Hunting with a Nightforce Scope

[JRS]

Both have great glass, and are of equal quality

 

[dmg264]

I have a 3.5-15x50 with an NR-R2 and love it. Its quite easy to range with plus the ticks are 2 MOA at 15x. Cut the power ring in half and they are 1 MOA, so hold-overs are easy to do on the fly.

Dial the power down half way and the R2 hold over is 4 MOA not 1MOA per hash mark.

 

[people]

Head0001 you are probably very correct about the percentage of hunters who use rifles of that weight.

 

[JRS]

Man... this thread has quickly gone south.

To log onto an open message board and brag about being a poacher isn't the smartest thing to do. These boards are visited by LE and anti hunters/anti gunners everywhere. To the poster doing the bragging, you would certainly deserve to have your guns taken away, fined and spending some time locked away. This is quite simply, giving more ammunition to the community that would like nothing more than to take away our 2nd Amendment rights. You might not be aware of this, but, ND happens to be one of the members who are a part of the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact. Do as you please, but don't help those who are trying to take away my 2nd Amendment rights.

 

[people]

JRS maybe I did not clearly state it here in ND it is not legal to shoot someone’s wounded critter but in my book it is better to shoot it for them so they can harvest it than let it go and die a slow death. Apparently I am the only one who truly cares about the suffering of game animals shot by slobs or "hunters" if you will. I stand by my comment about "hunters" and almost nothing worse than them. I wonder if you are a "hunter". For the record I am not bragging about anything I am just bitching about slobs. I can tell you this much I am very close to becoming a “hunter” it must be nice to be a slob.

 

[people]

I would not mind if all hunting was banned. After a few years game animals would be in such numbers it would not be funny and maybe we could cut stupid programs.

 

[people]

I am sorry for stating. I guess I have a question about that. Should I let those animals suffer and die and not get harvested?

 

[drop_point]

I have a 3.5-15x50 with an NR-R2 and love it. Its quite easy to range with plus the ticks are 2 MOA at 15x. Cut the power ring in half and they are 1 MOA, so hold-overs are easy to do on the fly.

Dial the power down half way and the R2 hold over is 4 MOA not 1MOA per hash mark.

Thanks for correcting me, hit the wrong key on the num pad! Can't get too far using hold-overs if they were 1 MOA.

 

[djtjr]

I love the np r2 it allows you to adjust for wind and or LR Kentucky windage in the reticle as minutes are clearly marked. I don't think it's to busy for big game and for fast varmint follow up easy to hold over or hold windage on the reticle

 

[bozo699]

If you want to pack around a 15# rifle in the mountains then that is your business. However you hopefully know that you are the minority. And by minority I mean maybe 1/2 of 1% of the hunters out there want to carry that type of rifle around in the mountains. Probably much less than 1/2 of 1%.

I have no idea how many hunters I have seen in my life above 5,000 feet in elevation. And I don't think I have ever seen a hunter carrying a 15# rifle in the mountains. Personally the heaviest rifle I have ever seen in the mountains is a Sharp's rifle that I was hunting with. With open sights. Heaven forbid if you had to shoot with open sights. Good lord how would you adjust them??

It doesn't matter to me if you beat your chest like King Kong when you carry that 15# rifle up the mountain. Calling a person who wants to carry an appropriate weight rifle "fat and lazy" is uncalled for.

I also do agree that it takes good glass to see. And I also believe in your theory about a $2,000 scope and a $200 rifle. I also agree with that.

But that does not make the NF a better choice for hunting. Sure NF has good glass. But it is not Swaro. glass!! NF is known for its durability, but they do not have the ultimate high grade glass.

A 3X10 Swaro., even with the ballistic turret would be a much better choice for what the OP asked about. And that Swaro. glass would be of better optical quality than your three times as heavy NF.

And who sights a rifle in dead on at 100 yards for hunting?? Nobody. Normally everybody sights there rifle in one to 3 inches high for fairly flat trajectory to 300 yards. Which is 100 yards past the OP's 200 yard range. I do it all the time. And that is with a slower 223.

And exposed turrets for most mountain hunters is definitely not a good choice. Tom.

Tom,
I don't beat on my chest my dad just raised a real man that can very easily pack 15 lbs ALL day every day! That's neither here nor there, My normal hunting rifle is a .300 wm that is only 12.82 lbs, just weighed it at the 1k shoot in Montana this weekend so I am getting week and lazy in my old age.

I never called ANYBODY fat or lazy but myself!!! it might be uncalled for but I give myself permission

I agree with you that Swarovski is in a class all by there self, I really like mine. Although N/F has very good glass, some of the finest, if it didn't have very high quality glass, ALMOST everybody shooting LR Bench rest wouldn't be using them!

I also agree with your choice of scope for Dan's rifle, if you go back over my posts you will see I suggested the 3.5-15X32 N/F scope, very similar to your suggestion.

I sight most of my rifles in at 100 yards, 200 maximum, I dial or use my velocity reticals, A bear or coyote or what ever vermin I am aiming at, at the distances I hunt at usually don't even know I am in the country so I have plenty of time to dial or hold, if you do a 300 yard zero you are way high at 200 and the rabbit is probably safe.

Oh and by the way I have a 45/70 that I kill bears in the brush with and for the longer bears on the open hill sides the ADJUSTABLE vernier sight works great
take care and shoot straight.
Wayne.

JRS,
I could agree the little .223 and a 3.5-10 would be a nice little 200-300 yard setup. I also agree with you that the thread has gone south. I apologize for spouting off, I really do like heavy accurate rifles with big clear expensive glass. I do have the cheaper 3-9 vxII on my little short range 30/30's and what not.
Wayne.

Dan,
I am sorry your thread got off topic, I will delete my posts tomorrow, I have always enjoyed our conversations and hope to continue. I really think you would like the smaller N/F but whatever glass you get, get the best you feel you can afford, good glass just can't be beat especially on the early morning/ late evening shots, take care and good luck, and let us know what you come up with.
Wayne.

 

[K22]

Before you paid a ton of money for a nightforce scope for varmint hunting consider the Bushnell 3200 or 4200 series in a 15 or 16x power range if most of your shooting is under 300 yards. It sounds like your hunting environment is much like mine in eastern PA so I'll offer my humble advice of varmint hunting for over 40 years.

First, the new Bushnell's are very clear and very well made. I like the Muti-X recticle, it's simple and quite easy to use in dim light which is often the case when hunting varmints in the early evening. These scopes will do everything you want out to three hundred yards and longer if you have the skill.

The 4200 has target knobs if you need that feature and I've found them to be repeatable but I'm sure they cannot compare with the Nightforce's quality which is know for it's repeatability. Where I hunt I rarely have a 300 yard shot so this is not an issue for me. I sight in zero at 200 yards with 223, 26" varmint barrel, 50 grain Nosler which puts me at 2.5 inches low at 250. Standing shots are no issue at this range, for crawlers I hold on the top of their back which usually drops them if I do my part. This handles 95% of my shooting opportunites.

 

[dtucker]

Thanks to all of you for the input you have given. The rifle the scope will go on is an older model Remington action that i bought that was like new that was sent out to the fellow who has been building my rifles lately. It will be trued up and be in a light weight Manners stock with PTG bottom metal. The barrel i sent is a Brux #3 contour and will finish at 20 inches with a 12 twist chambered in 22-250. Stock will be painted and metal done in cerakote and have a Jewell hunting trigger. It should weigh in at about 6 1/2 pounds without scope. I have it pretty much narrowed down to a couple scopes.

1. Nightforce 3.5-10x32

2. Leupold VX 3 4.5-14x 40 or 50 with a illuminated duplex reticle

3. Leupold MK4 3.5-10x40 TMR reticle maybe illuminated?

4. Sighton ( new 1 out for this year ) 3.5-10 with the MOA reticle that is illuminated

Thanks once again for all the input guys. You all are a tremendous help for advice and gave me alot of info to think about. I know alot of you are seasoned hunters and have different opinions and thats what i like to hear. ;D

 

[bozo699]

Dan,
I have 5 of the 4.5-14 vxIII's, I love them!! mine do not have the illuminated reticle or target turrets but there a very versatile scope.
Wayne.

 

[jefats]

Dan,

NF scopes are tops. I suggest you take a look at the MLR reticle. It may just be what you want.

 

[JRS]

One more worth your consideration Dan, would be a Sightron. You'll find an unbiased test review conducted by Jason Baney in the bulletin section. They compare quite favorably to Nightforce at half the price, and less weight. Unless you are contemplating counting the number of fleas on a coyote or fox, you really don't need optics with benchrest magnification.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

I will never buy another Bushnell........their service and warranty sucks. Bunch of other people on this forum have posted the same.

 

[bozo699]

One more worth your consideration Dan, would be a Sightron. You'll find an unbiased test review conducted by Jason Baney in the bulletin section. They compare quite favorably to Nightforce at half the price, and less weight. Unless you are contemplating counting the number of fleas on a coyote or fox, you really don't need optics with benchrest magnification.

I usually don't try counting them, I have tried but as the coyote moves about I loose count. What I do is actually aim at a flea and end up accidentally hitting the coyote LOL
Wayne.

 

[K22]

I will never buy another Bushnell........their service and warranty sucks. Bunch of other people on this forum have posted the same.

Which model did you have trouble with? The new 3200 and 4200 elites are excellent scopes. I have two 3200's (3x9 and 5x15) and one 4200 (4x16). They are as clear as any Leupold VX 3 (I have three of those) and hold zero as well as any of my Leupolds. They have a life time warranty. As for service, that I don't know because I've never had to use it. Many shooters at my club have them and I've never heard any compliants with the new elite series from these shooters.

If you had a bad experience I can't blame you for being bitter about it. I had one with a Nikron Monarch. They are no longer made in Japan but in the Phillipines. Mine would not hold zero despite two returns to warranty repair. I was shooting it on a 223, not exactly a heavy recoiling rifle. Also the clarity of these new Nikron is far inferior to their older models and the new Bushnell Elite series.

 

[HEAD0001]

I will never buy another Bushnell........their service and warranty sucks. Bunch of other people on this forum have posted the same.

Gotta go along with you. I bought one of the 4200's in a 4X16 and put it on a 22" Encore 223 barrel. The darn scope was almost as long as the barrel. It was an unsightly thing. And I was not very impressed with the glass either. And it was exceedingly heavy-but we don't want to go there.

It took me less than a week to get rid of it. No more Bushnell's for me either. Tom.

 

[Law888]

For less money and equal quality consider the Leopold VX 6 3-18X50 illuminated varmit hunter, I have two and they are really unbeatable unless you go to high end German glass at twice the price S&B, Sworo, Zeis Victory, etc.. I also have several older models in my safe and none has ever had a problem including a 3x9 that is 35 years old.