Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 Riflescope Review | Optics Trade Reviews

By Maja Pahič Nov 5, 2022

The Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 is the second generation of Swarovski’s Z6i line of riflescopes. It was first introduced in 2007 and updated in 2013. This particular model is probably one of the best all-round scopes on the market at the moment.

Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12x50 — Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50 riflescope

Interested in Z6i series?

Swarovski z6i gen.2

The Swarovski Z6i series of riflescopes is almost unrivaled in terms of quality and performance. They have many features that set them apart from other scopes, such as an illuminated reticle that can be adjusted to any need and a tilt sensor that shuts the illumination off when the rifle is in a non-shooting position. These scopes also boast a 6 times magnification ratio and have a light transmission rate of 90%. They also have an amazing wide field of view at any magnification and excellent build quality.

The following models are part of the Z6i series:

The full name of the riflescope being reviewed is Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 SR.

“SR” stands for SR Swarovski rail

The combination of Swarovski acronyms:

Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 L – the riflescope is mounted on the rifle with rings
Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 BT L – the riflescope comes with a Swarovski BTF ballistic turret, and is mounted on the rifle with rings
Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 SR – the riflescope has an SR rail for mounting purposes
Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 BT SR – the riflescope comes with Swarovski BTF ballistic turret, and has an SR rail for mounting purposes

Looking for more information about Swarovski Optik Acronyms?

Optical performance

Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 offers an interesting magnification range going from 2x to 12x magnification. Compared to many similar scopes which have a magnification range from 3-12 it offers a substantially wider field of view. The Z6i 2-12×50 scope is unique because it offers 21 meters of field of view at only 2x magnification power, while most scopes only offer 13 meters at 3x magnification.

What is also exceptional is that the optical properties are at the highest level. The resolution that is expected from a Swarovski scope is great to the edge of the field of view. This riflescope offers great resolution across the entire field of view. With this scope, you can have an edge on the competition whether you’re stalking the game, hunting in low light conditions, or shooting from a distance. The 12x magnification also allows for clear shots up to 300 meters away.

Watch our Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50 Riflescope Review Below

Physical properties of Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50

The Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 scope is approximately 34 centimeters long, and while it’s not a short scope, it weighs relatively little for its size at only 550 grams. This makes it a light scope for this optical performance and especially for this magnification range. For 50-millimeter objective lens scopes, 550 grams is considered average to below average.

Turrets

Z6i riflescope used in this review has normal hunting turrets. Hunting turrets make this scope perfect for almost any hunting situation you can imagine. Z6i 2-12×50 scope can also be bought with a ballistic elevation turret (BDC turret).

As mentioned earlier, this model’s turrets are the classic hunting, low-profile turrets made out of plastic. Both elevation and windage turrets have a pleasant feel and make an audible noise when they’re turned. I don’t usually prefer plastic turrets, but these work well enough that I wouldn’t say it’s a negative feature. In fact, many customers have said that tracking is quite dependable.

The scope’s clicks are one centimeter per hundred meters. The elevation turret is the same as the windage turret; however, the only difference is that the windage turret’s cap also holds the spare battery for the illumination system.

BDC turret

Z6i 2-12×50 scope can also be bought with a ballistic elevation turret (BDC turret). BDC turret is not only marked for clicks but also distances.

Use the first mark on your scope to zero in the scope at 100 meters. There are three other rings with small colorful dots that show different distance intervals. For example, if you’re aiming for a target 300 meters away and your scope is zeroed at 100 meters, simply turn the ballistic turret until the yellow dot (the third mark) lines up with “300” on the meterage of your target.

The main improvement of the second–generation ballistic turret is its locking mechanism; furthermore, the rings on the new turrets are now black instead of silver. Therefore, it’s easy to see the difference between the two generations.

The ballistic turret can cover a distance of 400 meters with only 45 clicks if you zero in your scope at 100 meters.

Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50

How to zero a scope?

The BDC turret is easy to use, but you need to disassemble it when zeroing the scope. The 100, 200, or 300-meter options for zeroing make it helpful for hunters who do a lot of long-range shooting. With the help of three colored rings—green, yellow, and red—you can easily calculate clicks needed at any distance.

A Personal Ballistic Cam

If you’re in a hurry and need to make a shot quickly, the color-coded dots on your turret can be confusing. To fix this problem, Swarovski has created a new system: a personalized ballistic cam. With this device, rings with colors that show different distances are eliminated and replaced with one ring that is clearly marked for specific distances.

The Swarovski ballistic cam provides customers with a personalized turret for their scope by gathering information about the rifle, ammunition, and ballistic data. This replaces the need for dots that are often difficult to see. You’ll be given easy-to-use distance numbers like 3, 4, 5, or 300m, 400m, 500m which is useful in high-pressure situations.

Parallax

This Z6i scope doesn’t feature any parallax adjustment. The parallax is fixed at 100 meters.

Reticle

The Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 comes with the 4A-I or 4A-300-I reticle which is positioned in the second focal plane. This makes the reticle very thin even at maximum magnification. The reticle covers two millimeters area at hundred meters. The reticle is also illuminated.

Interested in Reticle 4A-I?

Illumination system

The difference between this model and the first generation is in the size of the illumination system. The illumination system is still located on top of the eyepiece but it’s smaller and lower.

The illumination system is very easy to operate. It has a switch for either daytime bright mode or low light mode. When you choose the mode with a switch, there are two buttons on each side for fine-tuning.

The reticle illumination works well for really dim settings for low-light use and it’s hard to see that the reticle is illuminated because of how subtly intense the setting can be.

The strong and high-intensity levels are great for daytime use, especially during driven hunts. I believe that reticle illumination is one of the best systems available right now, and Swarovski executed it well.

Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50
Swarovski Z6i gen.2 2-12×50

Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 price and warranty

The Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 model costs 2490 euros. The SR rail model is 60 euros more expensive. If you wish to order the BDC turret model, you will also have to pay 130 euros extra.

The riflescope comes with a 10-year warranty, and it’s made in Austria by Swarovski.

Scope of delivery

Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 riflescope comes with the following items:

high-quality bikini lens covers
an instruction manual with translations in a few different languages -the manual also doubles as a warranty card on the back page.
a nice cleaning cloth

You may also purchase the following accessories for this riflescope:

Mounting solution

The Z6i 2-12×50 riflescope is offered with a choice of Swarovski SR standard mounting rail or a 30-millimeter tube for ring mounting.

The best way to mount this scope is with the rail. The advantages are that it’s more stable, robust, and reliable. There is no stress on the scope when mounted this way so the optical performance is always at its peak.

Need a mount for your scope?

Pros

The Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 scope is an excellent choice for European hunters because it provides a great field of view, exceptional resolution and the 50 mm objective lens allows for low-light hunting. This scope size, weight, and low-light performance provide the perfect balance between all factors making it one of the best scopes on the market. The scope also features a great illumination system for both low-light and daytime use.

Other great advantages of this scope are that the scope is available with SR rail and BDC turret.

Pros summary:

wide FOV
great optical performance
great illumination system
SR rail
BDC turret

Cons

The ballistic turret could have more than 45 clicks, which would make this scope easier to adjust accurately. Also, some people don’t like the design of the illumination system on this scope. But those are just minor complaints.

Cons summary:

BDC turrets could have more clicks
Some users do not like illumination system design

Final thoughts

Overall, the Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 is an excellent all-round riflescope that is easy to use and is perfect for European hunters. It’s packed with features that make it one of the best scopes on the market and is sure to provide years of service. With its wide field of view, great optical performance, and superb illumination system, the Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 is a great choice for any hunter.

Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 vs Zeiss Conquest V6 2-12×50

There are many factors to consider when purchasing a riflescope. Swarovski and Zeiss are two of the most popular brands on the market. Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 and Zeiss Conquest V6 2-12×50 are both high-quality scopes, but there are some key differences between them.

Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 is better than Zeiss Conquest V6 2-12×50 in almost all regards: it has superior optical performance, is smaller and lighter, and is more expensive. However, one area where the Zeiss Conquest V6 outperforms the Swarovski Z6i is in illumination; the Zeiss Conquest features optical fiber in the reticle, which allows for greater brightness in bright light conditions.

Zeiss Conquest V6 2-12x50 — Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 vs Zeiss Conquest V6 2-12×50

Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 vs Leica Fortis 6 2-12x50i

Both the Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 and Leica Fortis 6 2-12x50i are excellent scopes in their own right, but when compared side by side there are a few key differences.

The most important difference between the two scopes is the illumination system. The Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 features a superior illumination system with many illumination levels, while the Leica Fortis 6 2-12x50i has only 9 illumination levels.

Aside from this, both scopes are very similar in terms of features and performance. They offer a wide field of view, excellent low-light performance, and crystal-clear optics.

Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 vs Leica Fortis 6 2-12x50i

Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 vs Blaser B2 2-12×50

When it comes to optical performance, the Swarovski Z6i 2-12×50 is a clear winner over the Blaser B2 2-12×50. With its superior resolution across the entire field of view, the Swarovski Z6i allows for greater detail to be observed when hunting or shooting targets. However, Swarovski Z6i is more expensive than the Blaser B2, the price difference is almost 650€.