DNT Zulus 520R V2

 

The Zulus V2 from DNT Optics 

As many of you know I have been working with, NOT FOR, DNT Optics for a while now testing their various products and scope range and I have few I am working on right now that I cannot talk about for fear of the wrath of DNT where they might come Ninja Kick my dam ass back to the middle-ages, where some people think I may belong. Na kidding but I am working on a few bits they have asked me to test that you will be interested to see in the future, but, I will leave that for now.

Now let me talk about the Zulus V2 for now as that has been released for over a month now, for those following on Youtube you would have seen my initial review, for those that don’t here is the link to that video9 (HERE)

I have been testing this before its release in early July so I have worked with it a lot and I am still using it in the field and you will see more footage to come as the season progress as it is sitting proudly on my .270 ready for deer.

Anyways you know the script by now we need to get the geeky stuff over and done with before I can start the journey of the V2.

– ZULUS HD 520R-V2 SPECIFICATIONS –

Sensor Specifications

 

Resolution: 1920×1080 pixels

Sensor Frame Rate: 60 Hz

Video Record Resolution: 1800×1080 pixels

 

Optical Specifications

 

Digital Magnification

Eye Relief

Diopter Adjustment

5 ~ 20x

65 mm / 2.7 inches

±3D

Display Specifications

 

Type: Micro-OLED

Display Resolution: 1920×1080 pixels

Frame Rate: 60 Hz

 

Battery Power Supply

Battery Type: 21700 (Flat Top)

Operating Time: 10 Hours

External Power Supply: 5v – Type C USB

Physical Specifications

 

Net Weight: 542g / 19.1oz

Memory: Built-in Memory, 32GB

Dimensions: 6.4×3.0×2.1 inches

Waterproof: IP67

Wi-Fi / App: YES (DNT)

Operation Distance: 5–1000 m / 5–1100 yards

Operating Temperature: −20~50 °C / −4~122 °F

Recoil Proof: .50BMG

 

Now to the Scope

 

Now that is done with we can get down to the stuff you actually want to read.

 

Lets talk about the story around the V2 release as it is a bit of a long winded one that has kind of confused a few people including some of the retailers but it has been the amusement and chat between Affiliates and Reviewers of this product.

 

Back in Easter ( 2025 ) DNT announced they were dropping the price of the Zulus by £100 across their range as an “Easter Deal”, this was confusing for everyone involved in selling, reviewing and promoting the product as although it was a 2 year old product by now it was still the best selling product of the year not just for DNT but for Night/Day digital scopes as a whole. I had my suspicions something was happening in the woodwork worming its way out, but, I went along with the flow. Now I know some retailers were pretty miffed about this price jump BACKWARDS as to them it made no sense, for me I had a smile on my ugly face because I felt the waters were bubbling for the better.

Lets be honest the Zulus 312r and the 520r are phenomenal scopes in their own right and you know I personally own both the 312 and 520R’s and I believe the IR is what truly makes them stand out in a very crowded market, do not get me wrong no matter how good the Zulus is I still believe that the Thermnight 635 is the best product digitally that DNT do and although I am up for debate on the matter I do not think that will change my mind yet. Anyways I Digress.

 

In May rumours started coming from the bowels of DNT that the Zulus was being upgraded, this was nothing new as the prototype of the Zulus 4k had been floating between testers since the British Shooting Show back in Feb. What we did not know in May though was that that rumour was not about the 4k it was about the up grade to the current Zulus, a complete over-haul on some of it’s features and the address of some of the small stuff that needed refined for usability and experience over the existing Zulus V1.

 

So on one warm late June afternoon I was greeted by the posty with a secret package straight from DNT’s UK headquarters with strict instruction not to reveal the contents until launch day on the 4th July. Here in my hand was the NEW Zulus 520r V2 and it was new to the feel over the compact original V1.

 

First thing I noticed was that it had a throw lever, this is so it can be used like a traditional scope in regards to zooming in and out, the old V1 Zulus had a scroll wheel, and although it worked fine it was a little small and many people when they first got their hands on one often asked how you zoomed in and out. Another complaint that seemed to occur when using the scroll wheel was that it was difficult to use with gloves or with cold fingers, who uses gloves anyways? only kidding!, So the magnification function changed, though only how you zoom not the actual zoom itself, base mag was still 5x or 3x depending on what unit was available.

 

 

What else had changed?

 

The battery was bigger, instead of the 18650 battery that came with the original Zulus the V2 now has a 21700 battery, this gives more power and more run time as well as helping the cmos etc to work a lot faster (Please make sure your retailer has given you the right battery as scope will cut out during recoil, YOU NEED A 21700 Flat top battery). 

 

Due to the battery being a bigger battery the IR illuminator lens is also bigger giving you a wider flood, the excellent built in zoomable Vscel IR Illuminator is really what makes the Zulus stand out from any other Nightvision digital device as when used on the lowest setting it is still good quality out to and past 250yrds, but, now it floods even wider for those closer range shots increasing the field of view at night and making it more easier to track what you want to shoot at but still giving you the ability to focus into those longer shots for better clarity.

Other features that have changed is the OLED display, even though it is still 1920×1080, is bigger and brighter making your experience a lot better and able to help you see in the darker more shaded areas during the day as well as helping to balance out the image at night. In the end it is the same sensors within the unit but enhanced for a better user experience.

 

Software is different also, the software in the V2 is different from that of its predecessor, instead of a separate screen with an icon menu the new V2 software runs alongside the same as the Thermnight range, so no hidden button controls or long presses for to save zeroing settings. On the older Zulus when zeroing you were never sure if your zero was saved as it was a long press of the left button to save and it just did it, also to freeze frame you had to remember tapping the power button froze the frame for one shot zero, with the new V2 you can see the freeze frame and the save and exit functions, just like you can on the Thermnights.

 

Another Upgrade is the WiFi, I do realise that this will not matter to some people but due to the upgrade of the WiFi DNT have removed the Picatinny and I know that will frustrate some, honestly though I do not feel the need for an additional torch with either the V1 or the V2 of the Zulus.

 

I think having a more uniformed approach to the software between the different scopes were was a good thing.

 

In The Field

 

No-one expected an upgrade to the original Zulus, well except for the 4k tube version which will be ready in October, in fact I do not think anyone thought it could be improved upon considering its cost. What I really wanted to know though was did any of these new features or upgraded equate to anything in the field. Were they really upgrades or were they just gimmicks to keep us from wanting the 4k?

 

First chance i got the V2 was mounted and zeroed to the .270, My Tikka T3 .270 has been the work horse of my rifle collection over the years, its reliability means that I can quickly tell if there is a problem with the scope or me if something goes wrong in the field.

 

First test, first light stalk after whatever male beastie put its unsuspected antlers in front of me. I manage deer numbers not trophies as a job so as long as a beast has horns at this time of year I can cull it, different management practices for different people.

 

 

I made my way to the estate and after a hour or so spying and moving locations I came across a a relatively nice Roe Buck in a very dense clear-fell, there was no long shot ability in this area so a few hundred yard stalk was needed and not an easy one at that. First light was sunrise was 0415 and I had been on the ground since 0230 and legally I can shoot from 0315.

 

The early morning sun was just waking itself up over my shoulder to the east, a warm southerly breeze was blowing in my face but not enough to push the midges away from me, midge jacket was needed. After downing my midge jacket and then putting a light jumper over the top of it I set off on the stalk.

 

Over my shoulder I had my Tikka .270 with the DNT Zulus V2 mounted on it and the five shot magazine filled with Barnes TTSx 110gr rounds, in my hand I had the Hydra 325 Thermal spotter and my shooting sticks.

 

The stalk was not going to be a long one but it definitely was going to be a challenging one, with little wind and the ground being so dry over the clear-fell it would have to be slow and careful. The buck was over 300m away but with him was a Doe and most likely she would have had young near by so it was likely that she would be hyper aware even if the Buck wasn’t, so extreme caution was needed and taking advantage of any cover available was essential.

 

After a slow stalk across I finally reached a high point where I could look over the clear-fell and get a better view of my Buck, by now I had managed to get within 80yrds of both the Doe and Buck without them seeing me. Any closer would have been silly.

 

The buck was lying down only showing his antlers, lying our of the flies in the now morning sun I could barely see him, the Doe was actively feeding though and too my surprise was browsing ever closer to me in fact becoming way too close. I set up the rifle on the tripod and waited, watching both the buck and the Doe and making sure neither were aware of me. The Doe was still persistent on feeding closer to me, she was now less than 20yrds away, beautiful red/brown coloured coat giving off different shades in the sun and every marking on her face vibrant as she gracefully grazed through the plantation, but, she was getting too close, it was fast changing from the perfect stalk to a disaster as the Buck was still lying 80yrds away in a hollow with only the tips of its antlers showing.

 

I made the decision I had to get the Buck moving, so I stood up behind the rifle, for some unknown reason the Doe still did not pay attention to me, and I gave a whistle. The Doe didn’t react but the Buck stood up, looked across the clear-fell away from me and quickly darted to the right and stopped. The Buck still looking to the right and the Doe still oblivious to my presence I took aim high on the Bucks neck and took the shot and the Buck dropped immediately. The Doe ran for around 50yrds looked back and started feeding again. Strange how it works like that sometimes.

 

Clarity through the V2 was spot on, the daytime image was phenomenal, no lag or freezing and at no point did I feel like I had no confidence in taking a shot. During the zero process I had no issues so during this stalk I felt confident everything was set up ok and that is what you need when your hunting with any equipment, confidence.

 

Now to see what the night image was like .

 

At this time of year I cannot shoot deer at night, not until 1st September, but that does not stop me from looking at deer and testing the scope in these conditions. Let me be honest though nothing much has changed between the V1 and V2 of the Zulus at night except maybe the wider field of beam from the IR Illuminator and the brighter display but, as expected, the V2 is just a amazing at night as what the original Zulus was. I was Sika hinds in clear-fells out to past 200yrds with the built in IR Illuminator easy and for me that is all I need.

 

 

As mentioned before some features have not changed, the Laser Range Finder and Bullet Drop Calculator on the V2 is the same as the Zulus V1 and that really does help both day and night. I have to admit I am glad its different but the same in many ways, it shows the DNT have been mindful of upgrading what is important to the user without adding useless bells and whistles.

 

Over the last couple of months I have used the V2 now on a number of successful stalks. 3 x Roe Bucks , 8x Sika stags, 5x Red stags and 3x Foxes to be exact and it has performed flawlessly providing I am doing what I need to do.

 

Suprising

 

The price is the most surprising bit of it all though. When the original Zulus was released it was £599 for the 5-20 lrf version and for the non lrf version it was £499 , when the 3-12 was released many months after the 5-20 it ran on the same cost platform, back in April both units were then reduced by £100 making both these units now £499 for LRF version and £399 for non LRF version, both magnification models, now for that price you are still getting some phenomenal values. The Zulus V2 is offered at the original costs, the V2 also comes in 5-20 and 3-12 LRF and non LRF and the price is that of the original Zulus price of £599 and £459. For this price it is unbeatable value and really does not have any competitors on the market in my opinion.

 

What I will say though, because of the low price point and presumably low return for retailers, you will find that some retailers might completely under value the product, it really is worth a lot more than it sells for.

 

Final Thoughts

 

As I said before, no-one expected an upgrade to the original Zulus as everyone has been waiting for the release of the Zulus 4k tubed scope, I am not going to get into a discussion about that right now as it will over shadow the V” review if I do.

 

The Zulus V2 is an upgrade, it is a different scope from the original Zulus, especially when it comes to day time use. The longer battery and bigger and brighter display screen really does enhance the user experience of the Zulus, but, here is my question is it worth trading in your old Zulus for a new one or just buying the V2?

 

My answer to that will be down to the individual, each to their own!

 

Here is my view on that, the new features is an upgrade to the old one but that does not mean that the old one is far from ready to be thrown away just yet. the original Zulus is still a fantastic scope but at £100 a difference in new price it makes me wonder if some people will just be happy spending that extra for the upgrade and right so. The V2 does offer a better experience and if your buying from scratch and this is the first time owning a Zulus product then go directly for the V2, I know the V1 is £100 cheaper but for the upgraded menus and the few little upgrades that you get on the V2 it is worth that extra £100, however, if the cost gap was far greater, say £200 or £300 or more then I would say just go for the cheaper original version. I am running both the V1 and V2 side by side and both work great, at night you will see little difference, do not get me wrong there is a difference but it’s minimal, but, during the day there is a huge difference.

 

What I will add to this is something I have mentioned before, MAKE SURE YOU GET THE RIGHT BATTERY, the V1 takes an 18650 and the V2 takes the larger 21700, this is very important.

 

The V2 is an awesome scope and for £599 it is more than worth it.