Nightforce ATACR 4-16x42 F1 Rifle Scope Review
The elevation, windage, and parallax turret features are solid on this scope. The low profile elevation turret has the ZeroHold option with easily read etched white numbers. The windage turret comes with a removable protective cap, and a trim ring is provided to protect the threads if you like to run it with cap removed and dial for wind. The parallax knob is marked from 45 yards to infinity and has a center push button DigIllum illumination including both red and green options with adjustable intensity. The battery is located underneath and is easily replaceable.
So now time for some long range shooting/testing of the ATACR 4-16x42 F1. My son and I grabbed the steel, portable stands, Vector IV range finder, rifle and other gear and headed to our favorite long range shooting spot east of town. We set up steel from 850 yards to 1500 yards with one lone target at 1780 yards. It is just the way it worked out with terrain and the ridges on the land we shoot at.
My main objective here was to test the 16 power magnification at longer ranges. First up was the closest target at 850 yards before I moved out to the longer stuff. My data said to dial 4 mils up and the wind was left to right at about 4-6 mph, so I held .5 mils for wind. First shot was a solid hit on the right edge of plate. I added a hair more wind and sent two more rounds that hit closer to center of the plate. The next plate was at 1320 yards, so I added another 4.2 mils for a total of 8.2 mils of elevation and held .9 mils of wind for the first shot. The bullet missed just right. The next three shots were fired while holding 1.2 mils for wind and all hit the 24" plate. With the scope on 16x and the Badger FTE brake, I could watch my own trace into the steel and clearly see the hits on the white spray painted steel. I had similar results at the 1500 yard target, drilling it 3 out of 5 times. At this point, I was even more impressed with the optical quality and performance of the scope!
The real test for me was the 1780 yard plate. I dialed in the 14.2 mils of elevation that my ballistic app, Shooter, told me would hit the target. Wind was a good 5-7 mph left to right now, so I decided on a 2 mil wind hold and loaded a round. My son was spotting too and told me to send it. I fired the shot and could watch the trace run into the target, a 36" chunk of steel. Elevation was good, but my round carried just right. I added .3 more for wind and fired a second time. I was rewarded with a hit on the right edge of the plate at about 4 o'clock. The wind was doing tricky things shooting across a few ridges, but I wound up with 8 hits out of 12 shots. I couldn't see the actual impacts with the 16x scope at 1780 yards, but could watch the trace into the target and confirmed the hits when we were done and loaded up the steel.
I have used this scope at the local 200 yard range, in the field shooting steel out to in excess of one mile, while hunting coyotes, and in long range hunting of various varmints. Overall, this scope does it all. The optical quality and performance in a 16-power scope is unparalleled in my opinion. To be able to engage and hit targets out to one mile in changing wind and weather conditions has made a believer out of me! I truly believe that running a front focal plane scope has improved my game. Well done, Nightforce! Well done.
So now time for some long range shooting/testing of the ATACR 4-16x42 F1. My son and I grabbed the steel, portable stands, Vector IV range finder, rifle and other gear and headed to our favorite long range shooting spot east of town. We set up steel from 850 yards to 1500 yards with one lone target at 1780 yards. It is just the way it worked out with terrain and the ridges on the land we shoot at.
My main objective here was to test the 16 power magnification at longer ranges. First up was the closest target at 850 yards before I moved out to the longer stuff. My data said to dial 4 mils up and the wind was left to right at about 4-6 mph, so I held .5 mils for wind. First shot was a solid hit on the right edge of plate. I added a hair more wind and sent two more rounds that hit closer to center of the plate. The next plate was at 1320 yards, so I added another 4.2 mils for a total of 8.2 mils of elevation and held .9 mils of wind for the first shot. The bullet missed just right. The next three shots were fired while holding 1.2 mils for wind and all hit the 24" plate. With the scope on 16x and the Badger FTE brake, I could watch my own trace into the steel and clearly see the hits on the white spray painted steel. I had similar results at the 1500 yard target, drilling it 3 out of 5 times. At this point, I was even more impressed with the optical quality and performance of the scope!
The real test for me was the 1780 yard plate. I dialed in the 14.2 mils of elevation that my ballistic app, Shooter, told me would hit the target. Wind was a good 5-7 mph left to right now, so I decided on a 2 mil wind hold and loaded a round. My son was spotting too and told me to send it. I fired the shot and could watch the trace run into the target, a 36" chunk of steel. Elevation was good, but my round carried just right. I added .3 more for wind and fired a second time. I was rewarded with a hit on the right edge of the plate at about 4 o'clock. The wind was doing tricky things shooting across a few ridges, but I wound up with 8 hits out of 12 shots. I couldn't see the actual impacts with the 16x scope at 1780 yards, but could watch the trace into the target and confirmed the hits when we were done and loaded up the steel.
I have used this scope at the local 200 yard range, in the field shooting steel out to in excess of one mile, while hunting coyotes, and in long range hunting of various varmints. Overall, this scope does it all. The optical quality and performance in a 16-power scope is unparalleled in my opinion. To be able to engage and hit targets out to one mile in changing wind and weather conditions has made a believer out of me! I truly believe that running a front focal plane scope has improved my game. Well done, Nightforce! Well done.
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