Rifle Scopes Nightforce ATACR ZeroStop Clutch Issue

[Zero520]

I've seen this problem posted in threads here before, but, no one has listed a solution other than sending their scope in to Nightforce. Checking to see if anyone has had any success solving this issue so I can avoid paying $100 to ship a 4 month old scope.

Model: Nightforce ATACR 7-35x54 F1 Mil XT

Problem: The ZeroStop clutch mechanism will only rotate about a 1/4 turn in either direction before it meets serious resistance. In the instructional video on Youtube, the Nightforce rep. is able to freely spin the upper clutch assembly down until it makes contact with the bottom clutch assembly.

Steps I have taken:

1. Removed the elevation turret cap by loosening the 2 screws 1-2 turns then gently pulling the cap up
2. Loosened the 4 screws on top of the ZeroStop clutch assembly 1-2 turns, being careful not to remove them completely
3. ZeroStop upper clutch assembly is not contacting lower clutch assembly and will only turn 1/4 turn in either direction
4. I have raised and lowered the elevation turret to ensure that I wasn't "bottoming" out on either end - I am not

Photo 1: top view of the upper clutch assembly turned as far as possible counter-clockwise

Photo 2: side view of photo 1 showing the space left between upper and lower assemblies

Photo 3: side view of upper clutch assembly turned as far as possible clockwise - showing space between upper and lower clutch assemblies
I'm fearful of forcing the clutch assembly and possibly breaking something - making an already bad situation worse. Any advice on how to remedy this issue is greatly appreciated.

 

[celltech]

Tried calling NF? I would hope they have world class customer service...

 

[RayDBonz]

I'd email NF. They were very responsive with the questions I've had.

 

[TangoSierra916]

Similarly to what @equilibrium asked, once you tighten the 4 screws back and re-install the turret cap does it travel through the elevation range smoothly?

 

[Zero520]

Tried calling NF? I would hope they have world class customer service...

I have. Not had any success getting a person on the phone. I've had to leave a message twice now.

Have you tried putting the cap back on and dialing out of that 1/4 turn range where it is stuck?

I have. If I put the cap back on I can rotate the turret and get positive clicks. When I remove the cap, the zero stop upper mechanism has moved, however the same issue persist; 1/4 to the left, 1/4 turn to the right is all that is allowed.

I'd email NF. They were very responsive with the questions I've had.

Done. Unfortunately I think the response is going to be send it in. Will post back when I have a reply.

 

[plidenbrock]

Sorry to tell you this, but it is going to HAVE to go back to Nightforce if you want it fixed.

Nightforce is well aware of this issue and they have a name for it: it's called a "Frozen Zero Stop". It is a small metal burr in the clutch mechanism that interferes with operation between the upper and lower clutch.

Have purchased two NX8 4-32s so far (chose them over the ATACR 7-35 for a specific set of reasons and would do so again), however BOTH have had to go back out of the box for defective zero stop operation. I used a rubber eraser to gently push upper clutch towards lower, but it stayed locked up and just rotated the entire assembly, changing the elevation setting on the turret.

If you look around, you'll find there's a lot of folks with NF with this same problem, and to me it's not very good for such expensive optics to have a defective feature out of the box. Once in a while I can see I guess, but I'm batting .000 so far.

Neither EuroOptic nor CameraLand knew about this issue, which is odd seeing how many people seem to have experienced this same problem with Nightforce Zero Stops, particularly on their higher end stuff:

ATACR can't set zero stop

NF NXS ZS problems

Optics Failures (1st page has a few NF ZS mentions)

outside site: New NF issues

In fact, my second NX8 I purchased from EuroOptic I specifically asked them if I could check for this ZS problem and return it for exchange if it was defective and they were cool with it.

Well, I checked it and the ZS upper clutch turned to the bottom one smoothly. But when I mounted it and zeroed it and then went to set the ZS, I found the problem present again - what I didn't know was that I had to adjust the turret to center over its range of travel and THEN check it. So I looked for it on my second one and it still got past me, so I guess I can't blame NF too much. Tracking, optics, parallax, etc are unaffected and function magnificently. But it seems reasonable that a scope manufacturer would identify the problem and take steps to correct it when it's happening on a repeating basis.

I genuinely like my NFs and for now will continue running them until someone starts making a scope better suited to this area, but I think this ZS issue should be added to the list of all the checks that they do before a scope goes out.

 

[Zero520]

I used a wood dowel to gently push the tab on the turret towards the zero stop.

Rifle Scopes - Nightforce ATACR - can’t set zero stop

Has any one run into this issue? I’m going to call NF customer service, but I figured that I’d check here as well just to make sure that I’m not missing something. For whatever reason, I cannot get the top zero stop clutch to spin down to the lower clutch on my elevation turret. I followed...

www.snipershide.com

Thanks Equilibrium, I was able to make-shift a wood dowel from scraps I had in the garage. By gently tapping the upper clutch, it does move it down to contact the bottom assembly.

Curious if that was just a temporary fix for you or if you decided to just live with it the way it is? Not that I plan on changing my zero-stop frequently, if at all, I guess just knowing something is off with the mechanism bothers me. Also, if I did ever decide to sell the scope, it would certainly have to be addressed at the time.

 

[Zero520]

Sorry to tell you this, but it is going to HAVE to go back to Nightforce if you want it fixed.

Nightforce is well aware of this issue and they have a name for it: it's called a "Frozen Zero Stop". It is a small metal burr in the clutch mechanism that interferes with operation between the upper and lower clutch.

Have purchased two NX8 4-32s so far (chose them over the ATACR 7-35 for a specific set of reasons and would do so again), however BOTH have had to go back out of the box for defective zero stop operation. I used a rubber eraser to gently push upper clutch towards lower, but it stayed locked up and just rotated the entire assembly, changing the elevation setting on the turret.

If you look around, you'll find there's a lot of folks with NF with this same problem, and to me it's not very good for such expensive optics to have a defective feature out of the box. Once in a while I can see I guess, but I'm batting .000 so far.

Neither EuroOptic nor CameraLand knew about this issue, which is odd seeing how many people seem to have experienced this same problem with Nightforce Zero Stops, particularly on their higher end stuff:

ATACR can't set zero stop

NF NXS ZS problems

Optics Failures (1st page has a few NF ZS mentions)

outside site: New NF issues

In fact, my second NX8 I purchased from EuroOptic I specifically asked them if I could check for this ZS problem and return it for exchange if it was defective and they were cool with it.

Well, I checked it and the ZS upper clutch turned to the bottom one smoothly. But when I mounted it and zeroed it and then went to set the ZS, I found the problem present again - what I didn't know was that I had to adjust the turret to center over its range of travel and THEN check it. So I looked for it on my second one and it still got past me, so I guess I can't blame NF too much. Tracking, optics, parallax, etc are unaffected and function magnificently. But it seems reasonable that a scope manufacturer would identify the problem and take steps to correct it when it's happening on a repeating basis.

I genuinely like my NFs and for now will continue running them until someone starts making a scope better suited to this area, but I think this ZS issue should be added to the list of all the checks that they do before a scope goes out.

Dang man, that confirms it for me, it's got to go back to NF. I share your same sentiment that for the price of this glass, this should have been addressed by NF. I hate to be the person who says "if they don't make this right I'll start buying company xyz", but I'm going to be that person. I'm assuming you had to pay your own shipping & insurance?

I also have a NX8 4-32 I put on my 6.5 PRC. I just set the zero stop on the NX8 this past weekend with no issue, but now I'm wondering if it's locked up too!

 

[Zero520]

I have had no tracking issues. Put about 500rds on it and checked for the lockup and still rotates freely.

Like above, NF will take care of you since it is a known problem based on above.

I have had great experience calling NF so give them a call. Class A customer service from my experience.

So after you gently tapped the upper assembly with the wooden dowel, it broke free and was able to rotate freely? I've "tapped" mine all the way up and all the way down, and no matter where I stop I still get stuck trying to rotate the assembly with my hand after a 1/4 turn.

 

[thehun]

This is not the first time I have heard of this issue from NF...which is one of the reasons why I sometimes hesitate to get one for my SCAR.

 

[Zero520]

6 weeks...ouch

 

[Tacovrd]

Damn that sucks.....one of the reasons I‘ve not been keen to drop money on a Kahles or Minox or other are long service intervals should something go wrong but this is just as long so I guess a moot point.

 

[Zero520]

Yeah. Not gonna lie, a little peeved at the moment. But I guess there's not much I can do.

 

[thehun]

Many are quoting 4-6 weeks right now with COVID...

Yeah...kind of not wanting to get a NF ATACR now if little debris will freeze up your turrets...

 

[Zero520]

Many are quoting 4-6 weeks right now with COVID...

Yeah...kind of not wanting to get a NF ATACR now if little debris will freeze up your turrets...

Right there with you...and this thing was BABIED too, which it shouldn't need to be, but just stating that it was. Going to try and distract myself by playing around with my NX8 rather than stewing on this any longer.

 

[thehun]

Right there with you...and this thing was BABIED too, which it shouldn't need to be, but just stating that it was. Going to try and distract myself by playing around with my NX8 rather than stewing on this any longer.

Yeah...hear ya...just disappointing to see this...I went through 5 ACOGs back to back in the last 5 years with quality issues before finally just giving up on Trijicon...

 

[Tacovrd]

Many are quoting 4-6 weeks right now with COVID...

Yeah...kind of not wanting to get a NF ATACR now if little debris will freeze up your turrets...

I have a NF 4-16 x 50 ATACR and it's been amazing - flawless function. I guess part of my original reasoning for purchasing NF was the thought process being since they are located in ID, service turnaround should be in the 2-4 week range but if it's pushing 6.......well.......that's pretty much the same as service for any of the European offerings so, basically more scopes to choose from now if the quick turnaround isn't a significant advantage anymore.

As with any precision mechanical device (scopes, camera lenses, high end watches) no company's offerings are immune to failures and it's the service delivery that sets them apart.

 

[thehun]

One thing I love about Steiner M series optics...you have an issue. They will send a new one. Not a repaired one. A new one.

 

[Tacovrd]

One thing I love about Steiner M series optics...you have an issue. They will send a new one. Not a repaired one. A new one.

Wow.....that's service! May have to look into them further for the next scope on a bolt gun build.

 

[Zero520]

You and I are 100% on the same page. I have a NF ATACR 1-8 and an NX8 4-32 they both have functioned flawlessly (so far). Couldn't agree more with your statement on reasoning for purchasing NF. I bought the ATACR 7-35 because I thought it was 99.99% bombproof, but knew in the very slight chance something did go wrong, I had an American company to back up the warranty...but 6 weeks? Woof, that's a tough one to swallow. Totally get COVID has everything turned upside down, but there has to be a better solution for customers like you and I who are shelling out thousands of dollars for their products.

This will absolutely make me look into Steiner. I had no idea they did that. Does anyone else have good experiences with other optics manufacturers? It's absolutely one of the things I value the most.

 

[thehun]

Here are my experiences over the last 10 years:

Steiner: P4XI 1-4 had a loose battery controls...sent in...got a new one...M5XI 3-15 got specks stuck on the glass...sent in...got a new one...both times turn around from start to finish...3 weeks...and their online portal is awesome.

Bushnell: LRTSi had misaligned reticle...sent in...got a new one...Weaver Tactical 2-10x36 parallax wasn't set right...sent in...received a new DMRII...both times...it took anywhere from 2-3 weeks.

Schmidt Bender: PMII had a blob of sealant visible in low mag...Jerry fixed me right up during COVID and got me squared away in a little over 2 weeks...

Trijicon (pre covid): sent in an ACOG with misaligned fiber optic illumination in relation to reticle...sent in...6 weeks wait...received it "fixed"...nope it had now ton of brass shavings an unclean prism...way it went back...another 6 week wait...bought another ACOG...prism uncleaned...returned it...bought an Accupower 4-16...terrible fogging out of the box...returned it...after that I tried 4 other ACOGs (one of them had such a terrible reticle etch that I was suprised it made it through final QC)...all had either dust, uncleaned prisms or brass shavings (new units)...gave up on Trijicon in 2018...

Leupold (during covid): sent in my CQ/T for a cleaning and lubing the magnification ring...1.5 week turn around...

Elcan (pre-covid): mount issue with the ARMS mount...they paid for shipping 2 day to Canada...1 day inspection...next day a new, sealed unit coming back next day air to me...literally...the best service I ever had...no questions or fuss...Armament Tech is a good group of folks...

 

[Zero520]

Here are my experiences over the last 10 years:

Steiner: P4XI 1-4 had a loose battery controls...sent in...got a new one...M5XI 3-15 got specks stuck on the glass...sent in...got a new one...both times turn around from start to finish...3 weeks...and their online portal is awesome.

Bushnell: LRTSi had misaligned reticle...sent in...got a new one...Weaver Tactical 2-10x36 parallax wasn't set right...sent in...received a new DMRII...both times...it took anywhere from 2-3 weeks.

Schmidt Bender: PMII had a blob of sealant visible in low mag...Jerry fixed me right up during COVID and got me squared away in a little over 2 weeks...

Trijicon (pre covid): sent in an ACOG with misaligned fiber optic illumination in relation to reticle...sent in...6 weeks wait...received it "fixed"...nope it had now ton of brass shavings an unclean prism...way it went back...another 6 week wait...bought another ACOG...prism uncleaned...returned it...bought an Accupower 4-16...terrible fogging out of the box...returned it...after that I tried 4 other ACOGs (one of them had such a terrible reticle etch that I was suprised it made it through final QC)...all had either dust, uncleaned prisms or brass shavings (new units)...gave up on Trijicon in 2018...

Leupold (during covid): sent in my CQ/T for a cleaning and lubing the magnification ring...1.5 week turn around...

Elcan (pre-covid): mount issue with the ARMS mount...they paid for shipping 2 day to Canada...1 day inspection...next day a new, sealed unit coming back next day air to me...literally...the best service I ever had...no questions or fuss...Armament Tech is a good group of folks...

Steiner should pay you a commission because you are selling the heck out of it to me. Man how I would love for Nightforce to say "we're sorry you're experiencing this problem. A new scope has been shipped to you today and we've just emailed you a return label to send the old one in. Thanks for being a patron of Nightforce"

 

[thehun]

I just use a lot of optics...and over the years...I have seen the good, bad and ugly...

I really do not step out of line anymore from: Leupold, Vortex Razor, S&B, Elcan and Steiner...I have heard great things about ZCO's service...but haven't had a chance to try one out yet...

While Steiner's service (really the folks at Burris) has been great, Armament Tech with Elcan was #1 in my opinion...

I forgot Vortex:

I was one of the early adopters of the Vortex AMG UH1 Gen 2...it had a pin size chip in the glass upon opening...Vortex jumped on the ball...overnighted me a new unit and I sent back the defective one.

I am with optics like MAC with his Sigs...

I will also note...how you treat and talk to people on the phone, explaining your situation/issues tend to go a long way as well...I ALWAYS thank the CSR rep for helping me...always...sometimes they can't overcome management policies...but that is a reflection on the company...not the rep trying to help you out...

 

[Zero520]

Ok, so I owe Nightforce this. Too many times people express their grievances with a company but don't take the time to commend a company when they do right.

As you all saw, I was originally quoted a 6 week turn-around time on fixing the frozen zero stop on my NF ATACR 7-35. After doing some research and reading some forums, that just didn't sit well with me. I pulled a Karen and sent another email back asking why a $3,600, 6 month old scope was going to take 6 weeks to fix, when other companies were achieving <2 week turn-around times.

Apparently it landed on the right persons desk, because I received a phone call apologizing for the previous miscommunication. They then sent me a pre-paid, overnight Fed Ex label to send the scope in. The scope arrived at the Nightforce facility on Friday, October 30th and is supposed to be arriving back to me this afternoon. So in a matter of 6 business days, they got my scope, fixed it, and have sent it back.

This has restored my faith in NF. Hopefully others that read this will also have confidence in purchasing NF products.

 

[thehun]

Heck yes!!!!

 

[PRSnewbie]

I just bought an ATACR 7-35 and the retail store offered to bore sight it for me. They then offered to set the XeroStop for me. They came back 45 minutes later to say it didn't work. THey assumed they were doing something wrong despite following the manual and Youtube videos. At home, I followed the manual's instructions - pretty straight forward. The stop didn't work and there aren't any discernible clicks. Does anyone have any thoughts on what is wrong?

 

[TangoSierra916]

I just bought an ATACR 7-35 and the retail store offered to bore sight it for me. They then offered to set the XeroStop for me. They came back 45 minutes later to say it didn't work. THey assumed they were doing something wrong despite following the manual and Youtube videos. At home, I followed the manual's instructions - pretty straight forward. The stop didn't work and there aren't any discernible clicks. Does anyone have any thoughts on what is wrong?

any pics of the turret as you have it? Just to check did you torque down the 4 screws on the clutch and the 2 on the turret cap (while holding the cap down)?

 

[pinkhair]

I just bought an ATACR 7-35 and the retail store offered to bore sight it for me. They then offered to set the XeroStop for me. They came back 45 minutes later to say it didn't work. THey assumed they were doing something wrong despite following the manual and Youtube videos. At home, I followed the manual's instructions - pretty straight forward. The stop didn't work and there aren't any discernible clicks. Does anyone have any thoughts on what is wrong?

My NX8 did the exact same thing as yours from the sound of it right out the box. I ended up having to send it into Nightforce (on my dime). They quoted me 6 weeks to fix it, which honestly is fairly ridiculous for a brand new, very expensive optic. It seems they've been having this issue quite a bit lately for some reason. This happened last week just FYI. It would seem their QC isn't very good these days.

 

[PRSnewbie]

any pics of the turret as you have it? Just to check did you torque down the 4 screws on the clutch and the 2 on the turret cap (while holding the cap down)?

I can get some pics and post them in a bit. Yes, I torqued down the four set screws in the cross pattern as described in the manual as well as the two on the turret.

 

[PRSnewbie]

My NX8 did the exact same thing as yours from the sound of it right out the box. I ended up having to send it into Nightforce (on my dime). They quoted me 6 weeks to fix it, which honestly is fairly ridiculous for a brand new, very expensive optic. It seems they've been having this issue quite a bit lately for some reason. This happened last week just FYI. It would seem their QC isn't very good these days.

Ugh. That makes me feel ill. I thought I was buying the highest quality optic I could afford and felt confident this would be a good purchase. At nearly $4k it was a lot more than I could afford. There isn't anyway I am going to make that kind of a purchase for a faulty piece of equipment and they pay more money to have a problem repaired! I have left the company vm messages and sent them e-mails. I will return it to the retailer before I pay to ship this back to the factory.

 

[TangoSierra916]

I can get some pics and post them in a bit. Yes, I torqued down the four set screws in the cross pattern as described in the manual as well as the two on the turret.

sounds like you took the right steps, probably best to wait for a NF reply as you're doing.

 

[PRSnewbie]

SUCCESS! The question about posting some pics caused me to think differently about the problem! Because I am a newbie I assume everyone else is more knowledgeable than I am. The retailer assured me with great confidence there was something wrong with the scope becasue he had been unsuccessful. I compounded the error by not have the dust cap compressed fully. Asking for the photo made me see that mistake. I just went back through the steps, compressed the turret cap completely and it works! The ZeroStop works and all the little clicks are there! My thanks to you folks for helping me through this problem!!! Now I am going to send NF another e-mail apologizing for being ignorant.

 

[PRSnewbie]

SUCCESS! The question about posting some pics caused me to think differently about the problem! Because I am a newbie I assume everyone else is more knowledgeable than I am. The retailer assured me with great confidence there was something wrong with the scope becasue he had been unsuccessful. I compounded the error by not have the dust cap compressed fully. Asking for the photo made me see that mistake. I just went back through the steps, compressed the turret cap completely and it works! The ZeroStop works and all the little clicks are there! My thanks to you folks for helping me through this problem!!! Now I am going to send NF another e-mail apologizing for being ignorant.

THANK YOU!!!

 

[pinkhair]

Awesome, man! Glad to hear it. Sadly mine didn't have that problem lol.

 

[PRSnewbie]

While I was fumbling around trying to figure out what was wrong with my very expensive scope I also sent NF customer service an e-mail and left a telephone message for them. After I figured out the problem with the scope was operator error (with the help of this group) I was too embarrased to call NF back and let them know. Their customer service department called me back and left me a message saying they were sorry I was having a problem and they wanted to help me. I sucked it up and called them back and left another message admitting to my ignorance and thanking them for their time. The NF customer service called me back again and I was able to answer their call. The lady was very understanding and patient with me as I explained I was a nubile gunner and the problems I described with the scope were due to my ignorance. She was very professional and understanding. She could have been filled with ridicule and mockery as I deserved it. She thanked me for my purchase and for letting them know my "issue" was resolved. I still have issues but the scope is fine. When I buy another scope it will be another NF for sure.

 

[Pge]

I just bought an ATACR 7-35 and the retail store offered to bore sight it for me. They then offered to set the XeroStop for me. They came back 45 minutes later to say it didn't work. THey assumed they were doing something wrong despite following the manual and Youtube videos. At home, I followed the manual's instructions - pretty straight forward. The stop didn't work and there aren't any discernible clicks. Does anyone have any thoughts on what is wrong?

 

[Pge]

I just got the brand new 7x35 56 mm and had the same issue with the ZERO STOP as everybody above me here. But given the fact there was a burr and someone had made a wooden dowel and tapped it down, I used the bottom end of a plastic screwdriver and lightly tapped around it. Wiggle it back and forth a few times. I finally made it all the way to the bottom and the ZERO STOP works fine.

It is absurd that a $4,000 scope doesn't have that function checked before it leaves the factory!

I don't think the clutch and the dial-up are connected but I am going to do a tracking test first thing tomorrow to make sure that everything internally is moving the full realm up and left and right!