Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scope choice

After reading the scope thread I'm settling on Nightforce, It looks like all the rest have too many faults.
Comments ?

What Nightforce for what hunting? They seem big, expensive and this is the reticule?

I've not used a Nightforce yet, but by all accounts, they are probably the most reliable scopes out there and I will give one a run some day.

There are some other options out there for a bit less money though. My SWFA Super Sniper is a very reliable scope.

The Bushnell LRHS has been very reliable for me so far, and the optics are superb.

Both are definitely worth considering before making your final decision.

John

[quote=Savage_99] What Nightforce for what hunting? They seem big, expensive and this is the reticule?

There are other reticules than that for Hunting.
The one you posted is not one for that purpose.

Nightforce.com has a display of all the available ones.

I'd LOVE to see the failure rate compared to the Weaver Classic K4...I know people are going to go off on me for this, but show me the comparison in REAL numbers.

Nightforce makes great scopes, I have a NSX 8-32 and for it's intended purpose it's fantastic.

However, you won't find one on one of my regular hunting rifles, they're just too heavy. For a dedicated long range rig, if I had one, then maybe but that would be the only instance. Nightforce makes a bunch of different reticles but none of them are what I'd consider ideal for a general purpose hunting scope. The best pure hunting reticle is a #4 in my opinion. There are plenty scopes out there that don't weigh 2 lbs. and will hold up just fine.

CH, I have an M8 3X with the #4 on my 760 Rem 35Rem originally but Rechambered to 358 Win for Woods work but wouldn't think of using that reticule for open country hunting.
The 3" & 4" Dots are what I like and use them in and out of the woods.
Haven't seen a reticule on nightforce site that I like yet.
A 2.5-10 x 42 weighs 19 oz , not that bad compared to 14+ oz for a comparable Leupold.

No matter what you choose there will be those who will chastise you for your decision.

Depending on what you intend to do there are many fine choices. If you plan on spinning knobs there are only a few that IMHO pass muster. NF NXS F1, S&B PMII, and for me at least the Steiner Military. I'm no expert but I've been facing the same decision and when you hear about poor tracking and repeat failures I decided to spend a little bit extra rather than deal with headaches or spending money several times. These three seem to show the most promise between quality and durability.

Most of my other scopes are Leopolds and I've hunted the west only for my entire life. They're workable. The thing is, when you start shooting a lot and moving the internals around things wear out, and get stressed, eventually they break.

I've sent in one 3.5x10x50mm twice already. I have others that have yet to break.

There's guys that will only recommend NF. Others only S&B. I've seen enough good feedback on the Steiner I went that route to save myself a little scratch. I posted some links that helped me with my decision.

link to previous thread

I agree that the 2.5-10x42 is the nicest hunting scope nightforce makes. I wish they'd do away with the adjustable parallax which isn't needed on a 10X scope and get some decent hunting reticles. The IHR is a goofy and less desirable version of a #4 in my opinion. If they did away with the side focus they could probably save 2-3 oz. which would make it right where it should be. The SHV doesn't interest me because of no available zero stop. I wish they'd make something that max'd out about 14X and keep it below 20 oz. that had a zero stop.

Most of my big game scopes have #4 reticles. I'm not a hugely experienced open country hunter but I would certainly use any of mine any place I'd use a duplex reticle. The center wires of the #4 are as fine as any duplex out there, but the #4 works a lot better in low light because of the fat outer portion. I see the #4 as a greatly improved duplex.

Interesting. I wouldn't buy a scope without side focus or adjustable objective.

Do you even own any scopes under 15X?

I wouldn't mind a 2.5-10X42 NF but what amazes me is how anyone has ever been able to kill anything without a Nightforce. Just don't get caught up in negative reviews. Pick a known brand starting about $400 and up with a good warranty and you will be fine.

Judging by all your wildcats and scope testing I'd say you're much more a shooter than a hunter. If you're into precision shooting an adjustable objective is a requirement. While the OP didn't specifically say so, he seems to be phrasing his question in the context of hunting. For a general purpose hunting rifle with a scope that tops out at 10X I'll maintain that an adjustable objective is a hindrance, it's one more thing to be screwing with that isn't going to make any practical difference at normal hunting ranges. When you start talking specialized long range rifle/scope combos for western hunting then that might change, but for the hunting 90% of us do it's a PITA that does nothing for you and gets in the way.

I've got a good friend that has killed more big game than anyone else I know including some B&C animals. If you handed him a scope with an adjustable objective he'd say "what's that". I know because that's exactly what he said when I handed him my 6mm BR with a nightforce 8-32 on it. If a guy like him who lives, eats, & breathes hunting has the success he has without parallax adjustable scopes then they're not exactly a must have on a hunting rifle.

What difference does that make? But I do have one. It is a 2 1/2-8X on the .454. The next one up is 4-16X on the 10/22. What is your point?

Among the optical tests I have performed is parallax. When I compared a new 4-12X without parallax at 200 yards with one with, I was amazed the crosshair could move at least 6". I sold the 4-12X.

What other hunters and shooters use is none of my concern unless they ask. Someone here asked.

Exactly why I never discuss which scopes or rifles I choose any more. This site has attracted a cadre of individuals who seem to do nothing more than belittle other members. There's plenty of great information available. No need to ask any questions as someone has already asked it (search is your friend) or someone will ask it soon. Then, while they're getting chewed on, people like RD, JG and Bob to name a few provide polite, comprehensive, useful answers.

Is it impossible to set it at some "typical" distance and then simply leave it alone?

No, but you'll probably have a blurry image at distances other than where you have the parallax set. Non-AO scopes are designed with a much larger depth of field so they're in focus near and far.

I understand that, but at lower magnifications (as in 2.5-10) the effect is much less apparent. I'm using a couple of straight 6x scopes with parallax adjustments and the blurry image stuff doesn't show up. But when I want that last bit of precision, and have the time to use it, it's there.

Everything's a compromise on a hunting rifle. If it weren't then we'd all be using 30 lb. benchrest style rigs wearing straight taper barrels with 45X scopes. There's no arguing they shoot better than the typical hunting rifle. Yes, the depth of field effect in a 6X scope is less than an at higher powers, but you could also argue that any precision gained by the parallax adjustment is negated by only having 6X magnification. The rifles I have that I shoot at anything where I would worry about parallax wear scopes that top out at 14X-32X. The only rifle I have with a scope that tops out at 6X or less is a .375 H&H and I don't care about parallax with it. Everyone's eyesight is different too, I know I can't see well enough at 6X to be able to notice a couple of inches of parallax at say 200 yds.

There's no denying that for the utmost precision you need parallax adjustment. My argument is that for a hunting scope topping out at 10X the negatives of the side focus mechanism (weight and another knob to turn) outweigh any advantages they provide for my uses. Others may and will feel differently. Perhaps the best solution would be for Nightforce to make two models of the 2.5-10x42, one with side focus and one without. I have been hunting for many years with a 2.5-10 Swarovski PV without parallax adjustment and have never once felt like I needed it.