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Originally Posted by jeffbird
Originally Posted by Jordan Smith
Originally Posted by pete53
Originally Posted by 1234
nightforce
> even a seal sniper proved Nightforce is the toughest scope , this sniper kept using his Nightforce scope even with a bullet from a enemy sniper in his scope and the Nightforce scope still held zero .

It’s an impressive (if overused) story, no doubt, but there was a lot of luck involved. If the enemy bullet had hit the erector assembly, the story would’t have ended so climactically.


Many years ago now, a young soldier was about to deploy to Iraq out of Fort Hood. His issued Leupold Mark IV was not working correctly (typical) and there were no spare scopes to issue him days before deployment.

I lent him a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22 off my backup rifle to take with him. He was worried about damaging it, but I told him use it and just bring it back.

While deployed, he was in a vehicle that was hit by an IED. The vehicle rolled over and he landed on his rifle so hard it bent where the barrel goes into into the receiver. He was treated and released to return duties a few days later. He had the armorer put the Nightforce on a replacement rifle and it worked fine for the rest of his deployment.

When he made it back, he returned the scope as promised, but asked if he could buy it. Of course I agreed. That convinced me of Nightforce’s durability.

Brands that have broken on me with just use hunting and target shooting are Leupold, Redfield, Zeiss, USO, Nikon, and maybe forgetting a few.

Never had a Nightforce break despite far more rounds fired than all the others added together.

Oh, there’s no doubt that they’re beyond tough, but taking a bullet is a bit beyond what they can handle, and definitely requires some luck.

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My vote will also go for Nightforce

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Originally Posted by jeffbird

Brands that have broken on me with just use hunting and target shooting are Leupold, Redfield, Zeiss, USO, Nikon, and maybe forgetting a few.


You might be better off sticking to iron sights with the luck you have.

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Originally Posted by LFC
Originally Posted by jeffbird

Brands that have broken on me with just use hunting and target shooting are Leupold, Redfield, Zeiss, USO, Nikon, and maybe forgetting a few.


You might be better off sticking to iron sights with the luck you have.

The problem is, when a guy actually uses his stuff, instead of sitting at home in his rocking chair, his stuff breaks. Fragile stuff breaks more often than tough stuff. Simple concept.

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Originally Posted by Jordan Smith
Fragile stuff breaks more often than tough stuff. Simple concept.


Yep - you want stuff that's Not Fragile (queue up some BTO on 8-track and set volume to 11)

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I was unfortunate enough to have a SWFA 2.5-10x32 crap out on me this weekend. Well....actually I can consider myself fortunate that it happened while sighting in and not while in the field.

357 Max single shot with 180 grain A-frames an H110, weaver rail, Vortex low 1" precision rings. Recoil is very light. A few shots to get it close to zero after bore sighting. Dialed in the last adjustment to get it perfect and was going to shoot a 5 shot strings to verify all. On the 4th shot the view went fuzzy. Sounds like a baby rattle. Inside has trash in the view and from time to time a large black "something" in the picture. I'm sure SWFA will handle it well.

Really, I was lucky. Pre-crapout it adjusted correctly and the view from 2.5-8 was pretty good, 9-10x could be cleaned up a little with focus, it fit the rifle really well being light and small with planned use at short range woods shots. I was liking it. If it would have held out 2 more shots it would have been in the woods next weekend.

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I had a friend had a Sauer 270 he earned delivering newspapers or selling trinkets or some schit back in the 60's or 70's. He hunted everything with it and when I met him in the 80's he was still using a Bushnell Sportview 3-9 on it. He continued using it another 20+ years. Never lost zero.

Weird.


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My Barrett Fieldcraft in 7-08 is turning out to be a scope killer. I think the light rifle with a fast recoil impulse is tearing scopes up. I just had another SWFA SS 3-9 HD go bad on it. It ate one last fall that I sent in and still haven't got the replacement back for it yet. Now I have another to send in and they are still on back order.

It also killed a VX-3 3-10x40. I've thrashed a lot of leupolds over the years but the vx3 3-10x40 usually hold up fairly well. I though it might do better under recoil because it's a lighter scope. I just put a new vortex razor hd hunting scope on it. Probably be testing the vortex warranty soon.

I'm bummed to be down 2 SS 3-9 mil mils because they are one of my favorite scopes. This recent one makes the 4 th one I've had go bad but I have several that get used. I will throw a SS fixed 6 mil mil on it if it eats the vortex. The little 7-08 doesn't feel like it kicks much but it is a scope killer.

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Very interesting Burley. What rings and mounts on that Fieldcraft? I don't doubt what you wrote as I have experienced somewhat similar issues with a Kimber. Just curious about the configuration.

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I have a leupold 20 moa one piece rail fir a base. For rings I started with SS 6 screw tactical lows. The scope slipped in them at first so I really cranked them down. It shot well for long enough to shoot an elk last year and then went to crap. I put another scope on in I believe ugi brand rings. It shot well the first trip to the range and then toasted a scope the second trip. I put on another SS 3-9 in some Warne rings and started working up a load for 180g elds. I found a load shooting 1/2 moa.

The next range trip I had loaded more of that load. The first group shot great again. The second opened up and shifted about 1.5" low. I thought maybe the scope slipped again until. The 3rd group went about 1.5" higher and an inch left of the first which was about 4 inches from the second. It was opened up to about 2" group too. Now I've got to get out and try this razor HD hunting model scope. I'm not a fan of a lot of vortex but this ones a LOW built in Japan model.

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I have no personal experience with them, but the military contracted with US Optics for some time. I imagine their product testing included the ability to withstand battlefield abuse.

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I have a Steiner T5Xi 5-25x on my Tikka CTR in 308 and just received yesterday a Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x F1 scope. Both are built like tanks, and weigh as much. My Steiner has not been babied but not abused either and I have had zero issues with it. I expect the Nightforce to act the same, and in a pinch I could take it off and beat someone or something with it as it feels that durable.

I have a Leupold VX6 3-18x on my go-to deer hunting rifle. I would be concerned with any hard knocks or falls happening to this scope but it has performed flawlessly at distance since I have babied it.


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My new in the box Leupold VX5 HD was DOA when I removed the cellophane shrink wrap. Had a 25 year old Schmidt on my custom 300 Win mag...shooting 0.4" with the scope (has the fat hot dog weenie recticles). Wanted something with a little more magnification as its 10X and its used for longish shots on powerlines. Strapped on the VX5 HD and the same load printed 2" plus. Worked with it all summer...nothing worked. Strapped the Schmidt back on......0.4" groups. I'm a "Leupold guy" and have 27 of em. All are older models. It kills me but will send this scope back and keep the S&B on it for now. Need light gathering out of this scope so that takes NIghtforce out of the question. Need it to be able to take recoil of a 300 so that takes out Swarovski. I'll keep the S&B but absolutely hate those thick crosshairs.

Last edited by Godogs57; 10/27/21.

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How far is a longish shot on a powerline?

If you're repeatedly shooting sub half inch groups it doesn't seem like the fat crosshair reticle is holding you back.

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Originally Posted by Burleyboy
I have a leupold 20 moa one piece rail fir a base. For rings I started with SS 6 screw tactical lows. The scope slipped in them at first so I really cranked them down. It shot well for long enough to shoot an elk last year and then went to crap. I put another scope on in I believe ugi brand rings. It shot well the first trip to the range and then toasted a scope the second trip. I put on another SS 3-9 in some Warne rings and started working up a load for 180g elds. I found a load shooting 1/2 moa.

The next range trip I had loaded more of that load. The first group shot great again. The second opened up and shifted about 1.5" low. I thought maybe the scope slipped again until. The 3rd group went about 1.5" higher and an inch left of the first which was about 4 inches from the second. It was opened up to about 2" group too. Now I've got to get out and try this razor HD hunting model scope. I'm not a fan of a lot of vortex but this ones a LOW built in Japan model.

Bb

How did your other SS 3-9x scopes fail? Also failure to hold zero?

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Originally Posted by mathman
How far is a longish shot on a powerline?

If you're repeatedly shooting sub half inch groups it doesn't seem like the fat crosshair reticle is holding you back.


400-500 yards. I’m not one of the “long range sniper shot only” crowd but potential long shots are a reality where I live. Huge ag community with large flat fields. Those 50-75 yard shots don’t happen too awfully much here. Needed a doe to close out the season last year and a nice fat one stepped out right at 400. I had to take a little longer than usual to aim….the dang crosshairs seemed to cover her whole vitals.


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What's the subtension of the crosshair?

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They all make good ones and bad ones. I'd have to say Nightforce is pretty impressive. I've been using them for last couple years and they are pretty tough.

I have 2 other scopes that have proven themselves thru the years.

3x9x42 Zeiss Diavari that has been on my primary deer rifle. Has had the crap beat out of it for 12-13 long deer seasons and has held up beautifully. Shot it last week, still dead on after all those years.

Leupold VX6 1x6x24. Has been on different 375s and to Africa 4 times and Kodiak once. Has taken an incredible beating on those safaris, brush trucks, bush planes, boats, you name it. Never let me down.

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Originally Posted by mathman
What's the subtension of the crosshair?


Well I always thought it was how thick the crosshairs are or say the distance between the crosshair and the top of he post on duplex style reticles. Or the distance between various dots and such. That said many variables can change "subtension" when changing the scopes power.


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I was asking about the thickness of the reticle in his S&B on 10x, assuming he turns it up for the longish shots.

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