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Nightforce vs Leupold
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lancetkenyon
Well-Known Member
See, I am thinking I need to buy another one to make it 15...I'd take one to get you down to Taylor's favorite #
Just what LRH friends do...
I will be honest never read all the posts. But if you want great glass FFP lots of room to dial look at the Ziess 4-25x50. It is heavier than the NF but much better glass. It was only 200 dollars more than the NF and will fit well, Just my opinion but take a look.
tknuts103
Well-Known Member
I would go Nightforce NX8 over any scope out there. It's bomb-proof and the turrets are guaranteed to always get you back to zero. I could seriously throw my rifles off of a cliff and would be 100 percent confident that they are still zeroed. The glass is amazing, I like the dot in the center for target shooting, and the green/red illumination is awesome for low light hunts. I have quite a few of them and plan on buying more. It's Nightforce or nothing for me. ATACRs are a good option too but I prefer the 2.5-20 zoom and the 4-32 zoom of the NX8s
Small Lady
Well-Known Member
We have some saying that a simple car ride screws up their scope, and then another who can throw his off a cliff and its still perfect.
I want to go with both sound like they are made up.
L2land
Well-Known Member
I think it's a safe bet that the truth is somewhere in the middle!
I don't pound nails with my scopes but I've also never had any of my good ones move from "normal" use and abuse. I don't even own any NF. Just lowly old Leupolds, Zeiss, and Steiner. I must just be lucky….
Brad Quarnberg
Well-Known Member
You'd throw it off a cliff: how far to the bottom and what's at the bottom: sand, rocks a grove of old growth pines?
I don't care who manufactures the scope it's not bombproof - just strap a stick of Dynomite to a high-end scope and light the fuse.
The probability any scope would hold zero after a drop of a couple of hundred feet, or even 50 feet onto a bolder field is as likely as finding a unicorn or RL 26: again, doesn't matter the manufacturer.
I get a lot of people are huge NF fans, others swear by Leupold and still others have a different brand that is all they'll buy and use.
I have scopes from a myriad of manufacturers, some specific to the gun and what I am hunting with it, others because the price was too good to pass up and had a gun that needed a scope.
My opinion is there's a lot of hype but not a lot of difference when you get into the upper end scopes: they just work. The class/coatings, and build quality make them well worth the price, especially if they have a really good lifetime warranty.
I know a few folks that work in sporting goods retail (gun counter) and some that volunteer at a local rifle range. They see all kinds of issues with scopes and not surprising, NF, Leupold, Zeiss, Swaro, Leica and Meopta are ones they see the least number of issues with and/or being returned for warranty work.
If NF works for you, buy it. If it's another brand that you've had good luck with, buy that.
I have my dad's custom Mauser action in 270 Winchester built in the 60s still wearing the original Leupold 3-9 scope on it. the class is still good, and the cross hairs still move accurately when the dials are turned. That hasn't made me a diehard Leupold fan, but it is one of the first scopes I'll look at when considering a new one.
RichCoyle
Well-Known Member
This is truly a joke. I had four z5 5-25X52 ($1500) and one Nightforce 12-42X56 ($1400). The glass is not even close to the Nightforce. Here's an example. At 521 yards the Swarovski needed16 ½X to show the same detail as the Nightforce on12X.
Small Lady
Well-Known Member
While scope shopping, I looked at many brands, and have to agree with.you.
The Swarovski scopes were okay, but I felt that the Leupold was a bit nicer, hence my buying a Leupold.
tknuts103
Well-Known Member
Have you ever watched YouTube videos of people torture testing their NX8s? Let's see ANY other scope be able to handle that. A car ride making a scope lose zero? Sounds like a crappy mounting job and loose scope to me
I have 2- NF NX8 2.5-20 (hunting rifle), 1- NX8 4-32 (hunting rifle), and 1- Atacr 7-35 (ELR gun). If I were primarily hunting midwest woods, I'd go with the NX8 2.5-20 for the low end FOV. Western hunting 4-32. I also have a Trijicon and Leupold VX-6.
As someone mentioned earlier, the higher magnification is useful, especially when practicing with the gun at long range. Until you get way, way out there, it negates the need for a spotting scope. The eye box on the NX8 does get more finicky at high magnifications, but that isn't a big deal when you are practicing and you'd be on low magnification when hunting. I've shot elk from 200 to 560 and many ranges in between and the NX8 has been great for all situations I've been in.
I also have the MOAR reticles and really like them. It is true that the reticle is rather small at low magnification, but it has never been an issue in the field. Turning on the illumination makes it easier to see, but I haven't needed to in the field yet and have never had to "find" the reticle.
NF durability provides me confidence that I don't have with other brands.
I am also in the process of building a 7PRC and will either put the NX8 4-32 or Atacr 5-25. Most likely the 4-32.
If you are leaning towards the Nightforce, buy it and don't look back.
As someone mentioned earlier, the higher magnification is useful, especially when practicing with the gun at long range. Until you get way, way out there, it negates the need for a spotting scope. The eye box on the NX8 does get more finicky at high magnifications, but that isn't a big deal when you are practicing and you'd be on low magnification when hunting. I've shot elk from 200 to 560 and many ranges in between and the NX8 has been great for all situations I've been in.
I also have the MOAR reticles and really like them. It is true that the reticle is rather small at low magnification, but it has never been an issue in the field. Turning on the illumination makes it easier to see, but I haven't needed to in the field yet and have never had to "find" the reticle.
NF durability provides me confidence that I don't have with other brands.
I am also in the process of building a 7PRC and will either put the NX8 4-32 or Atacr 5-25. Most likely the 4-32.
If you are leaning towards the Nightforce, buy it and don't look back.
tknuts103
Well-Known Member
tknuts103
Well-Known Member
Come on...I hope you realize when people call something "bomb-proof" they don't actually mean you can tape dynamite to it lol. I wouldn't actually throw my rifle off a cliff either, I'm saying I have been through hell and back (again, this doesn't mean I actually went to hell) and my scopes have never lost zero. I even flipped my 4 wheeler backwards on a butte in South Dakota, watched it roll down, with the gun flipping off the back about half way down, beat the crap out of the 4 wheeler to the point I couldn't use it but rifle/scope were still zeroed and the hunt continued. In no way do I baby my gear but that's also because I know my scopes can handle it. They have proven it time and time again. I would put NF durability against any scope out there
Brad Quarnberg
Well-Known Member
LOL! Yes, I understand what you are getting at: I'd put my Leupold, Zeiss.... against any scope out there as well.
Just pointing out that there are a lot of good scopes out there, and since the post was about NF or Leupold, either is a good choice so pick what fits your budget and your preference and Go have fun.
