Re: nightforce or uso?
I had a NF... I sold it and bought a USO. Now I'm happy.
The NF I had was a 3.5-15x50, with the NPR1 reticle & zero stop. I thought the optics were great, and the reputation of extreme durability was comforting. The turrets (tactile-wise) were awesome, but I wanted more adjustment per turn. Things I did not like:
-Entire ocular turning for magnification adjustment. I like using BC caps, I don't want to have to take them completely off when I use my scope. So, that was a big -1 for me.
-The reticle was, IMO, too thin for field use. It was great for punching paper, but I found myself wishing for something a little thicker for the field.
-Non-field adjustable illumination. To be honest, I don't know that I've ever really *needed* to even use the damn illum, but I just prefer having the option to choose the intensity should I want to.
-Limited adjustment per turn turrets. Even with the zero stop I just don't like having to crank 3+ revolutions to get to 1000.
That's it. If not for those minor nitpicks I would have been thrilled with the scope.
The USO I got is a 3.2-17x44 Tpal, with EREK. I am absolutely in love with the EREK knob. It's everything the NF was tactile-wise and you get tons of adjustment per turn to boot. The optics are great, and I got to choose my own reticle (MDMOA illum), which I really like. There is honestly nothing about the scope that I don't like to this point. I am EXTREMELY pleased with it. The biggest potential "negative" for the USO is the wait time. Mine ended up being almost double what was quoted when it was all said and done.
Optics wise I never had the two side by side (the NF was out the door before the USO was delivered). My impression was that the USO has a slight edge (from memory), but not a large jump. If the minor nitpicks I had with the NF don't bug you, then it's probably the better bang for the buck. It also *seems* like there are less people who have issues with their NFs than USOs. Although if you do have an issue with your USO, you know it will get taken care of.
This is all assuming you are talking about a SFP NF. If you're looking at the FFP F1, then I would just spend the little extra and get a USO.