VX5HD or SHV

Dcrafton

WKR
Joined
Aug 10, 2016
Messages
620
Location
Morgan utah
Internals failed and left the erector tube wandering.
I switched out the scope, problem disappeared.
Contact NF CS and they start right out wanting to blame mounts.
I swapped out mounts... same shit.
NF CS then tells me it must be the rifle. I explain to him that that has already been ruled out by putting another optic on it and tell them it’s a proven rifle.
CS dick laughs at me and tells me “Yeah, everyone has a proven rifle and everyone is a professional shooter”, then goes on to question my abilities.

I sent it to them and they sent it back nearly a year later with note of what they did or didn’t do.
I didn’t waste my time with it or them any further.

I’ve heard that more than once, when they do fail, the CS is terrible.


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Ram94

WKR
Joined
Jul 24, 2019
Messages
626
I’ll take a scope that very rarely fails with the small chance of needing to deal with less than perfect CS over one that has a well documented reputation to fail with great CS. Just my opinion.


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mxgsfmdpx

WKR
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
4,183
Location
Central Arizona
Internals failed and left the erector tube wandering.
I switched out the scope, problem disappeared.
Contact NF CS and they start right out wanting to blame mounts.
I swapped out mounts... same shit.
NF CS then tells me it must be the rifle. I explain to him that that has already been ruled out by putting another optic on it and tell them it’s a proven rifle.
CS dick laughs at me and tells me “Yeah, everyone has a proven rifle and everyone is a professional shooter”, then goes on to question my abilities.

I sent it to them and they sent it back nearly a year later with note of what they did or didn’t do.
I didn’t waste my time with it or them any further.

I can’t believe a CS rep actually said stuff like that to a customer?! Insane.

What was his name and when did this take place? I know one of their product managers really well and would like to talk to him about this.

Next time get the scope on a verified and well measured tracking board. You should be using this for verifying tracking anyway not shooting your rifle. It will be undisputed then.
 

fatbacks

WKR
Joined
Aug 26, 2017
Messages
1,153
Location
Interior AK
I was at the range yesterday shooting rifles with these exact scopes. I have a VX5 3-15 on a custom 300 WSM build and then I just put a 3-10 SHV on my Fierce 30 Nosler. When shooting them back to back, the glass on the SHV blows compared to the Leupold. I would not do load development with this scope as the aim point on a smaller target would be more difficult to be precise given the edge distortion and chromatic aberration. However, it will be more than fine for hunting applications. My VX5 has always dialed and returned to zero correctly. Haven't tested my SHV for dialing yet, but I am confident in it given the NF reputation.
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
635
Location
NE MO
I can’t believe a CS rep actually said stuff like that to a customer?! Insane.

What was his name and when did this take place? I know one of their product managers really well and would like to talk to him about this.

Next time get the scope on a verified and well measured tracking board. You should be using this for verifying tracking anyway not shooting your rifle. It will be undisputed then.

I don’t remember the CS reps name. It was about 6 years ago.
It was quicker to swap equipment on rifles to verify than to wait until I was at my home range with a tracking grid.

I was about 2500 rounds into a fresh rebarrel so I was pretty confident in my assessment before swapping optics and without putting it on the grid.

Water under the bridge and lesson learned.
 

thinhorn_AK

"DADDY"
Joined
Jul 2, 2016
Messages
10,341
Location
Alaska
I’ve had both and I like both. Once I have a leupold crap out on me I’ll let that form
My opinion but I’ve never had it happen and I’ve had a pile of leupolds over the years.

the SHV is a nice scope, for me they both fill a similar role, a basic scope that going to be mostly set and forget but has the ability to dial if I want to. If I was looking for a scope and I tended to do a lot of dialing, neither one would be my choice.

rhe leupold definetly has better glass and the nightforce wins in the durability department.
 

Catahoula

WKR
Joined
Jul 25, 2018
Messages
1,850
Location
Loveland, CO. was AZ.
I have both scopes...
VX5 HD 3-15x44...... no issues at all.
NF SHV 4-14x56...... no issues with one this either.
I like both scopes basically equal.
 
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Messages
495
Location
Colorado
I tried the SHV and did not care for the eye relief. I also feel my vx5 gives me a few more minutes at last light. I will continue to use it because of that. Tracking and RTZ has never been an issue. My budy has killed a pile of animals with the vulnerable and non alpha glass vx3. Somehow it has continued to operate the last seven years on backpack hunts.

If imy vx5 does ever fail, I will be sure to be a vocal internet keyboard warrior and promptly report on every forum I can find!!
 

Jnmullins

FNG
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
8
Location
Louisiana
I just bought a 3-15x44 VX5HD and am very impressed with it. I haven't been able to get to the range with it yet, but the image is very sharp and the image circle is much larger that I was expecting compared to the Bushnell Nitro 4-16x44 it replaced (temporary scope just so I could shoot the gun). With the way that Leupold tests their scopes, I am confident that they make a solid product
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2015
Messages
1,889
Location
Colorado
I love my 3-10 SHV's for hunting and the bulletproof'ness, but it will leave you wishing for more shooting paper at the range. I have had a VX6HD and moved it on. Have 2 3-10 SHV's and haven't thought about selling them.
 
Joined
Sep 30, 2020
Messages
24
I have a VX5hd 3x15x44 firedot and LOVE IT, its tracking has been flawless, although I haven't dialed it a ton. I feel the glass is as clear has my swaro slc 10x42.

That being said, I got it 2 years ago, and with all of the complains since, I'm a little nervous it will fail when I need it most! For that reason I'm not sure I'll keep it, or that I would buy again.

I was all set to buy one until I started reading all the forums trying to research it. Sucks when you have a product that seems to work but can't trust it based on what people say in forums.

Ive found complaints about every optic I was interested in failing (including the one about the shv failing and nightforce customer service not backing the product in the post above. Just ruined that one for me lol).
 

0nepin

FNG
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
1
I own both the nightforce shv 5x20x56 illuminated moa and the vx5 3x15x56 fire dot zero stop to .I do a lot of 1000 yard shooting and the vx5 has been flawless through 1,000 of 200gr 300 wm rounds and so has the nightforce on a 7mm mag sendero.after owning both for a while I definitely prefer the VX5.better glass , way better low light reticle with the fire dot and much lighter .no question out of all the scopes I have owned and there as been many including high dollar Europe made scope I like vx5 better any other and will buy another vx5 3x15x56 for my next rifle build .
 
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