when shooting groups and such and for the random mirage-free day.
I’ve seen my 527 next to a buddy’s 840 a few times now and as far as I can tell they look the same (to me). But buying new… more is more lol.
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I’ve been sorta sitting back and watching these interactions throughout the years.
I know you and @wooferocau have had some disagreements in the past and everything, but, uh, in this very thread @Nik H (link and also over here with two 840s) and @Guthwine (link) have also experienced similar darkening in the 8-40’s they looked through. I don’t see you slamming them?
For the other guys viewing this thread, it’s easy, no, downright fun to dog pile on people that are kinda abrupt, abrasive, or combative. It’s easy to say it’s user error. But I try to look at the issue they are explaining, not just how they come across. Plus I look at their previous posts…are they crackpots or do they come across as pretty reasonable? (haven’t looked into @Guthwine)
Now, I’m not saying people are right or wrong about their experiences or problems with ZCOs. But how you treat a complaint or impression with a product matters. Especially in public.
@koshkin has mentioned that the 8-40 models seem to have had a greater sample variation than their excellent and very consistent 5-27 version. If not here then either on his OpticsThoughts site or on his Locals site.
I don’t know Nik, Guthwine, or Woof from a hole in the ground (but have enjoyed woof and Nik’s posts in the past). I have no beef with ZCO, read reports of ZCO glass cracking (and have heard that issue is fixed), seen plenty of good ZCO reviews, looked at poorly designed ZCO scope mounts, heard ZCO has updated those very mounts, and have heard good things about your operation.
I think people realize all manufacturers make mistakes.
But I just think you’re hurting yourself here.
I mean, nominally, ZCO is just one of your brands you carry, right? Why stick your neck out so far?
Trying to be constructive here.
P.S. ZCO has some serious fanboys, man, sorta like TBAC years ago. Yipes.
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Yeah the depth of field was what drove me from NightForce. I had been running ATCARS 7-35s for awhile, picked up a used 5-27 on the PX and was blown away by how much clearer and bright the whole range was. And after that switched out to ZCO.
Yeah, DOF wasn’t really something I considered much before getting the ZCO, but if I were to guess, I’d bet that’s why they’ve become more popular within PRS.
I imagine most of us could bang white semi-freshly painted targets all day long with an Arken or whatever and/or almost anything else (they’d just look half green/purple due to all the CA lol)…
But when trying to make impacts on some tough to see, 98% grey, beat to shit piece of steel in the shade that’s already seen 8 squads… things like DOF start to make a big difference IME.
So recent production 840s still have the issues you are talking about after 30x?
I read some of your comments on other discussions saying the 527 was a bit better at the 27 power than the 840…do you still think this? If you had to choose one between that 15-27 range would it be the 527?
I have no idea if it was an early model or not and I only have a sample size of one, but it is what I saw through my buddies scope. But I'll tell him to buy 10 more for a closer analysis.
Not sure. IF I knew for sure I would NEVER need ANYTHING above 27, I might get the 5-27. Optically the difference is slight, the difference would be that the 5-27 is smaller and lighter. For me (old fat guy with old eyes) the 8-40 makes more sense on my long guns. Most of my precision ARs wear 5-27s ( the one that doesn’t is a 22” very heavy barrel 223). In the 18-27 range you cannot go wrong with either scope.
If you want a high mag scope, buy the TT. It is in a class by itself and is approximately 1.5" shorter than the 8-40.
In a previous thread, I said I would keep my NF 7-35 versus the ZCO 8-40 based on what I saw. Based on repeated uses of my buddy's 8-40, I still stand by that decision. I could not justify spending the extra for an 8-40. I would love to try the latest version to see if I see the same thing. I love my ZCO 5-27. I was disappointed that the 8-40 did not perform as well.
In a previous thread, I said I would keep my NF 7-35 versus the ZCO 8-40 based on what I saw. Based on repeated uses of my buddy's 8-40, I still stand by that decision. I could not justify spending the extra for an 8-40. I would love to try the latest version to see if I see the same thing. I love my ZCO 5-27. I was disappointed that the 8-40 did not perform as well.
Not trying to stir the pot, but I own several ZCO 527's and bought a 840 as soon as they were available. I also only had a sample size of one, but above 30 I had the same issues noted. I sold it and if it was a known early issue, I'd try one again, but it clearly wasn't as good as the 527 in the upper magnification ranges. I am a ZCO fan boy too.
*snip
But I just think you’re hurting yourself here.
I mean, nominally, ZCO is just one of your brands you carry, right? Why stick your neck out so far?
Trying to be constructive here.
P.S. ZCO has some serious fanboys, man, sorta like TBAC years ago. Yipes.
You are free to your observations, but if you've really been paying attention then you'd see that woofercau has been spreading misinformation that there is some consistent issues with ZCO's for the past year and a half when this is not the case (see his post from last night). He's had some issues with his specific batch made in Austria and sent to him in Australia, and as I discussed with him over the phone when he wanted to call me that his issues were not something that we are seeing from our Idaho built scopes. Any company can have a dud here and there, I track trends and consistency from online sources, customers across the world, competitors and speak to Jeff at ZCO directly weekly. No other scope company do I have this line of communication from the top.
If there were any consistent issues with ZCO's I'd know, especially over a year and a half.
ZCO would not currently be at the top of the list for PRS if there was some lingering issues:
What The Pros Use -Best Rifle Scope For Long Range Precision Shooting 01/20/25
https://precisionrifleblog.com/2025/01/20/best-rifle-scope-for-long-range-precision-shooting-what-the-pros-use/ Congratulations to ZCO! :cool: "ZCO scopes picked up 6% more shooters among this group to land at 20% overall. That was enough to edge out Leupold from the top spot that it held last...
www.snipershide.com
"20% of the top 200 ranked shooters in the PRS said they were running a Zero Compromise scope when I surveyed them at the end of the 2024 PRS Season. That included 3 of the shooters who finished the 2024 PRS Season in the top 10 in the Open Division, which was as many as any other brand among the top 10. They also had a total of 12 among the top 50 competitors, which means they were well-represented at every level."
"76% of those running a Zero Compromise said they ran a ZCO 5-27×56 scope (ZC527), but all 3 of the guys using a ZCO scope in the top 10 were running the ZCO 8-40×56 scope (ZC840)."
There's 2 people in this thread that have about 10 samples of ZC840's and one of them does some solid unbiased reviews @Covertnoob5
Covertnoob5
Hey guys my name is Will Ormes, I’m a PRS/NRLH competitor and YouTube reviewer of all things gear related. I run this channel on my own and I truly appreciate all the support and friends I’ve made in this industry. If you ever see me at a match feel free to come say hi or squad with me! Thank...
www.youtube.com
If you'd like to discuss this further than feel free to call me at 916-628-3490
-Richard
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I will say that I spoke to quit a few who compete that went from the TT735 back to the TT525 for PRS or wish they did not switch to the TT735 in the first place. The TT735 is an excellent scope overall, but seems better suited for ELR or even precision 22 since it does focus closer than the TT525.
Oh, I have been paying attention, believe me.You are free to your observations, but if you've really been paying attention then you'd see that woofercau has been spreading misinformation that there is some consistent issues with ZCO's for the past year and a half when this is not the case (see his post from last night). He's had some issues with his specific batch made in Austria and sent to him in Australia, and as I discussed with him over the phone when he wanted to call me that his issues were not something that we are seeing from our Idaho built scopes. Any company can have a dud here and there, I track trends and consistency from online sources, customers across the world, competitors and speak to Jeff at ZCO directly weekly. No other scope company do I have this line of communication from the top.
If there were any consistent issues with ZCO's I'd know, especially over a year and a half.
ZCO would not currently be at the top of the list for PRS if there was some lingering issues:
What The Pros Use -Best Rifle Scope For Long Range Precision Shooting 01/20/25
https://precisionrifleblog.com/2025/01/20/best-rifle-scope-for-long-range-precision-shooting-what-the-pros-use/ Congratulations to ZCO! :cool: "ZCO scopes picked up 6% more shooters among this group to land at 20% overall. That was enough to edge out Leupold from the top spot that it held last...
"20% of the top 200 ranked shooters in the PRS said they were running a Zero Compromise scope when I surveyed them at the end of the 2024 PRS Season. That included 3 of the shooters who finished the 2024 PRS Season in the top 10 in the Open Division, which was as many as any other brand among the top 10. They also had a total of 12 among the top 50 competitors, which means they were well-represented at every level."
"76% of those running a Zero Compromise said they ran a ZCO 5-27×56 scope (ZC527), but all 3 of the guys using a ZCO scope in the top 10 were running the ZCO 8-40×56 scope (ZC840)."
There's 2 people in this thread that have about 10 samples of ZC840's and one of them does some solid unbiased reviews @Covertnoob5
Covertnoob5
Hey guys my name is Will Ormes, I’m a PRS/NRLH competitor and YouTube reviewer of all things gear related. I run this channel on my own and I truly appreciate all the support and friends I’ve made in this industry. If you ever see me at a match feel free to come say hi or squad with me! Thank...
If you'd like to discuss this further than feel free to call me at 916-628-3490
-Richard
It’s just I’m not drawing the same conclusions that you are…but I’m not saying I’m right. I don’t have all of the puzzle pieces, certainly.
I think @gebhardt02 has been handling ZCO user questions and complaints anywhere from adequately to pretty well.
I don’t think most people are saying ZCO scopes stink. I’m certainly not. It’s how one handles the complainers, I guess. I think biz reps on forums have a hard job, way harder than a regular forum poster. Not sure if I’d have the poise or restraint, to be honest.
Anyway, take care and see ya later.
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