Nightforce scopes NX8 or ATACR

[Scotty1]

I have a Razor gen 3 on my Scout Epoch. I won this scope at a RMAC raffle and it is more scope than I’ll ever need, but is a pleasure to look through. It is large and heavy and fantastic to use!

 

[steve123]

I have owned both plus many other scopes in a wide range of prices. These are two very different scopes! We are all different and you will get different answers… Also, I like nice glass and very happy paying for quality…

NX8 - I owned the 4-32. I have read on the forums that the 4-32 is better optically than the 2.5-20, but I can’t speak to that. I think that the NX8 really only has its size/weight/parallax combination going for it. I would consider it a hunting scope more than a bench scope. That being said, I would happily spend way less money and be happy with something much cheaper as a hunting scope. This is a scope I don’t feel was anywhere near worth the money I paid, approximately $1800. The size does require optical compromises, and I think it shows.

ATACR - I owned the 7-35, so it may be different than the model you may want. I think it is one of the best scopes I have ever owned. The optical quality was top notch. It agrees with my eyes so well. I was able to dial the diopter in better with this scope than any other, so I like that it is not fast focus. The low light was one place where it really really shined for me. I paid $2700 for mine. While I think it was amazing, I don’t think it was worth that either. I was happy to buy two Athlon Cronus scopes for less, while giving up some, but not enough not to be a problem. ATACR was still better.

In that price range and sticking to FFP comparables… The Vortex G3 is amazing and as good or better than the ATACR, but I paid $2000 for it. I wish I had been able to compare them at the same time. I want to try the Theos and the Zeiss S3 6-36 as well, as they are both a touch cheaper and consensus is they are as good as well. I have not used either of those two though. I have owned a Schmidt and Bender as well for over $3k, and I thought it was not worth the money at all.

All these scopes I like, are much bigger in size than the NX8, so they are very different uses for me.

I can relate, and a storm is blowing in, plus I'm retired, and no big plans for the day, so you guys have to suffer my musings.

In fit, finish, and feel it seems a scope gets only so good and at some point we are paying 2-3-4 times more $ for marginal gains, yeah those gains are apparent in some ways but it almost seems like $800-$1000 a jump for a bit higher tier features and IQ. As inflation keeps getting worse I am less prone to spending my money while trying to get the most from it.

I think we've agreed before on the ATACR 7-35. Excellent scope but the difference was I couldn't "see" any higher IQ than my G2 Cronus had when the owner of that scope and I did the side by side. It was a scope I strongly thought of buying just beforehand! So layed low and kept using my Cronus G2's for long range.

Also since I had owned five NF NXS's in the past I knew they were fine scopes but they weren't exceptional(again in mostly IQ). On one 5.5-22 the erector got stuck briefly, though it self fixed when I dialed all the way up and down a couple times.
My NF F1 3.5-15 actually had very mediocre IQ. I wanted to like this scope but.....

Almost bought a Kahles 6-24 when they first came out but a guy I competed with was having problems with his. Seems Kahles is pretty reliable now and a scope I wouldn't mind trying out again. Some FT shooters I knew/know had them and theirs have worked fine.

I got sucked into S$B 5-25's, and I definitely over paid, but these were about the only option back then to get all the features I wanted. I sold the other two, and kept one, which I think I'll keep for the rest of my life because it's got very good IQ which is between my Cronus G2 and my March Genesis and focuses down to 10m, plus it's just a classic that holds it's own 15 years later and it helped me win a bunch of matches so it's held a positive sentiment in my heart.

I briefly had a G1 Razor 5-20 which I thought was 95% that of the old NXS. I didn't buy a G2 or G3 Razor but did buy a LHT which IMHO falls way short and is not worthy of their top tier name or price point.
Maybe some day I'll run across a good deal on a G3 6-36 though because I'd like to have one?!

Also had IOR, USO, Horus, Vector, Sightron, Leupold, Burris, Meopta, and various March scopes. I liked March over those but even these have some optical oddities in the shorter high mag ratio models. The build quality in March is fantastic though and some great reticles are offered.

Currently I would like to try a DNT 7-35. It seems like a steal price wise. I mean how could you go wrong! It's something I could try out and only loose $100 if I didn't care for it, but then I'd have to buy another gun to put it on, lol.

Athlon, yeah I know you all get tired of hearing it but they are hard not to like for many reasons and cost per performance ratio is most of it.
Last week I shot some PD's with my Savage A17/Ares BTR G3 2.5-15x50 combo to finish my eval and I can't help but be impressed/regardless of price. At 2.5x a body shot at 80Y was still not hard to do, and head shots were even easier sub 50Y on the same magnification, as well the eyebox was massive. I hadn't done that before on such low mag. No it's not high tier IQ but still very good and if I didn't know what scope this was, like as if the scope's identity was hidden, I'da rated it a $2500 scope.
Sorry but In other words there's no way in the world I'd ever buy a NF if considering cost or most of those scopes I alluded to already. As much as I like to try other brands out it has become a costly mistake much of the time and regret quickly ensued.

I'd love to get a Tangent Theta, which is supposed to the #1 top rated, but man unless I get rich it's not gonna happen.

 

[Smok3y]

I can relate, and a storm is blowing in, plus I'm retired, and no big plans for the day, so you guys have to suffer my musings.

In fit, finish, and feel it seems a scope gets only so good and at some point we are paying 2-3-4 times more $ for marginal gains, yeah those gains are apparent in some ways but it almost seems like $800-$1000 a jump for a bit higher tier features and IQ. As inflation keeps getting worse I am less prone to spending my money while trying to get the most from it.

I think we've agreed before on the ATACR 7-35. Excellent scope but the difference was I couldn't "see" any higher IQ than my G2 Cronus had when the owner of that scope and I did the side by side. It was a scope I strongly thought of buying just beforehand! So layed low and kept using my Cronus G2's for long range.

Also since I had owned five NF NXS's in the past I knew they were fine scopes but they weren't exceptional(again in mostly IQ). On one 5.5-22 the erector got stuck briefly, though it self fixed when I dialed all the way up and down a couple times.
My NF F1 3.5-15 actually had very mediocre IQ. I wanted to like this scope but.....

Almost bought a Kahles 6-24 when they first came out but a guy I competed with was having problems with his. Seems Kahles is pretty reliable now and a scope I wouldn't mind trying out again. Some FT shooters I knew/know had them and theirs have worked fine.

I got sucked into S$B 5-25's, and I definitely over paid, but these were about the only option back then to get all the features I wanted. I sold the other two, and kept one, which I think I'll keep for the rest of my life because it's got very good IQ which is between my Cronus G2 and my March Genesis and focuses down to 10m, plus it's just a classic that holds it's own 15 years later and it helped me win a bunch of matches so it's held a positive sentiment in my heart.

I briefly had a G1 Razor 5-20 which I thought was 95% that of the old NXS. I didn't buy a G2 or G3 Razor but did buy a LHT which IMHO falls way short and is not worthy of their top tier name or price point.
Maybe some day I'll run across a good deal on a G3 6-36 though because I'd like to have one?!

Also had IOR, USO, Horus, Vector, Sightron, Leupold, Burris, Meopta, and various March scopes. I liked March over those but even these have some optical oddities in the shorter high mag ratio models. The build quality in March is fantastic though and some great reticles are offered.

Currently I would like to try a DNT 7-35. It seems like a steal price wise. I mean how could you go wrong! It's something I could try out and only loose $100 if I didn't care for it, but then I'd have to buy another gun to put it on, lol.

Athlon, yeah I know you all get tired of hearing it but they are hard not to like for many reasons and cost per performance ratio is most of it.
Last week I shot some PD's with my Savage A17/Ares BTR G3 2.5-15x50 combo to finish my eval and I can't help but be impressed/regardless of price. At 2.5x a body shot at 80Y was still not hard to do, and head shots were even easier sub 50Y on the same magnification, as well the eyebox was massive. I hadn't done that before on such low mag. No it's not high tier IQ but still very good and if I didn't know what scope this was, like as if the scope's identity was hidden, I'da rated it a $2500 scope.
Sorry but In other words there's no way in the world I'd ever buy a NF if considering cost or most of those scopes I alluded to already. As much as I like to try other brands out it has become a costly mistake much of the time and regret quickly ensued.

I'd love to get a Tangent Theta, which is supposed to the #1 top rated, but man unless I get rich it's not gonna happen.

To your point, scopes have come so far the last 10 years, it gets harder and harder to spend for the top tier. I would have to be doing this for a living to test those out to even find out what I think.

I do want to try that DNT 7-35. I tried an Arken, 5-25 maybe, and it was a very good scope for the money. It gets great reviews. I am currently shooting a Meopta 5-30 and am super happy with it. That is the only reason I haven’t tried the Theos or Zeiss. I’m not sure I’m going to gain enough for the shooting I’m doing right now.

Having used those nicer scopes, I can say I have seen the improvement going up, but it becomes how much you are willing to invest to pay for the improvement. Steve, I agree with your comment about trying to get the most out of my money, as that is where I am at now.

 

[steve123]

To your point, scopes have come so far the last 10 years, it gets harder and harder to spend for the top tier. I would have to be doing this for a living to test those out to even find out what I think.

I do want to try that DNT 7-35. I tried an Arken, 5-25 maybe, and it was a very good scope for the money. It gets great reviews. I am currently shooting a Meopta 5-30 and am super happy with it. That is the only reason I haven’t tried the Theos or Zeiss. I’m not sure I’m going to gain enough for the shooting I’m doing right now.

Having used those nicer scopes, I can say I have seen the improvement going up, but it becomes how much you are willing to invest to pay for the improvement. Steve, I agree with your comment about trying to get the most out of my money, as that is where I am at now.

That same Meopta Optika 6 5-30 is on my new Skout EVO. Can't beat that IQ for the money and IIRC I paid $599 for it on sale. The turret lines don't quite line up all that well with the indicator on the housing, and the ZS isn't great so I took the offending gizmo out, but otherwise it's a good scope. I'll leave it on there for a while and see how I feel in a few months.