Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Nightforce SHV Zero-Stop

I used 23MM OD/20MM ID AL tubing. Zero rifle, measure the gap between the bottom of the turret cap and top of the turret-cover threads with the back-side of a calipers. Lock the calipers, move to the tubing, measure, mark w/sharpie. Use a tubing cutter to get close to your mark. Cut the window, (the cut-out allows the split-ring to “snap” on. File to perfection.

Did pretty much the same thing (except a little simpler) when I used SHVs for a while, especially one I used as "test scope" for various rifles for around four years.

Quit using them when that one failed to hold zero, and I sent it back to NF. I returned it to NF, and they claimed it had been "slipping" inside the rings, because I hadn't tighten them enough, rather than any problem with the scope.

They "deduced" this because there were several faint "ring marks" on the rifle. But they were there because I'd used it on a bunch of rifles, which obviously involved the rings being in different place.

They claimed that they "refinished" the scope before sending it back to me. But they didn't know I always record the serial number of all my scopes--and the scope they sent me had a different serial number....

Have been using other scopes since then....

Wow, all this time I've been on this board I thought I'd learned that NF was the gospel of scope making. Thanks for the reality check.

So you are alright with it reading multiple revolutions on the dial? Knowing how many revs you have spun the turret comes in handy, if you are cranking the dial more than one revolution. I kind of like my "zero set" turrets on the 5-20x56 models. The lower powered ones without the zero set feature are kind of lame. I guess you have to do what you have to do with those. I personally would chose one with a zero set feature, or choose a different brand.

I can see the revs on the zero-line.

I like the 3-10x42 SVH and 2.5-10x42 NXS for hunting rifles. A friend and I each also have capped turret NXS’s so these should work there too.

I don’t really “need” a zero-stop but it’s nice and fairly easy to make. I thought I’d pass it along in case someone else wanted one.

The AL tubes came in a 3 pack for ~$15. I should have enough tubing to make as many as I’ll ever need and some for a few friends too.

My only experience w/NF customer service was a used NXS 2.5-10x42 that arrived to me with some “flecks” on an internal lens. I called, got an RA#, and had the scope back ~6wks later with no more flecks and no bill despite telling them I’d bought the scope used.

That’s just a bit shady….

I suspect you could use this method for just about any scope you wanted to install a zero-stop upon. You'd just need to measure and source the proper material for the stop.

For the 3-10 SHV's I use a combination of different diameter o rings that fit up under the turret and inclination on the bases-rings to establish a zero stop. Works well. In the past I sanded down pieces of PEX that worked to bottom out on the base of the turret, which worked well, too.

Can add that I've done a lot of dialing an a few different SHV 3-10, and they've so far been flawless.

Kind of a shame to have to do this for a $1000 scope.

I don't disagree.

WOW! Nightforce must not have known how important you are.

I will stick with the CDS Leupold.

Thank you, this is great. I will look to pick up some of the tubing.

Thank you MD for an honest assessment.

Nice implementation horse1. I use a sand to fit 3d printed plastic that a friend printed for me...with a fair amount of trial/error to get the correct size printed. Your method is available to anyone.

That's a bit irksome in NF's dealing with Mr. Barsness. Anything can fail. If they'd simply said they were sending him a new scope there'd be no issue. Saying they refinished the original while sending a different one seems underhanded.

Thanks for the tip Horse, very helpful.

MD's experience does seem a bit underhanded, if that was the intent by NF. I gotta wonder though if some repair "manager" said "refinish the scope and return it" When in reality, somebody second in command or the tech actually working on the scope, said refinishing isn't something we do here and will take weeks to get refinished and returned. Pull a new scope and ship it to the guy in Montana, and the boss will never know.

I've worked in manufacturing for my entire life and sometimes what gets asked to do from management slows down the whole process and costs more.

I don’t blame the tech for saying the scope was slipping in the rings, since that’s what the evidence likely suggested, but saying the scope was repaired when it was actually replaced is a bit strange.

Good tip.

Maybe they hate gun writers or didn't understand the magnitude.

I know an old guy that did the same thing, with the exception that he just left the whole thing round, not making a window. Then marked with a file the zero line and painted the line gold with a paint pen.
He loves it. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.