Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Nightforce scopes

You seem to think that a tougher scope, one that with with stand outside impacts, will also with stand more recoil. Not so. Leupold makes a very tough, heavy MK. 4 in both 10X and 16X. but it is not their toughest when it comes to with standing recoil. Their little 2.5X Compact is.
In tests done by Ray Atkinson, he found that everything he tested would only stand 100 rds. or less when used on a .500 T-Rex african rifle. But, the 2.5X Leupold Compact, would with stand about 300 rds. E

You're joking right? How mant NXS's or S&B PMll's did Atkins test? None , right?

That's right, he didn't. Neither has anyone else to my knowledge. So why don't you be the first.
I do know that the heavier, beefier 50-56mm scopes have no track record for holding up better than the lighter ones when used on the above rifles. All of them are presumed to be the same. Maybe I missed something. Do you know of any comparision tests made on this point ? E

So, are you saying that if I put a 2.5x compact on my .50 BMG it will last longer than a Nightforce? I think I am going to have to do a little testing.

You may want to go check out the Fifty Caliber Shooter Ass'n website and forum. Most of the guys shooting sub-7 inch groups at 1,000 yards are running those large objective scopes.

[Quote] by Mule Deer
can't imagine any scope being stronger overall than some of the military tactical scopes [Quote]

For chits and giggles.

Would the extra heavy, extra beefy variable tactical military scope hold up just as well as the sporter variable scope, in the same power/obj configuration, on a magnum sporter weight rifle? Whew.

Mac

If I am understanding what Eremicus is trying to say, according to him, no. Of course he is trying to apply something he read as all encompassing. However, maybe Barsness wrote a book or article I missed, "Optics for Marines"......

E,

Why do you continue to come back for more abuse? You've already been proved wrong by JB & Matt.

He's crying and can�t answer right now...his hero, JB, bitch-slapped his erroneous perceptions and conclusions.

Big surprise.

Not.

That ought to be interesting.
What Barsness does is put them on a .375 or a 416. If they hold up for 200 rds., they are pretty tough.
BTW, the scope his .416 wears is a 2.5X Leupold Ultralight. E

200 rounds is hardly earth shattering reliablity..........

fwiw,
This was truly an apple to oranges discussion, however, the first poster asked about a "heavy tactical scope". Some replied with personal experience, some with what they've heard, some with what they've read, and some with what they've noted on a larger scale... John Barsness got pulled into another discussion about scopes that he has never tested or made any sweeping contentions about. In the end he personally dispelled the gratuitous and illogical assertion that light weight fixed powers are the ONLY path to a "tough scope"... He likely has more experience with "hunting scopes" than anyone I can think of and yet he knows his limitations. There is something damned admirable about that...

Regards, Matt Garrett.

Btw, I have no dog in the Leupold versus Zeiss fight. Zeiss makes a hell of a binocular and spotter, however, their scopes are not my gig. Hence you'll notice my absence on those threads. If we could speak to our personal experience, and leave the sweeping generalizations aside, this forum would not be the Carnival Side Show that it has become...

Yes, this thread really took off. It ended up for awhile being a discussion on what scope was tougher. My original question to the group was how good is a Nightforce scope and how well it is suited for a hunting rifle.

What I got out of it was there are a lot of good scopes out there and Nightforce is one of them. It is a little heavier than other 3.5 - 15 x 50 scopes but that apparently has gone into making it stronger.

The question for me from this seems to be would I be willing to tolerate an additional 12oz's of weight for high durability.

So, thank you everyone for sharing your opinions and especially your experiences with this topic.

WC

My 300 RUM weighs 7 lbs 10 oz without optics now and was closer to 7 lbs even in years past. It kicks more than a 375 H&H. So far I've used four scopes on it for more than 200 rounds (some a lot more). Two Leupolds (3.5-10x50 and 4.5-14x50) and two "heavy tactical" IOR's (2.5-10x42 and 4-14x50, the heaviest being 30 oz). Three of the four have 50mm objectives.

All scopes have held up perfectly. The standard Leupold mounts didn't fair too well but I've had zero prolems since going to a rail and tactical rings.

It's certainly not conclusive data, but it's all I have. I guess all it really shows so far is the fact that the IORs were about twice as heavy hasn't seemed to hurt a thing--and they don't have quite the reputation Nightforce does.

I guess the point, E, was that you had no basis from which to say the NF wouldn't hold up as long. As you've admitted above, non of the tests to which you always refer have included scopes like this.

JonA,
lupies new BR competition scopes are some of the heaviest scopes lupie has ever put out.problems abound.
The new vx-7 is right up there with S&B on weight.
It whats on the inside that matters.A properly built erector tube can take it.one thats not,wont.
dave

Matt,

You silver tongued devil you.