NIGHTFORCE NXS vs Burris XTR14

[RaymondMillbrae]

Hey folks,

I'm having a dilemma here.

I was in the market for the Trijicon TR24 3G, but I have heard mixed reviews between the green dot vs the amber dot.

Then upon more reading, I have read differing opinions with the Ger#4 reticle vs the triangle/post reticle.

So long story short, I have decided to sell one of my other "toys," and am going to step up a notch and get a little more.

Now am considering the Nightforce NXS 1-4X24 w/FC-2 reticle.

So anyhoo...what do you think?

I am going to be using this scope primarily for 3-gun competition. (I figure no more than 250 to 300 yards).

One of the questions I had was...is it worth the investment?

My shooting partner tells me that I am spending too much money on something that I don't really need. He seems to side with the newer Burris XTR14 varible scope.

One of the things which recently caught my attention was the fact that I read that some folks swear by daylight illuminated reticles.

Is the Nightforce NXS scope daylight illuminated? It it something that I should look for in a scope at this price range?

I would like opinions from folks who own this scope, with this specific reticle. (Is it easy for close target acquisition? And how about for longer 200 to 300 yard shots)?

Thanks yall.

In Christ: Raymond

[Pezco]

Raymond,

I have an NXS 12x42 and can tell you this is the best scope I've ever owned and it sits on an excellent target rifle. The NXS is not daylight illuminated but it does has a lighted reticle. I use an Trijcon ACOG 3.5 for 3-gun which I find good out to 250 - 300.

Good luck in your search!

[RaymondMillbrae]

Raymond,

I have an NXS 12x42 and can tell you this is the best scope I've ever owned and it sits on an excellent target rifle. The NXS is not daylight illuminated but it does has a lighted reticle. I use an Trijcon ACOG 3.5 for 3-gun which I find good out to 250 - 300.

Good luck in your search!

I'm sorry, but I do not understand.

What do you mean by "It is not daylight illuminated, but it does have a lighted reticle"?

Are you saying that the illuminated reticle cannot be seen during daylight?

In Christ: Raymond

[00bullitt]

I have owned the NF but not the Burris but had a shooting partner who did and got enough trigger time with it to form a good opinion of it. I've also owned several different low power scopes from the low end up to the high end. I now shoot a Swarovski Z6i and find it to be a truly amazing piece of glass and worth every penny I paid for it. I have also owned the S&B Short Dot and was no where near as impressed with it as I am the Swarovski.

As for the NF......the glass was great and it has turrets that I think all scopes need or would benefit from. I was not too fond of the reticle and the illumination was way to poor for daytime illumination. Daytime illumination is one of those things that you just don't realize the benefit that it offers until you have one. The NF was short lived as a 3 gun scope on my rifle. I replaced it with the Short Dot shortly thereafter.

The Burris was a pretty good scope void of the daytime illumination in the earlier model that my shooting partner had. The new ones apparently have a much better illumination source that makes it visible in sunlight. The reticle was a little thick for my liking but it worked well. It had some unnecessary stadia lines that protruded up from the the center of the reticle. Glass in the Burris was not as good as the NF but it was as good as Leupold. You can also opt to get the target turrets on the Burris which are a nice option if you like to dial dope.

After having a few scopes that are illuminated and daytime visible in sunlight......it is a huge benefit I prefer not be without.

[kz45]

I have my NF 1x4 now and love it, the reticle is fast and easy to use, you can't see it lit in bright daylight tho, I new this before I got it and did not see a problem with it, the glass is awesome and the scope it tough as nails.I'm new to this game and haven't tried everything out there like some of these other 3 gunners. But I do know that if you buy a NF 1x4 you won't be disappointed

[KalaniLaker]

At ranges up to 250 to 300 yards, I would choose the NF over the Burris. The 2 moa dot of the NF allows for easy shot placement out to about 325 yards. I believe the Burris comes into its own when the majority of shots are going to be beyond 200 yards (RM3G 2009).

If daylight illum. is a major consideration, I feel the Meopta is really hard to beat for its value and what it offers the 3 Gun shooter. At the ranges you are looking at shooting, you might want to also consider the Meopta. The Meopta has a 2 moa dot and you really don't need a BDC reticle.

Kalani

[Pezco]

Raymond,

The left adjustment knob on the NXS can be pull out to activate the electronic illumination of the reticle (very cool feature), but is is not "daylight" illuminated ie. by the sun like the ACOG.

[Charles Bond]

I own NF scopes and in my opinion, there are none better. Having said that, I agree that the reticle they offer for tactical could be much better as outlined by 00bullit. If you are going to spend the money you are paying for a NF, IMO you should have a scope that runs well out past the 300 yards you cite. If you are west of the Mississippi you will see that and that is the trend now on the east coast at such matches as Ft Benning and Blue Ridge.

For the price you are considering paying for a NF, you could go with a Elcan DR Spector. The glass is as good as NF, it has true day time illunination, it has a reticle with strata lines that are useful and while it is a true 1x it goes to 4x witht the flick of a lever.

If you want to dial your scope in the field for longer range shots, there are a number of scopes with turrents that will allow you to do that including the Z6 that is absolute top of the class in that catagory.

[00bullitt]

I hope my post above does not make me sound condescending of Nightforce optics. I truly think they are the cream of the crop for their intended purpose. They just don't meet my criteria for what I like in a 3 gun scope. But I do think they are the best money spent on precision rifle optics. And I have had S&B and USO to compare against. They are 100% my choice for precision rifle glass. The only new scope to come along that really peaks my interest over the NF is the Premier Reticles Heritage series. But that discussion belongs in a different thread in another subforum.

Right now the scopes I truly like for 3 gun are the Swarovski Z6,Meopta,and Trijicon TR24.

I owned one of the Elcan Specter DR's but didn't keep it long enough to try it out as a viable option for 3 gun. I wish I would have. I had one when it first came out and someone wanted it more than me and offered a much larger price than what I paid for it. So they now have it. I did play with it a little for some close range work and it worked well. I did notice the eye relief was less than what I like on 1 and 4x. The red dot was very bright and fast for close work. The power change lever is one of the coolest ideas for an adjustable powered scope I have ever come across.The Specter is also alot of scope in a very compact package. Another way cool aspect of it. I looked off out to some distance and seemed to have some focus issues on mine but I never did shoot long to form a good opinion of how the reticle worked or anything. I watched Phil Strader rock the Specter at FB3G two years ago for a strong 3rd place finish and I've seen Charles shoot his with very good success at many matches. The biggest downside is the price......but price could be considered irrelative if you find its worth in what you paid for it. Much how I consider the Swarovski Z6i that I now shoot. The large pricetag was much easier for me to justify once I discovered its worth for the game.

[uscbigdawg]

For the dollars you're willing to spend on the NF, go Swaro or Meopta and be done with it.....for now.

Rich

[lefty556]

Go with the Mil-Dot reticle in the NF. With most 68 grain loads, zero at 100, hold a bit high at 200. The 1st dot works pretty good at 300, the second dot works well at 400, and use the bottom of the third dot at 500. I like it so much, I just ordered another one.

[00bullitt]

Go with the Mil-Dot reticle in the NF. With most 68 grain loads, zero at 100, hold a bit high at 200. The 1st dot works pretty good at 300, the second dot works well at 400, and use the bottom of the third dot at 500. I like it so much, I just ordered another one.

So how do you like the Mil Dot for up close stuff inside 50 yards? Seems like it would be slow and prohibitive.

[uscbigdawg]

Go with the Mil-Dot reticle in the NF. With most 68 grain loads, zero at 100, hold a bit high at 200. The 1st dot works pretty good at 300, the second dot works well at 400, and use the bottom of the third dot at 500. I like it so much, I just ordered another one.

So how do you like the Mil Dot for up close stuff inside 50 yards? Seems like it would be slow and prohibitive.

More than a little bit.

For the 5-10 "long range" shots in a major 3-Gun match a mil dot reticle is a SERIOUS waste of time. With probably a good 80% of the shots being less than 100 yards, the more simple yet versatile the reticle is, the better.

Rich

[kgunz11]

The 1-4's I've been playing with are visible on the sunniest of days when you turn up the brightness of the rheostat. If you have any questions about the NF let me know, I'm a dealer and I'll do what I can to help you out with information and product support.

[00bullitt]

The 1-4's I've been playing with are visible on the sunniest of days when you turn up the brightness of the rheostat. If you have any questions about the NF let me know, I'm a dealer and I'll do what I can to help you out with information and product support.

You must have gotten one of those special ones then.

[sshog8541]

Burris XTR-14 for the price.

[dt1]

The 1-4's I've been playing with are visible on the sunniest of days when you turn up the brightness of the rheostat. If you have any questions about the NF let me know, I'm a dealer and I'll do what I can to help you out with information and product support.

Has Nightforce come out with a new scope with daytime illuminated reticle Bobby? I've got a 1-4x with NP-1 reticle. Reticle illumination is definitely not visible in daylight.

I really like my NF 1-4x due to the clarity of the glass. I just wish they had a better selection of reticles, I don't like the FC-2 and the NP-1 doesn't have any hold over stadia lines to use as reference for those long shots at flash targets, just a simple crosshair.

[kgunz11]

David, next FC-2 Reticle I get in I'll take some pics with it.

[dt1]

David, next FC-2 Reticle I get in I'll take some pics with it.

I haved a better idea, send it to me to field test!

[kgunz11]

LoL!

I'm STILL laughing! David, you know I love you, but I ain't gonna marry you!!!

[RaymondMillbrae]

Thanks for all the responses, guys.

Pricewise, it looks like the newer Burrix XTR-14, the Trijicon TR24, and the Meopta R1 KD, are in the same price range. ($800.00).

And if I were to go with the Swarovski Z6i, it would be over $2,000.00 shekels.

From what I have heard so far about the NF, the glass seems to be a huge factor for this scopes price. And I have also learned that the newer NF scope has improved on thier illumination. (Unless I read something else, and cornfused the two articles).

I am a California boy (San Francisco Bay Area), and the 3-gun distances around here are pretty much limited to the 200 to 250 yard ranges...at the most. So I will not need all the distance accurate "reach-out-and-touch-someone" reticles.

I guess the more and more I read about the NF NXS with the FC-2 reticle (and price range), the more I am drawn to it.

I have still not made my choice yet, but I "am" following this thread to see if something may disuade me from my current direction.

Thanks again!!

In Christ: Raymond

Edited August 18, 2009 by RaymondMillbrae

[RaymondMillbrae]

Well folks,

it ended-up being a toss-up between the NF and the Meopta. (The Burris reticle was a bit too "busy," and I would not really need all those holdover lines for CQB distances).

The NF and the Meopta both had their pro's and con's.

The Meopta had a great reticle, as did the NF FC-2. (Both great CQB scopes, as my shooting would not be at great distances here in the Bay Area).

They both had great knobs, but once again, not really to be usd in CQB distances.

What it boiled down to was the illuminated reticle, or the glass...and of course, the cost.

I have never had a good "daylight illuminated" reticle before, so I am not sure if I needed it or not. But according to a couple of you meat-eaters, it is pretty important for 3-gun matches.

As for the NF scope, it has crystal clear class, and is about $600.00 more expensive.

At my point in life, being 43 years old and near-sighted (I need glasses to see at distances), the NF glass spoke a little louder to me than an illuminated reticle. (Especially since I have never used one in the past).

I am sure that the illuminated reticle is the bomb, but necessity trumped the spicy topping.

So I have made the decision to go with the NF scope. And upon a bit more reading, I found that the NF FC-2 reticle has an illuminated circle and 2-MOA dot. (The horizontal lines, and the little triangle below the circle, are NOT illuminated). This was good to know, as I was kind of concerned about the reticle being a bit too cluttered. But as it stands right now, it seems to be just what the doctor ordered.

Umm...I mean, the optomitrist.

It will be $600.00 more than the other three (Trijicon TR24, Burris XTR14, Meopta), and $1,000.00 less that the Swarovski Z6i...but it will be a good compromise between the choices I had narrowed everything down to.

Once again, in the end, the glass took priority over everything - and I still stayed within my budget. (And dee wifey gave me a "thumbs-up" approval).

So that's the end of this story.

Thanks again folks, as all this information was IMPERATIVE in order for me to make a wise and informaed decision on my rifles investment.

Thanks again!!!

In Christ: Raymond

Edited August 19, 2009 by RaymondMillbrae

[uscbigdawg]

Raymond,

Couple things.

1 - You need to venture a little further than SF for 3-Gun (and it doesn't stop at Chabot or Richmond). Come a little further east to Sac and our ranges go to 1k. 300 is pretty normal for our 3-Gun though.

2 - Great scope and when you're ready to buy, contact Bobby at Freedom Gunworks to buy as he's a forum sponsor and a NF dealer.

3 - Any time you want to come towards Sac and shoot, just holler and we can probably put you up at the house.

Rich

ETA: I still say you should have gone Meopta. Just a better scope IMHO.

Edited August 19, 2009 by uscbigdawg

[Religious Shooter]

Man... make sure that the NF's illumination is daytime visible (outside).

This is the first time I've heard that the NF has a daytime visible reticle.

[00bullitt]

Raymond.....you are short changing yourself if you think the Meopta's glass does not compare to NF. Its very clear and crisp and every bit as comparable. The biggest downside to the Meopta is its weight and lackof zeroing turret knobs. The NF is very light and compact compared to the Meopta.

I hope you enjoy your NF for the game. It is a nice piece of glass. I know one of your criteria is not a sunlight visible reticle,so don't be surprised when its not. I have not seen a NF yet that is sunlight visible.