Zeiss are what I call a proper scope manufacturer, with a decade of producing premium optics behind them and culminating today with the V8 range: 1.1-8x24mm, 1.8-14x50mm, 2.8-20x56mm and the mighty 4.8-35x60 scope.
This 2.8-20x56 model on test is a perfect, compact, all-round scope with 30mm tube, low-light capabilities, illuminated reticle, parallax adjustments and ASV or ballistic turret system for precise down-range aiming, along with Zeiss HT lenses.

This scope is just the right size – 350mm long for a sporting rifle and weighing 830g – so it’s built to take knocks but balances well when mounted.

This model has a 30mm tube (the 4.8-35x60mm model is 34mm), so provides a better choice of mounts and still has a good degree of internal adjustment. This being metric, you have an adjustment range at 100m of 210cm for height and 135cm for windage. Each click represents 1cm at 100m and with the V8’s ASV or ballistic compensating turret system you are able to match exactly the trajectory of your chosen cartridge and bullet weight/velocity. You have nine ballistic turret dials or foils specifically numbered to match your rifle/cartridge ballistics combined with a zero-stop feature that allows a precise tactile return to initial zero.

Parallax adjustment is from 50m to infinity for those close or long-range shots at higher magnifications and it uses a left-side mounted control that also houses the illuminated reticle battery (CR2032).

Ultimate clarity

Internally the latest Schott glass HT (high transmission) lenses achieve 92% light transmission for a superior clarity of image even at the highest magnification, and exceptional low-light capability and high-contrast, too. Zeiss also use a Lotutec lens coating to repel water from the lens and keep the image clear.

Field of view is impressive with 15.3-2.1m (45.9-6.3ft in old money) at the 2.8x low and 20x high-end magnification range, and the eyepiece has a larger eye box to achieve speedier target acquisition even at the highest mag setting. Small things like this make all the difference in the field.

A choice of reticles from a 4A type (No. 60) or this large Mil Dot (above)are available, all being illuminated by Zeiss’s digital technology. Eyepiece-sited controls with a push on/off button and then subsequent intensity settings via a rubber-ringed adjustment control are so handy to use with a last-setting memory and auto-shut off. You also have an angle sensor that automatically activates and deactivates illumination to maximize battery life when the gun is rested.

I really appreciated the isolated illumination source, which gives a superbly fine but highly visible floating red dot – perfect for deer against foliage in low-light scenarios.

Field test/Conclusion

Fitted to the new Tikka T3X Super Varmint in 6.5CM (what else?) I selected the ASV No. 3 turret closest to my trajectory for the Fox 100gr bullet reload at 3,104fps (45.5gr Vit N150).

The real test is always out in the field. A spot of Chinese water deer stalking saw the quarry emerging in the last half-hour, so the V8’s HT optics with multi-coated layered lens were a welcome addition. Not only do they differentiate between deer and foliage but achieve fine definition, essential for trophy/sex evaluation of CWD.

CWD inhabit big fields on this Buckinghamshire shoot, so longer 200-yard shots are common. The ASV was a breeze to use, and when a cracking buck popped out at 268 yards the Zeiss steered my Fox bullet precisely to the aim point. The V8’s low 2.8x and high 20x from the 8x power range is also really handy in these conditions as a deer is just as likely to appear at 30 yards! This model V8, even at £2,775, is probably the perfect stalking scope on the market.

Technical specifications

Model:                Victory V8 ASV 
Magnification:            2.8-20x mag 
Objective lens:            56mm 
Lens Coating:             Lotutec 
Exit Pupil:            9.9mm and 2.8mm (2.8-20x mag) 
Twilight Factor:        7.9 and 33.0 (2.8-20x mag) 
Field of View:    m/100m        15.3m – 2.1m (2.8-20x mag) 
Tube diameter:                    30mm 
Eye relief:                        92mm (3.6 in) 
Parallax free:                    50m to infinity 
Total Adjustment range at 100m height:        210cm 
Total Adjustment range at 100m windage:    135cm 
Adjustment per click:            1.0cm at 100m 
Length:                        350 mm (13.8 ins) 
Weight:                        830 grams (29.3 ozs) 
Illumination:                    Yes 
Reticule:                        43 
Price:                        £2,775.00  

Contact: Zeiss UK
Tel: 01223 401450
Price: £2,775