Advice on New Hunting Scope

[SDHNTR]

I also see its just a few ounces heavier, which is interesting for the magnification difference. With the elevation not being locking, do you foresee issues of it being bumped in the field and rotating a few clicks or is it good and strong?

It is a little bit heavier because overall, the scope itself is larger. Longer tube. And that is exactly what makes it optically more user-friendly. Negative things happen when you cram a high zoom erector into a small body scope tube.

 

[AlpineBeard]

Do some research. Element nexus and Delta Stryker are not “crappy” they are fine optics made at LOW. Same place that makes a NF ATACR. I’ve owned a dozen NF scopes and I think they are fine. I’ve also owned a Leupold Mark 5HD. They are fine scopes but are not a good value in my opinion. I don’t always buy optics strictly on value and own some that are north of $5k. Scopes in that league never represent a good value. They are also not necessarily better in every way.

I personally would take a delta Stryker or an element nexus on a once in a lifetime hunt just as quickly as I’d take a NF ATACR. Whatever scope you get, test it and confirm it’s going to be tough and reliable. It’s not just the scope that effects your reliability, it’s also the stock/bedding, rail, rings/mounts etc… make sure they are all reliable together as a package.

Obviously 95% of the guys here would tell you to get a NF no mater your budget and call it a day. If that’s how you feel you’ll be happier doing just that… I would never encourage someone to use an optic they don’t trust. But what you trust and what are actually trustworthy are not mutually exclusive.

 

[KandK22]

It is a little bit heavier because overall, the scope itself is larger. Longer tube. And that is exactly what makes it optically more user-friendly. Negative things happen when you cram a high zoom erector into a small body scope tube.

The only thing we have ever had happen was an elevation rotate from rubbing in the pack and sold that scope after costing 2 animals. Everyone could say you should always check your turrets before taking that shot but when and animal is in range where no dialing is needed, you don't check it. That's where the piece of mind comes in of either a good solid turret or one in which they lock so you don't have to worry.

I was more meaning I would have thought the big 4-32 would have been a lot more heavier than the 2.5-20 but glad its not.

 

[KandK22]

Do some research. Element nexus and Delta Stryker are not “crappy” they are fine optics made at LOW. Same place that makes a NF ATACR. I’ve owned a dozen NF scopes and I think they are fine. I’ve also owned a Leupold Mark 5HD. They are fine scopes but are not a good value in my opinion. I don’t always buy optics strictly on value and own some that are north of $5k. Scopes in that league never represent a good value. They are also not necessarily better in every way.

I personally would take a delta Stryker or an element nexus on a once in a lifetime hunt just as quickly as I’d take a NF ATACR. Whatever scope you get, test it and confirm it’s going to be tough and reliable. It’s not just the scope that effects your reliability, it’s also the stock/bedding, rail, rings/mounts etc… make sure they are all reliable together as a package.

Obviously 95% of the guys here would tell you to get a NF no mater your budget and call it a day. If that’s how you feel you’ll be happier doing just that… I would never encourage someone to use an optic they don’t trust. But what you trust and what are actually trustworthy are not mutually exclusive.

That's why it would be so nice to have a place where you can look through, shoot, and just experience a bunch of optics. One might make sense on paper and you buy it and guess what it's not the one for you. Or optics you have never heard of before and its perfect for you but you never knew it existed.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Easy button is an ATACR 4-16. Locking elevation, capped windage, very reliable, no mental gymnastics or compromises.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Hello all,

I am looking for recommendations for a new scope for my father's dream rifle build. The gun he is having built is a Seekins slam 7 prc. I am fairly new to top end glass as we have always run cheap 3-9 scopes and just recently started getting into the serious stuff. I will lay out some information below that will hopefully you guys guide me to possible scopes for him.

Hunting conditions:
-We live in Wyoming and hunt primarily elk, mule deer, and antelope.
-We are backpack hunters and strap our guns to our packs and hike in.
-Shots can be anywhere from 30 yards to out to 1,000.

Looking for in a scope but not required:
-We are wanting a scope that stays true from taking abuse of slipping and falling on shale and just being bounced around on pack. When we go out to the range, they are extremely babied in the truck, so the real abuse is coming in the field.
-Would like locking turrets, but can also be good solid turrets that won't rotate when rubbing against the pack. If turrets aren't locking windage, must be capped as we have had a scope that the windage wasn't and cost us an animal from being rotated in the pack and did not check before making the shot.
-Magnification range: As my father puts it he needs quite a bit of magnification because his eyes are old haha. He is looking for top end magnification to be in the 20's minimum. He will rarely dial below 9 power because he is used to it and doesn't need a really low magnification for those up close shots even if the animal is running.
-The weight of the scope isn't a big deal as the rifle is already 5.5 lbs roughly. Leaving more weight for a scope to tame that recoil and allow for a good, reliable scope.
-Budget is top end 2,000 dollars but can go up a little if the right scope is more.

Current scopes:
-On my mom's rifle she has a vortex razor lht 4.5-22 scope. We have had great success with this scope tracking true and always holding zero. So this scope is a definite possibility for him but we wanted to see what else was out there.
-I had a gen 1 now leupold VX6hd and just recently had to send it in for warranty because anytime I would dial for a distance shot it would not be accurate. They said they saw no issue and sent it back. So I believe the gun may be recoiling the scope too hard and this is on a light weight 7 prc so nothing insane and it has a suppressor.

Scope talk with others:
-We are not brand loyal to any and just try and find the best scope for the application. In talks with Matty Nelson from Seekins he mentioned to stay away from a NF NX8 as in his opinion they are junk. He mentioned the vortex lht is a great scope as well as the leupold mark 5. He did say that leupold 8 or so months back fired their entire QC department as quality was really lacking and some junk scopes were going out the door.

Scopes we have looked at:
-With him I have looked at the leupold mark 5, we have the vortex lht at home, and a night force atacr. He likes a traditional duplex as thats what he has hunted with for 40 years but also likes a Christmas tree style now for wind holds.

I look forward to hearing people's thoughts and opinions on this and we both really appreciate any and all help. Please ask any other questions you might think of that would help.

I had good luck with a couple mk5s years ago, that said I was talking with a pro shooter at a match last weekend and he just had his 2nd mk5 go completely TU in the middle of a 2 day PRS shoot.

I'm running a 7-35 ATACR and it's a phenomenal scope, for whatever reason the other models have kinda crappy glass compared to the 7-35.
If you're on Snipers Hide guys are selling them used for $2500 regularly.

I've owned 3 different Trijicon tenmiles and personally I think the lowlight image quality is terrible. The FOV is pretty awful too.

 

[SDHNTR]

Easy button is an ATACR 4-16. Locking elevation, capped windage, very reliable, no mental gymnastics or compromises.

He thinks he needs more mag

 

[WeiserBucks]

He thinks he needs more mag

So does everyone else until they try it. He also says shooting running game in the timber on 12x so

 

[KandK22]

Easy button is an ATACR 4-16. Locking elevation, capped windage, very reliable, no mental gymnastics or compromises.

I seen the field test article on here for it and read through it. With having no experience with this scope and never having held it. I read the mention of the whole eye piece rotating when you are changing powers. I assume that even though you have to rotate that as well that changing powers is still smooth and easy? Then for the mention of the diopter focus being loosened up, is that just an item where every once in a while check to make sure it is still snug or if need be re tighten it up before it goes really loose?

He thinks he needs more mag

I might try and find a way to show him looking through a lower mag scope of high quality at range to see how he likes that. He has come from low quality 3-9 scopes so maybe that will change his opinion of hey with this 16 power scope I can see clearly my target out to 1,000 yards and don't need to chase that zoom like I thought.

 

[AlpineBeard]

I had good luck with a couple mk5s years ago, that said I was talking with a pro shooter at a match last weekend and he just had his 2nd mk5 go completely TU in the middle of a 2 day PRS shoot.

I'm running a 7-35 ATACR and it's a phenomenal scope, for whatever reason the other models have kinda crappy glass compared to the 7-35.
If you're on Snipers Hide guys are selling them used for $2500 regularly.

I've owned 3 different Trijicon tenmiles and personally I think the lowlight image quality is terrible. The FOV is pretty awful too.

I agree 100% the 7-35 ATACR seems way better optically than all the other ATACR’s, that’s why it’s still selling all these years later despite a little tunneling on the low end.

Typically low light performance favors scopes are high contrast vs high resolution. For a while now Japanese scopes have matched the best European and scopes in resolution to my eye. Scopes like the 7-35 ATACR, Zeiss S3, Vortex Razor Gen 3, Element Theos, Valdada Recon Gen 2, have made big advances on the Contrast side. I’m sure there are others I haven’t seen yet too.

If anyone wants to look at some optics and lives in Western WA I’d be happy to get together. I like to see what others have and see how others opinions vary on image quality. We all have different perspectives/preferences.

 

[WeiserBucks]

He has come from low quality 3-9 scopes so maybe that will change his opinion of hey with this 16 power scope I can see clearly my target out to 1,000 yards

If he's been using a 3-9 at 1000 yards a 4-16 will be great.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I read the mention of the whole eye piece rotating when you are changing powers. I assume that even though you have to rotate that as well that changing powers is still smooth and easy? Then for the mention of the diopter focus being loosened up, is that just an item where every once in a while check to make sure it is still snug or if need be re tighten it up before it goes really loose?

It hasn't been an issue for me after owning about 6 or 7 NF optics.