Nightforce SHV 4-14x50 opinions?

Joined
May 15, 2022
Messages
514
Since, you are here...

Any recommendations? I think I am going to sell my LRHS scopes. I love them and they work, but Bushnell discontinued them, won't service or repair a 3-12 that lost zero, and doesn't make anything comparable for a replacement. I figure I would cut bait and go to a manufacturer that makes great scopes and not have to worry about service a decade from now.

Reliability is my number one goal. After that, its forgiveness and usability since I tend to take a lot of newer shooters out into the field. Must be FFP and a hunter reticle would be awesome as well. I tried the SWFA 3-15 and hated it - the image was terrible and the eyebox was unusable at about about 11x. I would wait for the new SWFA, but their current backorders are approaching a year, let alone selling a new product line.

So I am looking at the NX8, SHV, (ATACR is out of my price range), and the Ten Mile... or waiting a year plus for the new SWFA scopes. Any other options I missed?
 

TheCougar

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
3,279
Location
Virginia
In my shopping cart already. I'm interested in what @Formidilosus says before I buy one. I can get the SHV F1 through a military deal as well. May get one of each or both NF or the Ten Mile.
 
Joined
May 15, 2022
Messages
514
In my shopping cart already. I'm interested in what @Formidilosus says before I buy one. I can get the SHV F1 through a military deal as well. May get one of each or both NF or the Ten Mile.
I just got the f1 SHV. It's fun. I don't know if I'll use it for hunting actually as the reticle is difficult at low power. But, with illumination it is very usable in all but the brightest conditions.
 

TheCougar

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
3,279
Location
Virginia
I have a 3-10 on my main hunting rifle, on a pic rail and rings that were torqued and loctited. I hunted 3rd season in CO, and it survived getting knocked over on some rocks, and then it was laying in the back of my 4runner uncased when I rolled it over 180 degrees. Zero was unchanged.

If they made it in an ffp, mil, exposed elevation turret model with a better reticle it would be nice, but at this point my confidence in their durability is prhttps://www.nightforceoptics.com/riflescopes/shv/shv-4-14x50-f1etty high.

I have a 3-10 on my main hunting rifle, on a pic rail and rings that were torqued and loctited. I hunted 3rd season in CO, and it survived getting knocked over on some rocks, and then it was laying in the back of my 4runner uncased when I rolled it over 180 degrees. Zero was unchanged.

If they made it in an ffp, mil, exposed elevation turret model with a better reticle it would be nice, but at this point my confidence in their durability is pretty high.
 

TheCougar

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
3,279
Location
Virginia
I just got the f1 SHV. It's fun. I don't know if I'll use it for hunting actually as the reticle is difficult at low power. But, with illumination it is very usable in all but the brightest conditions.
Good reticles are tough to find. The SWFA, the LRHS death donut, and the ZP5 have the best I've seen. Also the FC NF reticlees, but those are for the low power scoeps only.
 

TheCougar

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
3,279
Location
Virginia
If Bushy hadn't abandoned the only good scope they've ever made, I would double down on them. I guess they are going to focus making for crap for the masses.
 
Joined
May 15, 2022
Messages
514
Good reticles are tough to find. The SWFA, the LRHS death donut, and the ZP5 have the best I've seen. Also the NF MOAR, but they don't offer a mil equivalent.
If SWFA could learn to run a normal business that sells things and stop spending their time designing useless Christmas tree reticles maybe we could have nice stuff and actually just get what we want.
 

woods89

WKR
Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Messages
1,835
Location
Southern MO Ozarks

Yeah, a buddy has one on his rifle. It's bigger, heavier, and no progress on the reticle. I haven't been motivated enough to switch, yet.
It has done well on his 300 WM, though.
 

TheCougar

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
3,279
Location
Virginia
If SWFA could learn to run a normal business that sells things and stop spending their time designing useless Christmas tree reticles maybe we could have nice stuff and actually just get what we want.
They have a great business model - great scopes for a great price. Now the execution of the model needs some work. They keep taking orders without being able to actually deliver. And now a new product line. Why buy the old model when there is going to be a new hotness?
 

TheCougar

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
3,279
Location
Virginia
Yeah, a buddy has one on his rifle. It's bigger, heavier, and no progress on the reticle. I haven't been motivated enough to switch, yet.
It has done well on his 300 WM, though.
The consensus is that the reticle needs to be illuinated below 6x
 
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
1,680
Yeah, a buddy has one on his rifle. It's bigger, heavier, and no progress on the reticle. I haven't been motivated enough to switch, yet.
It has done well on his 300 WM, though.
Gun to my head I'd prefer their MIL-XT reticle over the MIL-R but I'm not a huge fan of either. I just noticed EuroOptic has a new (labeled new at least) model of SHV F1 available with the MIL-XT reticle but I hate most everything except the floating center dot.

 

Lawnboi

WKR
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
8,393
Location
North Central Wi
Even compared to the nx8, the shvf1 is a great scope. Having both, I would honestly choose the shv as a better big game scope most of the time.

Parallax and eye box is easier to get behind on the shv.
 
Joined
Mar 27, 2021
Messages
377
Location
SW Wisconsin
I like the shv f1 I have had one for 2 years and haven’t had issues at 4x taken 2 elk and a few deer.
The illumination is nice in the mornings and evenings just flip it on for the first/last half hour of the hunt and then turn it off.

If you’re comparing it to the tenmile it cost less. I just order a second for about $964 dollars new from Cabelas using active junky 12% and the Cabelas 15% off on Mondays through Christmas for club members. Also get 2%back in Cabelas points.
 

Dobermann

WKR
Joined
Sep 17, 2016
Messages
1,942
Location
EnZed
Since, you are here...

Any recommendations? I think I am going to sell my LRHS scopes. I love them and they work, but Bushnell discontinued them, won't service or repair a 3-12 that lost zero, and doesn't make anything comparable for a replacement. I figure I would cut bait and go to a manufacturer that makes great scopes and not have to worry about service a decade from now.

Reliability is my number one goal. After that, its forgiveness and usability since I tend to take a lot of newer shooters out into the field. Must be FFP and a hunter reticle would be awesome as well. I tried the SWFA 3-15 and hated it - the image was terrible and the eyebox was unusable at about about 11x. I would wait for the new SWFA, but their current backorders are approaching a year, let alone selling a new product line. the 5-20 HD is a little high on magnifiction, but could work if the eyebox is more forgiving than the 3-15.

So I am looking at the NX8, SHV, (ATACR is out of my price range), and the Ten Mile... or waiting a year plus for the new SWFA scopes. Any other options I missed?
I'm not Form ... but keep an eye on the Maven RS1.2 thread for drop test outcomes. (Sorry, can't recall if you're already in that thread, and about to dash out ...)
 

Dobermann

WKR
Joined
Sep 17, 2016
Messages
1,942
Location
EnZed
You think it will survive?
No idea. But a few Roksliders now have these in hand, so perhaps head to that thread and keep an eye on it. Some interesting posts from Form in there too about that combination of form factor and reticle (it's almost like a THLR 'Lite' - lots to like).
 

TheCougar

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
3,279
Location
Virginia
No idea. But a few Roksliders now have these in hand, so perhaps head to that thread and keep an eye on it. Some interesting posts from Form in there too about that combination of form factor and reticle (it's almost like a THLR 'Lite' - lots to like).
The previous Maven, a SFP scope, didn’t fare very well.
 

Latest posts

Featured Video

Stats

Threads
349,767
Messages
3,684,821
Members
79,998
Latest member
Blackhawk Boyle
Top