Nightforce scopes

[Gimlet]

Can anyone tell me how Nightforce rate as hunting scopes?

I'm looking for a new scope for my .222. I shoot foxes with it but also rabbits to 300+ yds. I've got a 3-12X50 Duralyt on it at the moment. I'm very impressed with the light gathering, particularly for the money, but they're fixed parallax and for those ranges I need vari-focus.

Zeiss, Swaro or S&B don't offer much choice in the spec I'm after or in my budget.

 

I'm looking at a NF NXS 3.5-15X56.

With the kind of shooting I'm doing low light performance is very important. How would the Nightforce compare with the European big three?

 

All input and suggestions welcome.

Cheers. G.

[Browning]

I can't compare against the European scopes as I don't have one to directly compare against anymore. I used to have Swaro but exchanged them for Nightforce.

 

I now have three NXS scopes, sat on .223, .243 and 6.5x55, and can honestly say I have never found they let me down in daylight, dusk, dawn or lamping situations.....and mine get used a LOT.

[Mr_Logic]

I compared my 5.5-22x56 NXS to my Schmidt 8x56, both set to 8x mag. NF was as good or better than, and very reliable.

[Alycidon]

I have an NSX 50mm, a Swaro PVS 50mm and 2 x Ziess 36mm .

 

The NSX is the only one with an illuminated reticule.

 

For 300 yard plus small targets the NP2DD Nightforce reticule is hard to beat, the tiny center dot is ideal for the job and its also good for target shooting. They dial dependably and reliably. My other scopes all have non illuminated plex reticules.

 

I find ultra low light performance not as good with the NSX as the Ziess or quite as good as the Swaro. The NSX ret is so fine that you have to use the illumination unless the target is well illuminated. For average low light, lamping etc then its not really an issue but when looking to see how far out of a beam you can ID things or seeking dark targets against a dark background then the Ziess despite being half the size of the other two outperform them both.

 

I have heard that Duralit warranty is NOT supported by Ziess GB.

 

If you are going beyond 300 yards as a regular thing and your lamping is not of the extreme low light type then NSX with NP2DD reticule should do you fine. I would personally want a bit more mag to hand than 15 though. I use a 5.5 x 22 x 50 although in its pest control role its rarely far from 8x. In good light shooting at long distances you will want a fair bit of mag.

 

A

Edited April 20, 2012 by Alycidon

[apache]

I have heard that Duralit warranty is NOT supported by Ziess GB.

 

Not true. You are confusing the 'Conquest' range.

[bullet boy]

Nightforce Optics are nice but personally I wouldn't swap my S&B for one!I personally prefer S&B over Nightforce.I think the clarity is nicer with S&B,but we are all different and others will disagree but this is my opinion!German engineering at it's best!!Quality German Optics are S&B.

[Gimlet]

I have an NSX 50mm, a Swaro PVS 50mm and 2 x Ziess 36mm .

 

The NSX is the only one with an illuminated reticule.

 

For 300 yard plus small targets the NP2DD Nightforce reticule is hard to beat, the tiny center dot is ideal for the job and its also good for target shooting. They dial dependably and reliably. My other scopes all have non illuminated plex reticules.

 

I find ultra low light performance not as good with the NSX as the Ziess or quite as good as the Swaro. The NSX ret is so fine that you have to use the illumination unless the target is well illuminated. For average low light, lamping etc then its not really an issue but when looking to see how far out of a beam you can ID things or seeking dark targets against a dark background then the Ziess despite being half the size of the other two outperform them both.

 

I have heard that Duralit warranty is NOT supported by Ziess GB.

 

If you are going beyond 300 yards as a regular thing and your lamping is not of the extreme low light type then NSX with NP2DD reticule should do you fine. I would personally want a bit more mag to hand than 15 though. I use a 5.5 x 22 x 50 although in its pest control role its rarely far from 8x. In good light shooting at long distances you will want a fair bit of mag.

 

A

 

Thanks for that. Excellent reply. I picked out the 3.5-15 because it seemed very good value for money for the spec compared to Euro glass. I've managed ok with 12 power for shot placement to 300 yds but I take your point about mag. If I go much higher though it'll blow the budget. Ditto IR, on both counts.

The foxes so far have not been at great distance, generally under 200 yds. Its mostly low light rabbits that I take at long range (working maximum 300 yds with the odd one a bit over) so I was hoping to get away with 15 power and no IR to keep costs down.

If light gathering is almost as good as the Swaro, or in other words as good as the Duralyt, I think the NSX will do me fine.

My main worry with a 'cheaper' vari-focus was shifting POI. The rifle is printing 1" at 200 yds, which impressed me quite a lot, and thats with me swaying around on the end of it and yanking the trigger, so I want to be confident that the scope I choose will dial reliably to get the best out of the gun. I know NF have an excellent reputation in that department as your experience would seem to confirm.

Cheers for your input.

G

[Gimlet]

Think carefully about your reticle choice!

 

I was thinking of the mildot. Looking at reticle choice on SGC website it looks like all NF reticles are skeletal, so I thought mildot would be ideal for long range shot placement without being too dense, and still visible in low light.

[bullet boy]

I was thinking of the mildot. Looking at reticle choice on SGC website it looks like all NF reticles are skeletal, so I thought mildot would be ideal for long range shot placement without being too dense, and still visible in low light.

 

You can get Mil-Dot in a Nightforce.SGC probably don't have any left in Stock I expect.

Check out this wonderful and very helpful website www.eurooptic.com. - hope this helps you mate.

ATB