Nightforce BEAST Review
The zero stop mechanism found in the B.E.A.S.T. is another design that I am a big fan of. With Nightforce's zero stop design, a shooter may elect to set a zero stop point or not set it at all. The beauty of their design is that the user can set the zero stop point to anywhere they determine works best. Other designs on the market have the zero stop built in to the turret and often times only allow from 0.1 mRAD to 0.5 mRAD of travel below the zero indication on the turret. I prefer to have at least 0.5 mRAD of adjustment below the zero indication as this gives me the ability to make an adjustment that far below my zero should I ever have the need, such as to re-zero in a completely different environment.
The final part of the i4F is the M2 Precision Elevation lever which allows an increase in elevation adjustment of 0.1 mRAD. Using this control is easy to do but does take some practice in the field. There is some training that needs to take place to become comfortable with this control, but a good day at the range practicing shooting at targets from near to far and vice versa should get it done. Once a shooter is familiar and comfortable with the lever, it'll make precision shots out to distance come faster. While utilizing the scope, I noticed that the lever could be moved when the brake control was engaged. I verified my 100 yard zero, engaged the brake, and moved the lever to the 0.1 mRAD position. I then fired one round which produced a single bullet hole precisely 0.1 mRAD above the previous group. The lever was then moved back to the non-engaged position and another round fired which went into the 100 yard zero group. Activating the 360° Brake Control and moving the M2 Precision Elevation lever will allow the user to still make a 0.1 mRAD elevation adjustment.
Tracking was tested to 3.0 mRAD of right and left adjustment each on the windage turret. I did not test at the 1.0 or 2.0 settings, but went directly to the 3.0 mRAD position. As with the elevation, bullet impacts were within the accuracy of the rifle, coinciding with the exact distance the bullet should have been displaced. I found the windage lock easy to operate and it posed no problems making an adjustment. Depressing the lock button with my thumb as I grasped the turret was sufficient pressure to allow me to make an adjustment. I tried to turn the turret as fast as possible in an attempt to bypass the lock when going from right to left and also from left to right. Each time, the lock was able to engage before I could physically turn past the zero indication. This lock works well and will prevent any accidental movement off of the zero setting while providing a turret that is still easy to operate. The firmness of the turret after the lock is disengaged is also very good. Only a very firm amount of resistance on the outer portion of the turret will produce a change in the setting. Click feel and spacing is the same as the elevation, that is to say excellent and very well done. If I were to suggest an improvement to the windage turret, it would be to move the reference mark on the scope body about 1/4-inch away from the adjustment housing. As the scope is now, a right handed shooter must roll their head over the side of the stock a significant distance to verify the exact click that the windage is set on. By moving the reference mark out further away from the adjustment housing, less movement would be required to verify the windage setting from a firing position.
The B.E.A.S.T. comes with Tenebraex ocular and objective lens covers with the Nightforce logo. I have been a fan of these covers since reviewing another optic with them and consider these covers to be of much higher quality than another popular brand. Nightforce has worked with Tenebraex on these covers as they solve a common complaint regarding the movement of the entire eyepiece housing with the magnification. The ocular cover has a clamp to secure the cover to the eyepiece housing. The actual flip up cover is allowed to rotate independently of the eyepiece though so it can be repositioned as needed no matter what magnification setting the scope is on. Now shooters can utilize a top quality flip up ocular lens cover on a Nightforce scope and still have full functional rotation of the magnification ring and eyepiece housing. Gone are the days of going sans ocular lens protection or having to utilize covers tied to the scope body to prevent accidental loss in the field. Bravo Nightforce!
Summary
The total optical experience when looking through the B.E.A.S.T. is phenomenal. Clarity, contrast, resolution, and complete lack of CA place this scope optically among the top rifle scopes in the world. The layout and function of all controls combined with click feel, spacing, amount of resistance, tracking, and return to zero make this scope an even stronger contender for the top place. The only questions that need answered now regard durability and reliability, which take time to establish. In my professional opinion, Nightforce has developed a rifle scope that is a top contender for the best rifle scopes being produced, and they call it the B.E.A.S.T.!
Nicholas Gebhardt has been an active hunter primarily pursuing mule deer, antelope, coyotes and prairie dogs since he was old enough to legally hunt. Nicholas is a precision rifle competitor and uses the knowledge he gains from competition shooting to aid in his ethical taking of game in the field under most any condition. He enjoys custom rifles and is usually in some form or another of either planning or building the next one. Nicholas earned his B.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana and is a Captain in the Montana National Guard.
The final part of the i4F is the M2 Precision Elevation lever which allows an increase in elevation adjustment of 0.1 mRAD. Using this control is easy to do but does take some practice in the field. There is some training that needs to take place to become comfortable with this control, but a good day at the range practicing shooting at targets from near to far and vice versa should get it done. Once a shooter is familiar and comfortable with the lever, it'll make precision shots out to distance come faster. While utilizing the scope, I noticed that the lever could be moved when the brake control was engaged. I verified my 100 yard zero, engaged the brake, and moved the lever to the 0.1 mRAD position. I then fired one round which produced a single bullet hole precisely 0.1 mRAD above the previous group. The lever was then moved back to the non-engaged position and another round fired which went into the 100 yard zero group. Activating the 360° Brake Control and moving the M2 Precision Elevation lever will allow the user to still make a 0.1 mRAD elevation adjustment.
Tracking was tested to 3.0 mRAD of right and left adjustment each on the windage turret. I did not test at the 1.0 or 2.0 settings, but went directly to the 3.0 mRAD position. As with the elevation, bullet impacts were within the accuracy of the rifle, coinciding with the exact distance the bullet should have been displaced. I found the windage lock easy to operate and it posed no problems making an adjustment. Depressing the lock button with my thumb as I grasped the turret was sufficient pressure to allow me to make an adjustment. I tried to turn the turret as fast as possible in an attempt to bypass the lock when going from right to left and also from left to right. Each time, the lock was able to engage before I could physically turn past the zero indication. This lock works well and will prevent any accidental movement off of the zero setting while providing a turret that is still easy to operate. The firmness of the turret after the lock is disengaged is also very good. Only a very firm amount of resistance on the outer portion of the turret will produce a change in the setting. Click feel and spacing is the same as the elevation, that is to say excellent and very well done. If I were to suggest an improvement to the windage turret, it would be to move the reference mark on the scope body about 1/4-inch away from the adjustment housing. As the scope is now, a right handed shooter must roll their head over the side of the stock a significant distance to verify the exact click that the windage is set on. By moving the reference mark out further away from the adjustment housing, less movement would be required to verify the windage setting from a firing position.
The B.E.A.S.T. comes with Tenebraex ocular and objective lens covers with the Nightforce logo. I have been a fan of these covers since reviewing another optic with them and consider these covers to be of much higher quality than another popular brand. Nightforce has worked with Tenebraex on these covers as they solve a common complaint regarding the movement of the entire eyepiece housing with the magnification. The ocular cover has a clamp to secure the cover to the eyepiece housing. The actual flip up cover is allowed to rotate independently of the eyepiece though so it can be repositioned as needed no matter what magnification setting the scope is on. Now shooters can utilize a top quality flip up ocular lens cover on a Nightforce scope and still have full functional rotation of the magnification ring and eyepiece housing. Gone are the days of going sans ocular lens protection or having to utilize covers tied to the scope body to prevent accidental loss in the field. Bravo Nightforce!
Summary
The total optical experience when looking through the B.E.A.S.T. is phenomenal. Clarity, contrast, resolution, and complete lack of CA place this scope optically among the top rifle scopes in the world. The layout and function of all controls combined with click feel, spacing, amount of resistance, tracking, and return to zero make this scope an even stronger contender for the top place. The only questions that need answered now regard durability and reliability, which take time to establish. In my professional opinion, Nightforce has developed a rifle scope that is a top contender for the best rifle scopes being produced, and they call it the B.E.A.S.T.!
Nicholas Gebhardt has been an active hunter primarily pursuing mule deer, antelope, coyotes and prairie dogs since he was old enough to legally hunt. Nicholas is a precision rifle competitor and uses the knowledge he gains from competition shooting to aid in his ethical taking of game in the field under most any condition. He enjoys custom rifles and is usually in some form or another of either planning or building the next one. Nicholas earned his B.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana and is a Captain in the Montana National Guard.
- Previous page: Nightforce BEAST Review
