NXS vs New IOR

[youngbuck]

Ive been researching scopes a lot lately. I need a new scope for a 338LM that is on its way. It will have to be moa/moa. FFP doesnt really matter to me so long that the FFP reticle is fine enough at max magnification to see the target at 1k+ (think pie plate size) I was working my way to settling on a 5.5-22x50 NXS w/ zero stops, fast turn turrets. I saw the new IOR: 6-24x56 35mm SF MOA/MOA ILLUMINATED FFP MP8-X1 (MOA-X) RETICULE

Either scope will do what I would need it to. The IOR is FFP and I can't find subtension listed anywhere for it. I want to know the size of the dot. It does help being a dot in a FFP so I can see my small target way off. The IOR has less internal adjustment; 70MOA. With a 20 MOA, that could get me to 1700yds at 5k' elevation, If the scope zereos dead center. I'm really interested in comparison of optical quality. Ive never handled a IOR and it will be difficult for me to drop $2k on a scope I haven't handled or looked through. I know the IOR is new, anybody used both or intrigued by the IOR? It is heavier by 5oz or so, and it is also a 35 mm tube. The rifle is a savage (110 fcp hs), a little over 10lbs bare. It is not a lightweight rig, but it is not a truck gun. I will be lugging it around. I'm sure I would be happy with either scope I just don't want to give up any optical clarity.

 

[MachV]

Dont know on the new ones but the older IORs will outdo any NF nxs in glass quality.....The NF wins otherwise

 

[MSLRHunter]

I haven't seen the new IOR, but the older ones beat the Nightforce badly on optical quality. I have heard a lot if good things about the new IOR, but haven't held one. I know the Nightforce is a good scope, but I have never been impressed with their optical quality.

 

[youngbuck]

Thanks for the input guys. If anybody has looked through one, let me know what you think. In the mean time I'm gonna try and find one to put my hands and eyes on. I would really like to see how cluttered the reticle is on 22x and how big the dot is.

 

[Jon A]

I haven't used the new 6-24 IOR, but I did own its little brother, the new 3.5-18X50 for quite a while. In short it was the best IOR I've owned and a very good all around hunting scope for pretty much any scenario one can think of as long as you don't mind packing it around--it's really heavy, big and bulky.

Optically I've never seen an NSX that could match it. It's glass is really, really good and I would expect more of the same from the 6-24X.

Another thing about the IOR for a carry hunting rifle--if there's much chance of close-up action, the 6-24 tunnels its FOV below 9X or so. So basically you have the same FOV as a fixed 10X even when cranked all the way down to 6X which is way too small if there's a chance of something jumping out close to you. The 3.5-18 would be a much better choice if this is a possibility--it tunnels as well but only from about 3.8X down so you do have a big FOV.

As much as I liked the 3.5-18, I eventually sold it as I felt the 5-20X50 SS did everything I was using it for as well or better for much less money as well as being lighter and more compact.

That's a scope you should strongly consider. It's glass was a close match in daylight and is actually better in low light than the IOR, though I suspect the 6-24X56 might have a better chance against it in low light. It has 100+ MOA of travel, the FOV on 5X is big enough to be useful up close and most who have compared put the glass as better than the NF. It's reticle is .05 mil thick, which covers 1.8" at 1000 yds.

 

[youngbuck]

Thanks Jon.
There hasn't been an animal I have jump shot in quite some time. I dont think the tunnel vision would bother me. I rarely even use my scope at lower magnification even to find targets. My dad may be using this rifle occasionaly. He has a few more points to have max points for early rifle elk here in AZ. He can't find anything in a scope, so he prefers lower magnifaction , where the FFP would be a benefit.

I looked into getting the SS. All my other LR rigs are MOA/MOA. Im comfortable with MOA and it would take some time getting used to mills. I have trained myself to think in MOA. It would be difficult to interchange between 3 LR rigs when one is mills. I would like to look through one however just to see how it compares to others I'm familiar with. Maybe they will eventually have a MOA/MOA version, or may do now. I havent found one yet.

The IOR is only 6 oz heavier than the NF. I'm used to hauling a heavy pack. I generally have a rifle, spotter, 15s, camera/video, and atleast one tripod. The major concern of the IOR for me is the FFP and reticle, it may be too cluttered. Ive been looking for subtensions for the new IOR, but haven't come across anything

 

[Senderofan]

Ive been researching scopes a lot lately. I need a new scope for a 338LM that is on its way. It will have to be moa/moa. FFP doesnt really matter to me so long that the FFP reticle is fine enough at max magnification to see the target at 1k+ (think pie plate size) I was working my way to settling on a 5.5-22x50 NXS w/ zero stops, fast turn turrets. I saw the new IOR: 6-24x56 35mm SF MOA/MOA ILLUMINATED FFP MP8-X1 (MOA-X) RETICULE

Either scope will do what I would need it to. The IOR is FFP and I can't find subtension listed anywhere for it. I want to know the size of the dot. It does help being a dot in a FFP so I can see my small target way off. The IOR has less internal adjustment; 70MOA. With a 20 MOA, that could get me to 1700yds at 5k' elevation, If the scope zereos dead center. I'm really interested in comparison of optical quality. Ive never handled a IOR and it will be difficult for me to drop $2k on a scope I haven't handled or looked through. I know the IOR is new, anybody used both or intrigued by the IOR? It is heavier by 5oz or so, and it is also a 35 mm tube. The rifle is a savage (110 fcp hs), a little over 10lbs bare. It is not a lightweight rig, but it is not a truck gun. I will be lugging it around. I'm sure I would be happy with either scope I just don't want to give up any optical clarity.

I've owned a previous generation 6-24X IOR and I also own a NF NXS 5.5-22X. The IOR has the better glass....really hard to compete with Schott glass with Zeiss coatings. Having said this....the internals seem to be sub-par to that of the NF. I had problems with my adjustments "Hanging" until I fired a round or two.

If you plan on doing a fair amount of long range work.....I would highly recommend looking into the amount of internal adjustment. The new IOR is limited when compared to the NF. In an ideal world...we'd have the Schott glass with the internals of the NF.

Wayne

 

[Jon A]

The major concern of the IOR for me is the FFP and reticle, it may be too cluttered. Ive been looking for subtensions for the new IOR, but haven't come across anything

Found the info:

Center dot .250 moa
Heavy bar thickness 1.5 moa
Horizontal intervals 2.0 moa
Vertical intervals below center dot 1.0 moa
Vertical intervals above center dot 2.0 moa
Shortest line height/width 1.25 moa
Medium line height/width 2.5 moa
Longest line height/width 5.0 moa


Pics here: The view through the Liberty Optic

It's very thin for a FFP reticle, it should work really well on the higher powers.--Edit: I guess "very thin" isn't quite accurate, more like "fairly thin" compared with their FFP Mil Reticle. PST 6-24, Razor 5-20, SS 5-20, etc, are a bit thinner.

 

[youngbuck]

Found the info:

Center dot .250 moa
Heavy bar thickness 1.5 moa
Horizontal intervals 2.0 moa
Vertical intervals below center dot 1.0 moa
Vertical intervals above center dot 2.0 moa
Shortest line height/width 1.25 moa
Medium line height/width 2.5 moa
Longest line height/width 5.0 moa


Pics here: The view through the Liberty Optic

It's very thin for a FFP reticle, it should work really well on the higher powers.

Thanks Jon! I saw the pictures on liberty optics page. I'm not a huge fan of all the numbers, but .25 moa is perfect in a FFP for me. A coues deer kill zone is pretty small in a scope at distance. The center of the reticle is open enough to not be cluttered on 24x too.

 

[Iron Worker]

You want to look through that busy congested reticule for deer hunting ? I had a 2.5x10x42mm IOR. The glass was just fine. Took it varmint hunting and the Schott glass didn't help me spot squirrels any better. I sold it now I have a Sightron S3 8x32x56mm That glass is good enough to be able to hit a 16 OZ water filled Rock Star can at 620 yds in the NV desert its notorious with mirage effect. For $840 bucks. Get a 6x24x50mm S3 for a few bucks cheaper mighty fine glass tons of adjustment.

 

[youngbuck]

Anybody using the 6-24x56 w/ 35mm tube in the MIL version? Everything I have read on the 6-24x56 w/ 35mm tube looks promising. I have yet to find anyone who had issues with one. The MOA/MOA is just a new reticle and turrets with more internal elevation.

 

[A/C Guy]

That scope is the new Gen 4 model.

All the internals have been upgraded and users on Snipers Hide dot com report it tracks as good as Nightforce. There have been ZERO failures in the US of the Gen 4 models. IOR listened and fixed the internals to match the quality of the glass.

For a .338LM, I would not consider the Sightron or other lesser brand, they won't handle the recoil. IOR puts the scope that you want in their 50 caliber section of their website, so I doubt you will have any issues with it on a .338 Lapua.

 

[youngbuck]

I opted for the IOR. I got it yesterday. The fit and finish quality may be less than Premier, USO and the other alpha dogs. The sunshade had a small nick in the end that had been anodized over. Nothing else I could find fault with. The glass is top notch, I really like the reticle. I didn't have my Swaro AV to compare clarity. I can't pick it apart yet though, it is still waiting for the rifle and the rail. The turrets work really well; elevation, windage, and parallax. 25MOA elevation per revolution. I haven't played with the zero stop yet. The illumination buttons work really well. Right now I'm very happy with it. I can't express how clear and crisp the glass was, but really did't have any of my other scopes at work to compare it too. This is my first scope with a tube larger than 30mm. It is large and heavy, but should be a perfect scope for what I want to do with it.

 

[MSLRHunter]

Please give a report when you get it mounted and get to the range with it. This is a scope I would be interested in.