Thoughts please on Nightforce: NXS glass vs. F1 glass

[JimD]

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Hey everybody.

I'm looking pretty seriously at the various Nightforce scopes.

- things like size, weight, magnification range are right there to weigh into your decision
as are...
- features such as the ZeroHold
- 1st vs. 2nd focal plane
- mil vs. moa
- reticle choice is tricky... limits your scope choices and vice versa...but can all be parsed and cyphered out

But the glass!

The only way to know, know, know is to look through various optics and SEE.

But I ain't got one of each sitting here to play with, so I thought I'd ask y'all.

Still won't be like looking through 'em myself but it's a heck of a lot better than flipping a coin!

So, can you opine on the Nightforce NXS glass vs. the F1 glass?

I see the continuum as being something like...

If I didn't know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Once I first saw
which was which . . . . <- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -> . . . the F1 glass
I'd be hard pressed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I sold all my
to tell the difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NXS scopes

Unless it's more complex than than, which it may well be!

Maybe each one has its +s and -s ?


Plus... hmmm... I hadn't thought of this...
I had sorta jumped to the conclusion that F1 glass was just "better."
Do some preFER the NXS glass... I don't know how to draw a third dimension onto my continuum.
So if you do, just lay it on me.


So let's get into it, if we may. I'm all ears.

Jim

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[918v]

I owned a 3-15 F1 and a 5-25 F1. The 3-15 glass had good resolution and contrast, but the image through the ocular looked narrow. There was a pronounced black ring at the extreme edges. It was like looking down a pipe for lack of a better term. But it was easy to set up and very forgiving in terms of focus and parallax. Then, stupidly, I sold it in pursuit of better glass after looking through a S&B 5-25.

Not wanting to spend $4k on a SnB, I spent $3k on a 5-25 F1. At first I was very impressed. The image quality was superb. It was very sharp and contrasty. The knobs were a lot crisper. But I soon started to see some issues. For one, the parallax was extremely sensitive. And it changed from day to day. On Monday it could be zero at 75 yards and on Tuesday it could be at 105 yards. Second, I could not set the ocular to get a crisp reticle, sharp image, and no parallax at the same time. I either had no parallax and a soft image or a sharp image with a little parallax. I sent it in but was told the scope was fine. This was my first scope with these issues. No problem with my other scopes. So I sold it.

Since then I bought a Kahles 6-24 and a SnB 5-25 and neither scope has these issues. One of my family members bought the 4-16 F1 and experienced multiple turret problems that facilitated a prompt sale. My scope was from the first run and current scopes might have these issues worked out.

 

[JimD]

I owned a 3-15 F1 and a 5-25 F1. The 3-15 glass had good resolution and contrast, but the image through the ocular looked narrow. There was a pronounced black ring at the extreme edges. It was like looking down a pipe for lack of a better term. But it was easy to set up and very forgiving in terms of focus and parallax. Then, stupidly, I sold it in pursuit of better glass after looking through a S&B 5-25.

Not wanting to spend $4k on a SnB, I spent $3k on a 5-25 F1. At first I was very impressed. The image quality was superb. It was very sharp and contrasty. The knobs were a lot crisper. But I soon started to see some issues. For one, the parallax was extremely sensitive. And it changed from day to day. On Monday it could be zero at 75 yards and on Tuesday it could be at 105 yards. Second, I could not set the ocular to get a crisp reticle, sharp image, and no parallax at the same time. I either had no parallax and a soft image or a sharp image with a little parallax. I sent it in but was told the scope was fine. This was my first scope with these issues. No problem with my other scopes. So I sold it.

Since then I bought a Kahles 6-24 and a SnB 5-25 and neither scope has these issues. One of my family members bought the 4-16 F1 and experienced multiple turret problems that facilitated a prompt sale. My scope was from the first run and current scopes might have these issues worked out.

Thanks V,

I'm studying on the narrow ocular with the black ring like looking down a pipe on the 3-15 F1 (3.5-15x50 F1 now discontinued? closest I could find what you listed). Sounds like exit pupil/eye relief/eye position problem? But 15 power/50mm objective would be pretty good exit pupil. Hmmm...

And really surprised to hear what sounds like general complaints about all of your Nightforces - parallax, ocular focus, turret problems. Not my general impression of Nightforce.

BUT... that's why we ask open ended questions on forums!

Hope everybody was just out shooting this weekend and maybe I'll get more replays to my thread come the week.

Best regards,

Jim

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[toader]

NXS glass will NEVER make you not see a target/animal through the scope...NXS scopes are tough as nails and very repeatable!!

 

[Bodywerks]

There's no real difference between nxs glass and f1 glass. Nightforce glass is 'pretty good', but in my opinion it's not what they are known for. I've owned an nxs and the ATACR. Neither glass really impressed me, and they call the ATACR 'hd glass'. It's nice, until you look through a Schmidt or premier scope. Then you're ruined.
For the $$$I paid for the ATACR, which was sfp, I'd just assume save a few bucks and get the vortex hd amg.

 

[Willys46]

If you are looking at just a glass comparison I will say my F1 has better glass than my NXS's.

I have ran the NXS for years, tried a March (great glass), kahles (great glass), vortex Gen2 (good glass), but I think the F1 is better than a Gen2, better than a NXS, but not as good as the March or Kahles.

I have been running but for aprx 6 months in the PRS and it has treated me very well. I have not missed a target because I could not see it.

The function of the scope is great. I would buy another and not hesitate to recommend it.

Willys46