Rifle Scopes anybody been in this boat scope shopping?

BradZ

BradZ

Just Brad
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 11, 2012
85
2
45
The Sticks (SW PA)
#1
I'm 33 and my entire life I've grown up with Leupold scopes being the go to kind of thing. Years ago I got into the long range stuff and started buying the Mark 4s. Right now i have a brand new custom job 700action with a USMC contract barrel on it sitting in a nice McMillen waiting on a scope. So I go to look at the Mark 4s again and there's this nagging thing in the back of the head saying look at Nightfoce, everybody seems to love them.

That being said it's in my head like brainwashing that it's Leupold, plus I know I like them. Nobody anywhere around me stocks nightforces, hell if I want a Mark 4 I have to order it online or special order it from a store.

Everybody seems to love the Nightforces though, Im just wondering if they can be all that much better than the Mark4s I've known and loved for years. So how do ya figure out if something is worth the upgrade if you can't ever see one?
 
#2
Yes I have been in that boat and I chose NF.

You are paying for a rugged and reliable scope when you buy a NF, as well as a step up in refinement. The glass isn't all that much better on the old NXS line compared to the MK4, IMO. The new NF 5-25 ATACR and 15-55 BR competition scopes have new upgraded glass.

Leupold has the new MK6 line and MK8 line of scopes that better compete with NF now. The MK8 is up there in price with the most expensive scopes but isn't available yet.

As long as you are considering change, you might want to consider FFP mil/mil. The Bushnell HDMR is a really good scope for the money!
 
#3
Im in the boat right now and am choosing NightForce. I think for the money its better than the Mark 4's if i had an extra 500$$ I may have thought much harder about the Mark6's but since 2K is my budget im going with the NF.
 
#6
IMO, they really are nicer. I grew up knowing that Leupy was "the best" and had never even heard of NF. When I got in to LR shooting, a lot of the guys were using NF and I had 4 MK4's. I decided that I wanted something better than my MK4. They work fine but, I at least wanted a matching reticle and turret system.

I jumped way up to a PH 5-25 and LOVE IT!! I'm not saying you need to do what I did but, I would at least look at options other than NF. The Bushy DMR is nice for the money or you could look at the Vortex Razor. Both will get you FFP, nice glass and matching reticle and turrets.

I see you're in SW Pa. Come out to a shoot at Rayners or Thunder Valley here in Ohio before you lay down any money and look through a bunch of different options.
 
#10
PA is a little too far for me ;). I grew up with Leupold, about 20 minutes from Beaverton. Now that I'm a civilian and have had time buying optics just to try out (not recommended) I keep going back to Nightforce. I've had S&B, Henny, USO, Premier, Leupold and for whatever reason I just love the F1. It's just my personal opinion but there's a lot of bang for your buck in that package, and the company is great too. I'm not saying that those other brands aren't good , there great, but when it comes down to my money I go with NF 98% of the time. (The other is vortex, good value in them too)
 
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#12
_RJ_ said:
buying optics just to try out (not recommended)
Click to expand...

and that's what i'm worried about. Pretty much what I'd be doing on this one if I go with a brand I don't have the experience with. Makes me a bit nervous.

I'v pretty much narrowed it down to two, that nightforce I linked and the 4.5-14 Mark 4 illum TMR

Pretty much the same price, i dunno it's hard.
 
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#14
I came up in my dad's gun shop, where Leupold was considered high-end (and I'm not talking Mk 4's). As I've gotten older (and money to play) I've been thoroughly impressed with Nightforce, Zeiss, and Trijicon stuff....Trijicon really blows me away for the money. Nothing wrong with a Mk 4...and don't forget about the Mk 6. You can't look through a Nightforce and not like it, though. Something about them is impressive.
 
#16
i grew up with leupold's vx3's and mark 4's. that is until i started shooting at farther distances. shot a friends rifle with nightforce on it about a year ago. i have since sold all my mark 4's and have bought 3 nightforce within the last 8 months. i'll always have leupolds but nightforces will be on all my longrange guns.
 
#17
I know some people have said the same thing I am about to say. But I have over 20 Leupold's on almost all my rifles. I still have 2 Mark 4s I am running. But about 6 months ago I got a new 338 Lapua and after a thread I made very similar to yours I went with a NF NXS 5.5-22 x 56MM MOAR. I like it more than any other scope I have, and as long as I have the money all the scopes after this one will be a NightForce. I say get one and if you dont like it, sell it. They retain value really well.
 
#18
yup, seems like a lot of people grew up like that. Vari X IIIs on all the deer rifles. I guess it's just hard going from a brand you've known all your life to something that you've heard about on the internet. Be much easier if you could go into a store and look at 'em, I wonder if Cabelas stocks those. That's not too bad a drive. Hour and a half I think.
 
#19
Know you're talking NF and Leupold but don't overlook the SWFA SS 5-20x50, for the money they are also a great scope. We'll be at Rayners this Sunday and there will probably be a few other brands there as well if you want to make the trip. Supposed to be a nice day and we'll all be tweaking and we'll have 2 or 3 guns with a SWFA on them you can try out. It'll be hard to find a store or shop that carries the types of scopes most of us use for the Long Range game, best bet it get out to a match or practice day where there will be a lot of scopes the guys that shoot are using them to look thru for yourself.

Topstrap
 
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#21
I'm going the other way on this one.

Find the scope that has the features you want and buy it. Reticle, illumination, vertical adjustment...

You really can't make a wrong choice once you get to this range. Lets be honest, if you buy ABC scope, will there ever be a time when you say man, if I had DEF scope I wouldn't have missed the shot.

If you're not shooting side by side with them, you'll likely never know the difference.

I grew up with a Leupold VXII on my .30-06. I now have Burris XTR, Nightforce NXS and Vortex on my most used long guns. I'm shopping for a scope for my next bolt gun. What will it be? Hopefully a Nightforce, but likely a Vortex due to money.

This website will spend your money fast. It's easy to get caught up in the bigger better faster ideas.

All I'm saying is, take a step back and think about what features you want or need and find a scope that has it. You really can't make a wrong choice.
 
#22
Definately take a look at the Mark 6 line. Every scope you look at around 2k should/will have a great warranty. Every scope should/will have good glass. I don't have years of experience behind scopes worth thousands of dollars, but I do have "Extreme OCD" and looked at every scope I have seen for the past 6 months. I am like you in the Leupold is best idea. That's why I started shopping just seeing what my options were. After looking through a bunch of scopes, I started to notice the levels of clarity more and more. I liked the NF NXS glass and lineup but just hated the fact that the entire eyepiece moved when adjusting mag power. When the Mark 6 lineup came out I was ecstatic because thats what I wanted only I needed some reviews before i could decide for sure. There were only a few floating around when I was looking for reviews and didn't find many at first. Take a look at my review in my sig if you get a chance and at least there's a good Leupold option. Call Scott at Liberty Optics and mention the Hide.
 
#23
I think if you are going into this price range, you should also consider Kahles, Steiner, and even Premier, Hensodlt, S&B. My very first scope is a Lepold VXII and then move to Nikon buckmaster, Monarch, then Zeiss conquest, finally got my Hensolds. In the past 10 years, sold all my Nikons, but keep 3 Zeiss Conquest, 2 Hensoldts, and the very first Leupold VII + a $20 Simmons on a .22lr.
 
#25
BradZ said:
and that's what i'm worried about. Pretty much what I'd be doing on this one if I go with a brand I don't have the experience with. Makes me a bit nervous.

I'v pretty much narrowed it down to two, that nightforce I linked and the 4.5-14 Mark 4 illum TMR

Pretty much the same price, i dunno it's hard.
Click to expand...

With the new NF releases, I'm pretty sure it will be easy to find a used one from a reputable member here on the EE and save yourself a few hundred dollars. The seller will have already taken the cost loss so you can move it for the price you paid if you don't like it.
 
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