Minox ZV3 4.5-14x44 Riflescope Plex Reticle 66025

Minox ZV3 4.5-14x44 Rifle Scope Review

The Minox ZV3 4.5-14.x44 is the big brother to the popular ZV3 3-9x40 and newly released ZV3 3-9x50.  Building upon the success of the original Minox ZV3 3-9x40, the 4.5-14x44 goes several steps further and offers the same great shooting experience with some serious tweaks and upgrades for hunters and target shooters.

The Minox ZV3 4.5-14x44 has several similarities to the original 3-9x40, and the larger 50mm objective model.  First of all, it still has a waterproof and fogproof nitrogen-purged body made from one piece anodized aluminum, with a 1 inch main body tube.  It still utilizes the same design for the quick focus eyepiece and magnification rings, and high quality glass.  But the differences are immediately noticeable.  It is just slightly longer than the ZV3 3-9x40 and ZV3 3-9x50, at just over 13 inches in length with the quick focus eyepiece fully retracted.  Weight is a respectable 16 ounces, impressive considering the presence of the side focus mechanism, and the scope feels like it would be right at home on a lightweight rifle.   

The 4.5-14x44 utilizes what some might consider a somewhat uncommon magnification range.  It's a standard 3:1 ratio, one that you'll find on most consumer-level scopes, which should actually be 4.5-13.5x if you apply the mathematical formula.  We have no way of telling whether or not it's actually 13.5 or 14x, but that's a minor concern that doesn't make much difference in practical real-world use.  The 4x minimum magnification is low enough to allow for short to medium range shots, and the 14x maximum magnification will allow you to reach out to 400+ yards more comfortably than the 9x models.  If we had to compare the versatility of this magnification to another scope, we'd choose the Minox 3-15x models.

The 44mm objective lens is a good middle ground between the 40mm and 50mm objective lenses found on the other Minox ZV3 models, and should offer a good combination of increased light gathering over the 40mm models while allowing a lower mount than the full size 50mm objective.  It's feasible that the 44mm objective will offer a few more minutes of hunting time at the beginning and end of the day over the 40mm, falling just short of the 50mm.  At the highest magnification, twilight performance is more similar to that of the ZV3 3-9x40.  Still, very respectable given the quality of glass you're getting for under $300.

Another difference between the 4.5-14x44 and its siblings is the presence of side focus (SF) parallax adjustment, which is commonly found on longer range rifle scopes of this caliber.  Speaking of the side focus, it is marked at 50 yards, 100 yards, 200 yards, 400 yards, and infinity.  The feedback from the side focus knob is slightly tight for our tastes, and while there are some slots for additional grip, the knob is metal and we can see it being difficult to adjust while wearing gloves in cold weather.

We originallly stated that the Minox ZV3 4.5-14x44 included high profilt turrets, but this was incorrect.  The ZV3 4.514x44 actually has the same low profile hunting turrets as the rest of the ZV3 rifle scopes (as well as the new ZA5 HD line of scopes).    Early complaints about the first round of ZV3 3-9x40 rifle scopes were mostly based around a slight mushiness to the turrets, which does seem to have migrated to our test unit ZV3 4.5-14x44.  There are some affirmative tactile clicks, but it's not as audible as some of the later run ZV3 3-9x40s and early 3-9x50s.  Otherwise, these turrets also utilize a similar allen-key reindexing system that allows them to be reset to zero once the scope is sighted in.

On paper, the 4.5-14x44 has a much more limited field of view than the other two models - 21.7 feet @ 100 yards on 4.5x magnification, and 7 feet @ 100 yards on 14x magnification.  In addition, the windage and elevation are limited to 40 MOA of internal adjustment each, which may be short of an expected 60 MOA, but still should not present any problems when utilizing the BDC 400 reticle to its maximum range.  

The practical performance of the Minox ZV3 4.5-14x44 in terms of optics is actually pretty good.  While this scope does take the ZV3 line up a notch, it does have some issues that we noticed.  The view is extremely clear, bright, and sharp, and doesn't present a lot of chromatic aberration at low magnification, but there is some pronounced field curvature.  It was one of the first things we noticed, though it's not a complete deal breaker.  If you can get over the rolling ball, the clarity and brightness are excellent (as expected from the ZV3 rifle scopes).  At high magnification, the lack of chromatic aberration is very surprising, and is another factor that goes a long way toward making up for field curvature that may turn some people off.

The 4.5-14x44 includes bikini covers, instruction manual, allen wrench, cleaning cloth, and the Minox lifetime warranty.

The Minox ZV3 4.5-14x44 is inheriting the performance and value of the original Minox ZV3, with an eye toward futur long range capabilities.  This scope does have its problems, but a hunter or sport shooter looking for a side focus model with ample magnification should give it a shot.

Minox ZV3 4.5-14x44 Manual

Care and Feeding of your Minox ZV3 4.5-14x44

Minox engineers extraordinary durability into every rifle scope they build.  However, they are still precision optical instruments and reasonable care should be taken to ensure long-term operational performance.  Do not disassemble the scope in any way, as this may damage the seals that make the Minox ZV3 fogproof and waterproof.  Transport the scope (and firearm, if attached) in a padded case and prevent the scope from experiencing any excessive impact.  When cleaning your firearm, be sure to cover the lenses of your Minox ZV3 to prevent cleaning agents from contacting and possibly damaging lens coatings.  Clean the scope periodically by wiping the body with a soft, lint-free cloth.  The objective ocular and objective lenses can be carefully cleaned by brushing away dust and dirt with a soft brush (such as a LensPen).  For heavy smudges or spots, a small amount of alcohol or lens cleaner can be utilized.  The scope's moving parts have been lubricated at the factor, and no further lubrication should be needed.

The Minox ZV3 4.5-14x44 Warranty

The Minox ZV3 is protected by a default two year warranty against defects and malfunction.  Customers in the USA and Canada may take advantage of the Lifetime Total Coverage Warranty, which protects the product from manufacturing defects and operational failures for the life of the product.

OpticsCamp.com is an authorized Minox dealer.  Check out our entire selection of Minox ZV3 Rifle Scopes