Recommend a scope please...

[Afy]

I have both a Leupold and a Nightforce. The NF is miles superior to the Leupold. Would reccomend the NF whole heartedly.

 

[MCMXI]

Afy, why not be a little scientific and tell us which models you have of both, what features you like about the Nightforce compared to the Leupold etc, why the Nightforce is better? That would help others (including me) a lot more than simply saying "The NF is miles superior to the Leupold."

Thanks.

 

[Afy]

I have a Leupold VX III 6.5x20 Varmint and a NF 12x42 NP1-RR
The optics on both are good, however I do find that the NF has a clearer picture and I do find the higher magnification very useful. They are a lot clearer than the Leupold at high magnification.
Moreover the holdover points in the NF make shooting and varying distances easier, then again the Varmint reticle on the Leupold can do the same.
I dont like the side parallax on the leupold because you need to start from infinity every time. It is irritating. Plus I love 1/8 MoA clicks on the NF.

I also have a Weaver 4.5-14 and a Tasco 4.5x24 that I like as well. The latter is on my .22 LR and the Mildot reticle lets me easily shoot between 50 and 100 meters without having to play with the knobs. Havent shot the .22 beyond 110 meters... but one of these days I will.

 

[lipadj46]

One plus for the Mark 4 line though is that it's used extensively by military and police units both overseas and in the US

Yes and the mk4's make sense for many agencies especially in the US. The price is right plus it's a US company. I don't think the Army or many police agencies will ever step up and go with a $2000 European scope or even US Optics for their large contracts. When the Marines went shopping recently though for a scope for their sniper rifle I believe they chose Schmidt & Bender but the #'s for Marine Corps contract I believe are a lot smaller than the Army contracts but that is just a guess.

 

[MCMXI]

I have a Leupold VX III 6.5x20 Varmint and a NF 12x42 NP1-RR

So you prefer the $1,800 scope with 42x to the $650 scope with 20x .... ... just kidding (not about the price though). I do agree with you about the parallax knob ... the free play is annoying and I don't know why Leupolds are like that.

When the Marines went shopping recently though for a scope for their sniper rifle I believe they chose Schmidt & Bender

... and then they'll decide to mount it on an AI rifle in .338 Lapua ... what are they thinking?

My comment about the Mark 4 scopes being used by the military/police is that they would have to meet/pass a number of tests, plus they will have been thoroughly abused in the field so it'd be interesting to talk to some military personnel since they may have a different perspective. Perhaps they'd say that the Mark 4 scopes are crap ... who knows?

 

[tango2echo]

I have the Carl Zeiss 6.5-20X50mm mentioned earlier in this thread on a Savage .308 F/TR. I am very pleased with it, and I routinely shoot beyond the ranges you've mentioned. Personally, I prefer more magnification than this scope offers for shooting at distances over about 800 yards. My next glass will have higher magnification....say something like 14-30X variable with an objective of 50+mm. I have never own the Nightforce scopes, but I hear positive things about them. I do have a safe full of Leupolds though, none of which I would recommend for long range target shooting. S&B probably is the best if you've got the coin.

T2E

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Um, as much as needed to get something quality that will last me a long time.

Hmmm, that makes it a lot easier to choose, then. I'd run with either:

1. U.S. Optics SN-3 2500 5-25x T-Pal Side Focus with a base price of around $2,500 (plus options):

http://www.usoptics.com/product.php?partnumber=SN3-2500

http://www.longrangesupply.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=330


Or

2. Zeiss Victory Diavari 6-24x72mm at $3,700:

http://www.zeiss.com/C1256BCF0020BE5F/Contents-Frame/E34E4125AA548D6685256BCF0061320D

http://www.opticsplanet.net/zeiss-victory-diavari-6-24x72-riflescopes-30mm.html

Or

3. Schmidt & Bender 12.5-50x56mm at $3,100

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=120483552


Tough choice, though - which one you runnin with?

Or, on a really tight budget (relatively speaking), honorable mention to:


4. Nightforce 8-32x56 NXS, coming in around $1,700:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nightforce-Rifle-Scope-8-32x56-NXS-NXS3256_W0QQitemZ200218541688QQcmdZViewItem

IOR, Kahles, Leica, Hensoldt, Docter, Unertl, Leupold LR/Premier, Nikon Tactical - those are pikers compared to what you are looking for here.