Rifle Scopes Nightforce NX8 2.5-20 - First Look

[Centuriator]

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.

The max distance I will be shooting with mine is 400 yards on level ground. So many would say a 20x magnification is not "necessary"...and I doubt I will need to touch the turrets for elevation at that distance.

 

[wigwamitus]

Almost the only time I use much over 15x is when shooting dots at 100yds (or under).

Or if specially wanting to see the mirage ... might need to crank up ...

I'm usually shooting under 800 meters on hilly ground, so yes, except for dots ... 10x to 16x is plenty.

 

[Squibbler]

The new NX8 series have the zero stop feature.

To clarify.....

ZeroHold elevation feature found on the ATACR 4-16x42 vs ZeroStop elevation feature

 

[Centuriator]

Almost the only time I use much over 15x is when shooting dots at 100yds (or under).

Or if specially wanting to see the mirage ... might need to crank up ...

I'm usually shooting under 800 meters on hilly ground, so yes, except for dots ... 10x to 16x is plenty.

I like watching the boolits as closely as possible.

 

[endo304]

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

Bye bye ... you go now!

 

[Glassaholic]

Bye bye ... you go now!

It was a joke

 

[endo304]

I see you couldn’t figure out mine was as well. Smh

 

[Centuriator]

Bring it in for a big hug.

 

[Fenix Mike]

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.

Its not that they "dont need money from us normal folk", its that they refuse to build sub par scopes to enter a market they have no interest in being in. People who either shoot ELR, have a job in which durability is key, or just want to have top tier stuff, dont mind spending the money on NF, S&B, Kahles etc. Many others just cant justify the cost of glass that often exceeds the rifle its being mounted on, or just plink to shorter distances where the gains of a higher end product just arent warranted.

Many companies have just cloned designs of other manufacturers (or paid those manufacturers to produce) lower end scopes, just so they can gather that market share and ride on their name to justify it. Im sure many of us can count a handful of $600-$1000 scopes that dont perform any better than those in the $400 range, but its rare you buy a $2,000+ scope with proprietary parts and manufacturing, and say "meh, its junk", or complain its chinese made crap. Could NF churn out a Vortex PST competitor for the "normal folk"? Sure... but why? That market is saturated with scopes for "normal folk" that us "Military/LEO and Competitors" wont touch, and also the higher end market tends to bitch less about pricing, knowing you get what you pay for.

Im glad you went into the deep water with higher end stuff... it makes it VERY difficult to go back, but in the end, you appreciate what your dollar goes towards, as well as the resale value if/when you decide to change. Plenty of "old school" decade+ old high end scopes still in circulation demanding top dollar for resale.

 

[Fenix Mike]

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.

The largest cost is likely the "ruggedness" they put into the ATACR line, combined with the mechanical aspects put into turrets and such, teamed with the fact that many of them are designed for Mil contracts and have to really be under a microscope for QC and consistency. If you look on their website, some of the torture tests they put the ATACR (and even the old NXS) line through are pretty nuts. Same goes for the Razors, Leupold MK8s, and other Mil derived designs meant to fall off cliffs and still operate without losing a zero or shattering into pieces. The BEAST is quite pricey, and really not a ton different than the 5-25 ATACR, other than its over-engineering to withstand brutal punishment.

 

[Pappasniper]

I have multiple NF scopes. I think the most solid zero stop was the NXS line but Ive only had one problem with my 4-16 ATACR and NF resolved it. Something was not glued down??

Very solid zero stops though.

PB

 

[Centuriator]

FYI the NF 50mm 3" sunshade works perfectly on the NX8 2.5-20

 

[xRangerx]

The video isn’t showing for me, is it still active? I’m trying to decide this or the mark 5 3.6-18

 

[Fenix Mike]

The video isn’t showing for me, is it still active? I’m trying to decide this or the mark 5 3.6-18

I just sold my mk5 and waiting on the 2.5-20 to get here. I will let you know what I think.

 

[Centuriator]

UPDATE: August 31

Another beautiful morning at Arnold Rifle and Pistol Club in Pevely, Missouri...anyone in the Saint Louis area owes it to himself to check our club out. 68-70 degrees. Fairly high humidity, kept fogging up my shooting glasses. Laser range finder told me my target was 102 yards out.

So...this time...I had my 60X spotting scope with me. It's a Vortex and frankly, even at 100 yards it is not razor sharp...I'm looking to upgrade, but .. I had it mounted on my tripod this time...so, good enough. I put out targets at 100 yards, a series of 5" red circles on a piece of white poster board.

My goal in this range session was to test for myself accuracy on a cold barrel v. hot barrel. I was using Federal Gold Medal Match 175gr SMK rounds...and.. from a cold bore, I was getting consistenly sub-MOA results at 100 yards. .75 and .50 at 100 with five shot groups, making a single ragged hole. Using the LMT with SS barrel.

The 20x Nightforce scope shows my heart beat, moves the reticle left, then right, left, then right. So I timed my shots. Really concentrated on my breath control and trigger press. Fun times.

Here's an important note: When I had my rifle out and cleaned it, I jammed the heck out of it with a patch that was too large, apparently, and I had to pound the crap out of it, first trying it on a concrete driveway with the rod stuck, then with a mallet. I wailed on the thing. It made absolutely no difference on the scope. Zero was solid in spite of the mallet work on the rod stuck in the receiver.

The NXS 2.5-20 rocks. Eyebox requires the shooter to get his position properly, pretty unforgiving, but at this point, I see no need to spend $1300 more for a ATACR scope which would be longer and heavier. It's very nice and bright, razor sharp. I'm still fiddling around with the illuminated reticle, not seeing much use for it frankly, and to me, it's not that bright anyway.

I switched over to some German surplus Mil Spec 7.62 and the groups opened up precisely double what I was getting with the match grade, but in terms Minute of Meat/Man more than good enough. I was fairly impressed. I was putting rounds into a 2-3" groups at 100 with this German stuff.

The full size Fat Bastard brake on my rifle really makes a huge difference. When I load the bipod (Harris) I can easily see each hit. I'm using a nice bean bag type rear rest and I'm nearly isolating my body mechanics from the shot as I shoot from the bench.

My trigger group is a Geiselle SSA-E and I had a bit of fun with my cheapo ammo, Maylasian surplus crap, and was working the trigger so quickly I had a few onlooker asking me if it was "automatic" ... nope, just a fast trigger finger.

As I concentrated on my cold bore shots I was pleased to be putting every shot into a very tight group.

Why is this so satisfying? I don't know, but I sure enjoy it.

 

[Snoopy513]

I just sold my mk5 and waiting on the 2.5-20 to get here. I will let you know what I think.

Any update? Both of these options are high on my list at the moment. I'd love to hear what you thought.

 

[Fenix Mike]

Any update? Both of these options are high on my list at the moment. I'd love to hear what you thought.

I sold it and went back to an ATACR 4-16... Glass was crystal clear, overall a nice setup, but I didn't like the eye relief, where as the ATACR stuff is very forgiving.

 

[FatBoy]

I sold it and went back to an ATACR 4-16... Glass was crystal clear, overall a nice setup, but I didn't like the eye relief, where as the ATACR stuff is very forgiving.

Is you impression that the short config is what's causing the eye relief issues? Tiny exit pupil due to the extra 4x? Or?

 

[Fenix Mike]

Is you impression that the short config is what's causing the eye relief issues? Tiny exit pupil due to the extra 4x? Or?

Combination of 8x magnifier, 30m tube and compact design. Its wonderful for a 223 or low recoiling 308 setup shot prone or on a bench. The lower magnification stuff is great, I just thought it was a little fussy above 16x. Its honestly fine for most, but im spoiled by a fleet of ATACR glass and the cost isn't much different, so I just made all mine match. Theres nothing wrong with the scopes, they are working as designed, but its just a wide range of magnification in a compact setup, so you have to expect a couple draw backs, or everyone would just make their stuff that way instead of the more common 4 and 5x magnification.

 

[FatBoy]

Excellent way of making it clear. Thanks @Fenix Mike

I was kicking around a 2x20 for a 6.5x47 ninja rifle I mess around with that wears a 3.5x15 NSX F1, which would get moved to my mk13 mod7.