Rifle scope choices??

[Mtnwalker]

Those guys are doing everbody a favor with that testing. They've already got scope mfg's reaching out to them to test products before release now, hopefully some other big names will be forced to step up their reliability as a result

Agreed, the Maven RS1.2 story is a good testament. I do think too many take is as gospel and don't test their own systems, but that seems to be changing. There are other variable within the system beyond just the scope being able to maintain its zero.

I know my system shifts based on having to rezero it a couple times but I haven't seen any major shifts, just an MOA or two. That's why I want to do some more controlled testing to see if it's the scope or rings.

I'll be considering the NF SHV 4-14x50 FFP or Trijicon Tenmile HX 3-18x44 FFP if I do need to replace it. Maybe the Maven RS1.2 if I can convince myself that 10x max power is enough. I need to practice a lot more to get comfortable shooting longer distances at lower power.

the new maven is quite literally trijicon 10 mile guts with a bit better reticle. My opinion on reticles is just learn the one you have and it's not really a big deal.

I don't think you'll have an issue with 10x personally.  My .223 trainer has a fixed 10x and there's no issue spanking plates out to 805 yards (farthest plate My range has). Too much magnification, especially in a SFP can definitely be a hindrance in hunting applications. Especially when hunting solo where spotting impacts is so important

My vote is always NF first.

For me this seems to differ by scope too. I have no problem shooting past a grand on 10-12x with the NX8, where as the Zeiss I feel like I have to turn up to 20x for a comparable sight picture. 

[pickardjw]

the new maven is quite literally trijicon 10 mile guts with a bit better reticle. My opinion on reticles is just learn the one you have and it's not really a big deal.

I don't think you'll have an issue with 10x personally.  My .223 trainer has a fixed 10x and there's no issue spanking plates out to 805 yards (farthest plate My range has). Too much magnification, especially in a SFP can definitely be a hindrance in hunting applications. Especially when hunting solo where spotting impacts is so important

My vote is always NF first.

Good to know. Just need them to keep restocking the MIL scope! I have a feeling 10x will be fine, I just want to put a good amount of rounds down range at distance on 10x to make sure before I spend the money. Especially since I'll be buying two of whatever for my main hunting rifle and a .223 trainer as well. Currently have the mindset of increased magnification helps with the aim-small-miss-small principle, but also understand the lower magnification providing recoil control/target re-acquisition benefits among others so I'm working on it starting tomorrow. Only considering FFP since learning more about it.

[cjc23]

I noticed that you've got some first focal plane options and some second focal plane options. I would choose which you want of those two and then compare from there. For instance if you want second focal plane then the zeiss you've picked is out but if you want first focal plane I would compare with the mark 4 or mark 5 from leupold instead of the vx6.

[Crunchy]

I noticed that you've got some first focal plane options and some second focal plane options. I would choose which you want of those two and then compare from there. For instance if you want second focal plane then the zeiss you've picked is out but if you want first focal plane I would compare with the mark 4 or mark 5 from leupold instead of the vx6.

Point taken.  Second FP for sure.  I am more familiar with the older versions of Zeiss glass.

[jjhunter]

I got to 100% NF.  I like the NX8….but still prefer the NXS with the MOAR reticle.  I wish you could get it in the 4-32x in F2….it that was the case, it would be the only scope I owned.

The standard, “old school” heavy reticle MOAR.

I’ve got one too, that’s what the box says, but it isn’t the original MOAR reticle that I talking about.

fairly certain they offer the 4-32 in F2

My NX8 I just got yesterday is a 4-32x50 with MOAR reticle in F2

[Sakko300wsm]

I got to 100% NF.  I like the NX8….but still prefer the NXS with the MOAR reticle.  I wish you could get it in the 4-32x in F2….it that was the case, it would be the only scope I owned.

The standard, “old school” heavy reticle MOAR.

I’ve got one too, that’s what the box says, but it isn’t the original MOAR reticle that I talking about.

fairly certain they offer the 4-32 in F2

My NX8 I just got yesterday is a 4-32x50 with MOAR reticle in F2

Very true - it is finer and a little more busy than the MOAR in my NXS’s

[pickardjw]

I noticed that you've got some first focal plane options and some second focal plane options. I would choose which you want of those two and then compare from there. For instance if you want second focal plane then the zeiss you've picked is out but if you want first focal plane I would compare with the mark 4 or mark 5 from leupold instead of the vx6.

Point taken.  Second FP for sure.  I am more familiar with the older versions of Zeiss glass.

Why SFP? If you hold for elevation or wind, the hash marks will only be accurate at full power.

[jrebel]

I noticed that you've got some first focal plane options and some second focal plane options. I would choose which you want of those two and then compare from there. For instance if you want second focal plane then the zeiss you've picked is out but if you want first focal plane I would compare with the mark 4 or mark 5 from leupold instead of the vx6.

Point taken.  Second FP for sure.  I am more familiar with the older versions of Zeiss glass.

Why SFP? If you hold for elevation or wind, the hash marks will only be accurate at full power.

The NX8 has a hold for 16 or 32 power.  But more importantly, why hold over when you could dial in a hunting situation?   Wind for me is always a hold as I never dial my wind, but again the NX8 has holds for 16 or 32 power. 

The FFP scopes I have looked have such fine reticule on the lower power that I just can’t buy into it for hunting situations.   I wish I liked them more, but at 4 powere it is almost unusable with my eyes. 

[pickardjw]

The NX8 has a hold for 16 or 32 power.  But more importantly, why hold over when you could dial in a hunting situation?   Wind for me is always a hold as I never dial my wind, but again the NX8 has holds for 16 or 32 power. 

The FFP scopes I have looked have such fine reticule on the lower power that I just can’t buy into it for hunting situations.   I wish I liked them more, but at 4 powere it is almost unusable with my eyes.

Dial for elevation for sure if the situation allows for it. Being able to hold over at any power if a quick shot is needed is nice though. Probably could have shot a buck in Montana last season if I hadn't taken a few second to dial after getting my adjustment from the BDX. He dumped over the ridge right as I got steady. Needed a couple more seconds to pull the trigger. Reticle usability at lower powers is a good point.

[jeffro]

I have a old leupold
Bench sited it once on my .300wm
Never touched the dials again
Does NF have a full lifetime warranty?

[Karl Blanchard]

The NX8 has a hold for 16 or 32 power.  But more importantly, why hold over when you could dial in a hunting situation?   Wind for me is always a hold as I never dial my wind, but again the NX8 has holds for 16 or 32 power. 

The FFP scopes I have looked have such fine reticule on the lower power that I just can’t buy into it for hunting situations.   I wish I liked them more, but at 4 powere it is almost unusable with my eyes.

Dial for elevation for sure if the situation allows for it. Being able to hold over at any power if a quick shot is needed is nice though. Probably could have shot a buck in Montana last season if I hadn't taken a few second to dial after getting my adjustment from the BDX. He dumped over the ridge right as I got steady. Needed a couple more seconds to pull the trigger. Reticle usability at lower powers is a good point.

Honest question for you...was it the added time to dial that was truly the issue or was it likely your unfamiliarity with building a shooting position and getting on target that cost you time? If that buck got away because you had to dial that means he was moving. If he was close enough to warrant a shot at a moving animal then he wasn't far enough to warrant dialing and if you knew your drops intimately you could have held accordingly and fired. No hash marks needed. Please don't take this as me picking on you as I very much am not. These are honest discussions we need to have with ourselves about our true capabilities with a weapon and what our real weapon skills need to be to take certain shots.

I've used both ffp and sfp. I'm still a sfp guy. I understand the merits of a ffp but I also think being proficient and knowing your weapon system mitigates all those arguments.  For example, if the animal is far enough away that you need to precisely hold wind, you have time to back power down to half or up to full.  If it's closer and that level of precision isn't needed simply hold into the wind and go.

All scope function adjustments should be made while in the gun. Dialing, parallax,  zoom. Learn your system. A trip to any range USA will prove that these are the vast majority of shooters issues. Spot deer, range deer, get on the gun, dial, aim, shoot.

[Magnum_Willys]

For spotting shots I find 16 power about perfect with big boomers so the NX8 works for both reticle or dial for wind.  Im always dialed for elevation .  Wish I was good enough to use a horus type proficiently but not there yet. Range, dial, shoot.

[BeerBugler]

3-18 Trijicon Tenmile. Can’t go wrong with NF but 3-18 is more than enough for anything outside of ELR.

[BeerBugler]

Disregard, looks like they discontinued the Tenmile in SFP.

[pickardjw]

The NX8 has a hold for 16 or 32 power.  But more importantly, why hold over when you could dial in a hunting situation?   Wind for me is always a hold as I never dial my wind, but again the NX8 has holds for 16 or 32 power. 

The FFP scopes I have looked have such fine reticule on the lower power that I just can’t buy into it for hunting situations.   I wish I liked them more, but at 4 powere it is almost unusable with my eyes.

Dial for elevation for sure if the situation allows for it. Being able to hold over at any power if a quick shot is needed is nice though. Probably could have shot a buck in Montana last season if I hadn't taken a few second to dial after getting my adjustment from the BDX. He dumped over the ridge right as I got steady. Needed a couple more seconds to pull the trigger. Reticle usability at lower powers is a good point.

Honest question for you...was it the added time to dial that was truly the issue or was it likely your unfamiliarity with building a shooting position and getting on target that cost you time? If that buck got away because you had to dial that means he was moving. If he was close enough to warrant a shot at a moving animal then he wasn't far enough to warrant dialing and if you knew your drops intimately you could have held accordingly and fired. No hash marks needed. Please don't take this as me picking on you as I very much am not. These are honest discussions we need to have with ourselves about our true capabilities with a weapon and what our real weapon skills need to be to take certain shots.

I've used both ffp and sfp. I'm still a sfp guy. I understand the merits of a ffp but I also think being proficient and knowing your weapon system mitigates all those arguments.  For example, if the animal is far enough away that you need to precisely hold wind, you have time to back power down to half or up to full.  If it's closer and that level of precision isn't needed simply hold into the wind and go.

All scope function adjustments should be made while in the gun. Dialing, parallax,  zoom. Learn your system. A trip to any range USA will prove that these are the vast majority of shooters issues. Spot deer, range deer, get on the gun, dial, aim, shoot.

I was about to crawl over a berm with the rifle and looked back at my spotter who was signaling to look left. A coyote had bumped them while I was moving around/down and out of sight of both. Buck was up a doe's butt and didn't seem to really know what was going on other than following her. They stopped before a small valley and were still for maybe 10-15 seconds, hard to say. Kind of that moment where mulies feel far enough away from the threat and stop to look back but then keep moving off.

Pack was already off so repositioned to where the rifle wouldn't shoot into the berm and set the fore-end on top of the pack with the pack standing. Ranged it at 240 or so and the scope was on 6x. Shouldered the gun and dialed 2 1/4 MOA or so, shooting position felt good. Found him in the scope quickly, safety off and they dropped into the valley. Could've pulled the trigger as he was just starting to trot after the doe but didn't for obvious reasons.

I'm not blaming the SFP scope for not being able to get a shot off. I'm sure I could shave some time off other steps in the process with more practice. Shooting position and finding the deer in the scope did not feel excessively time consuming. I always would have ranged it and the BDX spits out a drop pretty quick, but that felt like it took forever compared to the other steps. Dialing was just one aspect of the experience that comes to mind as a step that could have been eliminated if I had a FFP scope and practiced with hold over within reasonable distances for a fast encounter like that. Right now, the hash marks on my SFP scope are useless for all intents and purposes because I never shoot at 16x unless I'm target shooting at 800+.

That particular experience is why I'm going to be shooting a lot more field position work and with high heart rate this summer. Hill sprint, build position, shoot, repeat. Now that I don't live in Seattle it won't be nearly as miserable to go shooting.