? best scope for me?

[savage_justice]

hello,

i am buying a savage 110fp .300 winmag. i will be using it mainly for hunting but i also enjoy going to the range. i live in florida and there is a 1000yd range close to me, so i want to work up to being able to shoot that distance. i used to compete in handgun competitions but i am new to long range shooting. i know i want to buy a nightforce scope due to the research i have done making them seem to be the best and there U.S. made. my question is:

1) should i get the 3.5-15x or the 5.5-22x

2) since i will be doing alot of hunting with this setup and alot of shots are made in the early morning and evening should i go with the 50mm or the 56mm

oh i hunt from a ladder stand and i have a rail in front of me to support the rifle so weight is not an issue. thus the heavy barrel savage.

thanks for the help, i hope i gave enough info.

 

[Bill Maylor]

Go with the 5x22x56 NF. I just put one on my 300RUM. It shoots great. I have NPR1 ret. I also live and hunt in FL. I hunt in Calhoun Co. As you know the deer wear camo, until the sun goes down so get as much glass as you can. Bill Maylor.

 

[ScottBerish]

While NXS are great tactical scopes, I don't think they are the best choice for low light hunting. However, I prefer the 3.5-15x50. The 3.5x is best for low light shooting for Florida whitetails, and the 15x is plenty for 1000 yards. Your NXS will not be marked "Made in the USA" either, FYI.

Good luck,

Scott

 

[NightforceKen]

Savage,

I currently have a 5.5x22x56 on my 300 Win Mag and it is almost as if the scope was built around this gun. Not three days ago i was out scouting for a very nice Whitetail buck I have seen several times and I happened to catch some movement in a deep ravine 200 yards below me. The sun had set and the shadows made it so that I could not see very well into this ravine.

I placed the scope on 5.5 power and glanced into the ravine. This scope made it possible for me to see through the shadows and spot the rear end of this Buck. I had hoped that i would get to look at his rack and use the NP-R1 to measure his rack to decide whether or not he was worth taking the shot. He never turned.

In a nut shell, having the larger objective enabled me to see where my naked eye could not. Through the shadows and into the deep brush. I also use a 3.5x15 for Coyote hunting in the EENT and BMNT hours and the 56mm Objective helps tremendously. Having the slightly larger objective does give you a few more minutes to shoot where a smaller objective would be lacking.

For target shooting you simply cannot beat a larger objective. This will give you a larger exit pupil size and this relates to better resolution. Your average guy sometimes cant see the difference between a 50mm and a 56mm but ask the shooters on the line if they can see a noticeable difference.

Hope this information helps you, if not give me a call.

Regards,
Ken
Sales/ Tech Support
Nightforce Optics

 

[Bill Maylor]

I agree with you Ken, I have a few diff brand scopes.All have 50 objectives except my new NF, the 56 will give you a little extra time, lets keep it legal. Some times it's hard to unload and go back to the truck when you can still see. Ken I talked to you the other day on the phone about focusing the the reticle. crystal clear now, Thankyou. Bill Maylor.

 

[NightforceKen]

I agree with you Ken, I have a few diff brand scopes.All have 50 objectives except my new NF, the 56 will give you a little extra time, lets keep it legal. Some times it's hard to unload and go back to the truck when you can still see. Ken I talked to you the other day on the phone about focusing the the reticle. crystal clear now, Thankyou. Bill Maylor.

Bill,

No problem, I was glad I could help. It is funny how you mentioned legal hunting, I was out and about last night and i came up on a decent 3x4 Whitetail. It was right at the legal cutoff time so, i just sat on the ridge and watched him bed down, not 200 yards away. There was nearly a 35 Degree angle to shot, but easily done.

Regards,
ken

 

[CS T]

I really like Nightforce. I prefer the 3.5-15x50mm but the 5.5-22x50mm are very well liked.

Mike @ CSGW

 

[uncleB]

Savage,

I currently have a 5.5x22x56 on my 300 Win Mag and it is almost as if the scope was built around this gun. Not three days ago i was out scouting for a very nice Whitetail buck I have seen several times and I happened to catch some movement in a deep ravine 200 yards below me. The sun had set and the shadows made it so that I could not see very well into this ravine.

I placed the scope on 5.5 power and glanced into the ravine. This scope made it possible for me to see through the shadows and spot the rear end of this Buck. I had hoped that i would get to look at his rack and use the NP-R1 to measure his rack to decide whether or not he was worth taking the shot. He never turned.

In a nut shell, having the larger objective enabled me to see where my naked eye could not. Through the shadows and into the deep brush. I also use a 3.5x15 for Coyote hunting in the EENT and BMNT hours and the 56mm Objective helps tremendously. Having the slightly larger objective does give you a few more minutes to shoot where a smaller objective would be lacking.

For target shooting you simply cannot beat a larger objective. This will give you a larger exit pupil size and this relates to better resolution. Your average guy sometimes cant see the difference between a 50mm and a 56mm but ask the shooters on the line if they can see a noticeable difference.

Hope this information helps you, if not give me a call.

Regards,
Ken
Sales/ Tech Support
Nightforce Optics

As I read this statement a couple of things really stand out "it is almost as if the scope was built around this gun" , This scope made it possible for me to see through the shadow's.
Ken Sales/ Tech Support
Nightforce Optics

WOW I am glad this is non-bias, no propaganda here.
btw Where is the company logo ???? or were you trying to be subtle???

 

[NightforceKen]

As I read this statement a couple of things really stand out "it is almost as if the scope was built around this gun" , This scope made it possible for me to see through the shadow's.
Ken Sales/ Tech Support
Nightforce Optics

WOW I am glad this is non-bias, no propaganda here.
btw Where is the company logo ???? or were you trying to be subtle???

UncleB,

You could call me Bias, I was just sharing a personnel experience with this man looking for the right scope. He has stated he was looking at two scopes, they also happen to be Nightforces that he was looking at, so i shared an experience I had the previous night.

I have used many scopes in applications ranging from, a Mule hunt in southern Colorado to a counter sniper operation in Najaf. These scopes have never let me down in any situation I have put them through, that is why after I got out of the Army last January I was beating down the doors here at Nightforce to try and get a job.

You can call this biased all you want but, I am a very active shooter who has tried every scope I could get my hands on. Some have great features and characteristics but you either sacrifice this for that or end up paying 2K plus for the features that come standard with Nightforce. I could go on a rant talking about how this scope even stood up to a rather large car bomb and did not loose a zero, but he didn't ask about durability


Regards,
Ken
No picture or additional signature

 

[ScottBerish]

I've got no problems with a company man showing passion for the product, in fact I respect that more than anything. Much more than a man who is obviously "just drawing a paycheck".

All things equal, a larger objective lens will give you better resolution than a smaller one. This is true in binos, and this is true in scopes (think about the space telescopes and how far they have to see tiny details). I am not an optical physicist or engineer so I do not know the science behind this, but it is what I take as gospel. The exit pupil has nothing to do with resolution, it has to do with the relative brightness of the image (I'm not going to argue the usefulness of the term "relative brightness", but the fact is the unit is arrived at by squaring the size of the exit pupil).

Resolution and optical performance is also related to the quality of the glass (raw material), grind (manufacture) and coatings (light tranmission and management).

It is my experience that many manufacturers do not believe that top shelf glass and coatings are a requirement for a riflescope. It is a gun sight, not a bino or a spotting scope. As it is difficult to ascertain any real differences between the 50mm and 56mm objectives, it is also difficult for many people to truly tell the difference between top notch optics and "2nd tier" glass in a riflescope. At about $150-$200 difference per scope, decisions are made.

Also, some manufacturers do not coat the etched reticles in their scopes. The other multicoated lenses in the scope help account for what is essentially a piece of fine uncoated glass sitting between the objective and ocular lenses.

Nightforce excels at mechanical reliability and ruggedness, which is paramount in a long range gun sight. The fit, finish, and quality of the scopes is there. I've always said that.


Given that I have looked through many off-the-shelf production NXS scopes, and compared them with all manner of competitors, and given they are about $1500, I stand behind my statement that their are better choices out there (designated hunting scopes for less $$) for low light hunting.

YMMV.

Scott

 

[bigg_sexy1]

Ok, I have a question that may help out both Savage J and myself, I think that the Nightforce scopes are pretty awsome and I am considering buying one, but I am unsure as to how the fine reticle will be in low light, and in dark timber? Are the fine reticles easily lost against dark backgrounds? I have read many dfferent opinions on the fine reticles and the illumination etc. so I guess I am just curious NF Ken, and Liberty O what your toughts are when it comes down to it?

 

[NightforceKen]

Bigg,

Although the reticles are fine, you can change the intensity of the illumination. It can be set so low it is barely visible, even at twilight, or you can set it so that it is incredibly bright.

I typically use the NP-R1 for most cases and I have never had a problem loosing the reticle. It is important that you set the intensity before you go out though.

Hope this helps,
Ken

 

[trebark]

I'm curious...what do you hunt in Florida that requires the power of the 300win mag?

 

[bigg_sexy1]

You bet thanks for the info Ken.