Vortex vs. Nightforce..... school me.

[ShortBBL]

I'm curious what the feelings are on these two optics makers. Is one better than the other?

I am thinking of adding them to my line of optics but need feedback!

Are both high quality? Are both tough enough for high recoil rifles? Is one better at something vs the other?

Why would you buy one over the other?

Thanks for your thoughts on these two!

 

[joseph]

I am thinking of adding them to my line of optics but need feedback!

Do you have a store where you plan on selling them or just adding to your collection?

I have a Vortex 6-24x50mm PST FFP MOA with a Vortex custom turret that will do everything a NF will do at half the cost in MHO.

SWFA Vortex Rifle Scopes Vortex Viper PST Rifle Scopes

joseph

PS: I read some where they have been used on 50 BMGs without any issues.

 

[freebird63]

Am curious Joseph, what caliber is that in the picture, I love the paint job on the stock. I too have checked out both scopes. I would love to check out a vortex razor HD, not that I can afford any of them. For now my sightron S3 is what I have on my 280AI

 

[Broz]

I like both of them, but for different calibers, different methds of shooting and for sure different distances.

As indicated by the price there are huge differences in quality of construction and glass. There is no free lunch, you get what you pay for. But for a novice or a person that only intends to shoot to a givin distance lets say 700 to 1000 the lesser price Viper will fill the bill just fine. But for the advanced shooter that will shoot to 1200, 1500 or even past 2000 yards the Nightforce will be more of a pleasure.

The repeatability of the turrets on the NF is very very good. Not to mention the feel of the turrets as you are cranking them up. This feeling is something you would only know if you have shot both scopes. The detents are secod to none as far as firmness and definition is concerned. If you tell the NF to move 2 .25 moa at 1000 yards and adjust the turret as so, that is what it does. The NF zerostop system is in my opionion way advanced and superior to the PST also.

The PST is a great scope and will get it done. But it just simply is not a NightForce as the price reflects.

So, it depends of the level of shooting you do, your budget, and if you want the added quality of the NF NXS.

JMO

Jeff

 

[joseph]

Am curious Joseph, what caliber is that in the picture, I love the paint job on the stock. I too have checked out both scopes. I would love to check out a vortex razor HD, not that I can afford any of them. For now my sightron S3 is what I have on my 280AI

If you look at the top of the custom turret it says 6mm BR. To be more specific it is a 6mm Norma BR. which has a longer neck than the old Remington 6mm BR.

joseph

 

[cummins cowboy]

the guys over at snipers hide about half of them had some sort of issue with their scopes and had to send them back in. thats not too good if you ask me. but they all did seem very happy with the product and would buy again, despite having issues.

 

[climb-101]

whats the feeling between the Razor HD vs. the nightforce?

 

[ShortBBL]

the guys over at snipers hide about half of them had some sort of issue with their scopes and had to send them back in. thats not too good if you ask me. but they all did seem very happy with the product and would buy again, despite having issues.

With which brand, Vortex or Nightforce?

 

[Bearwalk]

I own three NF FFPs and 3 Razor HDs. I have used both out to 1000yds, in mirage, low light, you name it. Both scopes have been punished in competition and in the field and through thousands of rounds in both 308 win, 338 WM and now 338 NM. Each are used on gas guns and bolts.

In summary, I will continue to buy both, in fact I have one of each on order as I type this. But....the Razor is superior optically and engineered a bit better. I consider both a tie as far as durability goes.

All of my Razors provide better resolution, color rendition and perform better around the edges, especially at the lower magnifications. I appreciate Vortex's attention to detail e.g. their adjustable illumination dial with alternating off positions, their non-rotating eyepiece (while adjusting magnification), and IMO their superior zero-stop.

Both manufacturer's MOA reticles are great although I lean towards Vortex's, but that's a personal preference. Finally, the Razor is about $300 cheaper.

So, why do I still buy NF if I sound like such a Razor supporter. Size, weight and magnification range. While the NF is bulky, the Razor is even bigger. I sometimes prefer a little extra range on the low end, and look to save a few ounces on a given rifle. In these instances, I go with the NF.

The one downside is that I have to work with two reticles, but such is life.

As an aside, I have not used NFs customer service, but I have used Vortex's for an upgrade and for some zero-stop questions. Both, the manner in which I was handled and the turn around time was nothing short of stellar.

 

[bassin93]

One problem I have with the Viper PST is it only has 65 moa of travel. With my edge, this is not even close to being enough. NF has 100

 

[opticspecialist]

i shoot both the vortex pst line and nightforce. both are great scopes, but there are a couple of things to consider.

the vortex pst is more of an entry level tactical scope. you get a lot with the vortex, ffp, matching adjustments, illumination, a return to zero or zero stop feature, and the price point is good for new shooters. it's a great value for the price, but to say it does everything a nightforce will isn't true.

optically, the nightforce is a nicer scope, the zero stop on a nightforce is just that, a true zero stop, you set it to your preferred zero. the vortex pst uses a shim system, which is good, it'll help you find your zero, but it isn't exact like the nightforce. the nightforce is mechanically the most robust scope on the market, mechanically repeatable even after a lot of use. i have one on my rifle, it sits in the shop everyday people turn it all day long up and down, to the zero stop and back. i've never been off on elevation when i crank it back to the zero stop. now some joker turned my windage turret two rotations and set the cap back to zero, that made for an interesting day at the range .

now going to the razor, it's a high magnification, ffp scope, true zero stop, matching turrets and reticle. it's more comparable to the nightforce nxs line. my only issue is it's a 35mm tube and it's only 5-20.