The new ZE 5.2 line of variable magnification hunting riflescopes from Minox, introduced at the IWA OutdoorClassics 2018, builds its reputation from the acclaimed ZE 5i line, and still feature the 5x zoom range and all qualities that made this premium scope a favorite of many European and the world’s rifle hunters.
"ZE” stands for “Zielfernrohr Europe”, or ‘European Riflescope’ – everything in the Minox ZE 5.2 line is Made in Germany: the design, development, glass, alloy, machining and assembly.
A truly Made in Germany Premium precision instrument, with state-of-the-art performance and features, with a modern, sleek and elegant design, offered at a really affordable price.
Features of the Minox ZE 5.2 hunting riflescopes
The ZE 5.2 line all feature a standard 30mm tube, monolithic construction, an innovative glass fiber illuminated reticle on the second image plane, and the FTA system (Fast Target Acquisition), providing a huge and very forgiving eyebox with large exit pupil, generous eye relief, and very large field of view.
The ZE 5.2 line includes four models; Minox sent us the surprisingly bright ZE 5.2 2-10x50 model, with illuminated German No. 4 reticle to live fire test in the SLG shooting range in Niederweimar.
The 2-10x magnification range is perfect for all round use, for close to medium shooting ranges; it will work for some driven hunts and will be perfect for dynamic close range wood stalking, like wild boar hunting, all the way to medium range sitting hunting from a post or blind.
The large 50mm objective makes this riflescope really bright, too – a very welcome feature for those twilight and adverse condition hunting situations.
We mounted the Minox ZE 5.2 2-10x50 on a Savage 10 BA Stealth super compact bolt action rifle chambered in .223 Remington, a light but very accurate combination, to test the riflescope on ranges from very short distances all the way to the 300m range available in Niederweimar.
Test: Shooting the Minox ZE 5.2 2-10x50 hunting riflescope in Niederweimar
The reticle is a German #4, a favorite of many hunters because of the accuracy of the fine crosshair and speed of the thicker posts; the placement on the second focal plane is a good choice on truly non-ranging reticle designs and does not change size when zooming. The fiber optic LED dot illumination in the center of the reticle is ultra sharp, and a nice touch is the presence of a second CR2032 spare cell inside the battery cap.
The large eyepiece keeps all the premises and claims of the manufacturer in regard to the qualities of the FTA system. Images are extremely bright, sharp and free of any aberration, with nice, contrasted colors, and edge to edge clear. No flares are present and color fringing on extremely contrasted objects (i.e. tree limbs against the clear sky) is slightly present only at the very edge.
The field of view is indeed impressive: from 18.9 to 4.0 m at 100 m, and the eyebox (how forgiving a specific eyepiece is in relation to the lateral and axial movement of the eye while still maintaining a full field of view, before any scope shadow appears) is remarkable.
Controls are just short of ergonomically perfect: smooth and accurate. The waterproof, ultra low-profile elevation and windage turrets are protected with metal caps, and the 1cm/100m adjustments clicks are precise and offer great feedback.
We feel that at the MSRP of 1299 Euro, the Minox ZE 5.2 2-10x50 illuminated reticle, variable magnification riflescope is an excellent deal – especially considering the Minox Comfort Service 30-year warranty.
Further information about the Minox ZE 5.2 2-10x50 variable magnification hunting riflescope can be found on the Minox website.
