As the title states which one is superior? Have had bad luck with lesser priced Bushnells before and millet which is a Bushnell owned company. Always wanted a nightforce especially the new atacR or beast! The Bushnell is FFP where the atacR is SFP. AtacR has a bigger objective and ED glass. Not sure about the glass in the Bushnell but the objective is smaller. Want to be able to gather as much light as possible! Bushnell has turret lock as well as zerostop. Nightforce has zerostop but turrets don't lock. Nightforce is in MOA/MOA which is what I'm familiar with and the Bushnell is MIL/MIL which I have heard is faster but not as precise. Nightforce is $2,100 already mounted in an AI 0MOA unimount but never shot. I can get the Bushnell already mounted in Warne vertical split rings but never shot for $1,500! Will be swapped back and forth between my remington 700 5R .308 and my custom built 700 .338 RUM and will be used for long range hunting on deer elk and coyotes to 1,000 yards maybe a hair more and target shooting paper and steel gongs out to 1 mile! I was going to go with the older nxs 8-32/56 for the added magnification to discern antler quality at distance better as I don't get have a spotting scope and the weapon optic would fill both roles temporarily but the rep at nightforce said that scope didn't have enough internal adjustment even with a 20MOA rail to get to 1 mile even on the big .338 RUM. He suggested the atacR then I found this Bushnell which is closer to the magnification I wanted but smaller objective and only MIL/MIL. What do you guys think? I can change all my measurements to metric on my ballistic programs and rangefinders and kestrel no problem just want the best bang for the buck but at the same time the best optic to suit my needs! Thanks guys.
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Rifle Scopes Nightforce atacR MOAR or Bushnell elite 4.5-30XRS FFP G2DMR
- Thread starter tacsniper0888
- Start date
You are asking to compare two scopes with different feature sets.
Do you want SFP? The glass in the ATACR is very good, and durability, well, it's a NightForce, 'nuff said.
Do you want FFP? A Bushnell might be for you. My experience with the ET line of Bushnell scopes is that the glass is not as good as that in the ATACR. The XRS I owned for a time did not have the resolution and brightness to satisfy me at 30x, not for a $2000 scope. The ERS (same as the XRS only 3.5-21x) or the DMR (same as the ERS but no zero stop and 5 mil turrets) are a much better value and are useable at their max magnification.
Do you want SFP? The glass in the ATACR is very good, and durability, well, it's a NightForce, 'nuff said.
Do you want FFP? A Bushnell might be for you. My experience with the ET line of Bushnell scopes is that the glass is not as good as that in the ATACR. The XRS I owned for a time did not have the resolution and brightness to satisfy me at 30x, not for a $2000 scope. The ERS (same as the XRS only 3.5-21x) or the DMR (same as the ERS but no zero stop and 5 mil turrets) are a much better value and are useable at their max magnification.
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I own the Bushnell Tactical Elite 3.5-21X50 G2DMR 5 mill turrets no ZS and no illuminated reticle. I also own the NightForce NXS 8-32X56 with ZS and HST. The Bushnell glass @ 21X is crystal clear and resolution is excellent. if you don't need the additional features of the NXS or the ATACR(I have 7 NF scopes) the Bushnell Elite is a terrific buy at under $1200.
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As already pointed out, if you want SFP/MOA then I don't think you can do better then the ATACR. If you want FFP/MIL for the price point the Bushnell is a great option. You need to FIRST decide what direction you want to go and then ask for more similar comparisons, like the SS 5-20 vs. the Bushnell 3.5-21.
Sully
Sully
The Bushnell XRS has the same features as the atacR (zerostop locking turrets and illuminated reticle just slightly cheaper). My question is for long range hunting to 1,000 game animals tend to move primarily at dusk and dawn or within about an hour of either. In a lowlight extended distance hunting scenario where available light transmission is crucial does the atacR excel or are they both so close the different between the two is negligible? Have always used SFP but heard FFP was better because you can use the reticle as if was designed to be used for elevation and wind holds at any power instead of only one or two powers. On the downside though I have heard FFP scopes at max magnification are sometimes bad for
Long range precision work because as the reticle gets larger sometimes it tends to obscure part or all of the target depending on situation and target. The feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated guys! How is the durability of tr Bushnell? Would you guys HONESTLY say it is as tough as a nightforce? Nightforce's strength and durability is absolutely astonishing!
Long range precision work because as the reticle gets larger sometimes it tends to obscure part or all of the target depending on situation and target. The feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated guys! How is the durability of tr Bushnell? Would you guys HONESTLY say it is as tough as a nightforce? Nightforce's strength and durability is absolutely astonishing!
I can adapt and work with either. Moa or mil. My ballistic calculators do both moa and mil solutions and from what I have heard mil is quicker if dialing a solution because its in 1/3's of an inch instead of 1/4's but not as precise due to that. My rangefinders do both metric and yards and my kestrel reads output units in both metric units of measure and standard. For what I'm intending on using it for what do you guys think would be better, FFP or SFP? Holds would be easier with FFP but what about reticle size and thickness? Would larger objective on atacR be better for more light transmission or does the Bushnell transmit just as much light? Has anyone actually compared these two side by side actually looked through them or shot both of them? Thanks guys.
The Bushy XRS/ERS/DMR/HDMR do not and never will have illumination according to Bushnell. If illumination is a serious must have, count them out of the running.
Sorry about that. Thanks for the correction delixe! Not sure illumination would be crucial. Have never owned a scope with illuminated so can't speak for myself. I would say I have done alright so far without one. What about you guys that have shot long range in low light conditions either at game or targets, does the illuminated reticle make that big of a difference? Is that something I should really consider it is that indifferent? How many out there actually use it that have it? Thanks again guys!
I do not own the Bushy but have a few friends who do and have shot with is several times. It is a very good scope for the price tag and I can see why it is increasingly popular with shooters; however, if sfp and moa are not break factors for you then the Nightforce is the better scope. The field of view is huge, excellent low light transmission, glass is excellent and will hold its own against anyone. Zero stop works great, not as easy as some to set though. Illumination is a plus when tracking a target into a dark background. The turrets have a very precise tactile feel and I like them over the Bushy. I am also a huge fan of the MOAR reticle and have had no issue using it for ranging, wind holds or holds on movers at the schools and comps I have taken it to. Scope for scope, again taking the difference in focal plane and mil/moa the ATACR is superior, but the Bushy is also a fine scope.
Sully
Sully
Features are all personal preference and need to be decided based off what the scope is used for. If you are worried about reliability and tracking accuracy bushnells were the second most used scope by the top 50 PRS finale competitors last year, the first being S&B... That says a lot in my opinion. My DMR and XRS both track beautifully and fit my needs perfectly.
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Thanks inkedian! For what I previously mentioned I would be using it for and how I would be swapping it between the .308 and the .338 and using the zerostop for the lower 100 yard poi and writing down the higher poi "zero" and for shooting out to a mile do you think it would suit my needs? I would like the atacR but I can get the bushy for $600 less which is a lot for me right now! How is the glass in the bushy, and the light transmission during bright light and low light? Thanks man.
