Q&A on NF NX6 scope reviews

[stevevan]

I suppose I'll upset all the NF fans but I don't see anything in the NX6 line (especially the 2-12) that excites me as Imy scopes used for100% hunting. That being said my next scope, which I'm presently searching, will either be a Trijicon or possibly a Swaro Z5+.

 

[shax2lex]

I think I may be the lone person who is excited about the 2-12 and I like the reticle. I have a Bushnell LRHSi and I’ve been wanting the same style reticle but with a better scope and glass. For me the NX6, 2-12 is it.

 

[mwoolsey5]

I’m really frustrated right now with Nightforce because they are nailing so many things that are great in a scope and I was feeling super optimistic about the NX6, but they just laid an absolute egg with their reticle choices for hunters. My fault for hoping it would be different than what it is.

The scopes are basically unusable at lower magnification. If I was only guaranteed a longer shot, it would be fine, but you never know what the hunting situation will require and 98% of the time, I’ve got my scope at the lowest magnification for close shots.I think these would be great for competition and bench rest positions, but how could you have ANY degree of confidence pulling a trigger on an animal using their lower magnification?

I know Rokslide members always say we are just a tiny bubble and don’t reflect the market at large, but I look at the impact this group has on sales of the Maven RS1.2 with a SHR-Mil reticle and it made waves and got the industry at large at least talking about it. How can Nightforce be so obtuse with their blatant ignoring of feedback from Hunters? Like damn, do they just hate money? JFC.

If they put a decent reticle on this I’d be all in for all my future scopes for myself and my sons who are getting close to hunting age. Good news is that that business will now likely go towards supporting the new Rokscope.

 

[Formidilosus]

I think I may be the lone person who is excited about the 2-12 and I like the reticle. I have a Bushnell LRHSi and I’ve been wanting the same style reticle but with a better scope and glass. For me the NX6, 2-12 is it.

It’s not the same reticle as the LRHS- not at all.

 

[Dave Thomas]

Haven't had a chance to look thru one yet, but euro optic said Atacr glass. Hopeful it's true as i like the image better in the ATACR vs. Nx8

I thought the nx8 has the same glass as atacr, just the atacr is set up better to get a clearer view.

 

[Kfraz]

Woof, these reticles on the F1 versions of the 2-12 are not ideal. Not sure I understand what they were going for here.

 

[Rock’N Tacos]

I have always found it humorous that so many on here find all these sub par or unusable reticles for hunting …all my scopes are NF and I have both SFP and FFP and have never been picky and never had an issue killing animals a long ways out. To not pick one of these up because of the reticle is too funny!

 

[rharbaugh]

@Formidilosus hows the parallax on the NX6? IMO the parallax on the NX8 has what id call a very small range of image clarity, meaning if I focus on something at 200 I’ll have to readjust my parallax for anything past 300. Im comparing it to my tenmile where I can set the parallax at 350-400 and almost forget it

 

[Ryan Avery]

I have always found it humorous that so many on here find all these sub par or unusable reticles for hunting …all my scopes are NF and I have both SFP and FFP and have never been picky and never had an issue killing animals a long ways out. To not pick one of these up because of the reticle is too funny!

No one said you couldn't kill with these reticles, or that they are unusable. What is being discussed is why not optimize an F1 reticle so it's usable across the entire zoom range.

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus hows the parallax on the NX6? IMO the parallax on the NX8 has what id call a very small range of image clarity, meaning if I focus on something at 200 I’ll have to readjust my parallax for anything past 300. Im comparing it to my tenmile where I can set the parallax at 350-400 and almost forget it

It’s better than the NX8. DOF is a bit short, and parallax setting is a bit finicky. Both are better than the NX8 so far.

 

[HuntHarder]

I thought the nx8 has the same glass as atacr, just the atacr is set up better to get a clearer view.

I am not positive on the differences between the 2. I have read multiple sources saying the ATACR series uses more ED glass vs the NXS and NX8. I have used both quite a bit and whatever it is, the ATACR looks noticeably better to me. The Nx8 glass is good, but far from great.

 

[Dobermann]

What's standing out to me is the 6x erector - an interesting move away from 8x.

I remember Jeff Huber did an interview on a podcast a few years ago where he discussed 5x as being optimal, 6x as possible, but above that as introducing issues.

Of course, he'd recently moved from NF and released the ZCO scopes, which were 5x - and NF had the 8x in the NX8s ... so one could unkindly say that he was making a bit of a marketing point of difference. Alternatively, one could say that he was talking after a lot of industry experience.

(For those who want to track it down, from memory, it was a fairly obscure podcast - might have been Tier One in the UK. I think he might have also done an interview with either Frank (ES), Jacob (RO), or Dave (JustF'n) about the same time, but I'm not sure.)

I wonder if NF have either seen issues with 8x, are responding to the complaints about the eyebox, or something else. Perhaps 6x is just simpler to manufacture?

 

[Sled]

The reticle has been what keeps me away from NF scopes. I've purchased a lot of scopes that didn't stick around after one or two range sessions. It's almost always the reticle that is the deal breaker with an otherwise fine product.

 

[Rock’N Tacos]

No one said you couldn't kill with these reticles, or that they are unusable. What is being discussed is why not optimize an F1 reticle so it's usable across the entire zoom range.

That is what illumination is for. Nobody holds for wind when the shot is less than 300 yards so you don’t need to see the hash marks or numbers on low power. This should only be an issue if the scope doesnt have illumination and all these NF scopes do.

 

[Macintosh]

I have always found it humorous that so many on here find all these sub par or unusable reticles for hunting …all my scopes are NF and I have both SFP and FFP and have never been picky and never had an issue killing animals a long ways out. To not pick one of these up because of the reticle is too funny!

Its not at all that they are unusable. And it has nothing to do with the long range part of their function. The issue is that there is too much emphasis on the long range part of the function, at the expense of what I want much of the time. It has everything to do with being optimal for BOTH short and long range. I have no use for a long range scope for hunting. What I have a use for is a GOOD short range hunting scope that is also good at moderately long range.
And simply adding illumination does not suffice.

 

[Rock’N Tacos]

Its not at all that they are unusable. And it has nothing to do with the long range part of their function. The issue is that there is too much emphasis on the long range part of the function, at the expense of what I want much of the time. It has everything to do with being optimal for BOTH short and long range. I have no use for a long range scope for hunting. What I have a use for is a GOOD short range hunting scope that is also good at moderately long range.

So my 4-16x42 ATACR has killed 3 moose all within 100 yards at 4x. I never had to turn the illumination on. It has also killed some elk and mule deer out past 700 yards. I stand by my original statement, and your claim doesnt make any sense to me. I guess I don’t understand the fuss about reticles.

I also have a few NX8s and some NXSs. If you aren’t killing stuff out past 600 yards, SFP is all you need if you are shooting a high BC bullet. I like their SFP reticles too.

 

[dreamingWest]

Rokslide hunters are down on these new reticles because we know "what could have been" and we have hope that something better will soon be released. I don't need a new scope. I have SHV with MOARs and Mil-Rs. I have perfectly capable Trijicons.

I would buy an NX6 if it was closer to what I think is ideal, but it's not. I'm sure NF will sell a bunch of these and if I needed a scope, I might buy one and use it effectively. But because of the reticle designs for the Mil versions, I think better options exist and more are coming.

 

[Macintosh]

@Rock’N Tacos Thats fine. I have a harder time seeing some of these reticles against my typical background than you maybe. I dont know where or how you hunt, I wont question your experience. I just know what I have experienced, which is that some reticles are more difficult to use at lowest magnification in a busy background. For me 100 yards isnt even close range yet, and thats most of its use, so I need it not just useable but optimised for that. This has been beat to death here and elsewhere, I think its safe to say that we wont ever see eye to eye on it…but I also think its safe to say that theres enough of both of us to offer either a reticle we can agree on, or two reticles, in what should be a really popular scope. They apparently saw fit to make them changeable between capped and uncapped turrets, which has my crossover use written all over it. And their 2fp version has a hunting reticle, but it doesnt provide any holding functionality for wind. And their 1fp version is more pigeonholed into being a longer range scope. It just seems like they put a lot of effort into making a “crossover” scope without a “crossover” reticle.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Nobody holds for wind when the shot is less than 300 yards so you don’t need to see the hash marks or numbers on low power.

This isn’t true. Normally I would agree with you, but I had to hold for wind at 220 yesterday. There were some very strong winds blowing up my valley. Absolutely miserable shooting weather.

 

[Rock’N Tacos]

This isn’t true. Normally I would agree with you, but I had to hold for wind at 200 yesterday. There were some very strong winds blowing up my valley. Absolutely miserable shooting weather.

To hit a 1” bullseye or kill a big game animal? What round and bullet were you shooting?