I have the 3-10x42 SHV and have the same "complaint", which is the reticle is a bit thin in low light. But other than that I love it. It's been super reliable mechanically and tracks great. The glass is very good as is the eye relief. I'm plotting another.
My two rifles that are somewhat dedicated to timber hunting, my .338 and my .358, have scopes with very bold reticles. I wouldn't put an SHV on a rifle I was setting up to sneak around in the dark woods with. But for everything else this model of SHV rocks.
The 2.5-10x42 NXS would be sweet, no doubt, but it's almost exactly 2x the price and while the illum would be great to have, it's a very tactical-looking scope and the glass is the same as far as I can tell. The SHV is more appropriate on the HUNTING rifles I've been upgrading, and as much as it pains me to say so, the extra $900 is relevant too.
