Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Nightforce NXS glass

I've got a friend who's nephew was a Marine Sniper that did several tours in Afganistan and also was an instructor at Quantico. In his opinion NF scopes aren't all that when it came to tracking, repeatability, ability to hold zero and glass quality.

For hunting/target situations most shooters probably would be happy with a NF scope but when twisting turrets hunderds of times on a daily basis like military snipers do he said NF didn't hold up.

There is a reason why USMC snipers use S&B scopes.

I have two NF NXS Compacts with the IHR reticle. A 2.5-10x42 and a 2.5-10-32.

Now, last time, I commented on a NF scope I got bashed pretty good. So, I am going to be careful here.

Anyway, I bought the 2.5-10x42 to put on my heavy barreled .243. This is a gun a play with a lot.

Long story short, I liked the scope enough to buy the 2.5-10x32 with the same reticle for hunting gun that I had put together. Now, the IHR is a thin reticle. I would compare it to the Leupold fine duplex reticle in terms of reticle thickness. And, as most of us already know, the fine reticle is great for precise aiming but can be problematic in low light. I experienced this issue while deer hunting this year and all I can say is turn on the illuminated reticle and all is good.

I hope this is helpful.

This "thought" is not uncommon with Marines. It is precisely because they are not issued NF's and therefore don't have much, if any experience with them. I'll bet that he thinks 8541's are soooo much better than sister device snipers too.... hint

No offence but this is the internet, you should have thrown in an uncle followed by "my baby's dady."

good point!

Maybe in some cases but not with him. When he was on AD he competed in LOTS of Sniper and high power competition matches. He told me and I've seen some of the gear companies would send him in an attempt to get him to endores their products or sponsor him. He's owned and used LOTS of top brand scopes including Zeiss, Leupold's MK series, USO, Premier, Steiner, Nightforce & S&B.

Like I stated he told me he isn't impressed with NF scopes. Your opinion may differ.

Does differ, imagine that.

I have had all of them too.An I love my NF.I would like to put swaro glass in a NF scope.I do not think anything could hang with it.In low low lite the swaro is better.

I love these "nightforce doesn't have good glass" posts. Usually made by people that don't have one.

Great comments these last two, and I agree on both counts.
I use a S&B on my long range rifle, and a NF 2.5-10x32 on a 270 WSM big game rifle. The NF has become my second favorite scope brand. The glass is not S&B, but as someone else here mentioned, it will never cause you to miss a shot opportunity. It is good glass, but just having good glass isn't good enough for serious long range shooting. IMO, the scope HAS to have precision and repeatable turrets.
FWIW, I have used my little NF for marmot shooting as far as 1077 yards. That's "good enough" image quality at 10x for me.

Glass is very good.
But not better than S&B.
I have both.

dave

2.5-10, 3.5-15, or 5.5-22?

Check out their new 2.5-10x42 NXS compact = looks to be a sweet hunting scope!!

If weight is no object, then I'd check out the 3.5-15x50 or the 5.5-22x50 = both scopes are good to go!!

I own both the NXS 2.5-10x32 and the NXS 3.5-15x50, for me, for my style of hunting, the 2.5-10 has been the way to go. If I were to do it again I would purchase the 2.5-10x42 over the 32 though for better low light performance.

Most of my hunting involves a lot of walking, much of it in mountains, and a number of shots seem to be at first or last light (darn animals).

I prefer the 2.5 compact over it's big brother due to weight and bulkiness. The compact IIRC weighs about 19ozs and the 3.5-15x50 about 32ozs. For me, this is noticeably more weight over the course of a day. It is not that I cannot, as I have packed the 3.5-15x50 for a number of years, rather it is just easier to use a significantly lighter scope when one carries it all day.

The bulkiness for me is due to the turrets. For me, they tend to stick out and be in the way, and after several years I found I just did not use them. The NPR-2 reticle facilitates accurate holdovers for shooting out to 500 yards, I have not needed more.

As for magnification I have not found on longer shots much difference between 10 and 15 power. When I punch paper I definitely want all the magnification I can get but not on a hunting rig.

One area where both Nightforce scopes have excelled is in their adjustments - nothing that I have used has been that uniform and repeatable. The other is in holding zero.

One other significant difference between the two is how the reticles are illuminated. The 3.-15 has an on/off switch that can be adjusted on a clean bench with some tools. The 2.5-10 is basically a highly adjustable rheostat dial - much better.

The glass.... Lots of views here, some based on actual experience and some based on either looking through one in a stand once or someone that knows someone. I'm no expert but I will offer this, based on years of actual experience, you will not miss a shot out to 500 yards due a lack of glass quality on a Nightforce.

Views on glass quality seem to vary a fair bit. I think this is legitimate as I believe peoples eyes vary a bit. That is, what is great to one person may not be as good to another and both people are telling you the truth.

Example, I have a Leica spotting scope that for me is brighter and sharper than the Zeiss and the Swaro. But in binoculars I have a pair of Swaro's that for me were significantly better than the Leica and some better than the Zeiss. Go figure.

Ultimately it will be your eyes that tell you which one is better, but if it is for a hunting rig that you are going to carry I would most definitely go with the 2.5-10x42.

Good post Westcoaster!!

Why do people expect Nightforce to equal a scope twice its price?

12-42

dave

I have four 12x42 NF's. I am very pleased with the tracking, and with the scopes in general, although I have always thought that for my old eyes, the clarity and brightness drop off precipitously after about 36 power. It seems to me that it takes bright sunlight to use the last four to six power of a 12x42. Just my eyes and my $0.02.

Midwestmonsterhunter,

My experience is not like yours. The Nightforce is minutes better than my Swarovski z5 as darkness encroaches.

dave:

Have you tried the new ATACR scope from Nightforce yet?? Glass on this scope is supposed to be a serious upgrade over the NXS line.

Thinking about trying a ATACR myself!!!