Daaaaannng ! this is hard !!
I have been putting this off . However , with the current crop of posts I am forced to respond .............................much as I hate to . So , here goes .....
In 1972 I bought the most exciting , beautifully made and clearest scope I had ever looked through . It was expensive , its name was Leupold . A 3.5x10 AO that I had mounted on my also new Sako Browning 243 safari grade rifle , Was I wealthy ? no . just very good taste , therefore no money .
From that time on I was a dyed in the wool Leupold enthusiast, all else was second rate .
Last year I was reading posts by Jerry Teo about the Nikon 4.5x14sf . So I went and looked at one , amazing , and at the time they were around 279 or so dollars . I told my oldest son he should try one ( being the good son that he is he did ) and was amazed ! Brighter ! a lot brighter in the same lighting conditions.( I know , that is a Nikon ! , what about the Nighttforce ? )
I am getting there , be patient /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I pointed out the Nikon experience to begin to show that the " times . they are a changing "
I went to the range a few weeks ago to shoot my friends rifle while he was gone on a bowhunt for elk in New Mexico . His scope is a NXS 5.5 x22x56. I shot a 20 round ladder with it . I then proceeded to pick up my rifle with a Leupold MK 4 8.5x 25 x50 to validate some loads I had developed in the past but was going to a different lot of powder .
Who turned out the lights !! I mean it ! no kidding , no exaggeration , .
Not only was I fightng to get my eye relief correct ( the NF blows the Leupy away in this categorie ) I was also wondering if there was a solar eclipse.
Once again , I am not exaggerating . My eyes are older than many of yours but in that vein it means that I am more aware of available light than others may be .
All that being said (( Goodgrouper , I'm sorry , but it is the truth so help me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif ) All that being said I think the Leupold reticle ( tmr ) and the Leupold styling is much better than Nightforce . But when I can put my eye to scope and it is " THERE " that is hard to beat .
I was not happy when I left the range that day, I had a good shoot , but was sad for the passing of my favorite scope for 35 years .
Many of you will not be able to appreciate the difference because your eyes are so good . Like you GG , and others I'm sure . For you older farts the 56 mm( and yes , I am aware of the inequities of comparing a 50 mm to a 56 , but hey ! Leupold doesn't offer a 56 )makes a big difference, if you don't believe it just ask Buffalobob /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Well , it's off my chest now I really hated doing it but ..................Bill , can you make me a good deal on a 8x32x56 NXS /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gifYou have my email .
Jim B