Nightforce, Leupold, or Zeiss?

[kyotekiller25]

Looking to get a new scope for a 1K trainer 223 Wylde bolt. Will be used for varmints, coyotes, matches, and steel out to 1K. I have it narrowed down to 3 scopes now. Ultimately looking for the best glass and repeatable turrets.

Nightforce NX8 4-32x MOAR reticle
Leupold MK5 7-35x PR2- MOA reticle
Zeiss LRP S3 6-36x ZF-MOAI reticle

Of the 3 reticles, the NF MOAR is my least favorite by far. Just never have been a huge fan of it. My favorite is probably the Leupold PR2-MOA, followed closely by the Zeiss ZF-MOA. With that said, what's everyone's thoughts and opinions on these 3 scopes? Not really interested in anything else, so please no Arken recommendations, cause that's not happening haha.

 

[Mike_McAllister]

Nightforce; but consider a 15-55X Competition. You will like the higher magnification for 1K.
Just my opinion.

 

[nakneker]

Any of the three you mention should serve you well out at 1k. Ive become very fond of the MK5s, I like the turret design and they’ve been very reliable tracking, I use 7 of them, mostly in smaller powers on hunting rigs but we are constantly shooting out to 1k and beyond. The NF is a solid option too, I run a couple ATACRs and a couple NXSs, I had an F1 2-20 NX8 but the parallax was really touchy, I didn’t get a long with that scope and traded for one of the ATACRs. That’s just my experience with one scope. Never owned a V6, can’t comment but I read good things. I shoot Mils, using the TMR, Mil-R and Mil-C reticles. I looked up your reticle, looks like a very usable reticle, it’s pictured below.

 

[pegleg75]

Had the NX8....Hated it. sold quickly.
Had that exact Leupold Mark 5. PR2 MOA.....Loved the glass but my parallax was off by about 25 yds. That may be no big deal for some, but personally if a scope cost $2k....I think it should atleast function properly. The Glass/feel was head and heels above the NX8 though.
Im honestly thinking about just going back to the good ole NXS.......getting pretty dissapointed with scopes over $1500 not performing on a basic level. Getting ready to send another $2000 scope back to the factory right now. (not leupold or NF.......but still)
If all else fails I may just go get another USO FDN 25X.......

 

[Krogen]

What was it about the NX8 you hated? I'm happy with mine. Having been a Leupold guy for ages, I quit them when their reticles got so dang busy. Can't see the target through the clutter. Like looking through a screen door! I may be a curmudgeon (may?) but give me a second focal plane, MOA adjustment, dot reticle and I'm happy.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

So many good scopes now. Pick the reticle you like.

 

[Rob01]

Get the Zeiss. Have had mine for about a year and a half and it's a great scope. Actually have three of them. Two 6-36x and a 4-25x. The reticle is great for holds and precision shots and it is easy to get behind. Glass is great too. All in all its an excellent package in it's price range.

 

[longrangebanker]

Had the NX8....Hated it. sold quickly.
Had that exact Leupold Mark 5. PR2 MOA.....Loved the glass but my parallax was off by about 25 yds. That may be no big deal for some, but personally if a scope cost $2k....I think it should atleast function properly. The Glass/feel was head and heels above the NX8 though.
Im honestly thinking about just going back to the good ole NXS.......getting pretty dissapointed with scopes over $1500 not performing on a basic level. Getting ready to send another $2000 scope back to the factory right now. (not leupold or NF.......but still)
If all else fails I may just go get another USO FDN 25X.......

I have an 8-32x56 NXS and absolutely love it. On my new dasher build I was debating between the NX8 and another NXS. After looking at them both side by side, IMO there was no comparison that the NXS was better. And to top it off, still cheaper than the NX8. I now have (2) 8-32x56 and (1) 5.5-22x56 NXS scopes.

 

[pegleg75]

What was it about the NX8 you hated? I'm happy with mine. Having been a Leupold guy for ages, I quit them when their reticles got so dang busy. Can't see the target through the clutter. Like looking through a screen door! I may be a curmudgeon (may?) but give me a second focal plane, MOA adjustment, dot reticle and I'm happy.

Honestly if you took the NX8 and didnt compare it to some others then it may be fine. But at the time i was going through several different scopes and the NX8 came through just as I was trying a Mark 5, trijicon Tenmile, Leupold VX-6 and a couple of others. The NX8 glass was less desirable/clear than any of them. The click adjustments compared to either of the leupolds was just "mushy" and to top it off, it just wasnt taking adjustments like it should. All of these scopes were mounted onto the same rifle within 3 weeks of each other with nothing on the rifle being changed. Its not that the NX8 was the worst scope ever.......its just when compared to scopes that it not only should have been competing with, but DEFEATING.......especially considering its price range...........it just didnt. I also had the BR 8-32x56 which i had to send back to NF to have seals and such put in. It was the older, yellow letter version. And I even prefered it, in feel/fuction/clarity over my NX8. I think the NX8's honest problem.........its overpriced for what it is. If the NX8 was $1200 instead of around $2000 then it would be competing (I think) with much more comparable scope. I just sold a Trijicon Tenmile 4.5-30x56 and it blew my NX8 4-32 completely out of the water in every way/fashion/form. Better glass, better/easier illumination, better controls and spot-on tracking.......like......amazing tracking. (and you can pick up a used Tenmile WAY cheaper than an NX8) I know that NF thrives on "repeatable"......but Ive personally had two NFs scopes to fail on me. One I ended up selling the rifle it was on because i thought theres NO WAY this NF isnt tracking like it should...........but.......yep.......it wasnt. Confirmed from NF, repaired and returned. I will say one thing though......NF customer service is AMAZING. But I truly believe the NX8 line is priced way over its paygrade.

 

[Krogen]

Thanks for the detailed observations, pegleg75. Trijicon is a brand I hadn't considered before. I'll add them to the "short list" for the next time I go scope shopping. We have a lot of options these days. That's part of the difficulty. March is the most spectacular scope I've encountered. Of course, it comes at a spectacular price too.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Had the NX8....Hated it. sold quickly.
Had that exact Leupold Mark 5. PR2 MOA.....Loved the glass but my parallax was off by about 25 yds. That may be no big deal for some, but personally if a scope cost $2k....I think it should atleast function properly. The Glass/feel was head and heels above the NX8 though.
Im honestly thinking about just going back to the good ole NXS.......getting pretty dissapointed with scopes over $1500 not performing on a basic level. Getting ready to send another $2000 scope back to the factory right now. (not leupold or NF.......but still)
If all else fails I may just go get another USO FDN 25X.......

I never owned a Leupold that the parallel numbers were on,lol. Maybe that's why they have all left the building but one That one does not that adjustment.

 

[kyotekiller25]

I haven't ever seen any scope that the parallax numbers were right on. Maybe that's why half of the scopes now don't even have numbers for parallax. Everyone's eyes are different, you adjust it until it's good and shoot. Who cares if it's not on the right parallax number? Never bothered or hindered my shooting anyway.

 

[SteveOak]

None of these.

Even 36X is insufficient for 1k.

 

[Dave Zander]

I haven't ever seen any scope that the parallax numbers were right on. Maybe that's why half of the scopes now don't even have numbers for parallax. Everyone's eyes are different, you adjust it until it's good and shoot. Who cares if it's not on the right parallax number? Never bothered or hindered my shooting anyway.

Kahles 6x24 is right on for me

 

[kyotekiller25]

Well, I ended up going with a S&B PMII 12-50x56 P4F MOA reticle. Should be here Wednesday. Can't wait to get my hands on it!