I know it's an older optic, and is underneath their top of the line, but is this still a good scope, compared to the other cheaper options out there like say the Cronus, gen2/3 Razors, Zeiss LRP3s, Theoses, DNT etc etc ? Has the new budget optics caught up to the older Nightforces?
How Relevant is the Nightforce NX8 4-32?
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432s are awesome hunting scopes
A lot of people compare the mid range to the 735
A lot of people compare the mid range to the 735
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There are a lot of people that don’t like it and typically seems to be because of a tight eye box. I don’t really find it that bad and if you are having a consistent weld I find it a none issue. I have a fair amount of them and even used it for the few prs matches I have shot and it performed great. My main purpose for them is hunting, like mentioned above, and I have zero complaints and will continue to use them.
At the store I manage that is our number one selling NF, the NF factory guys came by last week and said it was in their top 3 selling scopes. I have one on my 300PRC hinting rifle and my son has one on his 7PRC hunting rifle and we love them.
Everyone is mentioning hunting, but I have one on a match/misc rifle in FFP with the Mil-XT reticle and I really like it.
I found the 1-8 NX8 to be a little too tight of an eyebox (moreso tighter at 1x than I’d like). But the 4-32 isn’t a problem at all for eyebox. And while I’ve never used a ZCO or “alpha” glass, I find the glass to be very good.
I found the 1-8 NX8 to be a little too tight of an eyebox (moreso tighter at 1x than I’d like). But the 4-32 isn’t a problem at all for eyebox. And while I’ve never used a ZCO or “alpha” glass, I find the glass to be very good.
On the SFP NX8s, what magnification level is tied with the reticle? I’ve thought about a SFP 2.5-20 for a hunting rifle, but I know the 4-32 gets a bit dark at 32. I wouldn’t want to be tied to max magnification on an NX8 for reticle use. I like the 4-32 as a 4-20/24. I assume the 2.5-20 is best in the 2.5-15 range.
My particular reticle subtends properly at 16x and 32x. At 16x, each stadia equals .2 mil, at 32x each equals .1 mil. Very difficult to screw up.
I basically leave it on 16x if shooting longer range. I shot a bull last year at 150yds on 4x though and having that big reticle and huge FOV was amazing. I swear by lower power now for hunting.
ATACR has this style reticle as well. It's a 2nd focal mil-c that subtends at 17.5x and 35.
I find the glass in my NX8 4-32 to equal if not beat the glass in my ATACR 7-35. Could be a really good NX8 against a mediocre ATACR, I don't have the sample size to say.
- Apr 17, 2019
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I'd say all the options you named are great in their own right, but the NX8, both the 2.5-20 and the 4-32, continue to be among my top selling scopes and for good reason. I'd go as far as to say that with the options on the market currently, the NX8 is probably the best hybrid scope currently and that's why it maintains it's popularity. For people that want to bridge the gap between hunting and target shooting, this is usually going to be my first recommendation.
- Nov 3, 2010
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I have four NX8 scopes, one 1-8, one 2.5-20 and two 4-32's all are FFP, FDE and have the Mil-XT reticles and were purchased in the last 3 years. The 4-32's are the best of the bunch, but the 2.5-20 is really good as well. I don't have ton's of use on the 1-8x yet, but's its compact size is really nice.
The 4-32's are probably as good as it gets on the "bang for the buck" list. They have everything I need and nothing I don't and are tough as nails. I'm very happy with all of them. I'm sure there are ton's out there that have better glass, better specs or some other crap that I'd never get any real benefit of even though they cost a lot more. I'd buy another NX8 in a heartbeat if I needed a new scope.
The 4-32's are probably as good as it gets on the "bang for the buck" list. They have everything I need and nothing I don't and are tough as nails. I'm very happy with all of them. I'm sure there are ton's out there that have better glass, better specs or some other crap that I'd never get any real benefit of even though they cost a lot more. I'd buy another NX8 in a heartbeat if I needed a new scope.
The only thing I’d like to see is locking elevation turret, it’s easy to bump them when hiking
Have 2 of them and love them, one on a 223AI the other on a Gen 1 Vudoo, cleaned a 200 yard 1 MOA KYL rimfire match once with that gun and optic.
It has never been relevant compared to the classic Jap glass tier of XTR3, Cronos, Raz G2. The glass is not even close, and it costs more than those. It definitely can't be compared to the G3/S3/Theos, as they are another higher tier all together. I would put it up against the best Chinese glass at this point, like Ares ETR, DNT, etc., which are of course a fraction of the NF price.
Absolutely, NF is all overpriced for what it is. When I had the scopes side by side years ago I wrote specifics. Not only is the eye box tight, but the glass is distorted at edges, and doesn't have the clarity or resolution of the G2 or XTR3 even in the center. You will not notice this inside, say 300 yards, but it was obvious at 400 and beyond - same as an Athlon ETR or DNT, etc.
Wow. I had not noticed that. I have a G2 Razor and an XTRII. I should recheck that lol. I was thinking about another nx8 4-32 but now I dont know lol. I ask because for it's physical size, I cant find another scope that can do what this scope can do (mag range, durability, & illuminated tree reticle for it's size)
I hate big scopes but I use them because my eyes can't really use anything else at distance, which sucks.
And by saying ETR or DNT at the end of your statement, are you meaning they suck like the NX8,or are better than the NX8.
I hate big scopes but I use them because my eyes can't really use anything else at distance, which sucks.
And by saying ETR or DNT at the end of your statement, are you meaning they suck like the NX8,or are better than the NX8.
XTR2 is definitely not an XTR3. XTR2 glass is terrible. XTR3>G2>NX8 4-32. I gave the Chinese examples because I think they are similar image quality to the NX8 and would buy them instead, for the same reasons I would buy a Honda or Toyota instead of a base 3-series or C-class.
Yeah. I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with virtually all of that.
Ah I see. I do remember the XTR2 being terrible in the sun, that's for sure. The glare in it made the scope completely unusable.
In my opinion and experience, yes. I love my NX8 4-32 and feel it will continue to reside on my 7prc for the foreseeable future. I think it’s the best bang for the buck.
Considering the intended application, yes. It’s a really good crossover scope. Is there a more advanced crossover scope?
I'm not competing, just casual shooting out to a thousand. I know it works, but just how well, compared to other scopes is I guess what opinion I'm looking for. I'm guessing it gives up a bit of clarity, and target resolution?
I really started looking at these due to price to get into some longer range shooting with my 308 gas gun but everyone keeps saying they get really outperformed by the mk5hd and the atacr. You guys are making me think I should actually look into them now
My only gripe is the elevation turret spins too easily, kinda like a Schmidt but the clicks are widely spaced. The image isn’t as nice past 24x as it is at around 20x where I’d say it is just as nice as anything else out there. The image is crisp and bright and everything is razor sharp. It’s a small scope physically but has plenty of main tube real estate.
I’m a big fan of mine, if I had a single gripe, it’s that it tunnels below 5x. Great scope though. I didn’t purchase it specifically for comp, but I’ve shot a few PRS matches with it and it worked great. I’ve got the mil-c reticle.
Maybe you had a bad sample because I've had five or six of them. I've also owned three different XTR3, and one razor g2. The Nx8 glass to my eyes is better than the XTR3 and is right there with the g2 razor. Razor is easier to get behind but it's an entirely different type of optic IMO and it's like 4lbs. Nobody is sticking that on a hunting rifle. It's a pig.
A number of people saw it the way I did, including our own revered Glasshole - many threads about it over the years, so I doubt it was my sample. If, however, they had a silent Gen2 roll out, like the 2.5-20, then my comments only apply to Gen1, and I would be interested in seeing the Gen2.
Otherwise, I think it's simply that most people don't have a bunch of glass lined up looking out to 4K yards of mountains, like I did for many years, and the NX8 looked great for the first couple of hundred yards, warm contrast and good resolution. The differences became glaring once you stretched them out, especially in less than ideal conditions.
My quite recent 4-32 is a bit sharper than my two Razor G2’s, has less CA, and without either using a sunshade the 4-32 has less flare. The G2 with a shade is roughly equivalent, flare-wise, to the unshaded 4-32. I have a flare wrote-up somewhere in this site. I was testing all of this out to ~500yds.
I really wish the 4-32 had a locking elevation turret. Also don’t like the slow diopter focus vs the more modern fast focus designs. The 30mm tube works nice on my more lightweight guns.
The Razor G2 has a better eye box and a more HDTV viewing experience. I use them on bench guns where the extra weight is good. The 4-32 doesn’t have a bad eyebox, though.
TL;DR
For bench gun—> Razor G2
For lighter gun—> NX8 4-32
I really wish the 4-32 had a locking elevation turret. Also don’t like the slow diopter focus vs the more modern fast focus designs. The 30mm tube works nice on my more lightweight guns.
The Razor G2 has a better eye box and a more HDTV viewing experience. I use them on bench guns where the extra weight is good. The 4-32 doesn’t have a bad eyebox, though.
TL;DR
For bench gun—> Razor G2
For lighter gun—> NX8 4-32
I can't say I used them to look at mountains 4K yards away; that just doesn't mean much to me in the real world. I just used them at normal shooting ranges on steel and target from 100-800 yds. Its also important to note the 4-32 is signficantly better optically than the 2.5-20. Its not the scope for using for ELR, but then again neither are any of the other scopes you mentioned other than possibly the Razor and above. Everyone eyes see things differently; but I think to say the glass is on par with the Arkens, DNT and Athon Ares is just not so. They are pretty decent glass for the price point but anything over 20x and they start to get dark and glass flares very badly. they look great just peering thru them but get them out in less than ideal conditions and the flaws become evident pretty quickly. I even tried the DNT 7-35 to see what the rage was about. Looks great in good conditions. Once it started to get dark or the mirage sets in on a sunny day w/ cold ground it goes down hill quickly above 20x or so. It does work really well on a rimfire for target shooting and the like for not a lot of $$
Have both the 4-32 and 2.5-20 NX8.
I prefer the 4-32 as it's not working so hard in the mid range for hunting.
It is better to have a 4-32 set at 20x than the 2.5-20 maxed out at 20x.
Great scopes, if I had to pick just one, 4-32.
Tremor 3 for mine.
I prefer the 4-32 as it's not working so hard in the mid range for hunting.
It is better to have a 4-32 set at 20x than the 2.5-20 maxed out at 20x.
Great scopes, if I had to pick just one, 4-32.
Tremor 3 for mine.
Yes, let's get into a credibility debate on the internet, which can devolve into a virtual peepee measuring contest. In the end, my dad can beat up your dad? Why my opinion about a scope makes people mad I will never understand.
Until moving to Texas, I actually did not believe there was an entire demographic of people driving lifted pickup trucks like sports cars, with stickers of the gun-related brands they love on the back windows. But, they're different from Kardashians, right? Someday, perhaps I too will have a Nightforce keychain, but I returned it along with the NX8 4-32 that I didn't like.
Lol. When I research (either writing in, or just reading) message boards, I turn off all emotions, or at least try to, and just try to absorb as much as possible. All people's answers even the wrong ones get added to a mental database for me to sift through. Even though they may be facts or opinions, it's still more data for me to consider. Everything helps in my opinion.
I also purposely come off less experienced than I am, in hopes of eliciting more conversation and more data. I dont know why I do it; maybe it's because I fear that people will withhold what they honestly feel? Not sure, but all opinions even the unpopular ones are always welcome. I'm an obsessive data collector and I love learning new things. If I didn't ever receive odd statements or opinions I feel I wouldnt be getting the whole picture.
There are quite a number of, shall we say super confident type A personalities on here, that have very 'opinionated opinions' lol, and I take all of them too. None of it bothers me. How they feel is how they feel, and they're entitled to it. For me, the more the better.
I also purposely come off less experienced than I am, in hopes of eliciting more conversation and more data. I dont know why I do it; maybe it's because I fear that people will withhold what they honestly feel? Not sure, but all opinions even the unpopular ones are always welcome. I'm an obsessive data collector and I love learning new things. If I didn't ever receive odd statements or opinions I feel I wouldnt be getting the whole picture.
There are quite a number of, shall we say super confident type A personalities on here, that have very 'opinionated opinions' lol, and I take all of them too. None of it bothers me. How they feel is how they feel, and they're entitled to it. For me, the more the better.
I don’t have both to compare back to back, but I have ~1 year old NX8 4-32 and a couple years ago had a Mk5HD 3.6-18.
I don’t think their image qualities are different enough to be a purchase decision. They don’t seem very different image-wise. If we were talking about a camera lens I might nit pick it a bit more.
The Mk5HD did have a better eyebox. But the NX8 is better at 18x than the Mk5HD. And on the low end, 3.6 vs 4 isn’t a whole lot of a difference.
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