Rifle Scopes Nightforce NX8 2.5-20 - First Look

[Centuriator]

Zeroed and working great, I had it out at the range for the first time last Saturday. Here is an unboxing and first look. I have it mounted on my LMT MWS, with a 20" SS barrel. I put a Geissele SSA-E trigger in it (love it!) and am getting my best groups (sub-MOA) from, not surprisingly, Federal Gold Medal Match 175gr SMKs, also getting surprisingly good results from Lapua SCENAR 155gr. Go figure. The cheapo Malayasian ammo is hilarious inaccurate. 4"/5" groups at 100. Definitely designed for "spraying and praying" with a machine gun, not a precision rifle.

I have it in a Geissele Mount, very secure and easy to install. I leveled it out and then used a plumb bob a 50 yards on highest magnification to make sure the reticle was squared away vertically, got the caps on, tightened down per Geissele instructions in x-pattern after making sure eye relief was squared away. The LMT stock is a comfortable stock, good fit. I shot it prone, then off a bench from my Harris bipod, then off a shooting bench block, similar results.

Glass is crystal clear, reticle nice sharp, more than enough precision for my needs/capabilities. Parallax adjustment fantastic. Turrets are nice and large, nice tactical feel to the "clicks" ... zeroing was very easy, I was already on paper pretty much in center at 50, then just took it out to 100 and dialed it in from there.

I think it is a nice size for the LMT .308, weight is great. Illuminated reticle is no biggie during broad daylight, which is to say, can hardly notice it is on, green is a little more noticeable at highest setting. Fit and finish of the scope is what you would expect from Nightforce.

I'm very pleased with the scope. I got it from Mile High Shooting for $1755, taking advantage of their "first time customer" 10% off discount and free shipping.


Here's a video look and then follow a number of pics.

 

[stello1001]

Zeroed and working great, I had it out at the range for the first time last Saturday. Here is an unboxing and first look

NICE!!! Post more of your findings as you start giving it more use. I think I want the 4-32...

 

[Centuriator]

 

[Centuriator]

 

[Centuriator]

 

[kgoltz]

Thanks for the review, can't wait to see one in person!

 

[jbell]

Have you done any side by side with any other scopes or tracking test?

 

[Centuriator]

Have you done any side by side with any other scopes or tracking test?

Send me the scopes...I will do the tests.

 

[jdodd]

Can't wait to see more of these out in the wild!

 

[Centuriator]

Can't wait to see more of these out in the wild!

Well, I've done my part.

 

[ShtrRdy]

On the NX8 models, where is Nightforce saving costs so that it can offer it for less $$$?

 

[Centuriator]

On the NX8 models, where is Nightforce saving costs so that it can offer it for less $$$?

The lens are highly polished polymer, not glass.

 

[JakeM]

The lens are highly polished polymer, not glass.

Are you sure?

 

[eightyeight mag]

The lens are highly polished polymer, not glass.

Are they made by Magpul??

 

[WildWildWes]

The lens are highly polished polymer, not glass.

Why does it say “ED glass” in the description?

 

[Glassaholic]

Are you sure?

He's joking

 

[Glassaholic]

Are they made by Magpul??

No, Magpul polymer too expensive, they are using Chinese knockoff

 

[HMRamateur]

On the NX8 models, where is Nightforce saving costs so that it can offer it for less $$$?

I have no way of actually knowing, just an assumption. Maybe it's a way to get more people using nightforce. They don't need the money from us regular folk, so maybe lowering the price point a bit will help people who aren't military/leo or competing take that plunge into the higher end optics pool. I took the plunge with my last scope and with this price, it's the next one I will be buying without a doubt.

 

[generalzip]

My guess would be it’s the glass lens quality. I’d imagine side by side with an ATACR you’ll see a difference. Seems that’s usually the biggest driving factor with scope price. If it was the same quality as the ATACR they would be undercutting themselves which is dumb unless they discontinued the ATACR line at the same time.

 

[Glassaholic]

For those who have ATACR's and the new NX8, how does the turret feel in comparison, is the NX8 the equal to the ATACR turrets?

 

[jdodd]

The lens are highly polished polymer, not glass.

Its amazing the things they are doing with polymer these days... lol

 

[Centuriator]

Are you sure?

Positive

 

[Glassaholic]

Positive

Where do you get your information?

 

[JakeM]

I think thats bullshit.

 

[VegasHKShooter]

Guys.....he’s JOKING..... it’s not polymer.

It’s Area 51 smoke processed, digitally quantified, alien dung.
That’s why the big push for the “Area 51 Takeover Party.”
It’s largely a ploy by the owners of Super Sniper, and Budley to gain access to this technology. Their prices would then plummet, and the contracts would come rolling in !!

Ok....enough silliness. It’s HD glass I BELIEVE. I think I was told by NF that it was High Density glass, but I cannot swear to it. I first saw it at SHOT 19, so that was in January, so I could be mistaken. I was pretty jazzed.

Compared to the ATACR, there is a difference, but you literally have to be laying next to both scopes to see it. I have done it. The ATACR glass is a TINY bit cleaner, and the contrast is better. But, glass is so personal to each person’s eyes/vision, I certainly don’t worry about it. I can’t look through one of my ATACR’s, then look through my NX8 and see a huge difference.

I also have mine on a 6.5CM gas gun. I really like the scope, and am not the least bit disappointed, and I have 4 ATACRs.

 

[Temper]

For those who have ATACR's and the new NX8, how does the turret feel in comparison, is the NX8 the equal to the ATACR turrets?

The NX8 turrets feel better. My cousin has the 4-32 and I had a 7-35 ATACR.

 

[Glassaholic]

The NX8 turrets feel better. My cousin has the 4-32 and I had a 7-35 ATACR.

Thanks, the reason I asked is because mine (NX8 2.5-20) aren't that impressive, a bit mushy so was thinking this might be an area where NF skimped. And what I mean by mushy is that there is neither a loud click or distinct thunk between .1 mils, it is rather muted. Don't get me wrong, they are not horrible by any means, I just expected them to be a bit more distinct. I've never owned a NF before so wasn't sure if this was indicative of how their turrets are typically.

 

[Bandit31]

@wjm308 Just curious, did you order yours direct through the MIL/ Leo program or from a another vendor?

 

[Glassaholic]

@wjm308 Just curious, did you order yours direct through the MIL/ Leo program or from a another vendor?

^^^ From a vendor, I grabbed one from Eurooptic.com when they were in stock last week.

 

[Temper]

Thanks, the reason I asked is because mine (NX8 2.5-20) aren't that impressive, a bit mushy so was thinking this might be an area where NF skimped. And what I mean by mushy is that there is neither a loud click or distinct thunk between .1 mils, it is rather muted. Don't get me wrong, they are not horrible by any means, I just expected them to be a bit more distinct. I've never owned a NF before so wasn't sure if this was indicative of how their turrets are typically.

The NX8 I used was much notchier(if that's a word), has no slop and is more tactile than the 7-35 I had. They feel nicer than my ZP5 by a long shot and on par with my PMII but with better spacing.

 

[Glassaholic]

The NX8 I used was much notchier(if that's a word), has no slop and is more tactile than the 7-35 I had. They feel nicer than my ZP5 by a long shot and on par with my PMII but with better spacing.

My ZP5 does not have the best turrets I've used (Kahles, ZCO and Leupold Mark 5 are better IMO) but they feel better than the NX8 to me, granted the NX8 has better spacing (10 mil vs. 15 mil per rev) but the ZP5 clicks are more distinct. I suppose it's all subjective, similar to reticles. What feels good for me may not feel good for you... why does that sound wrong?

 

[Pappasniper]

I bought the NX8 1-8 so calling it a NX8 makes sense. Anybody know why these higher power are NX8, is it magnification or...???

PB

 

[b6graham]

I bought the NX8 1-8 so calling it a NX8 makes sense. Anybody know why these higher power are NX8, is it magnification or...???

PB

2.5 x 8 = 20
4 x 8 = 32

8x erector

 

[NGCSUGrad09]

NX8 is the family

1-8x24 F1
2.5-20x50 F1
4-32x50 F1
these are all the model names

 

[Centuriator]

Where do you get your information?

That's classified.

 

[Gledeasy]

For those who have ATACR's and the new NX8, how does the turret feel in comparison, is the NX8 the equal to the ATACR turrets?

I should be getting my nx8 back soon and I'll check it to my atacr, but from what I remember I liked the turret feel a lot. Took me a couple of tries to get the zero stop set correctly though for some reason.

 

[RS14]

very nice. Wish my SHV came with the little nightforce tool rather than just a allen wrench

 

[SD Carpenter]

I should be getting my nx8 back soon and I'll check it to my atacr, but from what I remember I liked the turret feel a lot. Took me a couple of tries to get the zero stop set correctly though for some reason.

I too had to try a couple attempts when tightening it down to get the lines to line up.

 

[sleeplz]

Does anyone know what he's talking about with mile highs discount? Pretty sure he's trollin

 

[Centuriator]

Does anyone know what he's talking about with mile highs discount? Pretty sure he's trollin

It is Mile High's new customer 10% discount code. As I have told you when you sent me private messages, twice! I do not remember what the code is. I used it eight weeks ago.

Contact Mile High before you make stupid accusations.

Some people are just too lazy to be bothered to do their own work.

 

[Centuriator]

very nice. Wish my SHV came with the little nightforce tool rather than just a allen wrench

Definitely a handy tool!

 

[wigwamitus]

So, I wondering specifically about the NX8 zero stop and how solid it is after setting.

I have two atacrs and also one NXS ... the 2.5-10x mil-r ... and I love it BUT the zero stop seems to be a weak spot ... and since I shoot mostly at night (with clipons) the zero stop is important so I know I know where I am. Also for ranging, need to be dialed back down to the zero stop.

So, the NSX zero stop has 4 screws to set the zero stop which are supposed to be set to 4 i/p ... and then one screw that hold the elevation turret cap on that's also a 4 i/p.
I don't have a 4 i/p torque wrench, so I "winged it" as per the manual. But after about 100 dials up and down it slipped. I checked the screws and one of the 4 for the zero stop was loose. I reset the zero stop and tried to be extra careful to "wing down" the screws to 4 i/p. After another 200 dial up downs it has not slipped. Maybe this was operator error ... but it still seems like a fragile component of the system.
So, curious what the NX8 users think of the strength, solidity of the zero stop on these scopes. I like the 2.5-20x mag range, but want zero stops that STOP first time, every time, so this might be a decision maker aspect for me. Otherwise, get another 4-16x and live with the more narrow mag range.

==
Edit, I've owned about 16 day scopes of which about 12 had zero stops. I can't recall any other scope having a zero stop slip, other than the NXS. Now I had L&S turrets come loose on two Mk4 scopes, but I attribute both of those cases to operator error. But that's not zero stop, that's turret come loose.

 

[jbell]

I’m not concerned about a slightly lesser quality image as long as the tracking is standard NF quality, but how is the eye box on the 2.5-20 & 4-32? I feel that is one major area where a real separation in quality comes in especially in these short body higher magnification scopes.

 

[Centuriator]

Re. The eye box. I set up the scope using max mag to get it in the sweet spot and have had no issues. I just followed these steps. I have used a number of other brands and do not notice any particular challenge with eye box, once I got my eye relief and LOP squared away, I can settle comfortably behind it every time.

The thing that was a challenge is when I shoot it without my Fat Bastard brake. With the brake I can easily maintain my sight picture, without it, no bueno due to recoil. Yup, brakes do work!!

1. Shoulder the rifle and look through the scope
2. Position the scope as far away from your eye as possible while still retaining a full field of view
3. Make sure the view is clear on the highest magnification setting
4. Then slowly dial down to the lowest magnification setting
5. If you have a clear field of view on every magnification, you have mounted the scope so that you will be in the eye box

 

[Centuriator]

So, I wondering specifically about the NX8 zero stop and how solid it is after setting.

I have two atacrs and also one NXS ... the 2.5-10x mil-r ... and I love it BUT the zero stop seems to be a weak spot ... and since I shoot mostly at night (with clipons) the zero stop is important so I know I know where I am. Also for ranging, need to be dialed back down to the zero stop.

So, the NSX zero stop has 4 screws to set the zero stop which are supposed to be set to 4 i/p ... and then one screw that hold the elevation turret cap on that's also a 4 i/p.
I don't have a 4 i/p torque wrench, so I "winged it" as per the manual. But after about 100 dials up and down it slipped. I checked the screws and one of the 4 for the zero stop was loose. I reset the zero stop and tried to be extra careful to "wing down" the screws to 4 i/p. After another 200 dial up downs it has not slipped. Maybe this was operator error ... but it still seems like a fragile component of the system.
So, curious what the NX8 users think of the strength, solidity of the zero stop on these scopes. I like the 2.5-20x mag range, but want zero stops that STOP first time, every time, so this might be a decision maker aspect for me. Otherwise, get another 4-16x and live with the more narrow mag range.

==
Edit, I've owned about 16 day scopes of which about 12 had zero stops. I can't recall any other scope having a zero stop slip, other than the NXS. Now I had L&S turrets come loose on two Mk4 scopes, but I attribute both of those cases to operator error. But that's not zero stop, that's turret come loose.

I had some issues setting zero stop. I do not have a 4 i/p wrench either so just followed NF instructions and I think I overtorqued because the cap moved. I am going to try it again next time out. I am reading your comments with great interest.

 

[Squibbler]

So, I wondering specifically about the NX8 zero stop and how solid it is after setting.

I have two atacrs and also one NXS ... the 2.5-10x mil-r ... and I love it BUT the zero stop seems to be a weak spot ... and since I shoot mostly at night (with clipons) the zero stop is important so I know I know where I am. Also for ranging, need to be dialed back down to the zero stop.

So, the NSX zero stop has 4 screws to set the zero stop which are supposed to be set to 4 i/p ... and then one screw that hold the elevation turret cap on that's also a 4 i/p.
I don't have a 4 i/p torque wrench, so I "winged it" as per the manual. But after about 100 dials up and down it slipped. I checked the screws and one of the 4 for the zero stop was loose. I reset the zero stop and tried to be extra careful to "wing down" the screws to 4 i/p. After another 200 dial up downs it has not slipped. Maybe this was operator error ... but it still seems like a fragile component of the system.
So, curious what the NX8 users think of the strength, solidity of the zero stop on these scopes. I like the 2.5-20x mag range, but want zero stops that STOP first time, every time, so this might be a decision maker aspect for me. Otherwise, get another 4-16x and live with the more narrow mag range.

==
Edit, I've owned about 16 day scopes of which about 12 had zero stops. I can't recall any other scope having a zero stop slip, other than the NXS. Now I had L&S turrets come loose on two Mk4 scopes, but I attribute both of those cases to operator error. But that's not zero stop, that's turret come loose.

Agree....I was hoping that NF would have put their ZeroHold feature on this scope. Would have been damn near perfect for me with ZeroHold and Mil-XT for using only holdovers at night. This were the case I would have bought and paid for already..... The search/wait continues.

 

[Centuriator]

The new NX8 series have the zero stop feature.

 

[Squibbler]

For gas guns and my rifles I use in the dark I personally prefer the ZeroHold vs. the ZeroStop. Majority of the time using holdovers anyway in these instances hence personal preference of ZeroHold.

 

[wigwamitus]

For my T3 reticle scopes I never touch the dials except when zeroing ...

But for mil-hash reticle like the MIL-R in the NXS 2.5-10x ... if I'm shooting steel at 800yds at night ... I need to dial elevation and hold for wind ... And then I want the zero-stop there before I move and take the next shot. So I can range (have to be at zero-stop to range) before I dial again to shoot.

 

[Centuriator]

I have used the nf zerostop since it came out. No issues with any loss of functionality. The way that it physically works causes a jam-nut condition which is very very solid mechanically.

Might be a fluke.

Good point.