Okay hide, I've come down to these two scopes as my next purchase. If I go the NF rout I'll be using the MIL XT and if I go the Leupold route I'll be running with the H59.
Rifle Scopes Nightforce ATACR 7-35 vs Leupold Mk5 7-35
- Thread starter elmuzzlebreak
- Start date
When you look at the 2 reticles, which do you like better? That's the one you should choose and then call me and I'll get it on the way to you 
I have not had the chance to see or price the leupold mk5 7x35 but the older atacr's prices surely have come down a lot by now or maybe not , both have options around or in the 2.5 to 3k range so its not like one is overwhelmingly cheaper than the other maybe one could be found that's on sale , Well the atacr still has more elevation with its 120 moa compared with the 100 moa on the leupold , they showing sfp and ffp visions which is nice to have choices . You get that option i guess which could be nice ,and the leopold is in 35mm that's a pluss maybe in a few years I might find a used one of both that might be worth looking into more . good luck with yours they are both really nice looking scopes .
Honestly both reticles are good but if I had to pick I would go with the MILXT because of the .2mil stadia. Pretty much a H59 minus the movers.When you look at the 2 reticles, which do you like better? That's the one you should choose and then call me and I'll get it on the way to you
Another few differences,
- The illumination pattern. MILXT will light basically a Mil-C pattern, wheras the H59 will only light a few dots. If you dont plan to use illumination not a worry but just one thing to consider.
- Overall look of the reticle, H59 is alot more lines whereas the MILXT is more dots than lines.
Both are solid though.
You make a very good point especially on the more lines of the H59 vs dots of the MILXT. After I read that I actually put them both up on my monitor and I think dots just cleans up the field of view a lot more. I was able to remove the while background a bit on both of them and did overlays on some generic background pictures. The MILXT was cleaner and easier to navigate.
And you are starting to hit on part of my decision making process. Since at 35x the exit pupil will be so small, would more like or contrast be better? Not that I ever shoot that high, hell half the time I never go above 12x, but should I want to spot or mil a target will my image be crap?
The price issue is another thing. Is the jump justified by say durability or overall image? Interested to see what others have to say about this.
@elmuzzlebreak - I need to edit my statement above, the 7-35 MK5 doesnt come with illumination in the H59 reticle, my bad, so if thats a key feature you need the MK5 doesn't offer it at all with the H59. As far as the ATACR at 35x, I feel its still very usable for the applications you mentioned, condition dependent. (heavy mirage, fog, etc.)
As for the price I agree the MK5 can be found for less $, but from my experience I feel like you do give up a bit not going with the ATACR. Not saying the MK5 is a bad optic by any means but again it comes back to features I think (that being said the Army did just go with the MK5). Between the two, i think Illumination, weight, turret feel and features and reticle are the key differentiators. Personally, I favor the ATACR glass quality, overall image, fit and finish and feature set more than the MK5, but again thats just me.
As for the price I agree the MK5 can be found for less $, but from my experience I feel like you do give up a bit not going with the ATACR. Not saying the MK5 is a bad optic by any means but again it comes back to features I think (that being said the Army did just go with the MK5). Between the two, i think Illumination, weight, turret feel and features and reticle are the key differentiators. Personally, I favor the ATACR glass quality, overall image, fit and finish and feature set more than the MK5, but again thats just me.
Thanks! Illumination is not a make or break for me. But if opting to use it (which I have) I do like the illumination pattern of the MILXT over the H59. I'm pretty set on an ATACR now but am now starting to wrap my head around if I need to go up to 35x or be fine going with a 5-25. My main concern is above 25X the image wills start getting super dark because of the small exit pupil.
In talking to more and more people who are smarter than me I think the 7-35x ATACR with a MIL XT is the way to go. Nothing against the MK5 but since this will be my last alpha scope for a while I'm tempted to just get the ATACR. Time to keep an eye out for deals.
The NF handles the small exit pupil at high mag extremly well the eyebox at 35x feels like alot of scopes do at 25x.
I found a good picture in another thread here that does a good job putting my mind at ease. So 7-35 ATACR is the way to go. Thank you everyone for the help.
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