Rifle Scopes NF Scopes or Leupold?

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Hi all,

looking for a new scope and can’t find which is the overall best made With the clearest glass which I know is very subjective. I do have an old leupold (40+ years old) and it shoots perfect to this day.

I went to the NF website and they’re saying that the NF Beast is the most intelligent scope out. Then I saw the NF competition but they only had it in MOA and I wanted it in MIL. the last two were the NF benchrest and the NF NX8.

I want the best scope I can get my hands on. That seems to be hands down nightforce. I’m good with that. I’m mainly using it for target and trying to get my Daughters competition rifle set up so I want the best. Which of their models is the best and most advanced? The beast? ATACR? NX8? Or should I look into Leupold mark 5 instead? To be clear money is not part of my decision.

thanks for the help!!

 

[dirthead1]

If you want the best, go Tangent Theta or ZCO. I’ve had several NF scopes. They are good but not in the same league as TT or ZCO.

 

[pkt1199]

Provided you said best scope and didn't mention a budget... Start Googling Tangent Theta and Zero Compromise Optics.

 

[NiteQwill]

The best NF and Leupold you can buy is this one

Good hunting!

 

[clcustom1911]

Hensoldt ZF 3.5-26x56

 

[Shooter J]

I would agree you can never go wrong with either a ZCO or NF. However I hate scopes with picky parallax adjustments, For me the ZCO is heads above the NF. I can shoot from 300 to over 1000 and never adjust parallax like I have to with other scopes. The NF is just not the case.

 

[[email protected]]

I would agree you can never go wrong with either a ZCO or NF. However I hate scopes with picky parallax adjustments, For me the ZCO is heads above the NF. I can shoot from 300 to over 1000 and never adjust parallax like I have to with other scopes. The NF is just not the case.

How is the eye relief? Can you get down to 25 yards on the parallax if need be with the ZCO?

 

[NiteQwill]

How is the eye relief? Can you get down to 25 yards on the parallax if need be with the ZCO?

Yes - eye relief is generous

 

[[email protected]]

Provided you said best scope and didn't mention a budget... Start Googling Tangent Theta and Zero Compromise Optics.

I started down the rabbit hole... lol I was down to the leupold mark 5HD 7-35 and nightforce atacr 7-35 and now I’m back to square one again looking at NF, Leupold, schmidt, TT, and ZCO.

I'm more torn now than before. so let me try this. I’m putting this onto a competition Vudoo 22 rifle. I know 35x is a bit overkill but need excellent magnification for some of these comps. Sometimes they’re shooting matchheads at 25-50 yards. That being said... i’d like to be able to switch this onto a 338 lapua magnum when Not in use on the 22. So... any suggestions from here?

just in case anyone asks, I have a 24x scope on my lapua right now, but want something a little more high end than a Vortex. Thank you guys again for any input.

 

[NiteQwill]

I started down the rabbit hole... lol I was down to the leupold mark 5HD 7-35 and nightforce atacr 7-35 and now I’m back to square one again looking at NF, Leupold, schmidt, TT, and ZCO.

I'm more torn now than before. so let me try this. I’m putting this onto a competition Vudoo 22 rifle. I know 35x is a bit overkill but need excellent magnification for some of these comps. Sometimes they’re shooting matchheads at 25-50 yards. That being said... i’d like to be able to switch this onto a 338 lapua magnum when Not in use on the 22. So... any suggestions from here?

just in case anyone asks, I have a 24x scope on my lapua right now, but want something a little more high end than a Vortex. Thank you guys again for any input.

Again, you can't go wrong with the 420 or 527 ZCO. It will fit your needs. The optical clarity and resolution of the ZCO is only beat out by the TT, for $1k more. So, up to you. NF, Leupold, and S&B shouldn't even be looked at if you're already thinking TT or ZCO. They are in a whole different league.

Good luck!

 

[[email protected]]

Again, you can't go wrong with the 420 or 527 ZCO. It will fit your needs. The optical clarity and resolution of the ZCO is only beat out by the TT, for $1k more. So, up to you. NF, Leupold, and S&B shouldn't even be looked at if you're already thinking TT or ZCO. They are in a whole different league.

Good luck!

I appreciate it.

 

[[email protected]]

A

 

[[email protected]]

Again, you can't go wrong with the 420 or 527 ZCO. It will fit your needs. The optical clarity and resolution of the ZCO is only beat out by the TT, for $1k more. So, up to you. NF, Leupold, and S&B shouldn't even be looked at if you're already thinking TT or ZCO. They are in a whole different league.

Good luck!

I’m shocked to hear you say Schmidt and Bender isnt in that top tier. Granted, I don’t know much about this next level of scopes... but everyone is saying the pm II is the gold standard of all scopes and talking about the clarity in glass. I’ve never looked through one, so I have no clue The difference.
I’m having a hard time figuring out which to go with, the ZCO or TT. Both have excellent warranties. They both do what is needed. Both are in mils. If you could pick one, which would you go with? Best overall in your opinion.
it’s between TT 525 with the tremor3 reticle and the ZCO 5-27 with the mpct3 reticle
i like the tremor 3 on the TT reticle a little better... but also like the extra 2x zoom Of the ZCO

 

[Dr. Strangelove_207]

For what it’s worth, if you can, I’d try and look through both. Everyone’s eyes are different - you might not get on with one but love the other. Also, I don’t believe the TT has locking turrets. That might be an issue for you or it might not!

 

[NiteQwill]

I’m shocked to hear you say Schmidt and Bender isnt in that top tier. Granted, I don’t know much about this next level of scopes... but everyone is saying the pm II is the gold standard of all scopes and talking about the clarity in glass. I’ve never looked through one, so I have no clue The difference.
I’m having a hard time figuring out which to go with, the ZCO or TT. Both have excellent warranties. They both do what is needed. Both are in mils. If you could pick one, which would you go with? Best overall in your opinion.
it’s between TT 525 with the tremor3 reticle and the ZCO 5-27 with the mpct3 reticle
i like the tremor 3 on the TT reticle a little better... but also like the extra 2x zoom Of the ZCO

Things change. Someday, someone will top the existing ZCO and TT. Until then, buying either of those, you will be happy. TT does not have locking turrets. But it is toolless, so that's nice. The ZCO is 1K cheaper, so that's nice. It's really pulling hairs choosing one or over another.

You will smile getting behind either one, honestly. Is there a way you can look through both?

Have you used the Tremor reticle? It's not for everyone just FYI. I, personally, am not a fan.

 

[Poorboyr]

If you want the absolute best, by the Tangent Theta. The ZCO is right behind it. You said money was not in the equation so this is a no brainer.

If you still want to get a Nightforce or Leupold, I would get the Mark 8 M5C2 unless you want illumination.

 

[Glassaholic]

This might help


DLO is a member of the Hide and often contributes here. I did a review of the Schmidt 5-45x56 and March 5-42x56 HM scopes which I think make excellent scopes for precision rimfire shooting, but they are a specialty niche and not for everyone. One thing to note, you mentioned using it mostly on your Vudoo 22, the TT does limit to 50y parallax while the ZCO goes to 25y, ZCO also has locking turrets and the option of red or green illumination with a smart shutdown mode so you don't drain your battery when you forget you turned illumination on. Regarding parallax, my Minox ZP5 5-25x56 (sister of the TT) can focus to 25y no problem and I've heard the same from other TT owners, but parallax is a bit finicky unless you have perfect eye placement. ZCO is an outstanding company that does all repair here in the USA and has superb customer service, TT is up in Canada also with an excellent reputation for CS. The Nightforce 7-35 is a fantastic scope in its own right, but my friends who've owned the NF, Minox, ZCO and TT generally agree the NF is a step down optically, but when comparing to some of the best glass on the planet, a step down still means it is a phenomenal performer.

 

[Glassaholic]

The best NF and Leupold you can buy is this one

Good hunting!

Loved your post, but I think your saddle is supposed to go the other way

 

[GlockBlock]

Because it will see use on a .22LR I would go with the ZCO over the TT for some of the closer shots which I'm sure there will be a few. if you know that all shots will be 50 yds + then you're back to a coin flip. If you cant see something clearly 30 yards away then that optic is a non-starter.

 

[Glassaholic]

Because it will see use on a .22LR I would go with the ZCO over the TT for some of the closer shots which I'm sure there will be a few. if you know that all shots will be 50 yds + then you're back to a coin flip. If you cant see something clearly 30 yards away then that optic is a non-starter.

Focusing is not the issue, the TT can focus to 25y and you can see your target just fine, it's the parallax that is the issue.

 

[HousePlant]

All I can gather from this thread is to NEVER, EVER look through a ZCO, Tangent, or Hensoldt scope for fear I'll have to have one.

I looked through a Leupold Mark 5 once after thinking I didn't need fancy glass quality and now I have clinical depression from a lack of money...

 

[GUNNER10]

I started down the rabbit hole... lol I was down to the leupold mark 5HD 7-35 and nightforce atacr 7-35 and now I’m back to square one again looking at NF, Leupold, schmidt, TT, and ZCO.

I'm more torn now than before. so let me try this. I’m putting this onto a competition Vudoo 22 rifle. I know 35x is a bit overkill but need excellent magnification for some of these comps. Sometimes they’re shooting matchheads at 25-50 yards. That being said... i’d like to be able to switch this onto a 338 lapua magnum when Not in use on the 22. So... any suggestions from here?

just in case anyone asks, I have a 24x scope on my lapua right now, but want something a little more high end than a Vortex. Thank you guys again for any input.

If money is not an issue, why not just buy two scopes? While re-zeroing an optic is not a challenging task, you will never really have a zero'd optic in the event that you have to swap an optic last minute and make first rounds count. Mounts are pretty repeatable these days but if we are talking about 4000 dollar optics and 5000 dollar rifles, swapping optics is a little silly.

Personally i would run a 10x super sniper as a second scope before I would dick around with swapping a ZCO or TT back and forth.

 

[GUNNER10]

This might help


DLO is a member of the Hide and often contributes here. I did a review of the Schmidt 5-45x56 and March 5-42x56 HM scopes which I think make excellent scopes for precision rimfire shooting, but they are a specialty niche and not for everyone. One thing to note, you mentioned using it mostly on your Vudoo 22, the TT does limit to 50y parallax while the ZCO goes to 25y, ZCO also has locking turrets and the option of red or green illumination with a smart shutdown mode so you don't drain your battery when you forget you turned illumination on. Regarding parallax, my Minox ZP5 5-25x56 (sister of the TT) can focus to 25y no problem and I've heard the same from other TT owners, but parallax is a bit finicky unless you have perfect eye placement. ZCO is an outstanding company that does all repair here in the USA and has superb customer service, TT is up in Canada also with an excellent reputation for CS. The Nightforce 7-35 is a fantastic scope in its own right, but my friends who've owned the NF, Minox, ZCO and TT generally agree the NF is a step down optically, but when comparing to some of the best glass on the planet, a step down still means it is a phenomenal performer.

Pretty much this, I really like NF and Leupold, and while I consider the NF on average to put out a better overall product that leupold, I tend to run leupolds as there is a point of diminishing returns on everything especially high end optics. I think NF's advantage lies in better overall QC as well as a theoretically more rugged design. The lower weight, and coming in around 1000 dollars less than the NF's in its class are enough for me to possibly deal with QC issue that Leupold has a great reputation of addressing.

With that being said if you are after the best, I would advise checking out DLO's videos as he does a really great job of laying out what differentiates between high end optics

 

[Shooter J]

How is the eye relief? Can you get down to 25 yards on the parallax if need be with the ZCO?

Yes indeed. I use this all of the time in 22 events.

 

[Shooter J]

All I can gather from this thread is to NEVER, EVER look through a ZCO, Tangent, or Hensoldt scope for fear I'll have to have one.

I looked through a Leupold Mark 5 once after thinking I didn't need fancy glass quality and now I have clinical depression from a lack of money...

This is very true. The same happens when someone in the squad has binos that are out of this world. You feel as though you were always seeing shots in low resolution. Another true test is trying to spot trace with a good pair and then try with an exceptional pair. Bottom line for me is that I have spent a lot of money on decent gear and now wished I had never spent a dime and saved for the best gear. Gear does not always improve your shooting, but it does make it a lot more enjoyable.

 

[CarbonMTN]

I have a MK5 3.6-18 and for the price I paid I wouldn't trade it for anything. I really like it

 

[Glassaholic]

Yes indeed. I use this all of the time in 22 events.

That is one advantage of the NF 7-35x56 and the March 5-42x56, they can both focus down to 10y/10m. The Schmidt 5-25x56 also adjusts down to 10m; however, you have to deal with tunneling, but the fact remains this Schmidt has phenomenal IQ that is not far from the best. If I recall from the video above, ILya ranked the scopes TT > ZCO > Minox ZP5 > Schmidt but basically it is splitting hairs as they say, yes the TT may have slightly better IQ but if you prefer the locking turrets and/or reticles of ZCO, etc. is it really worth the difference, most would say no. At this level (alpha class) you should really be figuring out which is the absolute best in IQ, but deciding based on reticle. The reticle is what you have to look at every time you look through the scope, and if it's too thick, too thin, doesn't have enough information, etc. I think that will frustrate you much more than whether or not you see two hairs or three hairs on the back of that fly at 100y.

 

[TangoSierra916]

Apologies if i missed it above, but a few questions for you and the intended use:

- You said its for your daughters comp rifle, what has she shot with before and what reticle/reticle style does she prefer?
- - If she has shot before and has preferences does she prefer floating dots (if so, what size) or solid crosshairs or open centers)
- Has she noticed any one scope brand glass making her eyes less or more comfortable?
- Does she prefer to hold over or dial everything?
- Are you only looking to buy brand new or used as well? (this is relevant because a few comments mention TT being $1k more than ZCO which is not the case on the used market)


I totally get the questions of what's best, but as its been discussed many times prior its a lot of personal preference and how you/someone actually uses the scope. A scope can look great on paper, in a PRS match, on a shelf at wherever the you buy it and dont love it. ZCO, SB, NF, TT are all great choices but i feel they each have strengths and weaknesses, whether its personal preference or fundamental to the optic.

If $ truly isn't an issue, I would buy one TT 5-25, 7-35 ATACR, ZCO 5-27, SB 5-25 and put them all side by side at the same day/same range and pick your winner.

 

[Shooter J]

Apologies if i missed it above, but a few questions for you and the intended use:

- You said its for your daughters comp rifle, what has she shot with before and what reticle/reticle style does she prefer?
- - If she has shot before and has preferences does she prefer floating dots (if so, what size) or solid crosshairs or open centers)
- Has she noticed any one scope brand glass making her eyes less or more comfortable?
- Does she prefer to hold over or dial everything?
- Are you only looking to buy brand new or used as well? (this is relevant because a few comments mention TT being $1k more than ZCO which is not the case on the used market)


I totally get the questions of what's best, but as its been discussed many times prior its a lot of personal preference and how you/someone actually uses the scope. A scope can look great on paper, in a PRS match, on a shelf at wherever the you buy it and dont love it. ZCO, SB, NF, TT are all great choices but i feel they each have strengths and weaknesses, whether its personal preference or fundamental to the optic.

If $ truly isn't an issue, I would buy one TT 5-25, 7-35 ATACR, ZCO 5-27, SB 5-25 and put them all side by side at the same day/same range and pick your winner.

I like the way you think! That is some serious cash. I would also add you can always sell the ones you don't like to any of us at a serious discount!