An open letter from Nightforce Optics in regards to recent concerns of the Nightforce 15-55x52 Competition riflescope:
Unfortunately, there have been some rumors on the reliability of the Competition model riflescope during the recent F-Class matches in Raton, NM. There were three Nightforce company employees on the ground in Raton; of which I was one of. During that time we observed a majority of shooters using Nightforce riflescopes on both F-T/R and F-Open rifles. Many indeed had the Competition model of one flavor or another. The US F-T/R and F-Open teams were both predominantly shooting with the Competition riflescope; along with other Benchrest and NXS models. In fact, the Nightforce Competition riflescope was used by the World Championship winning US F-T/R 8 man team for the International Team event.
For all of the rumors of scopes failing, we were unable to find anyone who had suffered an on the spot, verifiable failure of their Nightforce Competition riflescope where the riflescope was not operating as it should. After some detective work, we (Nightforce employees at the match) were able to track down a handful of shooters who suspected issues with their Nightforce Competition riflescope. However, the number was nowhere close to the 20 reported by others. With that, we have not yet received any of the riflescopes back from the match for a comprehensive evaluation... especially as some of these shooters wanted to verify their concerns in more controlled conditions.
We take every concern a customer has very seriously; but we also like to investigate and obtain all of the details possible to ensure we cover all bases and have accurate reports. One of the overwhelming concerns amongst all shooters, coaches and observers was the variation of conditions with regards to wind, heat and altitude in Raton, NM. While I did not participate in the match itself, I did partake in shooting on other facilities at the Whittington Center. We also found that the cross winds created some random elevation shifts of up to 2-3 minutes when shooting out to 1100 yards. In short, the wind and terrain created a very challenging shooting environment as anyone who was there can attest. In addition, there were many in attendance (to include previous national champions, national shooting teams and other industry shooters) who identified that they had issues with overpressure with their ammunition which caused vertical stringing on target. This can also appear as if the scope was not tracking reliably.
With all of that being said, it is possible for any mechanical device to fail. While we pursue perfection, we are not immune from occasional defects. Nightforce riflescope failures are extremely few and far between, but they do occur on a rare occasion. However, the statistics that we experience lead us to believe that the failure rates reported are questionable; especially as this was not the first major long range match that has had Nightforce Competition riflescopes present. Every Nightforce riflescope is methodically and thoroughly inspected before it is shipped out, to include adjustment tracking. During the product development process, we have extensive procedures and standards that must be achieved before a riflescope is deemed worthy of our name.
In summary, we are not making excuses for our riflescopes as we let the performance of our products speak for themselves. However, we do want to ensure all bases are covered and that if there truly is an issue; we are going to make it right. Please rest assured that the 15-55x Competition model does not suffer from any design flaws or other issues with the production of the riflescope.
The long range competitive shooting community has been extremely generous to Nightforce Optics and has helped us grow to where we are today; and we hope to be a part in the future. We are very grateful for all of the support and do our best to give back to the community when and where we can. Please do not be alarmed by the rumors, but instead ask for the specifics, the supporting information and then make an evaluation before jumping to conclusions. There are thousands and thousands of Nightforce riflescopes currently in service around the world with almost every kind of rifle shooter. Our products are built to be rugged, reliable and repeatable. This is something we live by at Nightforce and a standard we build our riflescopes to, so that you can count on a Nightforce anywhere, anytime.
For anyone that has had suspected issues or feels that their Nightforce is not living up to it's name, please contact myself or Customer Service and we will be happy to help.
Sincerely,
Sean Murphy
Project Manager
Marketing Department
Nightforce Optics, Inc.
Marketing@NightforceOptics.com
Unfortunately, there have been some rumors on the reliability of the Competition model riflescope during the recent F-Class matches in Raton, NM. There were three Nightforce company employees on the ground in Raton; of which I was one of. During that time we observed a majority of shooters using Nightforce riflescopes on both F-T/R and F-Open rifles. Many indeed had the Competition model of one flavor or another. The US F-T/R and F-Open teams were both predominantly shooting with the Competition riflescope; along with other Benchrest and NXS models. In fact, the Nightforce Competition riflescope was used by the World Championship winning US F-T/R 8 man team for the International Team event.
For all of the rumors of scopes failing, we were unable to find anyone who had suffered an on the spot, verifiable failure of their Nightforce Competition riflescope where the riflescope was not operating as it should. After some detective work, we (Nightforce employees at the match) were able to track down a handful of shooters who suspected issues with their Nightforce Competition riflescope. However, the number was nowhere close to the 20 reported by others. With that, we have not yet received any of the riflescopes back from the match for a comprehensive evaluation... especially as some of these shooters wanted to verify their concerns in more controlled conditions.
We take every concern a customer has very seriously; but we also like to investigate and obtain all of the details possible to ensure we cover all bases and have accurate reports. One of the overwhelming concerns amongst all shooters, coaches and observers was the variation of conditions with regards to wind, heat and altitude in Raton, NM. While I did not participate in the match itself, I did partake in shooting on other facilities at the Whittington Center. We also found that the cross winds created some random elevation shifts of up to 2-3 minutes when shooting out to 1100 yards. In short, the wind and terrain created a very challenging shooting environment as anyone who was there can attest. In addition, there were many in attendance (to include previous national champions, national shooting teams and other industry shooters) who identified that they had issues with overpressure with their ammunition which caused vertical stringing on target. This can also appear as if the scope was not tracking reliably.
With all of that being said, it is possible for any mechanical device to fail. While we pursue perfection, we are not immune from occasional defects. Nightforce riflescope failures are extremely few and far between, but they do occur on a rare occasion. However, the statistics that we experience lead us to believe that the failure rates reported are questionable; especially as this was not the first major long range match that has had Nightforce Competition riflescopes present. Every Nightforce riflescope is methodically and thoroughly inspected before it is shipped out, to include adjustment tracking. During the product development process, we have extensive procedures and standards that must be achieved before a riflescope is deemed worthy of our name.
In summary, we are not making excuses for our riflescopes as we let the performance of our products speak for themselves. However, we do want to ensure all bases are covered and that if there truly is an issue; we are going to make it right. Please rest assured that the 15-55x Competition model does not suffer from any design flaws or other issues with the production of the riflescope.
The long range competitive shooting community has been extremely generous to Nightforce Optics and has helped us grow to where we are today; and we hope to be a part in the future. We are very grateful for all of the support and do our best to give back to the community when and where we can. Please do not be alarmed by the rumors, but instead ask for the specifics, the supporting information and then make an evaluation before jumping to conclusions. There are thousands and thousands of Nightforce riflescopes currently in service around the world with almost every kind of rifle shooter. Our products are built to be rugged, reliable and repeatable. This is something we live by at Nightforce and a standard we build our riflescopes to, so that you can count on a Nightforce anywhere, anytime.
For anyone that has had suspected issues or feels that their Nightforce is not living up to it's name, please contact myself or Customer Service and we will be happy to help.
Sincerely,
Sean Murphy
Project Manager
Marketing Department
Nightforce Optics, Inc.
Marketing@NightforceOptics.com
