Nightforce 4-14x50 SHV F1 Drop Test/mini evaul

sndmn11

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Nightforce 4-14x50 SHV F1 drop testing and mini evaluation. It was pointed out to me that I need to proof the rifle/mount/rings system. @HawkinsPrecision rings, Tikka T3 action with 22BR barrel from Preferred, in a Bell and Carlson stock. This scope is my own, one of two, and I have had it for three years or so.

Sight in shots (left black circle) were high and right. Corrections of .3mil left and .4mil down were made, and the next two shots printed slightly left.

PXL_20220205_222105153.jpg

Protocol was as closely adhered to as possible https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/scope-field-eval-explanation-and-standards.246775/

~18" drops right/top/left with single shot in between, ~36" drop right/top/left single shot in between, ~36' drop rightx3/topx3/leftx3 single shot. 7 shots with 15 drops.


PXL_20220207_171726673.jpg

The above drop testing was done outdoors at 100 yards, 20-30deg, off and on wind, and other things needed to be fit into the day. The SHV was taken off the rifle and two other drop tests were performed. The following day I went to an indoor 100 yard range to do testing of adjustment value and return to zero in a very abbreviated manner. The same was done with one other scope, and then this SHV remounted in the rifle.

One shot was taken about ten minutes after the rifle was last fired as a "cold" zero. I then loosened the "zero set" turret, raised it up a few revolution marks, and tighted the set screws with the 0 mark aligned but not on the scope body so that I could dial down. I dialed down 5 mils (one revolution) fired one shot, up 10 mils (two revolutions) fired a shot, down 10 mils (two revolutions) fired a shot, up 10 mils shot, down 10 mils shot, and then down 5 mils to the 100 yard zero. This was a total of 3 shots down 5 mils from zero and 2 shots up 5 mils from 100 yard zero these were aimed at the green spot from the day prior because that gave me space on the board both ways. I then shot again at the same spot used for the "cold" zero check and it touched that shot. If one compares the majority of the shots on the drop test spot and the cold/hot zero, one can see they would probably overlap some and this is also after the scope was taken off the rifle, and the rifle dropped for testing with other scopes in between.


PXL_20220207_171753987.jpg

5 mils should be 18" (1' 6").

Dialing up came to ~1' 5 25/32" from the bullet holes at 100 yard zero.
PXL_20220207_172158590.jpg


Dialing down came to ~1' 6 7/32"
PXL_20220207_210926404.jpg


I DID NOT follow the 5 shots up, 5 shots down, and full 10 shot return to zero protocol for a few reasons. 1) I was running shot on time. 2) I have 30 cartridges loaded that were among the batch of 300 on virgin brass. In the event I need to retest the LRTSi or Maven RS.3, I do not know if something will change with once fired brass. 3) I own this scope and can share results later. 4) @Formidilosus probably has oodles of data as well, and nothing went wonky with this scope and the tests I went through. In other words, things were working and I accepted that.

Some will notice multiple "plum" lines on the cardboard, The indoor range is multiple lanes with cable/track target carriers to run the targets to the end. I did take a level and stapled the target up plum/level, but by the time it settled at the end, it was not plum. I have multiple levels on the scope, and used those to shoot. For the 5mil up and 5mil down shots, a straight line can be made from those two groups bisecting the green circle aiming point. I drew the line to show this. I think my logic is sound in that if the scope tracked in a curve, a straight line could not be made between the three points. This is also why I stopped because the best test would be on a plumed target like I can do at the outdoor range.
 
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sndmn11

sndmn11

"DADDY"
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Messages
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Location
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SHV F1 Reticle is MIL-R
1644265659137.png

4X
PXL_20220207_161847296.jpg

~9x
PXL_20220207_161922702.jpg

14xPXL_20220207_161948545.jpg

4x @~113yds
PXL_20220207_162057047.jpg


ONLY the very center crosshair + is illuminated. I have never turned it on in the field, and learned today that it is not sunny day bright. In the above against the trees view, I could not see the illumination. Will make a point to test later in timber/overcast/etc.

Illumination at 4x (again, only the + is actually illuminated, the rest is bleed over)
PXL_20220207_162444301.jpg

Illumination at 14x (again, only the + is actually illuminated, the rest is bleed over)
PXL_20220207_162544528.jpg

Elevation turret is exposed, revolution indicated, and the "zero set" is two set screws at the top of the turret that are loosened and the turret pressed downward against the scope body, then held and tightened against the brass spindle within. I have found sometimes I can do this but still end up with one click past where I set it at 0. I have found it is easiest to take both set screws out fully because of the vacuum/pressure seal the o rings make between turret and spindle. 5mil per revolution.

Windage is capped, revolution indicated, and can be reset to zero, no stop. 5mils per revolution and it simply goes from 1 up, there is not a 1L/1R etc.

Parallax is marked 25yd to infinity, Illumination has ten or eleven settings with an off position in between and can rotate both ways without stopping. Battery cap is on the end of the parallax/illumination and takes one CR2032.
PXL_20220207_163627679.jpg
PXL_20220207_163718990.jpg
 
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Joined
Jun 25, 2015
Messages
36
SHV F1 Reticle is MIL-R
View attachment 378256

4X
View attachment 378259

~9x
View attachment 378258

14xView attachment 378257

4x @~113yds
View attachment 378264


ONLY the very center crosshair + is illuminated. I have never turned it on in the field, and learned today that it is not sunny day bright. In the above against the trees view, I could not see the illumination. Will make a point to test later in timber/overcast/etc.

Illumination at 4x (again, only the + is actually illuminated, the rest is bleed over)
View attachment 378263

Illumination at 14x (again, only the + is actually illuminated, the rest is bleed over)
View attachment 378262

Elevation turret is exposed, revolution indicated, and the "zero set" is two set screws at the top of the turret that are loosened and the turret pressed downward against the scope body, then held and tightened against the brass spindle within. I have found sometimes I can do this but still end up with one click past where I set it at 0. I have found it is easiest to take both set screws out fully because of the vacuum/pressure seal the o rings make between turret and spindle. 5mil per revolution.

Windage is capped, revolution indicated, and can be reset to zero, no stop. 5mils per revolution and it simply goes from 1 up, there is not a 1L/1R etc.

Parallax is marked 25yd to infinity, Illumination has ten or eleven settings with an off position in between and can rotate both ways without stopping. Battery cap is on the end of the parallax/illumination and takes one CR2032.
View attachment 378272
View attachment 378271
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Thanks for the test.

I'm not surprised. Have a few NF SHV's of various sizes, and they've all been really solid for me and a bunch of people I know who are running them.

I Ike how NF does the illumination on the SHV's. Having only the center lit makes it much more usable for quick aiming at dark objects. And, if I need to use the reticle to aim at long distance, I'm not usually doing that at last light or in thick cover.


One wish I have for NF is to build the 3-10 SHV and or NXS in FFP, and give them a reticle similar to what the Athlon Helos BTR Gen 2 2-12 has, or something that looks like a post or #4 on low X, but has a floating dot or crosshair in the center and wind hold points on the crosswire on higher X.
 
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josef

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
101
This is cool. How are you determining if a shift comes from the scope vs the rings vs the stock/action? In the end for a hunter it doesn’t really matter I guess because shift is shift. Just seems like a tough thing to nail down?
 
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sndmn11

sndmn11

"DADDY"
Joined
Mar 28, 2017
Messages
10,395
Location
Morrison, Colorado
This is cool. How are you determining if a shift comes from the scope vs the rings vs the stock/action? In the end for a hunter it doesn’t really matter I guess because shift is shift. Just seems like a tough thing to nail down?

That is the reason why I have done three of these evaluations. My first with a Maven RS.3 experienced shift. So, it was suggested I proof my rifle/rail/ammo/shooter/rings system with a scope that should perform. That was this test and essentially proofed my system. The next test was with a Bushnell LRTS and it also did fine with a little bigger group. Going back to the RS.3 showed a shift of a few inches on some shots. Those three tests were all done on the same day.

In my eyes, my particular system is proofed with the results of the SHV and the LRTS. The shift with the Maven in my opinion shows that I am also able to discover zero shift.
 
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