It’s definitely a tighter eye box than the usual large eye box scopes but it’s so small and light that I’m willing to make that sacrifice. I figure if I’m shooting it on the mdr at 6x-8x I’m in a well supported position so while it’s nice to have a big eyebox it’s not a deal breaker for me. When I have the shorter handguard on, the nx8 is short enough to use a clipon armasight co-mini. At that point the weight savings is nice and the shortness of it is necessary otherwise I wouldn’t have enough rail space for the clipon.
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Rifle Scopes *JUST RELEASED* Nightforce NX8 FFP 1-8x24mm 30mm Tube & ATACR F1 1-8x24mm 34mm Tube Models
- Thread starter redneckbmxer24
- Start date
This was a super helpful thread - thank you to Fenix Mike and the NF product marketing guy. I have a NF 2.5-10 on my SR15 - really like it - and wanted to replace the Vortex 1-4 on my SCAR 17 and was thinking of the NX8 but have decided the ATACR 1-10 is a better choice given eye box foregiveness and better performance past 6X. Picking mine up locally tomorrow.
Im running the American Defense Delta 34mm on mine and it works great (the Scar Specific mount they offer). If it wasn't for this mount sitting in my safe, I probably would have snagged one of the Nightforce ultra light titanium mounts since my goal with that rifle was light weight, or LaRue also has their AR10 mount for the OBR that is a non cantilever style 34mm mount. I know a ton on here like the Spuhr stuff, but its just too large for me, and ive yet to ever need "that much", or had one of my previous mounts fail.
The ultra light is a one piece mount - they have a cantilever style or a standard style.
http://nightforceoptics.com/accessories/ultralite-unimount
http://nightforceoptics.com/accessories/ultralite-magmounts
Forgive my stupidity here, but why does it really matter that the scope is shorter? In the pic above, who cares if it’s shorter? What else would you do with the space saved. Isn’t weight a much more important factor?
As I said, forgive my stupidity. I’m basically a beginner trying to sort all this info out so I can pick a scope for my rifle.
- Cuz
As I said, forgive my stupidity. I’m basically a beginner trying to sort all this info out so I can pick a scope for my rifle.
- Cuz
I run the Mag Mount on my AI AXMC rifle, I just wanted a QD on the Scar in case I wanted to adjust it or remove it for irons while I was out playing with it.
Depends on the weapon... Every semi auto I own is a registered short barrel rifle, with the longest being my Scar 17 with a 13 inch barrel. Being that most 1x optics are mounted pretty far forward on the rifle for proper eye relief, you end up with a large amount of scope forward of the receiver which offsets weight distribution, and as others have said, the ability to install accessories or clip on optics. Ive had probably 20 different optics on my Scar trying to find the "perfect one", and even 1/2 lb pushed forward makes a big difference if you are trying to fire off hand or move around with it.
If youre parking this on a 18 inch DMR that likely wont ever see anything besides a bipod and a bench rest, then it really doesn't matter, but for those who want the 1x variable mag scopes so they can move with the gun on low mag and push out at higher, its nice having as much weight over the receiver as possible, with lots of available room on the rails for accessories, or in my case, because most of my rifles are 10-11 inch barrels.
Edit - looks like I have quite a few previous pics of my Scar on my phone, you can see the differences.
NF ATACR 1-8
NF 2.5-10x24
Razor 1-6
NF ATACT 4-16
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Following up on the post regarding why a short scope is good, I can’t think of another scope that is greater than 1-4x that I could fit my armasight co-mini on the MDR.
Another benefit of this setup is it balances good enough with a suppressor and full magazine on it. There is no way a 16+” AR 10 or scar 17 (disclaimer: I own a scar 17) balances anywhere close to this.
Another benefit of this setup is it balances good enough with a suppressor and full magazine on it. There is no way a 16+” AR 10 or scar 17 (disclaimer: I own a scar 17) balances anywhere close to this.
Just tested with suppressor and 25 round mag filled to 20 rounds. It balances right on the grip.
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Razor and ATACR will be near identical, NX8 is like looking at an aimpoint T1. At 1x, they are all incredible since they all have a super bright red dot and good glass. I tried to get decent pictures at shot show but the new Iphone X has the dual cameras and gets pissed off when trying to focus through a scope. I may pick up a go pro today and see if I have better luck with that and doing some "action photos".
My opinion, If 1x is all you care about then Razor will probably be your favorite since it has a massive FOV. The ATACR is close but it's over double the price. As Fenix Mike stated above, they all have red dot bright dots. With the Razor being SFP, the dot doesn't dim at all when your eye moves out of the eye box. Again another check mark if your criteria is 1X usefulness.
My above is based on taking people who are unfamiliar with these 3 scopes and having them look through them only at 1X without being able to hold them or see how large each one is physically.
It's not all I care about, but I feel like on a LPVO, it's probably one of the most important parts. Razor is also heavy as crap and a 1-6x, so if there's a small difference, I'm willing to live with it for the extra 8x on the top end. If it's really sensitive at 1x to eye placement and FOV, then I feel like I'd be better suited towards getting a 3.5-15x, and run an RMR offset.
BTW, thank you for posting the IDR. I'm on the list for the .223 model. Have you done any kind of comprehensive review of it yet? I know the guys on BPF would absolutely love to get actual feedback and review of the rifle.
I gotcha. I haven't shot it extensively enough to make a review and probably won't as people are ferocious on that forum. I'm still running it on adverse to break it in as it doesn't always fully cycle with my 308 remanufactured pulled loads while in the normal setting. I'm one of the many annoyed people on there that can't get information on the status of the group buy. I ordered my group buy one many months/maybe a year before I ordered from Bison tactical. Luckily I did order a 2nd MDR outside the group buy as I did receive the Bison tactical one (Thanks Fred).
The Gen II E razor should be similar in weight to the ATACR if I recall correctly. I haven't held, looked through a Razor but if I didn't care/need 6X-8X, didn't need FFP, and wanted to save 50%+, I'd go with the Razor.
I'm sure you know this, but if FOV at 1x is important through the optic (LPVO or RMR) for you, then RMR is going to be smaller unless you mount it real close to your eye. At that point, I don't think the image clarity, color, etc.. will compare to any of the above LPVO. Just my opinion again, but I wouldn't think a 3.5-15x scope paired with a RMR setup is in the same ballpark as a 1-6x/8x LPVO setup. Those seem like 2 very different setups. I mean you either strongly need 8x-15x in which case the LPVOs shouldn't even be in consideration.
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I was in the group buy, then had financial issues and had to back out. But then DT offered mil/first responder pricing a while later and I was able to swing the extra money. Now I'm stuck in the place between taking over a month to get my money back, or roll with it, eventually get one, and decide if I want to keep it or sell it.
Can anyone comment on the ability to change turrets later when the locking turret is offered on the ATACR?
I like it so far. If you can forget all the hype from 2+ years ago, you'll have a better chance of liking it. Everyone expected it to have an amazing trigger like the SRS. It's far from that, but it's not as crappy as the other bull pup semi-autos. My Dad's RDB trigger was nicer though. Mine started out close to 6 lbs with lots of grit, pre travel, and "stagey", but after a little polishing and shooting almost 100 rounds, it's down to around 4.5 lb and smoothed out some. Shootingsight is already working on an aftermarket trigger pack which will make it like any of their other trigger packs, similar to Geissele (2 stage, light pull). People whine/cry that a rifle costing $2300-$2500 shouldn't need a trigger pack, but people paid $1900 back in the day for 5.56 Tavors with a 12 lb trigger and still pay close to $3k for a non bull-pup SCAR 17 with a not great trigger.
My other main issue is when their isn't enough gas to cycle the action, the shell gets stuck in the side panel and you have to remove the panel to clear it usually. If you rack it hard then sometimes you can clear it. This is one of the few times that it would be nice to have a reciprocating bolt so you can pull it back and then force it forward to shoot the case out. I'm sure this will smooth out as it breaks in.
The accuracy can't be any worse than the Tavor but I haven't seriously shot for groups. I got around 1.5 to 2 MOA with remanufactured Hornady 168 AMAX ammo, bipod, rear sand bag and the nightforce NX8 scope which has a large center dot at 8x. I never bought this with the intention of being able to shoot bolt action sized groups. Ammo is a big part of accuracy, and I don't plan on running Lapua brass through this gun.
People complained the weight went up a 1lb and I didn't like to see that but, it's only slightly heavier than the SCAR 17 which most people thought was one of the SCAR's great selling points. Now you can buy/build a sub 7lb AR 308 but I'd still rather shoulder the MDR due to the rear weight bias. That sub AR10 also probably cost as much if not more than the MDR.
People forget another selling point is to be able to change calibers in the field. This is one I look forward to. I have a 6.5CM barrel on order from ES tactical and the 223 conversion from DT. I'll probably get 300 BO, 6.5 grendel and maybe even the 224 valkyrie. I'd also like to SBR this and run a 12.5" 6.5 grendel suppressed for hunting. I think that would be awesome as it balances great with night vision clip on as I posted previously with a full 16" barrel.
Sorry to derail slightly - at least I mentioned the NX8 in this post.
i would email or call NF and ask, would not want the added weight though. the current turrets can stay uncapped, and include thread protectors, but you dont have locks or zerostop
Fenix Mike - I picked up the ATACR 1-8 today - looks great - typical NF quality and I might actually end up liking the reticle - we'll see. Here's my question - the shop only had the Unimount NF scope base - not the Magmount and I feel like the Unimount, which is cantilevered, will not be a good choice for the SCAR because the recoil can be hard on scopes. Do you think it matters? I know you're using the Mag Mount so I'm wondering if that's the reason.
I currently have a Trijicon 1-4 with a cantilevered LaRue QD mount on the SCAR and haven't had any issues. The SCAR runs suppressed with a Rugged Surge.
Thanks - appreciate the input.
I currently have a Trijicon 1-4 with a cantilevered LaRue QD mount on the SCAR and haven't had any issues. The SCAR runs suppressed with a Rugged Surge.
Thanks - appreciate the input.
I ran the Unimount for a long time when I had the 4-16 on there, never a single issue or problem with zero. I run the Magmount on my bolt gun and think thats probably overkill for a Scar. The titanium mount is very rigid and id be hard pressed to see the mount fail.
My NX8 is sitting in my safe, forgot to buy a mount for it and have zero time to shoot right now... LOVE the ATACR so far though
I have now had my NX8 for a week, and as it turned out I was able to shoot quite a bit this week. I have really shaken it out. I have shot it both long range (600 +) and up close/cqb drills. I was teaching an advanced rifle class this week, so I was behind the gun for two good days. I’ve held off until now to share my opinion. I can say now, comfortably that this scope is a FANTASTIC offering from NF. I think it seriously raises the bar for LPV’s. I have shot many of the LPV’s on the market. Examples of scopes I’ve spent time behind: Bushnell Elite Tactical in 1-6 and 1-8.5, Burris XTR IN 1-5 and 1-8, Vortex PSR, Strike Eagle, Razor, Trijicon, Primary Arms standard and Platinum, maybe more. I say this just to give an example of my experience with LPV’s. This new NX8 is my new favorite!! By a fair margin. It has glass on par with any of the higher end Japanese glass. What makes this scope really stand out for me is the size and weight. This scope packs a ton of scope into its small size. The reticle I run is the mil. I have the dual capped, and for me, in the military/LEO usage, that makes sense, I think. It’s pretty easy to remember 0-200 is point of aim, 300 is a mil +-
So, to the edge of the .223/5.56, the capped is fine for our usage. The NX8 is incredibly light for a 1-8, and the illumination is WAY daylight bright. Middle of the day, Las Vegas, Nv, and I was only running it on 7/8, it is plenty bright.
I can definitely say that NF has absolutely changed the game in LPV’s with this offering. I look forward to playing with the ATACR, just haven’t yet.
I will definitely be keeping this scope. I think it will be a dominator is 3Gun, or any competition gun games. I can also see it being very popular on LEO rifles. Cost wise, it should fall in around the Razor level. In my opinion it has the Razor beat. It’s lighter, has better illumination, is more powerful, and it’s a FFP. That allows it to be run as an Aimpoint/red dot on 1X, or crank it up to 8X, and shoot as far as the 5.56 is capable.
For me, the NF will stay on my 3Gun Rifle. My Razor will go on another AR-15, but play double duty on my 16” gasser for hogs, etc.
I will be happy to answer any questions on this scope. Anything I missed here, just ask. I’m really hyped on this scope, if you can’t tell.
So, to the edge of the .223/5.56, the capped is fine for our usage. The NX8 is incredibly light for a 1-8, and the illumination is WAY daylight bright. Middle of the day, Las Vegas, Nv, and I was only running it on 7/8, it is plenty bright.
I can definitely say that NF has absolutely changed the game in LPV’s with this offering. I look forward to playing with the ATACR, just haven’t yet.
I will definitely be keeping this scope. I think it will be a dominator is 3Gun, or any competition gun games. I can also see it being very popular on LEO rifles. Cost wise, it should fall in around the Razor level. In my opinion it has the Razor beat. It’s lighter, has better illumination, is more powerful, and it’s a FFP. That allows it to be run as an Aimpoint/red dot on 1X, or crank it up to 8X, and shoot as far as the 5.56 is capable.
For me, the NF will stay on my 3Gun Rifle. My Razor will go on another AR-15, but play double duty on my 16” gasser for hogs, etc.
I will be happy to answer any questions on this scope. Anything I missed here, just ask. I’m really hyped on this scope, if you can’t tell.
Hello Vegas,
I was under the impression the NX8 was only going to be offered with uncapped elevation and a capped windage turret.
I was under the impression the NX8 was only going to be offered with uncapped elevation and a capped windage turret.
Thanks for the write up! I’ve been debating back and forth between buying the NX8, the Kahles K16i, or the Razor for a while now, and your post is very helpful. The only pause I have in getting he NX8 is the eyebox; how would you say it compares to the other optics you’ve experienced?
On an unrelated note, I recently moved to Vegas, and I’m interested in taking a rifle class (with an AR-15). As an instructor in the area, do you have any recommendations? Thanks!
They have a capped version available to Mil/LE customers. My guess is it will become available for general purchase at some point, but I don’t know for sure.
The eyebox is a bit tight on the top. Everything is a trade off. We’re not going to get a huge eyebox ala Razor 1-6 in a FFP of this size. I think where this scope SHINES is the whole package. I feel like we have to look at the entire scope and compare it to it’s competetors.....except there aren’t any. There’s nothing that’s a 1-8,FFP, size and weight smaller than most 1-4’s, daylight + bright illumination, and if we go by past history, NF durability. The Razor is awesome, I have one and it’s not going anywhere. It’s also heavier, SFP, not nearly as compact. Burris XTRII 1-8 is FFP, but again, it’s far heavier, and the illumination isn’t even close to the NX8. Overall package on this NX8 makes it a grand slam.
I went over 1000 rounds with the NX8 yesterday Here are some of my thoughts they echo a lot of what has been said above.
The illumination is absolutely daylight bright. It is the brightest I have ever seen in an LPVO. It has ten settings but I don't find myself using anything above 7. The reticle is very useful at 1x. FFP creates a dot at 1x that draws your eye in and the thick Stratia at the 3, 6, 9 are excellent up close. At 8x you aren't going to be winning any LR competitions, but no problem picking out 6 inch plates at 300 yards today. The size and weight of this optic relative to it's capability is insane. As a 1-8 there is nothing I have held that even comes close. It is smaller and as light as any 1-4 I have shot. I have to agree with Vegas that this scope has no competition because of the Size and weight of the package.
Glass is clear, but it is not going to blow your mind. I would put it with Leupold mk6 glass. Eye box is tight. If you think that this is going to be like a Razor at 1x, it's not. It does take deliberate practice, but I don't have problems taking off hand shots on 8x. I own a razor, and I love it for what it is, but I find myself avoiding it if I know I'm going to have the rifle slung for over an hour or two because of how heavy it is.
Final thought for now: (As has been said above) The NX8 shines because of the entire package. The compromises you make in clarity and eyebox are MORE than worth it to get the incredible size and weight, super bright illumination, 8x capability, and the Reticle. As with everything in the gun community this scope has trade offs. For a "fighting" carbine I don't think I've ever encountered and LPVO I would rather have.
The illumination is absolutely daylight bright. It is the brightest I have ever seen in an LPVO. It has ten settings but I don't find myself using anything above 7. The reticle is very useful at 1x. FFP creates a dot at 1x that draws your eye in and the thick Stratia at the 3, 6, 9 are excellent up close. At 8x you aren't going to be winning any LR competitions, but no problem picking out 6 inch plates at 300 yards today. The size and weight of this optic relative to it's capability is insane. As a 1-8 there is nothing I have held that even comes close. It is smaller and as light as any 1-4 I have shot. I have to agree with Vegas that this scope has no competition because of the Size and weight of the package.
Glass is clear, but it is not going to blow your mind. I would put it with Leupold mk6 glass. Eye box is tight. If you think that this is going to be like a Razor at 1x, it's not. It does take deliberate practice, but I don't have problems taking off hand shots on 8x. I own a razor, and I love it for what it is, but I find myself avoiding it if I know I'm going to have the rifle slung for over an hour or two because of how heavy it is.
Final thought for now: (As has been said above) The NX8 shines because of the entire package. The compromises you make in clarity and eyebox are MORE than worth it to get the incredible size and weight, super bright illumination, 8x capability, and the Reticle. As with everything in the gun community this scope has trade offs. For a "fighting" carbine I don't think I've ever encountered and LPVO I would rather have.
Thank you for this perspective. I actually joined this forum specifically for more information about this optic. I'm a recreational pistol shooter who just recently got a rifle, and I'm comparing LPVOs to put on it. I've bought into the buy once cry once philosophy, so I'm looking for something that'll cover anything I could possibly do with a 5.56.
That said, I've been eying the two Bushnell scopes you've mentioned due to the 30% rebate. My biggest concern with them and many of the other LPVOs is the illumination or lack thereof. Given the NF clearly has the upperhand in this regard, how would you compare the optical quality between the NX8 vs the other two? Everything I've read about the Bushnell scopes seems to be comparing against the status quo at the time, and I'm not really sure how that's changed with the new NF offerings, the Razor G2E, etc. When people write about eyebox or other limitations with the NX8, I'm not really familiar with relative performance vs the competition. So, while the NX8 seems like a great all-around option for someone like me, I'm wondering if it's worth the price premium vs these other two options, specifically, or any other options you or anyone else would suggest.
Thanks!
Just received my NX8. The center dot is pretty massive when running it at 8x. I think it substantially detracts from the scope’s utility as a medium range optic. I think a .5 MOA dot rather than the 1.25 MOA would add longer range utility without sacrificing anything at lower magnification. Thoughts?
I am going to run the optic again before making a final decision, but I don’t expect to keep mine. I don’t see the advantage of magnification over 4x with such a large center dot.
I am going to run the optic again before making a final decision, but I don’t expect to keep mine. I don’t see the advantage of magnification over 4x with such a large center dot.
Read earlier in this thread from nightforce direct - it’s designed specifically around more covert type work where size and weight is the primary factor for shooting man sized targets. It provides the ability to reach out at range if you need but it isn’t it’s primary or majority purpose.
Use it on man sized targets and you will quickly find that the reticle works really well. Personally the only let down for me is I would have preferred better glass (doable) and the eye box @1x isnt as large as I would like - but understands this is a trade off around design intent.
Thanks for the reply!
I read the thread before posting, but I don’t understand what an operator loses in any circumstance by shrinking the center dot to .5 MOA. Maybe someone more experienced than I can explain this to me. I don’t see the advantage of any magnification above about 4x with a 1.25 MOA center dot. Sure I could shoot silhouettes with it, but the dot covers 1/3 of the target at 400 yards. That’s barely more precise than a 2MOA red dot (ok it’s 60% more precise).
Certainly at longer range the windage markings are more useful than the dot if you choose not to dial in windage, but what if I prefer to dial in windage? What if it’s not windy?
I’m not being facecious. I am trying to understand where this optic is more useful than a SFP 1-4. Is the only incremental advantage the daytime illumination?
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