Help me decide.....Please. Leupold or Nightforce

[MudRunner2005]

You might want to look at Trijicon then.

One of the first lessons that I learned when I got to South Africa last year was that I did not have the right scope on one of my rifles. I had the 6.5-20x50 Mark4 on the 300wm which is a great scope for open country but on a lot of our hunts shots were between 10 to 60 yds and it was just way too much scope for those conditions.

Fortunately my buddy I was hunting with runs one of the largest and best gun/gear shops in the country and they have one of the best optics inventories as a result and I was able to just use a loaner from him for the balance of the trip. What I actually did was switch the Zeiss over to the .300wm and use the loaner on the .375 Ruger.

Anyhow the first thing I did when I got back was order a Trijicon Accupoint 1-6x24 TR25-C-20089 with the dual illum system. It comes with a post Triangle, German #4 or MOA/Mildot Reticle. The glass is just fantastic on it and with the tritium illumination it's so easy to pick up even in dead dark conditions it's amazing but it's never overpowering. Best thing of all is you'll never find yourself out of batteries at the critical moment.

The biggest limitation on the Accupoints is they have limited windage and elevation adjustments compared to what we're used to shooting and really don't quite make it for long range shooting if you are dialing without going to a 15-20MOA rail. The 2.5-10x56 is just awesome for low light as well. I'd like to give the 5-20x50 a ride just for fun but other than my short/med range rifles I just don't really have a need for anything other than the Leupolds.

Where the trijicons really kill it though is with their dual illum system. The Iridium will fade over time but sending it in once every 7-10 years during the off season for replacement solves that. Their Accupower line uses battery powered LED illumination for those that prefer it but I get the impression that's kind of their entry level "no frills line". Great for the average hunter but not quite up to what most of us are looking for in a long range scope.

I have not used the Accupoint scopes, but used a few ACOGs and Trijicon builds a fine optic. I would be interested in trying the 5-20x50. I've looked at several in the stores, and they seem very well built.

 

[WildRose]

I have not used the Accupoint scopes, but used a few ACOGs and Trijicon builds a fine optic. I would be interested in trying the 5-20x50. I've looked at several in the stores, and they seem very well built.

They definitely are. Even at places like Sniper Central and The Hide they have gotten good reviews and that says a lot.

Quality wise I'd say they are between the SHV and NXS Night Force and they appear to be targeting the same price points in the market.

One of the best lower cost scopes you'll ever try for low light use is the VX3 3.5-10x50 or 56 but those are specifically built for guys who are shooting at average ranges. When I was in college that's what I had on both my varmint and "deer rifles" and they were good enough to shoot coyotes on a full moon night without using a spot light which made it hell on the dogs if you were shooting over carcasses or around a dump.

We have very dry, clear air here at night though so I'm not so sure it would work for you in the bayou without using a spot light. I doubt I'd do nearly as well at picking up the reticles on them today without going to the illuminated models. My eyes were much younger then.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I stopped going to The Hide when they got bought-out and wanted money to be a member... I thought that was pretty crappy of them to do.

Both of my VX-III's were the 3.5-10x50. They were great scopes and I got them cheap. I had one on my .17 HMR and one of my Browning A-Bolt 7mmRM's for a while, before swapping on my B&L Elite 3000 onto it. I miss that scope every time I think about it. It wasn't a NF by any means, but it killed me many deer and other critters over the years.

I'm not in the bayou... LOL I'm not that far south. I'm in the hills of central AL, out in the woods. Pretty clear night air around here, too.

 

[WildRose]

I stopped going to The Hide when they got bought-out and wanted money to be a member... I thought that was pretty crappy of them to do.

Both of my VX-III's were the 3.5-10x50. They were great scopes and I got them cheap. I had one on my .17 HMR and one of my Browning A-Bolt 7mmRM's for a while, before swapping on my B&L Elite 3000 onto it. I miss that scope every time I think about it. It wasn't a NF by any means, but it killed me many deer and other critters over the years.

I'm not in the bayou... LOL I'm not that far south. I'm in the hills of central AL, out in the woods. Pretty clear night air around here, too.

IT doesn't bother me, it's not just a bulletin board to them, it's a business. The board honestly I think they try to keep limited and that's probably got a lot to do with it.