NF NXS or NX8 or ATACR for mountain rifle

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The NX8 is by far the best option for a lightweight mountain rifle. It is much lighter and more compact than the other scopes, it's first focal plane so your wind holds will remain consistent, the wind-age turret is capped, and the magnification range covers absolutely every scenario you could run into on a mountain hunting situation!

THIS ALL DAY
 
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BjornF16

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Not much size/weight difference between NX8 2.5-20 and 4-32...

Just another factor to throw into the equation...
 

Ryan Avery

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Nothing wrong with that scope either. I had a 4-16 ATACR for a while it was 32oz not 30. The NX8 2.5-20 is 27oz on my scale and I have lots of 30mm rings. I want an SFP NX8. It would also be a little lighter.
 

nrh6.7

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Nothing wrong with that scope either. I had a 4-16 ATACR for a while it was 32oz not 30. The NX8 2.5-20 is 27oz on my scale and I have lots of 30mm rings. I want an SFP NX8. It would also be a little lighter.
That sucks to hear about the weight. I'm trying to sell my self on a 4-16 ATACR but the weight keeps my wallet in my pocket. This doesn't help. Sometimes wish I just wanted a SFP.
 
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BjornF16

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Wild card...anyone have hands-on experience with Trijicon Credo HX or Tenmile HX scopes? Where is glass sourced? Rugged/reliable?

The 2.5-15x42 has everything I want except FFP.

Capped wind turret; turn dial illumination adjustments alternated with "Off" settings; Parallax adjustment; eye relief 3.4-3.9"; 100 MOA elevation adjustment with Zero Stop; 22.9 oz



or

3-18x44 Tenmile HX in FFP, 24.4 oz
 

thinhorn_AK

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My sheep rifle wears an NXS 2.5-10 and that’s the absolute heaviest I’d like a scope to be to classify as a mountain rifle for my use. I’ve shot it out to 755 yds and I don’t feel crippled by the magnification in the least.


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this is where I’m at too. I rarely shoot past 500 and always try for a closer shot than that, I also don’t see any reason to put a 30oz scope on an ultralight rifle like a Kimber. My Kimber is still >6.5lbs all up with the nxs 2.5-10 and I can easily hit the steel out at 500.
 

Marbles

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Different from what you are looking at, but I just got an NX8 1-8x24 to put on my Kimber Montana. It could be mounted with Talley low rings, however I put it on a rail so that I can use it on other guns if I want to.

It comes in at 17.2 oz on my scale, and is compact. FFP as well. If the NXS 2.5-10 was FFP, I probably would have gotten that. SFP in a ranging reticle just sounds like a great place for Murphy to show up.
 
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BjornF16

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Different from what you are looking at, but I just got an NX8 1-8x24 to put on my Kimber Montana. It could be mounted with Talley low rings, however I put it on a rail so that I can use it on other guns if I want to.

It comes in at 17.2 oz on my scale, and is compact. FFP as well. If the NXS 2.5-10 was FFP, I probably would have gotten that. SFP in a ranging reticle just sounds like a great place for Murphy to show up.

I've pondered that...just kind of sidelined it due to the objective size and low light. I'm not looking to shoot to 1000 yds...just thinking 500 yds max for hunting.
 

thinhorn_AK

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Different from what you are looking at, but I just got an NX8 1-8x24 to put on my Kimber Montana. It could be mounted with Talley low rings, however I put it on a rail so that I can use it on other guns if I want to.

It comes in at 17.2 oz on my scale, and is compact. FFP as well. If the NXS 2.5-10 was FFP, I probably would have gotten that. SFP in a ranging reticle just sounds like a great place for Murphy to show up.

if I’m dialing, I’m going to be at max power anyways, I agree it’s a step where an error “could” occur but it’s never been an issue for me. I suppose if I was worried about it I could write something on my dope card to remind myself but hasn’t been an issue. My eyes aren’t perfect so most ffp scopes aren’t useful to me unless they are dialed up fairly high anyhow, that reticle shrinks and it’s just not useful in the low light we get where I live.
 

sneaky

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Different from what you are looking at, but I just got an NX8 1-8x24 to put on my Kimber Montana. It could be mounted with Talley low rings, however I put it on a rail so that I can use it on other guns if I want to.

It comes in at 17.2 oz on my scale, and is compact. FFP as well. If the NXS 2.5-10 was FFP, I probably would have gotten that. SFP in a ranging reticle just sounds like a great place for Murphy to show up.
Murphy shows up plenty on FFP scopes as well. Dialing the wrong yardage, being on the second revolution and not the first etc etc. Seen all of those things happen.

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BjornF16

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If you like the reticles offered by Nightforce, go with the baby ATACR - but I wouldn’t pay more than $2,000 for one. Otherwise, there’s way too many good optics nowadays.


Baby ATACR?...the 1-8x24 with 1.25 MOA center dot?
 

thinhorn_AK

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Go with the ATACR or a different brand. The SHV is an unimpressive, overpriced, budget optic. The NXS is an outdated, unimpressive, overpriced optic. The NX8 has way too many compromises: shallow DoF/finicky parallax, fisheye distortion, tight eyebox, etc.

If you like the reticles offered by Nightforce, go with the baby ATACR - but I wouldn’t pay more than $2,000 for one. Otherwise, there’s way too many good optics nowadays.

this is hilarious.
 

Marbles

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I've pondered that...just kind of sidelined it due to the objective size and low light. I'm not looking to shoot to 1000 yds...just thinking 500 yds max for hunting.

Unfortunately I don't have enough time behind the scope to give good information on it's low light performance. It feels like 4x and below work well in low light, so I'm fine with the trade off. I could still make out individual leaves on a tree at about 300 yards. Though it was not overcast when I was out. Most people want more X's than 4 though.

The Schmidt and Bender 1.5-8x42 Stratos at 21 oz is a really nice looking scope that can be had in FFP, but the reticle is rather plain.
 

madcalfe

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well i was just in the same predicament. i originally wanted a mark 5hd but the store didnt have the reticle i wanted so it was between the nx8 and the kahles k3i. the kahles is a really nice scope but at 32oz plus having to go to a 20moa rail and rings (roughly 8oz) it definitely added a full 1.25lbs onto my setup. i should have ordered the mark5hd in the reticle i wanted. but its getting to close to sheep season to wait for a scope. but im happy with the kahles glass is amazing eye box is nice (i thought better than the nx8)
 
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BjornF16

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About to pull trigger on NX8 2.5-20x50mm

What height NF UltraLite rings...Mediums?
 

madcalfe

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if your going rail and rings should be able to get away with lows.
i have a 20 MOA rail with low steiner T series rings on my 3-18x50 kahles

if your doing 1 piece like tallys probably a medium.
 

OXN939

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My sheep rifle wears an NXS 2.5-10 and that’s the absolute heaviest I’d like a scope to be to classify as a mountain rifle for my use. I’ve shot it out to 755 yds and I don’t feel crippled by the magnification in the least.


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Totally agreed on this. Suprised noone has mentioned the SHV 2-10? Either that or the NXS 2-10 are what comes to mind when I think "mountain rifle," much more so than these optics pushing two pounds that I'd put on a PRS rig
 
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The NXS 2.5-10x32 is 19 oz. Discontinued, but they can still be found. The 32 objective works just fine for mountain hunting above tree line.


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