Huskemaw vs Nightforce...need your opinion!

[Chopper818]

Ordinarily I shoot benchrest so I like a heavier barrel and lots of glass. I am starting a hunting build so, naturally, I like a more powerful scope than some traditional hunters. I have somewhat settled on two scopes but I can't seem to get anyone on the hunting boards to commit to an opinion. The rifle is a 300 WSM with a comfortable range of 400-600. The game is elk. I am looking at the Huskemaw 5-20x50 or the Nightforce SHV 5-20x50. Which one will be easier for me to use in the field when I'm zeroed at 100
and suddenly need to take a shot at 400? Anyone here have any experience with these two scopes?

 

[jpretle]

Size and weight come into play when you are hunting. Considerations such as are you packing the rifle?? is a horse packing the rifle?? If a horse, you will most likely need to get a custom scabbard for the large optics. If you are packing it, the large optics get in the way, then there is the weight issue.
I use a Leupy 2.5X8X36, on my elk gun, but I won't shoot at a critter beyond about 400yds. I have found that to be sufficient for my hunting optics.
I expect there will be plenty of disagreement w/ my choice, however.

 

[R.Morehouse]

If you know where you are going to hunt and the aprox. elevations the easiest in the field to use I would think would be the Huskemaw. They offer the BDC turrets that will get you out there provided your info. input is correct.....Nice piece of glass as well...Rick

I have looked through a few Huskemaw's & own a few NF's

 

[dkhunt14]

I like Nightforce and know they are dependable. I don't like predetermined turrets because as soon as you change hunting elevation or anything it changes. I prefer to use a click chart and click what I need. I can have multiple click charts changing whatever I need. Matt

 

[L.Sherm]

No exsperience with a nightforce but I had a Huskema for about 6 or 7 years now and it is great. Personally I do alot of hunting in the high country here in montana and the yardage turret is what I prefer. Mine came with a click turret shoot it out to 1000 yds and then they made my yardage turret off the clicks I gave them when Aaron Davidson was still there. To me having multiple charts to deal with is to confusing. just my 2 cents

 

[CharlieNC]

You can use any good scope which you like and customize the turrets yourself. Just cut and stick white label paper on the turret, count and mark the appropriate number of mil or moa clicks for your yardages and cover with clear tape to complete weather-proofing. Why; look at JBM or another ballistics program and you will see an elevation change of 2000 ft makes a major difference at the yardages you noted so a given custom turret is very limited. Also easy to change for a different bullet, velocity, etc. Instead of using a chart and dialing clicks, I like the yards marked too because its faster and I don't need to put on reading glasses!

 

[hogpatrol]

No financial interest but a good product, turret labels.

http://customturretsystems.com/

 

[dkhunt14]

I make a click chart in MOA on index card and tape it to the butt stock. Dial the MOA and shoot. I can go out to 2000 yards and change the card as needed. No problem seeing it or losing it. I can hunt from low to high and be right. When the guys load here and go to Colorado there are a couple feet high at 800 yards, that is a big change. Matt

 

[Frankr]

I have the Nightforce 5-20 SHV with the Moar reticle. I had thought about the Huskemaw was even ready to buy one. Why don't you ask the guy who desigined the Huskemaw scope why he does not use them anymore? I did..
I went with the Nightforce. Im happy with it.

 

[Hal]

FJIM Who designed the Hushemaw scope?

 

[Frankr]

FJIM Who designed the Hushemaw scope?

Aaron Davidson.go to gseven.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF5C9QhVlU8

 

[Frankr]

I cant wait to get a G7 BR2 range finder..I just cant swing the price of one right now. too many irons in the fire. But I will have one for next year. I had to post this cause of my post count number. lol

 

[Frankr]

chopper818 if you want to buy a huskemaw scope and try it. go for it. there are many of them with out issue,
but there was enough of them with quality problems and no way to control it. I was not going to plunk down 1,500.00 buck on a chance i might get a bad one, of what i consider a off brand scope, the design was there and i do believe they were engineered great but built with lack of quality control from one to the other. IMO
this is my opinion on them.

 

[SS427]

My problem with Huskemaw is their marketing approach. They lead people to believe, regardless of shooting skill, that with their scope you can be killing game animals at 1,000 yard distances. I consider that an irresponsible approach and refuse to support a company that does that.

Nightforce is a proven product and a respectable company. I only own one but it will not be my last.

 

[Frankr]

Otter I disagree I believe they always stressed the fact not to shoot beyond your skill or beyond what you have proven at the range you can consistently hit. The BIG design feature of the huskemaw scope was(is) the 10mph wind reference numbers on the yardage turret . no charts. gave you the numbers to hold in the wind on the reticle . the problem comes when changing alt/temp your loads velocity changes,air density changes and your turret is off. I (we) have been shooting whitetail deer & ground hogs from 200 to 1,000 yards since I was 14 years old using a hand loaded factory rifle,useing Kentucky windage and hold over. we guessed the yardage and guessed the hold over based on 6'' 18" 36" ect and we were very successful at it. then along came affordable range finders. ect , ect,. with a accurate rifle, range finder, a scope with good tracking, a reticle that allows you to hold for wind and some range time you can shoot quite a ways. the moar reticle in my night force I have it set up to shoot to 500 yrds with no turning of the turret,under good conditions. now if I have to shoot 500yrds in a 10-15mph cross wind then I will dial and use a chart to hold off the required moa on the reticle.it works very well. I feel I can consistently hit out to 700 yrds in a 10-20 mph wind. I can get to 1,000 if conditions were still. but if the wind was blowing 5-10 mph I don't feel good enough about 1,000 yrds. now if I had a monster Buck at 1050 yards and a 15 mph wind. I have the capability to dial it, look at my chart, hold for the wind and send it. so if I saw the 30 point buck I would have to try it.

 

[EWaugh]

The question is which of these two Brand Scopes will be the easiest for you to use in the field. The answer to that question probably depends on the individuals shooting skills. The Huskemaw appears to be very easy to use based on their marketing, but for me I would go with the best and buy a NF. I own these scopes but have no experience with the Huskemaw. I do have a question for the board, in what country are these Huskemaw scopes made?

 

[effendude]

The Huskemaw scope is made in Japan. I am a dealer, but I also use NF for all my competition shooting. I have turrets for the Huskemaws. I have several NXS scopes with drop charts that I use as well for hunting. I have not had the opportunity to use the NF SHV scopes yet but I am sure they are great. Both the NXS and Huskemaw scopes are excellent scopes.

On a spring grizz hunt in Alaska a few years ago, I had a Huskemaw scope and my outfitter friend had a NXS. We would hunt in the evening into the morning as it never got too dark to hunt. At the darkest part of the night, which was still just barely huntable, we stood on the river bed and compared scope brightness. We agreed both scopes were excellent with the NXS being the tiniest bit brighter, and we also agreed hunters would never be able to tell the difference in hunting situations.

When customers ask me which scope is better, I tell them that for the approx. $500 difference in price between the NXS and the Huskemaw, they can spend that money on other equipment or more ammo for practice. The new NF SHV scopes eliminate that argument.

I honestly think you will be happy with either scope. The Huskemaw and turrets simplify a hunting situation for someone who doesn't live/breathe ballistics.

Scott

 

[Frankr]

The Night Force would be easer to use in a rapid field situation . due to the moa reticle. I shot mine 2,3,4,5 hundred yards just using the reticle to hold over. example is my rifle is 6 moa hold over for 500 yrds . so I jut hold on the 6 moa line and i'm dead on at 500 yrds. this works very well if you have to take a rapid shot from 300 to 500 yards. you can use the retile to hold over precisely if you know how many moa you need. you can dial the moa you need and use the reticle to hold for wind. I was out banging steel this afternoon with mine. I had a few loads that needed shot up so I could reload them with my hunting load. set a gong across the hill drove to the other side ranged it at 699 to 702 yrds. called it 700 and had to dial on 13 moa with this load , was windy left to right 3-5 mph gusting to around 8 mph. called it 5 held 2moa into the wind and hit it the first shot. hit it a few times missed it a few also. we also hit a rock around 853 yrds. but I feel the wind is quite tricky from 700 to 1,000 with the rifle i'm shooting. also was very cold,shaking and in a awkward position off a bipod. very hard target to hit. SHV is a new scope mine seems to work fine and is very clear. draw back are BIG Bulky heavy. But I need what I need. in my honest opinion there is no need for a scope like this if the furthest shot ever would be 400 yards. a 4-12 Leupold would work fine. if its a flat shooting rifle it's not hard at all to dope a 18" hold over. but sure is nice to just hold right on.