Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics NX8 Nightforce line - Stay Tuned

I mounted one of these on a lw bolt rifle yesterday and from 3x to 6x I liked it! The reticle is BOLD and the illumination is BRIGHT....like you could use it with a welding helmet on the upper end. Low settings of illumination were pretty good as light faded. The segmented circle around the center dot is bold enough that is stands out pretty well without illumination. Above 6x is touchy on head placement as you'd expect. Below 3x the main crosshairs do not fill the field of view. I don't know why NF didn't extend them out. The center isn't hard to find but I'd still prefer them across the field of view. Folks who do gun games may not though. Once the illumination is cranked up on the low powers the crosshairs aren't needed.....but I don't think they would hurt either.

Hope to shoot it a bit tomorrow to see what's what. I may have to play a bit with target designs to match up with the bolder reticle.

Sweet! Report back.

Come on up and shoot with me. Plan is to start a brush pile and once it burns down a little to shoot.....a couple more feet for stomping would be welcome if it don't go as planned!

Cool! Please let us know what you think after shooting, as I’ve thought hard about purchasing one of these scopes. The center dot seems really large (1.25 MOA), so I’m curious how that will work out.

Visual input and processing on 1x. The only thing I care about on 1x is a glowing red dot, everything else is a distraction from what’s important- the target and what it/they are doing.


It is quite likely that I have more rounds on NF’s 1-8x’s than anyone... The NX8 is a ridiculously good low power variable. Scratch that- all things considered it is the best LPV on the market.


Yes, the eyebox above 6x is slightly smaller than the ATACR, yes the clarity at 8x is a bit less than the ATACR, but it’s durability, reliability, function, size, weight, reticle, and illumination as a package is unmatched. As a dangerous game scope there isn’t another made by anyone that I’d rather use.

I’m going to mount an NX8 on a 6.5 Creed to see how it works on a lightweight rifle.

I would prefer the center dot to be .75-1moa, but I know why the did, and it works fine as is. The Larue 2” square zeroing target works great with it.

Yes, with the dot glowing on 1x-2x nothing else matters. Sans glowing dot I'd prefer the crosshairs extended. I'm saying this with only my small amount of time tracking goats and cattle with it in brush yesterday and today. The glowing dot cures all though.

Just put 40 rounds through a lightweight .308 wearing the NX8. Quick look through the bore/scope and everything looked perfect at 25 yards. Total adjustments for a 100 yard zero was 2" down and 1/2" left....nice when things line up and adjustments are exact (Talley 0MOA rail, Seekins low rings). Rifle is a stainless M7 action with a 22" #2 Douglas in an Edge fill stock that shoots better than I can make it.

I was low on reloads so I used factory ammo I had sitting around and I wasn't sure how it would shoot in this rifle. I disliked throwing an unknown in the first time out but 100 yard groups were 3/4" so I was happy enough after the first couple of groups. The reticle is course, if you want a fine line shooter this isn't it, but it was easy enough to keep a consistent hold using the circle/dot reticle on the thick diamond target I used at 100 yards...it was more of matching relationship than aiming at a spot. Read the drop off the box for steel at 200 and 300 and dialed accordingly. Even though the reticle is thick the circle/dot are easy (and fast) to match up to a 12x12 plate at 200 and 300 yards. Most 300 yard 3 shot groups were just under 2"....might have been better if I'd let the steel stop moving but I was in a hurry...it was freaking hot.

Every shot I took today was on 8x and from prone. It's tight but very usable. I really like the reticle and think it's going to work great for the hunting I do. I like a thicker reticle that really stands out. If you're someone who wants an exact crosshair match so you can see the point of aim it might not be for you. It will definitely suffer if the target can't be matched to it and at longer range but for putting it on a "thing" quickly and efficiently I really like it.

I'm shooting the MOA version and only shot out to 300. It will be a while before I get a chance to take it further. The 1/2" adjustments were noticeable at 300 and I would have preferred 1/4" but I can live with them for how I'll use it. I'll probably shoot it a fair bit over the next three days, changing powers and evaluating use there. I'm guessing it will spent most of it's time between 4x and 6x for hunting. Will try to slip out at dusk to 30 minutes after sunset and spend some more time with it then....that's my biggest question mark about it for my use.

A couple of notes from a little looking today...

Above 6x things/edges tend to get a little fuzzy. I didn't notice it when shooting but there was enough mirage, especially at 300 yards, that I couldn't have noticed it. Things are very crisp up through 6x. Above 6x it becomes noticeably tougher to pick out limbs/twigs....or things like a strand of barbed wire. They can be seen but are a touch hazy. The scope really has a sweet spot between 4x and 6x for me, which may line up good for my use.

Spent a while tracking barn swallows at a fast pace while they were catching bugs. Pretty fast with lots direction changes. Did this for a while and just under 2x, probably around 1.75x was really nice. Turning on the illumination makes a big difference, no surprise. I'm not a "jump shooter" when still hunting but I think someone would be hard pressed to find a better scope for that use if they often shoot at running game (or dangerous game). This was all done with blue sky as the background so there wasn't any clutter to lose the reticle in....but the illumination makes that a bit of a null point.

Hope to spend a little more time with it from sunset to 30 minutes after sunset today, paying specific attention to brightness and resolution differences between the 6x to 8x range in low light along with the effect of lowest illumination settings on and off at those powers.

Spent time from sunset to 1/2 hour after (end of legal hunting hours here) viewing a wooded background ~125 yards away. Sky was overcast with very little light so this was a good evening for it. Went up/down in power but settled on 6x. The bold circle/dot is visible for quite a while without illumination. Illumination helped find it the last 10-15 minutes when the heavily wooded background was essentially black. On gray tree trunks the circle/dot could still be picked out without illumination. The lowest illumination setting is ok, I would prefer it go a little lower but it's usable and not so bright that it washes things out.

I compared it with a 2.5-10x42 NXS with IHR and a 6x42 S&B Klassic with A8 to get an idea about how much going with the NX8 would be giving up at last light. Both were noticeably brighter and easier to use in the low light on 6x as should be expected. The IHR's illumination is useless during the day (unlike the NX8) but is excellent at last light because it can be set so low. Edited to add, mainly because I dislike it, the IHR reticle's point of aim couldn't be seen at all without the illumination....the open reticle design with very fine subtensions requires the use of the IHR's illumination. With this in mind, if you were stuck without illumination, you'd be better off with the NX8's bold reticle, dimmer image, and smaller exit pupil than you would with the IHR reticle....reticles matter. The S&B 6x's image seemed much brighter to me than either of the other scopes and the non-illuminated A8 reticle was usable until the end, again reticles matter.

The NX8 is usable but struggles a bit in low light. The image is dimmer with little wiggle room compared to a larger exit pupil of the other scopes...the ease of viewing with the larger two scopes compared to the NX8 was very noticeable. Illumination clears up any problem of finding the reticle on a dark background. Illumination didn't seem to wash out the image much but I wouldn't want it any brighter than the lowest setting...would actually prefer it to go a little lower for last light. If hunting a field or open area that isn't a black background like I was viewing the bold circle/dot can likely be seen without illumination. I had no problem seeing it in pastures. Again, it's usable but low light isn't it's strong point.

I bought the 1-8 trijicon, its a heavy 34mm, 32 or so ounce mother, I don't know how it compares to the 17 ounce NXS..I don't have the sharpest vision in the world however I don't see a problem with it at 8X on range targets during the day . i like the locking turrets on it, the illumination in the red is usable though I have not tried it much, the FF Plane reticle works for me at 1 and 8 but again don't have any comparison against the NXS, it dials accurately and appears to be a rugged rifle scope however I have not beat it up too much. I think I could consider the NXS 1-8 at 17 ounces but it sounds from the discussion above that its more readily usable as a 1-6.

Thanks. I agree, reticles matter, a lot. Even for shorter range woods hunting.

Appreciate the report Jay. Sounds like there were no surprises.

About the only surprise was how bad the resolution was at 8x...as much as anything I'm surprised I didn't notice it when shooting the other day. Spending time with it clears up completely at just a touch under 6x on the power dial and is a nice sharp image there. Lot to like about it but as expected there are trade offs.

My postal scale may be a touch off but it showed the bare scope weighing 18.2 ozs rather than the 17 listed in specs. Not a big difference and I need to check my scale as it could be wrong.

The 1-6 Vudoo looks better to me and for a bit less.

I like good glass. That thing would be gone for not being clear at its top magnification.

The Vudoo is nowhere close. There are optical compromises that have to be made to create such a tiny 8x zoom scope. 1-4x’ish is excellent. 4-6x’ish is really good. 8x is for zeroing, and purposeful distance. The vast majority don’t even notice it until it’s pointed out. We had an event with just shy of 20 people and around 121,000 rounds. They used Trijicon 1-6x VCOG’s, 1-8x Accupower and ACOG’s, Vortex Razer Gen II 1-6x, SWFA 1-6x, Aimpoints, Eotech’s, Nightforce 1-8x ATACR and NX8’s. They used them from 0-600 yards in all lighting conditions, with the biggest target being 12” while they were being measured and timed for score. The optic that 100% of them chose at the end was the NX8. Then ATACR, then quite a ways behind- split between the 1-6x SWFA and the 1-8x Trijicon Accupower.

Most notice after being told/shown that the ATACR has a slightly more forgiving eyebox, and better optical performance at 8x, yet everyone when forced to choose one has chosen the NX8. The durability, reliability, reticle, illumination, ease of use, size, and weight all combine to make it untouched on the market for serious use. I don’t say this lightly- for what they were designed for the NX8 and ATACR 1-8x are the best low power variables that have ever been produced... by anyone.

well damn, guess I got to save a buck more

new model surefire warcomps?
Kinda been wondering bout em
Is it expansion chambered slightly for the 6 ports?
Are the ports angled forward any?
Ain't even seen one local yet around ft campbell/Clarksville for sale.
Ain't even heard of, or seen anyone running one yet.
I'm sure 5th group types have run em by now.

How they run?
I run a vg6 gamma 5.56, it works good. Makes the muzzle run like a horizontal sewing machine needle.
Little loud but not excessively, but flash is well above a2 birdcage level.

How does the NX8 fit on a short action CF rifle? Would it work with Talley lightweights or is a rail/rings required to position correctly?
I’m always open to different ideas and for a lightweight rifle I tend to use in bad weather and dark timber, whether it be in the Rockies or eastern whitetail woods, and I don’t seem to shoot that far, this could be an interesting combination.

Have wanted to try a nxs 2.5-10x24 for a while. This NX8 looks like a slightly smaller version. That Fc reticle looks nice as well.