Rifle Scopes *JUST RELEASED* Nightforce NX8 FFP 1-8x24mm 30mm Tube & ATACR F1 1-8x24mm 34mm Tube Models

[Fenix Mike]

I think most people will compare the Razor 1-6 to the NX8, and save the ATACR comparisons for other top-tier 34mm optics such as the Leupold CQBSS, Minox ZP8, and S&B Short Dot. The Razor and NX8 are sorta in the same ball park price-wise, while the ATACR is not, and lets face it, $$$ is probably the #1 factor when most people are buying optics.

Then they would be incorrectly comparing them. Money has nothing to do with how a scope compares to another one as both scopes are COMPLETELY different. I wouldn't put a NX8 on a 308 gun as it isnt setup for such, and I wouldn't run a Razor on a 5.56 gun or smaller SBR as its too big and too heavy. The NX8 is a compact 1-8 that really cant compare with the Razor 1-6 on eye relief, FOV etc, and it isnt meant to. Its an answer to those who wanted a compact red dot style optic with an optional variable zoom to 1-8... being no larger than most 1-4 scopes, it accomplished that. The Razor is a fantastic all around 1-6 scope with a red dot, huge FOV, built like a tank and very heavy... its direct competitor would be the ATACR. I dont care if it costs more, thats generally what happens when a better product comes out. The Mk6 1-6 and 1-8 are also quite a bit more than the Razor, yet they are still its "direct competition". The Hyundai Genesis is considered competition for the Lexus GS460, BMW 550i, Mercedes E500 etc, however you dont say "well you have to compare it to the IS250, 2 series BMW and C class Mercedes because those match the price point", you either suck up the difference and buy the better product, or you get the cheaper one.

I wont tell you how to spend your money, which scopes to order, or how to look at each one, but Nightforce is a higher price point scope than Vortex. My Scar 16 SBR is getting the NX8, and I wouldn't in a million years run a Razor 1-6 on there due to size and weight. My Scar 17 SBR is getting an ATACR 1-8, and has previously run the Razor, MK6 and MK8. I wouldn't put an NX8 on there, it doesnt suit the rifle and wouldn't ever see its potential.

 

[deersniper]

^ what do you see being the big difference to put the ATACR 1-8 on the scar 17 but not the NX8?

 

[Fenix Mike]

I also appreciate your take @KimberGuy, thanks!

I'm hoping that in a way the ATACR knocks the Razor 1-6x 'out the box, if for nothing else similar or better clarity through the range + FFP, but perhaps not. First thing I'll verify when I have all three is that the ATACR's glass can hang solid pegged at 8x, the rest is icing as a few ounces and size (within the spec'ed envelope) do not drive my personal preference. But for over 2x for what the Razor costs street, I'll bet a whole lotta folks looking beyond the NX8 are expecting the ATACR to blow their tits off.

The ATACR is fantastic, and I cant wait to break mine in when it shows up... I think very few though actually research WHY they want the ATACR though, or SFP vs FFP in a small frame scope, why FOV varies between those two, etc. Ordering the wrong scope for the job and being disappointed isnt the scopes fault, its the end users fault for not researching it. There are pretty distinct differences between the Razor 1-6 and the ATACR 1-8, MK6 1-6 and MK8 1-8, as well as many similar lower magnification scopes... choosing the purpose for the scope should be done before deciding if its for you or not.

 

[Fenix Mike]

^ what do you see being the big difference to put the ATACR 1-8 on the scar 17 but not the NX8?

If you haven't run a super compact scope before, its difficult to explain, but without the generous eye box of the larger ATACR, it can be finicky above 6X, meaning if its on a rifle that has any recoil, likely youre going to have trouble staying on target unless youre running a bipod or off a barrier of some sort. Off hand shooting will be fine at lower magnification and 1x, but when you go to 6-8, it really needs to be steady, or slow fire. With the ATACR, movement isnt a big issue and you can shoot off hand fine with the magnification turned up, and still get back on target relatively easy. That isnt a problem with the NX8, thats just the inherent design of being ultra compact. The 2.5-10x24 is the same way, but it wasn't intended to compete with larger scopes like the 2.5-10x42 etc, it was meant as an ultra small scope for a light rifle, DMR or something that does some close range work, or sits on a bipod to take longer 500 meter shots at max. If you had a SBR, 16 inch gun, or even a 20 inch setup that spent a lot of time doing 50 yard stuff, but made some 200-400 yard shots against a barricade, the NX8 would be WONDERFUL...

What im trying to say, without stirring the "well Nightforce needs to fix that" when it isnt a problem in the first place, is choose the scope that matches what you NEED, not the price point you can afford. If the proper scope isnt in your budget, either wait until you can afford it, or get something in your price point. The NX8 isnt a cheaper version of the ATACR like the PST is to the Razor, its a completely different scope with a completely different purpose, and I think a lot of people are missing that by assuming its somehow a competitor for the Razor.

 

[carnageasada]

I think in varied terms we agree, but I tried to sum up the "purpose built" into my "looking beyond the NX8" chop. I do however stray from your use case as I want the ATACR as a low power variable specifically for a .223 platform, for now... I 110% can agree that I'm also very much looking forward to the little fat bastard also!

Edit: fair enough, it's not going to be a competition for everyone, but it is for me as I simply won't have the Razor and ATACR since the latter checks off more boxes for my needs, two scopes enter - one stays on my AR.

 

[Fenix Mike]

I think in varied terms we agree, but I tried to sum up the "purpose built" into my "looking beyond the NX8" chop. I do however stray from your use case as I want the ATACR as a low power variable specifically for a .223 platform, for now... I 110% can agree that I'm also very much looking forward to the little fat bastard also!

The ATACR would work fine on a 223 gun as well (im not a big 223 guy and the Scar 16 is my only small caliber at the moment), and if I had a sweet DMR, id definitely consider it, but my game lately is just the long range stuff, so I have the big boy ATACRs on my long range guns, and the Scar 17 SBR fitting my medium range 0-800m game. I was just comparing it as a large caliber scope because I see a lot of people wanting the NX8 for a SR25 or AR10 platform thinking its just a cheaper ATACR. if I still had my 18 inch Knights SR15, it would be a perfect contender on that rifle!

 

[carnageasada]

I hear ya, but I'm looking to eventually pair this with a Valkyre upper, Mmmm-mmm! Sweeeeeet... Like an almost 6.5 Creedmoor on a diet...

Suffice to say, NF is smart jumping in this dual-pronged niche first, they will sell a "metric shit ton" of NX8s as an earlier post mentioned, the value appears to be currently unmatched.

 

[KimberGuy]

Then they would be incorrectly comparing them. Money has nothing to do with how a scope compares to another one as both scopes are COMPLETELY different. I wouldn't put a NX8 on a 308 gun as it isnt setup for such, and I wouldn't run a Razor on a 5.56 gun or smaller SBR as its too big and too heavy. The NX8 is a compact 1-8 that really cant compare with the Razor 1-6 on eye relief, FOV etc, and it isnt meant to. Its an answer to those who wanted a compact red dot style optic with an optional variable zoom to 1-8... being no larger than most 1-4 scopes, it accomplished that. The Razor is a fantastic all around 1-6 scope with a red dot, huge FOV, built like a tank and very heavy... its direct competitor would be the ATACR. I dont care if it costs more, thats generally what happens when a better product comes out. The Mk6 1-6 and 1-8 are also quite a bit more than the Razor, yet they are still its "direct competition". The Hyundai Genesis is considered competition for the Lexus GS460, BMW 550i, Mercedes E500 etc, however you dont say "well you have to compare it to the IS250, 2 series BMW and C class Mercedes because those match the price point", you either suck up the difference and buy the better product, or you get the cheaper one.

I wont tell you how to spend your money, which scopes to order, or how to look at each one, but Nightforce is a higher price point scope than Vortex. My Scar 16 SBR is getting the NX8, and I wouldn't in a million years run a Razor 1-6 on there due to size and weight. My Scar 17 SBR is getting an ATACR 1-8, and has previously run the Razor, MK6 and MK8. I wouldn't put an NX8 on there, it doesnt suit the rifle and wouldn't ever see its potential.

Whether they are right or wrong, the comparison between the NX8 and Razor is going to happen based solely on cost. In a perfect world people wouldn't look at the price tag until they had already decided what tool best fit their mission, but that's not the way it works. I can't speak with authority about the .mil side of the house, but I do have a fair bit of knowledge about the CONUS LE side of things. There is a 5.56 carbine in just about every squad car these days, and for agencies that allow LPVO, which is becoming more and more mainstream, cost is the NUMBER ONE factor for agency purchase and individual purchase as well. The "switched on" guys that have the cash to throw at good gear are overwhelmingly running the Razor GII. There are PLENTY of dudes running a Razor on 5.56 carbines and doing good work with them. On the comp side of things, which I have a fair bit of experience with also, there are PLENTY of dudes running a Razor on their 5.56 rifles and winning matches. For every 1 CQBSS/ZP8/Short Dot that I see at a match, I see 100 Razors. Why is that? COST. $$$ drives everything, and there are going to be a select few cops and competitors that are going to jump from Razor $$ to ATACR $$ when they could have the NX8 for Razor $$. Hence the comparison. Just because you wouldn't run a Razor on a 5.56 doesn't mean the rest of the world doesn't, because they do.

 

[frankyi]

Whether they are right or wrong, the comparison between the NX8 and Razor is going to happen based solely on cost. In a perfect world people wouldn't look at the price tag until they had already decided what tool best fit their mission, but that's not the way it works. I can't speak with authority about the .mil side of the house, but I do have a fair bit of knowledge about the CONUS LE side of things. There is a 5.56 carbine in just about every squad car these days, and for agencies that allow LPVO, which is becoming more and more mainstream, cost is the NUMBER ONE factor for agency purchase and individual purchase as well. The "switched on" guys that have the cash to throw at good gear are overwhelmingly running the Razor GII. There are PLENTY of dudes running a Razor on 5.56 carbines and doing good work with them. On the comp side of things, which I have a fair bit of experience with also, there are PLENTY of dudes running a Razor on their 5.56 rifles and winning matches. For every 1 CQBSS/ZP8/Short Dot that I see at a match, I see 100 Razors. Why is that? COST. $$$ drives everything, and there are going to be a select few cops and competitors that are going to jump from Razor $$ to ATACR $$ when they could have the NX8 for Razor $$. Hence the comparison. Just because you wouldn't run a Razor on a 5.56 doesn't mean the rest of the world doesn't, because they do.

Kimberguy,
Have you gotten a chance to shoot 600 with NX8 ?
I am also a guy will put nx8 on my scar 17. Looking forward to your review on that !

 

[00bullitt]

Guys....I haven't been on here posting in a loooong time due to some issues that arose a few years ago. I work for Nightforce on the MIL-GOV-LE side of the house. I most likely won't post much beyond this, so I apologize if you ask questions and I don't follow up in a timely manner or at all.

I just thought it would be worthwhile to mention the largest differentiating factor for true 1x scopes; that is the focal plane that the reticle is located in. FFP and SFP are going to differ vastly in performance in the FOV arena. Its based on pure physics and size limitations. Until glass technology matures, right now a SFP 1x will always have more FOV.

SFP is typically always going to have more FOV due to the distance the reticle is located from the objective. It is further away. When you have a short scope, typically you have to account for more FOV by increasing the diameter of the fixed lens in the erector system. Often, the body tube is considered a limiting factor as that affects overall size and weight of a carbine type optic for a personal/primary weapon which is not meant to be huge (glass types being the same). The ATACR has a 34mm tube for a reason; design dictated a specific size of lens to accomplish a certain amount of FOV in the system at the given length for the type/spec of ED Glass used.

Fenix Mike nailed it above as the NX8 was developed with a purpose in mind and that was compact size for covert application on compact weapon systems with limited rail space. It was developed to meet certain requirements that dictated size and weight; size and weight being a higher priority than eyebox. The ATACR was also designed and developed around certain design parameters to meet a requirement; size and weight were one consideration. Eyebox (not eye relief) being up higher on the priority list. They both could be improved by making them larger/longer. Optical design is all about trade-offs and striking a balance to accomplish your end goal. Take a look at some of the European SFP 1x scopes. There is a reason they have 126'+ FOV at 1x. Look at their length.

I met Fenix Mike about 2 years ago while we were demoing to some Fed agencies in of all places....Phoenix. The gun guys who get it typically stand out at those demos as they can shoot at a higher level and understand application a bit more than others, and typically participate on forums like these. They stay much more tuned in. The 1-8's have been in development for some time. He certainly got a peek at them early on in their infancy.

The NX8 is FFP with a 30mm tube and only 8.6" long at 17 ounces. It performs very well.....FOR ITS SIZE. But it WILL NOT measure up to the ATACR in any way in performance, nor the Vortex......it was not designed to. The FFP ATACR with a 34mm tube is 10" and 21 ounces. The 34mm tube and slightly longer length allow for a larger diameter fixed erector lens. The eyepiece on the ATACR is much larger, but FOV is less than the NX8; yet the perceived performance is that the ATACR has a larger FOV as the edge to edge clarity and eyebox combine to form a fantastic image with a ton of forgiveness which makes it very fast to acquire the target. Designed to be more in line with the performance of the Vortex Razor minus the FOV.

The Vortex Razor is going to excel in the FOV arena as it has 115' on 1x; substantially more than the two NF 1-8's. The Razor eyebox is massive like the ATACR and it is fast to acquire the target. A huge recipe for 1x success is a large forgiving eyebox with as much FOV as you can squeeze out of it. Becuase lets face it....its al about speed and violence of action when you are on 1x, right?
The ATACR and Razor glass can be considered comparable.....I typically won't argue glass quality as that is a very subjective topic. What and how I see is not what/how everyone else sees. Both have excellent ED glass.

In my opinion, when close proximity CQB type of engagements trump the distance capability of an optic such as that of an assaulter/entry guy or 3 Gun Competitor, the SFP 1-6 very well may excel in certain scenarios (depending on its performance). If the emphasis is more on a DMR/SDM capability with CQB being the lower priority the FFP 1-8 makes good sense assuming it performs as needed. There is a reason that the Vortex Razor 1-6 receives such praise from the T1 units whom are using it. It does not compromise their ability to engage close targets with no sacrifice in speed over their prior EOTechs and it gives them enhanced PID capability on 6x for those distant engagements. Enhanced capability, right? 3 Gunners have been doing that for years.

Being a prior 3 Gun Competitor, I can tell you that I have always been very fond of the Vortex Razor 1-6 and the Swaro Z6i. 6x is the max that I prefer to contend with for a SFP 1x scope. If I were to go over 6x, I prefer FFP. The limiting factor has always been the reticle and daylight visibility of the dot that is formed for close work in FFP 1x scopes.

I have had the privilege over the past 30 months to put 10's of thousands of rounds through our new scopes and can form a very solid opinion of how they perform for a given application, but my opinion is just that. Fenix Mike addressed the application part pretty well. He has a criteria just like I do. They may not be the same, but we all have our considerations of what we want to accomplish with our tools. None of them are wrong.....just different

Both of the NF 1-8's share the same exact same FFP reticle technology and are extremely daylight visible in the brightest of daylight conditions. The ATACR has the inclusion of the drop down dot grid which is not inclusive of the NX8.

That brings up another point.....dot size or illuminated feature size. Remember that dot size is either fixed in relation to the target or in proportion. When in proportion (FFP), dot size is consistent through he mag range, When fixed, it only subtends properly on one setting. For example a 6x scope may have a dot size of 1moa on 6x. On 1x, it now subtends 6moa when the target is much smaller. On a FFP scope, like the NX8 and ATACR, the dot size is 2mils or 6.88moa. Yes....larger, but also consistent through the mag range and the segmented circle feature, now forms the dot on 1x.

I know there will probably be questions of me as to why we did "X" or "Y". I'd prefer not answer those questions on here as there were internal decisions that dictated why we did what we did. All had good reasons to support the decisions. These are brand new products for us. There may be changes to these models in the future; but please don't construe that as soon. It would be at least a year before you saw any additional skus.

I'd like to be as helpful as possible on here, but there are some things better left undiscussed on a public forum.

Hope you guys find the above info to be insightful and most of all thank you for your support of our products.

 

[carnageasada]

BOOM, straight from the source, thank you sir! I say that as in this is great knowledge and the reason I joined the hide, the intersection of skilled practitioners from the field and with luck, deep within industry.

On topic, may I ask your opinion on how you think the ATACR performed through its magnification range? I understand that ever so slight degradation or other aberrations may be expected (or not?) given certain designs, but I'm most interested in it's maxed out 8x performance and if this is considered too direct a question or one of too many variables, I can deal with that, just thought I'd ask.

 

[Fenix Mike]

BOOM, straight from the source, thank you sir! I say that as in this is great knowledge and the reason I joined the hide, the intersection of skilled practitioners from the field and with luck, deep within industry.

On topic, may I ask your opinion on how you think the ATACR performed through its magnification range? I understand that ever so slight degradation or other aberrations may be expected (or not?) given certain designs, but I'm most interested in it's maxed out 8x performance and if this is considered too direct a question or one of too many variables, I can deal with that, just thought I'd ask.

If I end up getting a phone skope adapter for my 1-8, I will probably have some videos up in the near future on my Scar at 700 and 800m steel... just need to measure the eyepiece and see if they have an adapter for it. Currently I only have it on my spotting scope.

 

[deersniper]

@00bullitt
Thanks for the info.
Stick around. People like yourself are helpful. Don't let the keyboard commandos run you off.

 

[CSTactical]

.

Excellent post Sir!

 

[carnageasada]

If I end up getting a phone skope adapter for my 1-8, I will probably have some videos up in the near future on my Scar at 700 and 800m steel... just need to measure the eyepiece and see if they have an adapter for it. Currently I only have it on my spotting scope.

That'd be excellent, thanks! @KimberGuy did mention it starts tunneling around or beyond 7x, you mentioned this would be an issue as well. And now, I'll just chill out...

 

[jb1000br]

Bill,

Very nice post, good to see you still round here

Guys - The ATACR 1-8 are officially released to the wild, first batch leaving the factory today! Very curious to hear from guys that have both models - I must say the difference when pulling each up on the stock fixture was quite dramatic.

For reference, we did add exposed pics of the ATACR turrets after initial release of the story in the first post in case you missed those photos:

1-8 ATACR Detailed PICS

 

[carnageasada]

Wicked. @jb1000br, would you happen to know if these come with the standard Tenebraex covers that come with other ATACR models?

 

[Qazwsx]

Then they would be incorrectly comparing them. Money has nothing to do with how a scope compares to another one as both scopes are COMPLETELY different. I wouldn't put a NX8 on a 308 gun as it isnt setup for such, and I wouldn't run a Razor on a 5.56 gun or smaller SBR as its too big and too heavy. The NX8 is a compact 1-8 that really cant compare with the Razor 1-6 on eye relief, FOV etc, and it isnt meant to. Its an answer to those who wanted a compact red dot style optic with an optional variable zoom to 1-8... being no larger than most 1-4 scopes, it accomplished that. The Razor is a fantastic all around 1-6 scope with a red dot, huge FOV, built like a tank and very heavy... its direct competitor would be the ATACR. I dont care if it costs more, thats generally what happens when a better product comes out. The Mk6 1-6 and 1-8 are also quite a bit more than the Razor, yet they are still its "direct competition". The Hyundai Genesis is considered competition for the Lexus GS460, BMW 550i, Mercedes E500 etc, however you dont say "well you have to compare it to the IS250, 2 series BMW and C class Mercedes because those match the price point", you either suck up the difference and buy the better product, or you get the cheaper one.

I wont tell you how to spend your money, which scopes to order, or how to look at each one, but Nightforce is a higher price point scope than Vortex. My Scar 16 SBR is getting the NX8, and I wouldn't in a million years run a Razor 1-6 on there due to size and weight. My Scar 17 SBR is getting an ATACR 1-8, and has previously run the Razor, MK6 and MK8. I wouldn't put an NX8 on there, it doesnt suit the rifle and wouldn't ever see its potential.

Lots of people run a vortex 1-6 on SBR and other 5.56 rifles or SCAR H. It is heavy along with a laser, white light and can but so are ELCANs which proved to be durable options as well. Weight might be a consideration but it certainly isnt a rule by any means.

 

[bluegrasspicker]

Thanks, 00bullitt. You just pretty much summarized everything about these scopes (including the comparison with the Razor) that I wanted to know for the last couple of months in one big post.

That was a really objective report, too. A balanced, honest assessment like that really inspires confidence in the product.

The part about sfp/ffp and fov was particularly interesting. I figured there were physical limitations, but now I'm going to have to go do some research...

 

[sidewaysil80]

Got a chance to play with an NX8 over the weekend. Eyebox was very unforgiving at 8x to the point I don’t know why they went that high. It’s sensitivity throughout all mag levels was noticeable as illumination vanished (“flicker” like Mk6) pretty easily.

 

[TheMammoth]

Got a chance to play with an NX8 over the weekend. Eyebox was very unforgiving at 8x to the point I don’t know why they went that high. It’s sensitivity throughout all mag levels was noticeable as illumination vanished (“flicker” like Mk6) pretty easily.

Have you been behind a 2.5-10x24 NXS? If so would you classify it as better or worse than that?

Lots of people really hate that optic for being finicky to get behind but I've found it to be easily livable for it's intended use.

 

[TheMammoth]

Guys....I haven't been on here posting in a loooong time due to some issues that arose a few years ago.

Your information is GREATLY appreciated, thanks for coming here and giving us a peek behind the curtain. Hopefully it's not years before you are back.

 

[00bullitt]

Thanks for the welcome back. I believe heavily in factory representatives participating on forums to support their product, but sometimes given certain personalities that participate on here, the decision to continue doing so from a corporate perspective is difficult. I'm a shooter and enthusiast like others on here; have been for a loooong time. I enjoy the interaction and know our products as well as competing products very well as its my job to do so. I will offer as much value on here as I can as time permits, but please understand, I cannot and will not engage in argument or be placed in a defensive situation which could place the brand at risk. As mentioned, sometimes there are things that are better left undiscussed on a public forum. If you send me a PM, I will do my best to respond, but I can not make any promises as it is not a form of communication that I embrace as much as I do my email.

The eyebox on the NX8 is not near as forgiving as others. It works well for its size. Its size is a tradeoff to performance. Your performance expectations are very subjective and I expect them to differ. If you evaluate one not mounted to a rifle, you can easily get outside of the eyebox window and it will appear to be much tighter than it is. It is very comparable to the tradeoffs associated with the 2.5-10x24 on higher mag levels. I find the performance of the NX8 on 8x to be acceptable, but certainly prefer the ATACR. The two are a night and day comparison.

I have used the NX8 extensively on various 5.56 carbines and other calibers in the same platform and even have one on a DD5 at the moment. On 8x, you do come out of the eyebox briefly with 7.62 recoil, but its not hard to reacquire quickly. I have never experienced that issue on 5.56 carbines or with the ATACR.
The ATACR is a whole different animal. It was designed to perform. Optical quality and eyebox are superb. If you like the eyebox on the Vortex Razor, you will like the ATACR assuming you can sacrifice the FOV at 100 yards. If you like the illumination brightness of the Vortex, you will not be disappointed with either of our 1-8's; they are beyond bright enough and often require 1-2 settings below max.

As for the flashing reticle, again....when its not mounted to the rifle, it is apparent on higher mag levels. I do not get any intermittent illum issues from 1-4x. As the surface area of the illuminated portion of the reticle increases with magnification, you can induce extreme head position to get the fade of illumination, but not near to the level of competing products. The reflectivity of the reticle feature has its own FOV (or eyebox per se) to the eyeball based on the method used to illuminate the reticle to the required intensities for daylight visibility. It is the nature of the design to some extent. We go to great lengths to minimize it.

The ATACR does not tunnel at high or low magnification.

 

[Fenix Mike]

Have you been behind a 2.5-10x24 NXS? If so would you classify it as better or worse than that?

Lots of people really hate that optic for being finicky to get behind but I've found it to be easily livable for it's intended use.

I find it very similar at high magnification, however as you stated, for its "intended use", I liked it. I ran it out to 800m and 1000m and ended up selling it for an optic with adjustable parallax as that is FAR beyond the intended use, however I wanted to at least give it a shot before going to a larger optic, or a lesser magnification. At 600m and under, it performed wonderful, and many of the local guys with MK12s or similar mid range rifles love them. I suspect the NX8 will serve a similar role and greatly benefit those who are currently running an offset optic/irons with mid magnification, and will now have the ability to have a true 1x red dot setup and the ability to reach out to 8x for further hits.

 

[nhoj_yelbom]

Wicked. @jb1000br, would you happen to know if these come with the standard Tenebraex covers that come with other ATACR models?

they do come with tenebraex, if the pictures are correct

 

[TheMammoth]

I find it very similar at high magnification, however as you stated, for its "intended use", I liked it. I ran it out to 800m and 1000m and ended up selling it for an optic with adjustable parallax as that is FAR beyond the intended use, however I wanted to at least give it a shot before going to a larger optic, or a lesser magnification. At 600m and under, it performed wonderful, and many of the local guys with MK12s or similar mid range rifles love them. I suspect the NX8 will serve a similar role and greatly benefit those who are currently running an offset optic/irons with mid magnification, and will now have the ability to have a true 1x red dot setup and the ability to reach out to 8x for further hits.

This is what I wanted to hear. I actually have no problem at all with the x24 NXS because I knew the limitations going in and use it according to its strengths. It is actually one of my favorite pieces I own due to the fine balancing act of size, weight, performance and down right (to me) visual appeal.

I'm still having a bit of a time deciding but both the NX8 and the ATACR seem like bad ass offerings in the LPV game. The size and weight of the NX8 are almost absurd and it seems to me that an 8x eyebox being small with a small amount of tunneling is an easy price to pay when you also factor in the affordable price.

 

[TheMammoth]

I will offer as much value on here as I can as time permits, but please understand, I cannot and will not engage in argument or be placed in a defensive situation which could place the brand at risk.

Absolutely understandable.


Hopefully the need never arises but it really seems that Frank has been quick to put the muzzle on people being childishly antagonistic of the factory representatives, and I am glad. I was a lurker for years but I remember some pretty childish behavior. It really seems like most of those folks have wandered into the sunset or been banned.

 

[bleaman225]

The ATACR 1-8 are officially released to the wild, first batch leaving the factory today!

Hi, it’s been awhile since I was active here on the site. I have, however, been following this thread closely for the past few months.

I spoke with Jason this morning. The call was originally in regards to the 4-16 ATACR I have arriving at home tomorrow but while I had him on the line I inquired about the above quote. He told me UPS tracking has the 1-8 ATACRs arriving to him on this coming Thursday!! My preorder falls within the quantity arriving so I will have one by the weekend. Pics to come shortly.

Still waiting on KAC to release the 14.5 SR25 CC uppers though, which is where this guy is slated to go. I suppose in the meantime I could play with it on top of my APC...

 

[nhoj_yelbom]

Hi, it’s been awhile since I was active here on the site. I have, however, been following this thread closely for the past few months.

I spoke with Jason this morning. The call was originally in regards to the 4-16 ATACR I have arriving at home tomorrow but while I had him on the line I inquired about the above quote. He told me UPS tracking has the 1-8 ATACRs arriving to him on this coming Thursday!! My preorder falls within the quantity arriving so I will have one by the weekend. Pics to come shortly.

Still waiting on KAC to release the 14.5 SR25 CC uppers though, which is where this guy is slated to go. I suppose in the meantime I could play with it on top of my APC...

hopefully mine is in that batch also, i still need a mount!

 

[Slateman]

Biggest question for me is, how is it at 1x? I can live with an unforgiving eye box at 8x, if it was done to make it as forgiving as the Razor 1-6 at 1x.

 

[FunkyTownScout]

Eyebox is still smaller at 1x. Again this is to be expected based on the size of the scope. Go with the ATACR if you want something similar to the Razor.

 

[frankyi]

Gentlemen, I believe a few people here have gotten their NX8. Can someone give a comprehensive review?

 

[Trunkmonkey4]

@jb1000br Any lead time on more mrad NX8's? Say for some one who preordered first of Feb?

 

[Slateman]

Eyebox is still smaller at 1x. Again this is to be expected based on the size of the scope. Go with the ATACR if you want something similar to the Razor.

Smaller I can live with, but how forgiving is it? The Razor was fairly forgiving at 1x. Wondering if the Nx8 is or if the 1-8 ATACR will be.

 

[kukworld]

I still having hard to decide on NX8 or Razor HD-E after reading all these....lol

i need an durable- jack of all trade optic for 14.5 carbine.....Nx8 or razor....i guess that's tough decision

 

[Pointman308]

I would get a 1-6 for a 14.5 barreled rifle.

 

[sidewaysil80]

I still having hard to decide on NX8 or Razor HD-E after reading all these....lol

i need an durable- jack of all trade optic for 14.5 carbine.....Nx8 or razor....i guess that's tough decision

Why not the k16i? You’re right there in terms of price.

 

[kukworld]

I think Razor it's about $1200 ish ( there is 13% off sale) ....K16i is about $2000 (warranty outside of US i think)

i have my eye set on Razor or NX8......i'm stubbron....lol

 

[freedom71]

Any comparisons between the 1-8 ATACR and the Minox ZP8 1-8? Or Kahles 16i? (I know the 16i is 1-6 and SFP). I'm especially interested in eye box, daylight illumination, and glass.

 

[sidewaysil80]

I think Razor it's about $1200 ish ( there is 13% off sale) ....K16i is about $2000 (warranty outside of US i think)

i have my eye set on Razor or NX8......i'm stubbron....lol

Gotcha, yeah that is a pretty big difference in price. For a general purpose rifle the Razor would be a much better fit imo. Yes it's heavier but it's 1x eyebox and fov are well worth the trade. I would also argue that aside from weight savings, you don't really gain anything with the NX8. Yes, it's a got an extra 2x and is FFP but if you are shooting long distance with the Razor you'll likely be at 6x anyway which cancels out the FFP aspect. As far as the 2x increase I think its negligible for the tradeoff at 1x. An FFP 8x can't really do much more than an SFP 6x based not only on your platform but in general.

 

[nhoj_yelbom]

Gotcha, yeah that is a pretty big difference in price. For a general purpose rifle the Razor would be a much better fit imo. Yes it's heavier but it's 1x eyebox and fov are well worth the trade. I would also argue that aside from weight savings, you don't really gain anything with the NX8. Yes, it's a got an extra 2x and is FFP but if you are shooting long distance with the Razor you'll likely be at 6x anyway which cancels out the FFP aspect. As far as the 2x increase I think its negligible for the tradeoff at 1x. An FFP 8x can't really do much more than an SFP 6x based not only on your platform but in general.

the reticles and subtension thickness is what kills on the razors for me

 

[sidewaysil80]

the reticles and subtension thickness is what kills on the razors for me

Are you saying the Razor is too big or too small? Too small is my gripe with the Razor, have to rely too much on the posts. Still very fast, just would have liked it slightly larger. NX8 at 1x the “red dot” (segmented circle/center dot) was about the size of the reticle on s 4moa T1 that I compared it too. Thats a plus, but with the posts on the Razor and NX8 I don’t think the apparent size of dot matters that much.

 

[frankyi]

I had a nx8 for a short period time. Don’t like it plus something else. Then I ordered ACATR 1-8 for my scar 17. Hopefully it’s coming to me soon.
So I think Fenix Mike was right about it.

 

[bleaman225]

So despite the weather’s best effort at delaying UPS from delivering yesterday , I received my ATACR 1-8 today!

I’ve only had a chance to unbox it and give it a once over so far but everything seems to point to it being a winner. Glass is very clear and illumination is BRIGHT. From holding it in hand and playing with the eyebox (that sentence sounds dirty) it looks promising. I like the reticle quite a bit, 3,6,9 o’clock stadia and the center “dot” are the only thing visible at 1x. At 8x the reticle, in my humble opinion is very nice for the magnification level.

I look forward to getting it mounted and placed on an upper to get a better feel for it. Hope everyone has theirs showing up soon.

Huge thanks to @jb1000br for the fast turn around on shipping!


Doing it from mobile so I don’t have the embedded link to the photo, here’s a link though... [edit to add: pic seems to work]

 

[sidewaysil80]

I had a nx8 for a short period time. Don’t like it plus something else. Then I ordered ACATR 1-8 for my scar 17. Hopefully it’s coming to me soon.
So I think Fenix Mike was right about it.

What made you not like it? As much as I disliked it when I initially played with it, I'm going shooting with the buddy who has it so I'll get to see how it performs for speed @ 1x.

 

[kukworld]

Are you saying the Razor is too big or too small? Too small is my gripe with the Razor, have to rely too much on the posts. Still very fast, just would have liked it slightly larger. NX8 at 1x the “red dot” (segmented circle/center dot) was about the size of the reticle on s 4moa T1 that I compared it too. Thats a plus, but with the posts on the Razor and NX8 I don’t think the apparent size of dot matters that much.

I completely agree with what you said, but I think I’ll buy the NX8 instead. First of all, if both scope are true to 1x and you shoot with both eye open, the FOV shouldn’t matter that much. Second, I own a NXS 2.5-10x42, that scope it’s still 1.3 ozs lighter than Razor-E...but when I put that scope on my 14.5 carbine with full mag ..it’s quite heavy...

I will probably buy both scopes at the end, but I’ll buy NX8 first.

 

[frankyi]

What made you not like it? As much as I disliked it when I initially played with it, I'm going shooting with the buddy who has it so I'll get to see how it performs for speed @ 1x.

The image at 8x also the really tight eye box at 8x.

 

[madangler1]

Bleaman225, I’m looking forward to your review when you get your scope mounted. I would also like to hear other people chime in, namely those with trigger time behind the optic in various situations.

I currently own a Kahles 1-6x, and love it. I want to move the scope over to one of my AR-15s. I’m looking at the ATACR to mount on my SCAR-17 in its place. I won’t be able to use the 30 mm Delta mount for it, so I’m thinking of Geissele’s mount as a good SCAR proof substitute.

 

[nhoj_yelbom]

my atacr shows delivery monday 5th and i still dont have a mount

 

[KimberGuy]

Little size comparison between the Minox 1-8 and NX8 1-8.