I've got one on my M1A SOCOM. I am happy with it for what I wanted (a heavy carbine setup for day pig hunting).
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So I picked up the Bushnell SMRS 1-8.5, 1-6.5 pro. My thoughts are both are really nice but the 6.5 pro is really nice, seemed a little brighter and better color vs the 8.5 SMRS. The 6.5 pro is a SFP and has the BDC reticle and the 8.5 is FFP with the BTR-2 reticle. Not quite the same scopes but I would recommend the SMRS pro over the 8.5 SMRS, with the weight saving and glass quality. Also a friend of mine picked up the crimson trace 5 series 1-8, I would not pay more than the midway sale price for these, I love the reticle with the big ring in 1x and the ring zooms out and you have a mil reticle on 8x. I put the glass behind the 8.5 SMRS, 1x did not seem true compared to both bushnells and 8x had some edge distortion. The SMRS pro is my pick, 9-10 ounces lighter and shorter than the 8.5
I've been using a couple K16is for about 4 years now as patrol/SWAT rifle optics, on a busy metro part time team with zero issues.
The glass & magnification are excellent for urban/suburban work and the second focal plane is a great option for that magnification range. The SM1 reticle is very usable with or without the illumination throughout the power range.
The K16i is almost 1/2 pound lighter than the Vortex options. My suppressed SBR with the Kahles is a little over 10 lbs unloaded so, yeah, that weight savings is appreciated.
The extra battery storage in the windage cap is helpful too.
The glass & magnification are excellent for urban/suburban work and the second focal plane is a great option for that magnification range. The SM1 reticle is very usable with or without the illumination throughout the power range.
The K16i is almost 1/2 pound lighter than the Vortex options. My suppressed SBR with the Kahles is a little over 10 lbs unloaded so, yeah, that weight savings is appreciated.
The extra battery storage in the windage cap is helpful too.
ATACR 1-8
That said, I would be more inclined to grab my ATACR over the NX8 if the shit really hit the fan - the NX8 is solid, but the ATACR is an absolute tank in comparison.
This. My NX8 1-8 has the fastest throw that I have ever had. I also have the 1-8 ATACR, which is literally the slowest that I've ever dealt with.
That said, I would be more inclined to grab my ATACR over the NX8 if the shit really hit the fan - the NX8 is solid, but the ATACR is an absolute tank in comparison.
I just read through this thread again, a lot of good information. Someone asked this and it wasn't really touched on, has anyone used or reviewed the GPOTAC 1-8x24 FFP? Interested in glass, reticle illumination brightness etc. Specs look decent. Anyone with any experience?
Btw, still running my Delta Stryker 1-6x24 and couldn't be happier with it, not just for the money, but flat out an excellent scope.
Btw, still running my Delta Stryker 1-6x24 and couldn't be happier with it, not just for the money, but flat out an excellent scope.
If it was a SHTF moment I would want something that doesn't require batteries.
I have a Steiner M8Xi 1-8.
Pro's:
Nice optic, glass is clean and I like the reticle.
Positive clicks on the adjustments.
Cons:
The illumination is NOT day bright.
It is expensive, really expensive for sucky illumination.
I also have a Leupold Mk4 MRT 1.5-5
Pros:
Glass is nice.
Adjustments are positive.
Reticle is ok.
Price was right.
Worked well in Iraq.
Battery lasts a LONG time for the illuminated reticle.
Con:
Illumination was also weak aka NOT daylight bright.
I have a Steiner M8Xi 1-8.
Pro's:
Nice optic, glass is clean and I like the reticle.
Positive clicks on the adjustments.
Cons:
The illumination is NOT day bright.
It is expensive, really expensive for sucky illumination.
I also have a Leupold Mk4 MRT 1.5-5
Pros:
Glass is nice.
Adjustments are positive.
Reticle is ok.
Price was right.
Worked well in Iraq.
Battery lasts a LONG time for the illuminated reticle.
Con:
Illumination was also weak aka NOT daylight bright.
That.
Only thing, you only have a 13” barrel? Not sure how much value you’re going to get out of magnification, for a small fast weapon like that, I’d probably just slap a nice red dot on it and a light and call it a day.
What are your real world engagement situations and distances?
I’d say a minute of man at inside 150yrds? The more tingly engagements occurring indoors and under 50yrds, I’d take a high speed light weight red dot.
If you’re taking fire from over 200yrd distance, you’re probably out gunned with the little barrel from the start
So I did a side by side comparison between my well used TR24 (Amber Triangle) and my recently acquired Vortex G3. And for all intensive purposes the Trijicon is pretty damn good at everything out to 250y. It's simplicity is the key. It works without adjusting illumination. And is excellent in near darkness with a light. But I wouldn't run one without an offset just like all my other LPVO's. Just in case I get caught at 4x and a target appears up close. Its a keeper
Attachments
Lol, wuuut. 13.7" barrels can easily get out to 600, fairly easily out to 800 and I have had my 13.7 to 1,000 on three occasions.
I know, just ask anyone with a 13” and it’s sub MOA most past 5 miles lol
XM193 launches at around 2900fps out of a 13.7" barrel. SS109 is around 2700 or just a touch under. Mk262 is right around 2430fps out of the same barrel length.
Depending on the specific load and altitude, you start going transonic somewhere between 600 and 700 yards. I have never pushed shorter barrel 5.56 beyond 600 or so, but with a good barrel it worked quite well that far. With faster twist barrels the bullet should not misbehave too much through the transonic region. Something I should play with when I have time.
ILya
I reviewed it a while back. Optomechanically, it is a very nice scope, but the reticle is somewhat thin on 1x and illumination is not very bright.
ILya
Circling back to this topic as we move into 2024, I am still really feeling the NX8. It is small, it is light, and the internals and design are durable AF. Yes, anything can have QA/QC issues, which is why you need to sort your kit before you trust it. I have sent Nightforce and Leupold back for factory defect, and I do not go through a lot of optics. I am literally one person. I have had friends send Kahles K16i and Vortex 1-6 back for breaking, though. This is a bit different than a defect, IMO, in that it happened during use and not during a shakedown run zeroing the weapon or being noted "out of the box". A lot of people complain about the glass quality of the NX8, or this or that, and while it is probably the crappiest glass I've owned, it has also never cost me a shot or PID or anything. It's just not as "pretty". It is the ugly Russian woman who can kill a chicken. It may not be what you brag about at the watering hole, but it WILL run your farm for you during a -40f winter.
-Daylight bright like a T2 on 1x
-FC-DMx reticle provides useful ranging, wind holds, hold offs at 4x+
-Footprint remains small/light
-Turrets you can count on, retains zero, reliable.
Above all, for a SHTF optic "The damn thing must work!"
and while all products can and do have issues, after you ascertain that your Nightforce is G2G, I am of the opinion it is very unlikely to fail on the middle of the bell curve vs other products.
This combo is 28oz. and provides reliable daylight/low light/no light capability.
-Daylight bright like a T2 on 1x
-FC-DMx reticle provides useful ranging, wind holds, hold offs at 4x+
-Footprint remains small/light
-Turrets you can count on, retains zero, reliable.
Above all, for a SHTF optic "The damn thing must work!"
and while all products can and do have issues, after you ascertain that your Nightforce is G2G, I am of the opinion it is very unlikely to fail on the middle of the bell curve vs other products.
This combo is 28oz. and provides reliable daylight/low light/no light capability.
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Yes, they can, but I prefer to keep my shots within effective range of the ammunition's performance envelope. 77gr TMK and M855A1 may reach out that far, but that's about it. After 5.56 drops below about 1800fps, I think it's time to find a different round. I prefer MK318 SOST and browntip, and use an 11.5, and past about 250 yards, they are both starting to really flag on performance. Certainly you can make good hits with them, and kill stuff dead, but I would *prefer* to use a heavier caliber past that when using an SBR, or past about 350 when using an SPR.
Revives a thread that’s been dead for 2.5 years that was posted by someone that hasn’t even logged in for over a year to profound their love for one of the worst LPVO’s ever made that OP wasn’t even interested in.
This place never ceases to impress.
This place never ceases to impress.
I don't mind it, its better than a whole new thread in my opinion.
Definitely not a fan of that particular optic, but everyone has their purpose.
I think actually the PA PLX would serve him better, especially since he is piggyback his RDS
PA PLx definitely has nice glass. They even picked up a tiny contract with DOE, I believe. I do not see how it would serve better due to the 12 o clock RDS, though?
You won't make people happy, don't try. The moment I started a new thread "uSe ThE SeArCH" would have been the mantra. I am not going to worry about opinions of others on such pedantic shit.
The ACRO is mainly for use under nods or as a backup plan. It also allows me to engage further and nearer targets quicker without breaking grip to dial mag up/down.
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