Rifle Scopes Leupold MK5 or Nightforce NX8 for AR10?

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sava

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Jan 12, 2014
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#1
Good evening gents,

I've been reading and trying to absorb as much information as possible from this site. There's a tremendous amount of solid info on here, and I really appreciate the shared knowledge of this community.

I have an AR10 308 build with a 20" barrel that is in need of some good glass. The rifle will be used for range work and training courses with distances not exceeding 1000 yards. Currently I have a Weaver 6-30x56 mounted and with the weight and magnification I feel that it's too much scope for this rifle. I'm in the market for a lighter and more compact scope with a standard, non-xmas tree reticle. I'm accustomed to shooting my Razor Gen II with the EBR-1C reticle and prefer a simple setup for range work.

I've been scouring the interwebs and reading up as much as possible about the various options out on the market and the two that have drawn my attention are the Leupold MK 5 3-18x44 TMR and the Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x50 Mil-C. I can find both scopes for nearly the same price, so that isn't really a deciding factor in this case. Both are about 12" in length and the weight is similar, as is the magnification range.

I know the NX8 line is new(er) and there isn't much for long term reviews, but how would you guys compare the two?

If the illuminated version of the Leupold and NX8 are identical in price, which would you choose and why? Is there a specific scope that I'm not aware of that matches the dimensions, weight, and capability of the Mk5 and NX8?
 

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#3
The XTR3 is very close to hitting the market as well in a 3.3-18x50. Length and weight is very similar. Excellent FOV, HD glass, made in Colorado. Priced around $1700 I believe.

XTR III Illuminated 3.3-18x50mm | Burris Optics

www.burrisoptics.com www.burrisoptics.com

As far as your first two choices, both are good. Hard to go wrong. I havent looked through an NX8 yet, but I know the Leupy is solid.
 
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#4
OP, I've had both and am currently finishing up a review of the NX8. A couple things right off the top, the NX8 uses a standard 30mm diameter tube while the Leupold has an "odd" 35mm tube, not a huge deal for some but it will limit the amount of mounts you'd like to try - advantage NX8. Leupold charges a hefty premium for their illumination, over $600 if I remember whereas Nightforce includes illumination - advantage NX8. The Leupold Mark 5 turrets on my 3.6-18x44 were some of the best clicks I've experienced, the NX8 are good but lack the "click" response I've come to appreciate in other scopes (this is more personal preference), I also really like the locking mechanism on the Leupold Mark 5 - advantage Mark 5. My Mark 5 did not have illumination so I cannot comment, but the NX8 offers one of the best daylight bright units I've seen in a long range scope, couple that with the ability to switch between red and green illumination - advantage NX8. Reticle is very much personal preference, but in my opinion the Mil-C blows away anything Leupold has to offer, the TMR is very much a plain jane reticle - advantage Nightforce. CA control or chromatic aberration also known as fringing, my Mark 5 was pretty bad, could see heavy CA even in not so contrasty situations, the NX8 controls CA better than any other scope I've seen in its price range - advantage NX8. IQ or image quality, both the Mark 5 and the NX8 suffer from some optical aberrations, my copy of the Mark 5 did not resolve as well as I thought it should have; however, reports from other shooters have indicated this is not the case for their copies so it is possible we're dealing with sample variance and I just happened to get a dud; the NX8 suffers from edge distortion quite heavily at shorter ranges (under 100 yards) and this tapers out as you focus on objects further out but still exists throughout the magnification range - advantage Mark 5 and NX8, I'd say they are somewhat of a tie with optical trade offs. Ergonomics can be a personal thing, but I prefer the size and fit of the Mark 5 over the NX8, the NX8 has a very narrow width between the turret housing and the front objective bell - tie with tradeoffs for both. Magnification, the Mark 5 uses a 5x erector and the NX8 uses an 8x erector - most people will see this as advantage NX8; however, building a short body scope with 8x erector has some compromises like DOF or depth of field, this is where objects both near and far appear to be within adequate focus and sometimes more forgiving with parallax, I have not had these scopes side by side but I'd say the Mark 5 has better DOF and parallax than the NX8. Close focus - the NX8 can focus down to 11 yards while the Mark 5 is marked 75 yards but in field tests was closer to 50 yards - advantage NX8 if you need to focus closer than 50 yards. Warranty and Customer Service - while both Leupold and Nightforce offer Lifetime Warranty's it seems that Leupold's customer service has dropped off of late while most folks have a positive experience with NF CS.

Edit: I decided to put the above remarks into a bullet point list to make it easier:
Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 vs. Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x50 comparison
  • Tube size: NX8 = 30mm | Mark 5 = 35mm: Advantage NX8
  • Illumination: NX8 includes red/green illumination | Mark 5 charges premium for illumination: Advantage NX8
  • Turrets: NX8 has "soft" turrets | Mark 5 has distinct clicks with clever locking mechanism: Advantage Mark 5
  • Reticle: NX8 has Mil-C and Mil-XT | Mark 5 has old style TMR or Horus style: Advantage NX8
  • Ergonomics: NX8 has narrow mount options | Mark 5 is shorter but limited mount options with 35mm tube: Tie
  • CA control: NX8 has minimal CA throughout mag range | Mark 5 has heavy CA: Advantage NX8
  • IQ: NX8 has edge distortion with 8x erector | Mark 5 has less resolving power with 5x erector: Tie
  • DOF/Parallax: NX8 has narrow DOF and finicky parallax | Mark 5 has more forgiving DOF and parallax: Advantage Mark 5
  • Close Focus: NX8 can focus to 11 yards | Mark 5 can focus to about 50 yards: Advantage NX8
  • Low Light: NX8 has 50mm objective | Mark 5 has 44mm objective: Advantage NX8 (however, Mark 5 has excellent low light performance)
  • Magnification: NX8 is 2.5-20x50 | Mark 5 is 3.6-18x44: Advantage NX8
  • Warranty and CS: Nightforce has Lifetime with good CS | Leupold has Lifetime with poor CS: Advantage Nightforce
Obviously the NX8 has more "advantages" above, but we all have our personal preferences and each shooter needs to decide for themselves what matters most and make your decisions accordingly.

My final thoughts echo what Birddog mentions above, the Burris XTR III 3.3-18x50 is very close to hitting the market and I foresee this scope as having better glass than Leupold Mark 5 and Nightforce NX8; however, since I have yet to see this scope (and only a few have) it is hard to make a final determination without having a production model in hand. I have contacted Geoff at Burris about doing an onsite visit in Greeley, CO (where Burris HQ are) however I have yet to hear back unfortunately.
 
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#8
I do not have personal experience with the Nx8, so no comment on it. However I do own a mark 5 3-18 tmr and I absolutely love it for what it is. It is extremely light and compact, the turrets are the best in my opinion that I've ever had, it tracks, and in my opinion is absolutely perfect for the ar-10 platform. I'm actually about to pull the trigger on a couple more after selling off my razors and AMG and nightforce nxs. For the price you can pick them up for I honestly feel they are the best scope for the value/money currently on the market. I'm confident the nightforce would be fine from what I've heard so far on them, but from first hand experience, I doubt you'll be disappointed in the mark 5.
 
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#10
SporterII said:
Definition, color, contrast. Especially in mirage.
Hitting steel and seeing game with old eyes-
That’s what.
Click to expand...
So you're saying your current scopes are a hindrance to the things mentioned above. Can you share with us what scopes you are currently using? You kind of jumped into this thread without any context so just trying to get some more information to help.
 
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#12
Mention of the XTR3 prompted my response.
I have had great success with three NSX shooting mostly steel and some paper in comps. Those and a SHV are not helping me have success on small game.
Sorry to barge in.
 
#13
SporterII said:
Mention of the XTR3 prompted my response.
I have had great success with three NSX shooting mostly steel and some paper in comps. Those and a SHV are not helping me have success on small game.
Sorry to barge in.
Click to expand...
No worries, just needed some more context. Like mentioned only a few have actually seen the XTR III so it is a big unknown right now, but those who have seen it (D_TROS, Birddog and ILya) seem to be really impressed and D_TROS said he actually saw another pre-production model that he thought had even better glass than the one he has been using. Anyway, until we get production units in hand it is a shot in the dark, but they sound very promising. If you are used to NSX and SHV I think I can recommend some scopes that might do a bit better optically depending on your budget. What budget are you looking at and is the 3-18ish mag range what you're looking for?
 
#16
Moss Dynamics said:
I do not have personal experience with the Nx8, so no comment on it. However I do own a mark 5 3-18 tmr and I absolutely love it for what it is. It is extremely light and compact, the turrets are the best in my opinion that I've ever had, it tracks, and in my opinion is absolutely perfect for the ar-10 platform. I'm actually about to pull the trigger on a couple more after selling off my razors and AMG and nightforce nxs. For the price you can pick them up for I honestly feel they are the best scope for the value/money currently on the market. I'm confident the nightforce would be fine from what I've heard so far on them, but from first hand experience, I doubt you'll be disappointed in the mark 5.
Click to expand...

Same here, I sold my ATACR’s and PMII’s and now only have MK5’s. I did a lot of side by side with the 3 brands (all 5-25 btw), and it was with multiple of each offerings. For my eyes & testing the MK5 won, it honestly came down to weight optics features and reticle choice as they all tracked spot on. The only gripe I have with the MK5 is reticle selection, I have a CCH & illuminated TMR and can live with both.
 
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#17
wjm308 said:
OP, I've had both and am currently finishing up a review of the NX8. A couple things right off the top, the NX8 uses a standard 30mm diameter tube while the Leupold has an "odd" 35mm tube, not a huge deal for some but it will limit the amount of mounts you'd like to try - advantage NX8. Leupold charges a hefty premium for their illumination, over $600 if I remember whereas Nightforce includes illumination - advantage NX8. The Leupold Mark 5 turrets on my 3.6-18x44 were some of the best clicks I've experienced, the NX8 are good but lack the "click" response I've come to appreciate in other scopes (this is more personal preference), I also really like the locking mechanism on the Leupold Mark 5 - advantage Mark 5. My Mark 5 did not have illumination so I cannot comment, but the NX8 offers one of the best daylight bright units I've seen in a long range scope, couple that with the ability to switch between red and green illumination - advantage NX8. Reticle is very much personal preference, but in my opinion the Mil-C blows away anything Leupold has to offer, the TMR is very much a plain jane reticle - advantage Nightforce. CA control or chromatic aberration also known as fringing, my Mark 5 was pretty bad, could see heavy CA even in not so contrasty situations, the NX8 controls CA better than any other scope I've seen in its price range - advantage NX8. IQ or image quality, both the Mark 5 and the NX8 suffer from some optical aberrations, my copy of the Mark 5 did not resolve as well as I thought it should have; however, reports from other shooters have indicated this is not the case for their copies so it is possible we're dealing with sample variance and I just happened to get a dud; the NX8 suffers from edge distortion quite heavily at shorter ranges (under 100 yards) and this tapers out as you focus on objects further out but still exists throughout the magnification range - advantage Mark 5 and NX8, I'd say they are somewhat of a tie with optical trade offs. Ergonomics can be a personal thing, but I prefer the size and fit of the Mark 5 over the NX8, the NX8 has a very narrow width between the turret housing and the front objective bell - tie with tradeoffs for both. Magnification, the Mark 5 uses a 5x erector and the NX8 uses an 8x erector - most people will see this as advantage NX8; however, building a short body scope with 8x erector has some compromises like DOF or depth of field, this is where objects both near and far appear to be within adequate focus and sometimes more forgiving with parallax, I have not had these scopes side by side but I'd say the Mark 5 has better DOF and parallax than the NX8. Close focus - the NX8 can focus down to 11 yards while the Mark 5 is marked 75 yards but in field tests was closer to 50 yards - advantage NX8 if you need to focus closer than 50 yards. Warranty and Customer Service - while both Leupold and Nightforce offer Lifetime Warranty's it seems that Leupold's customer service has dropped off of late while most folks have a positive experience with NF CS.

Edit: I decided to put the above remarks into a bullet point list to make it easier:
Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 vs. Nightforce NX8 2.5-20x50 comparison
  • Tube size: NX8 = 30mm | Mark 5 = 35mm: Advantage NX8
  • Illumination: NX8 includes red/green illumination | Mark 5 charges premium for illumination: Advantage NX8
  • Turrets: NX8 has "soft" turrets | Mark 5 has distinct clicks with clever locking mechanism: Advantage Mark 5
  • Reticle: NX8 has Mil-C and Mil-XT | Mark 5 has old style TMR or Horus style: Advantage NX8
  • Ergonomics: NX8 has narrow mount options | Mark 5 is shorter but limited mount options with 35mm tube: Tie
  • CA control: NX8 has minimal CA throughout mag range | Mark 5 has heavy CA: Advantage NX8
  • IQ: NX8 has edge distortion with 8x erector | Mark 5 has less resolving power with 5x erector: Tie
  • DOF/Parallax: NX8 has narrow DOF and finicky parallax | Mark 5 has more forgiving DOF and parallax: Advantage Mark 5
  • Close Focus: NX8 can focus to 11 yards | Mark 5 can focus to about 50 yards: Advantage NX8
  • Low Light: NX8 has 50mm objective | Mark 5 has 44mm objective: Advantage NX8 (however, Mark 5 has excellent low light performance)
  • Magnification: NX8 is 2.5-20x50 | Mark 5 is 3.6-18x44: Advantage NX8
  • Warranty and CS: Nightforce has Lifetime with good CS | Leupold has Lifetime with poor CS: Advantage Nightforce
Obviously the NX8 has more "advantages" above, but we all have our personal preferences and each shooter needs to decide for themselves what matters most and make your decisions accordingly.

My final thoughts echo what Birddog mentions above, the Burris XTR III 3.3-18x50 is very close to hitting the market and I foresee this scope as having better glass than Leupold Mark 5 and Nightforce NX8; however, since I have yet to see this scope (and only a few have) it is hard to make a final determination without having a production model in hand. I have contacted Geoff at Burris about doing an onsite visit in Greeley, CO (where Burris HQ are) however I have yet to hear back unfortunately.
Click to expand...

Very well articulated response!!! All valid points and you're right, it's ultimately a personal choice as to which categories are most important to the shooter.

Would it be wise to hold off and wait for the release of the XTR before making a decision?
 
#18
For me, after a lot of research and use previously of various scope brands...I opted for the NX8 2.5-20 for my LMT MWS .308 rifle because of size, weight, performance, feature set and ... price. I got mine from Mile High using their new customer 10% off discount for $1755 shipped.

I'm happy with choice and for me being realistic about what I am going to be using it for 99.999% of the time, it was the right scope, price, feature set for me.
 
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#19
sava said:
Would it be wise to hold off and wait for the release of the XTR before making a decision?
Click to expand...
That's difficult to say, a lot is going to depend on what your needs are. If eyebox and DOF is very important to you, then I'd say the XTR III is probably worth the wait, that being said, if you buy the NX8 today and you also get the XTR III when it comes out and you decide you prefer the XTR III then I doubt you are going to lose much on the NX8 if you sell it, it is the "hot stuff" right now, and the hot stuff usually sells for a good price in the classifieds.
 
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#20
Centuriator said:
For me, after a lot of research and use previously of various scope brands...I opted for the NX8 2.5-20 for my LMT MWS .308 rifle because of size, weight, performance, feature set and ... price. I got mine from Mile High using their new customer 10% off discount for $1755 shipped.

I'm happy with choice and for me being realistic about what I am going to be using it for 99.999% of the time, it was the right scope, price, feature set for me.
Click to expand...

Any chance you can throw up some pics?
 
#21
wjm308 said:
That's difficult to say, a lot is going to depend on what your needs are. If eyebox and DOF is very important to you, then I'd say the XTR III is probably worth the wait, that being said, if you buy the NX8 today and you also get the XTR III when it comes out and you decide you prefer the XTR III then I doubt you are going to lose much on the NX8 if you sell it, it is the "hot stuff" right now, and the hot stuff usually sells for a good price in the classifieds.
Click to expand...

True. I'd love to get my hands on both locally to see how they look to me eye.
 
#23
I am extremely lucky to live so close to Eurooptic that I can just drive there to check out any optic I am interested in purchasing. I would recommend you do your best in getting your own hands and eyes on those scopes before you decide to buy. I'm not sure about you, but I really want to be confident that what I pick is best for me if I'm spending a decent amount of cash.
 
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#26
wade2big said:
I respect the man that can make first round hits more often than not than the man that can put bullet holes in paper that touch each other more often than not.
Click to expand...
sava said:
@FALex that seems to be a common consensus around here. My only hesitation is that the NX8 line is fairly new and hasn’t been vetted by consumers just yet.
Click to expand...

Completely understandable, but you've got to recognize that NF has been manufacturing quality, robust optics for decades. I highly doubt they would release anything that they had not put through very rigorous testing. I have a 7-35 but will be buying a couple of these NX8's for other rifles. Just waiting for the Mil XT's coming this fall.

I wouldn't think twice bro. They're probably as solid an optic as you're going to find.
 
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