Rifle Scopes NF Benchrest Scopes

[MrLebowski]

Hey guys I've got a question that hopefully someone can clear up for me. Since the benchrest scopes by NF have less elevation than the NSX models, the 6-32 has 50 moa and the 12-42 has 40 moa, how do you guys use these scopes out to what I would think is their intended range of 1000+ yards when they have so little adjustment? Do you just slap a huge base on it and sight it in at like 600yds or something? What if you want to shoot to a mile or further, then what a different scope? I'm trying to decide on what scope to put on my LR bench gun and I like the price, quality and just about everything else about the BR model except the small amount of adjustment. I was trying to stay some what on the cheaper end but I still want a quality piece of glass, any advice is appreciated.

 

[dieselten]

Re: NF Benchrest Scopes

You are on the right track. It is nothing more than a big math problem and a bunch of trade offs:

- limited travel
- get a flater shooting cartridge
- get more cant on your base
- get a graduated reticle and use a point above the center cross hairs for a 100 yard zero
- spend more $ and get the NXS (or even better an S&B)

and on and on...

 

[bward]

Re: NF Benchrest Scopes

The NF benchrest scopes are extremely popular in short range benchrest, long range benchrest, and F-class. Why the limited amount of travel isn't a problem for these uses is that a BR rifle or F-class rifle is almost always shot at the same distance. For example, if you are setting up for F-class, a 20 moa base will give you enough elevation to shoot in the 600 yd or 1000 yd matches. If you are trying to have more of a tactical scope and shoot varying distances these aren't the scopes for you.

 

[MrLebowski]

Re: NF Benchrest Scopes

Thanks guys I thought thats what they did, it sucks that the more power you have the less travel you get, when really you need more travel the more power you have. I guess it's a trade off like everything else, I just don't understand why NF doesn't build the BR scopes on a 34 or 35mm tube instead of the 30mm. That would add a bunch of elevation and would make them much more appealing, I would think.

 

[nhm16]

Re: NF Benchrest Scopes

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MrLebowski</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just don't understand why NF doesn't build the BR scopes on a 34 or 35mm tube instead of the 30mm. That would add a bunch of elevation and would make them much more appealing, I would think. </div></div>

Well, then they wouldn't be BR scopes. Doing so would add to their already substantial cost, and not really gain anything for the intended market. For example, on my F-Class gun with a 20moa base, a NF 12-42 BR, and with a 100 yard zero, I have enough elevation to make it to 1000 yards, which is the furthest that gun is intended to shoot. What would more travel get me?

 

[MrLebowski]

Re: NF Benchrest Scopes

Well if you only plan on shooting to 1k and you are happy with that set up then YOU would gain nothing. I stated in my origional post that I want/need a scope with fine adjustments & high magnification for shots out to and past a mile. Can I make these kind of shots yet, NO but eventually I would like to try too and I'd like the scope I purchase to be able to go out that far. Actually I just thought of how more adjustment could benifit you, you wouldn't need that 20 moa base if you had more adjustment, not a big advantage but an advantage none the less. I also actually think the BR scopes are very modestly pirced considering what you get and I'd be willing to pay more for one with a bigger tube. I never said they shouldn't offer a 30mm tube version like they do now but if they offered a 30mm version and a 34 or 35mm version, then I would buy one of the larger for sure and I'm sure others would aswell.

 

[nhm16]

Re: NF Benchrest Scopes

For the $1,400-$1,800 or so that a Nightforce BR or NXS 12-42 costs, you can get magnification or elevation, but not both. For both you have to move up to S&B prices, and even then it doesn't seem that anybody makes a scope with ~100moa of elevation at those magnifications.

Given your parameters, the Schmidt & Bender PMII 12.5-50x56 would seem to most closely fit the bill, can be had with 1/8moa, 1/4moa, or 0.025 milrad knobs, and ~65-75moa of elevation (apparently more with the 0.025 milrad knobs, but that seems impracticably fine), albeit for $3,200.

Other scopes to to consider are the March BR 10-60x52, Tactical 10-60x52, or the X series 5-50 or 8-80x56 scopes, which all have 60moa of elevation, but again are all in the S&B price range.

With respect to the 20moa base, I would still use one even if my scope had enough elevation to get to a 1000yd without it, if only so that the erector will be more optically centered (i.e. better picture quality) at 1000. Before I got the NF BR I used a Premier 5-25 and still used the 20moa base for that reason.

 

[bward]

Re: NF Benchrest Scopes

You actually get less adjustment with the .25cm adjustment on the big S&B. The 1/8 moa adjustments give you the most elevation for some reason.

 

[MrLebowski]

Re: NF Benchrest Scopes

Ya I dont have the money to spend on a S&B, I think I'm going to have to give up on the 1/8moa turrets or .025mil until I really need them. Maybe some time down the road I'll upgrade to better glass but for the price and with all the options you get it looks like the 6-24 Viper PST is best choice for me right now. With a canted base it should get me out asfar as I'll need and it's FFP Mil/Mil so thats a big plus.

Thanks guys