Rifle Scopes Nightforce SHV F1 Review.

[Hondo64d]

Just received my Nightforce SHV F1. Solid, heavy scope. It literally feels like you could use it as a club without harming it. Haven’t done a tracking test yet but other first impressions are good. The most positive clicks of any scope I’ve ever had. NO movement between clicks. Nada, zero, zilch... The five Mils/Rev doesn’t bother me. I was worried about the MIL-R reticle not being visible enough, but at least in full daylight, it’s not an issue, even against a dark tree line. On 4x, the tick marks are visible, but not visible enough to make precise .1 mil holds. Holding to .5 mils would still be easy. On 14x, no issue. You can hold as fine as you want to. The parallax adjustment is nice, with parallax free and the sharpest possible image being coincident, which is not the case with many scopes. Just the right amount of resistance in the adjustment too. The illumination is NOT daylight visible. The LRHS and LRTS are better at this. Like the LRHS/LRTS, there is an off position between every setting, a good thing. I do wish the entire reticle was illuminated instead of just the center cross. Time will tell if it’s really the detriment I imagine it could be. I dig the capped windage. Though the windage adjustment feels different than the elevation, it is still very tactile, moreso than the windage on the LRHS. Mine only has 22 mils of elevation travel vs the 26.4 in the Nightforce specs. Enough for what I do but far less than a SS. Glass seems very good, better than my 10x SS. The whole package seems very LRHSish. I’ll get it on the tracking board with the scope tester either today or tomorrow.

John.

 

[Hondo64d]

Ok, I put the SHV F1 on my scope tester and ran it up and down the tracking board a bunch. Bottom line is at 10 mils, it moves 10.1 mils, a 1% error. It tracks perfectly vertical with no horizontal shift during elevation adjustments. Return to zero is perfect throughout the full range of travel. Put it on my rifle and zeroed it. It has 18.3 mils of elevation remaining after zero with a 20 MOA rail. The zero set feature is super easy to use and effective. Mine alligns perfectly allowing no movement below zero. I have read from several users that it will allow you to go .2 to .3 mils below zero. Mine does not, but in any case, it works well. The glass is a big step up over the 10x SS and somewhat better than the 10x HD. I’d put image quality right there with the LRHS and LRTS, which is a pretty darn good place to be.

As a comparison, I also put my 10x side focus SS on the scope checker and it is .3 mils off at 10 mils, a 3% error. Return to zero was perfect throughout the range of travel. It tracks perfectly vertical with no horizontal shift during elevation adjustments. The clicks are not as firm or positive as the NF, allowing a little movement between clicks. The reticle appears to be a little finer than the NF making it a little more difficult to see against a dark background. The SS side focus has little resistance to movement, too little really.

Both scopes are well worth the $. Is the SHV F1 $800 better than the 10x side focus SS? let’s just say, I’ll likely keep both with the SS being my spare.

John

 

[Lowlight]

We are having really good luck with them in class. Prior guys always ask what scope to buy and most don't have the budget to go over $2k, so the SHV is an great option with a lot of success behind it.

It's been an easy scope to recommend

 

[Hondo64d]

We are having really good luck with them in class. Prior guys always ask what scope to buy and most don't have the budget to go over $2k, so the SHV is an great option with a lot of success behind it.

It's been an easy scope to recommend

As long as mine continues to perform, I don’t see it going anywhere.

I bought it to replace my Bushnell LRTSi which I recently had to send in due to a .5 mil zero shift. That was a huge disappointment but I’m sure Bushnell will take care of it.

I talked to Nightforce CS quite a bit before deciding on giving the SHV F1 a try. I really like that they hold this scope to the same standard as the NXS and ATACR, testing every single scope they ship, not just batch testing. Also liked that the SHV glass is the same glass they use in the NXS line. It’s a solid scope for sure and may be the best in its price range.

John

 

[RNWRKNP]

I have this scope with mil/mil and I am damn glad I went this direction. This scope and my ATACR are the optics that I am using on my journey to a mile? Great break down Hondo and I hope they don’t raise the price......cuz I may need another one?

James,

 

[Hondo64d]

As a side note, the Targets USA Sniper’s Hide scope checker is awesome. Every scope I get will go on this before it ever touches a rifle.

John

 

[g3ninfinite]

How does this scope realistically compare to the Old standby nxs f1 3.5-15x50?

 

[Hondo64d]

That would be a question Nightforce could help you with. The SHV F1 is my first Nightforce so I can’t speak on the NXS other than what Nightforce tells me.

John

 

[mikehotel]

Thanks for the report

 

[VegasHKShooter]

How does this scope realistically compare to the Old standby nxs f1 3.5-15x50?

I seriously think it is about the same scope. You are absolutely not the first to ask this. This is the scope the SHV gets compared to.
I had an SHV 4-14 F1 and I sold it to fund my ATACR 1-8. It’s the only scope I “miss”, and I WILL have another.
Great scope, great glass, etc.

 

[CSTactical]

The SHV 4-14 F1 is a very popular scope in it's class and we recommend it for many who don't want to go a tier or two up

 

[Rob01]

Got a brand new one in the box for anyone looking. Saves you a couple hundred.
https://www.snipershide.com/shootin...htforce-shv-f1-mil-offers-price-drop.6891455/

 

[Hondo64d]

thanks for the review. It is very timely for me as I am really wrestling with weather I should buy a FFP or SFP scope for my next project. In terms of the reticle at the lower end, how visible to you find it? I know you mentioned the illumination helped, but I am still concerned that the reticle may not be visible enough at the lower end of the magnification range.

Also on an unrelated query, what stock did you put it in?

The reticle is visible enough for close range shots at 4x. A fine hold would be difficult but at any distance you would choose to shoot on 4x you wouldn’t need to do a wind hold to within .1 mils anyway. The only illuminated part of the reticle is the center cross and the illum is not daylight visible. This concerns me with the possibility of a longer shot as the light fades but if needed, I could always dial windage too.

The scope is mounted on a DIY Shilen DGR in an MPA BA Lite Chassis.

John

 

[Hondo64d]

Took my x47 with SHV F1 out with me when checking on the cows yesterday evening. The illuminated center cross works well with plenty of brightness settings to choose from. No problem with excessive brightness obscuring the target. Even on 4x, the center cross is visible as long as you adjust the brightness correctly. At 4x it appears like a small red dot. Watched a doe through the scope at well past legal shooting light and had no problems seeing her clearly and could have easily made the shot. I do wish the entire reticle was illuminated simply because it would allow me to use the reticle for wind holds as the light fades. The wind almost never stops blowing here...

John

 

[DJ Keyhole]

Just received my Nightforce SHV F1. Solid, heavy scope. It literally feels like you could use it as a club without harming it. Haven’t done a tracking test yet but other first impressions are good. The most positive clicks of any scope I’ve ever had. NO movement between clicks. Nada, zero, zilch... The five Mils/Rev doesn’t bother me. I was worried about the MIL-R reticle not being visible enough, but at least in full daylight, it’s not an issue, even against a dark tree line. On 4x, the tick marks are visible, but not visible enough to make precise .1 mil holds. Holding to .5 mils would still be easy. On 14x, no issue. You can hold as fine as you want to. The parallax adjustment is nice, with parallax free and the sharpest possible image being coincident, which is not the case with many scopes. Just the right amount of resistance in the adjustment too. The illumination is NOT daylight visible. The LRHS and LRTS are better at this. Like the LRHS/LRTS, there is an off position between every setting, a good thing. I do wish the entire reticle was illuminated instead of just the center cross. Time will tell if it’s really the detriment I imagine it could be. I dig the capped windage. Though the windage adjustment feels different than the elevation, it is still very tactile, moreso than the windage on the LRHS. Mine only has 22 mils of elevation travel vs the 26.4 in the Nightforce specs. Enough for what I do but far less than a SS. Glass seems very good, better than my 10x SS. The whole package seems very LRHSish. I’ll get it on the tracking board with the scope tester either today or tomorrow.

John.

I’ve been looking at the SHV for a while, but with the GAP special on the LRHS, which do you think is a better deal?

 

[silhouette]

I’ve been looking at the SHV for a while, but with the GAP special on the LRHS, which do you think is a better deal?

I have the SHV and the LRHS. I much prefer the LRHS.
Can't really explain why, but the Nighforce just doesn't seem as user friendly. Plus I like the G2h reticle more and in fading light, the Nightforce's image brightness is way behind.
Having said that, I like that only the centre is illuminated on the SHV.

Both are a good choice, but even price point aside, I'd pick the Bushnell.

 

[chasedeer]

I currently use the LHRS on one of my rifle haven’t said that the SVH is a great scope but the Bushnell is better deal .

 

[SLG]

I have the SHV and the LRHSi. both are excellent scopes, and are well worth the money.

The SHV is actually the old NXS F1. A few features were changed, but it is basically the same scope. Since the F1 came about way before the LRHS, you might say that the LRHS is F1'ish, lol.

I don't doubt the SHV is tougher then the LRHS, and likely more precisely made. The LRHS offers a few features that are nicer.

Take your pick for what you want to use it for, you won't go wrong either way.

 

[hypno02]

I have the SHV and the LRHSi. both are excellent scopes, and are well worth the money.

The SHV is actually the old NXS F1. A few features were changed, but it is basically the same scope. Since the F1 came about way before the LRHS, you might say that the LRHS is F1'ish, lol.

I don't doubt the SHV is tougher then the LRHS, and likely more precisely made. The LRHS offers a few features that are nicer.

Take your pick for what you want to use it for, you won't go wrong either way.

I'm a huge NF fan boy and the SHV F1 is not in the same class as the NXS F1 3-15. If the SHV was $200 cheaper I think it'd be money for the $$$.

I'd take the LRHS 4-18 over the SHV every day. For $750 it's an easy decision

 

[SLG]

I'm a huge NF fan boy and the SHV F1 is not in the same class as the NXS F1 3-15....

I won't tell you which to prefer, but I wasn't stating an opinion...

 

[stwcattle]

How does this scope realistically compare to the Old standby nxs f1 3.5-15x50?

I have never owned a NXS 3.5-15x50f1 but do own several NXS 3.5-15x50f2's and a SHV 4-14x50f1. Glass is equal between the two but in my opinion, that is where the similarities end. The NXS is clearly a better scope over the NXS in internal/external components, turret feel is much better with the NXS and the NXS just feels like its going to be a more dependable scope over the long run. With that said, the SHV f1 is doing a very fine job on my daughter's 6 creedmoor hunting rifle and I would recommend it over anything in it's price range.