Thread: Nightforce NX8 2.5-20 for allrounder rifle?

If you shoot past point blank, you should try an FFP scope for a while to see if it works for you. I think they're a better solution than SFP. Particularly better for holding wind and spotting/correcting for misses at any magnification. I often shoot at 6x or 8x to maintain a wide FOV.

I am a sfp fan but if your wanting another option this have great reviews in the usa

https://themodernhunter.com.au/produ...-2-5-15x44-ffp

ill end up trying the 4-20 at some point me thinks glass will be at least on par with the nx8 its not amazing especially for the price

Originally Posted by gimp

If you shoot past point blank, you should try an FFP scope for a while to see if it works for you. I think they're a better solution than SFP. Particularly better for holding wind and spotting/correcting for misses at any magnification. I often shoot at 6x or 8x to maintain a wide FOV.

What's the best FFP hunting reticle you've used (I know you've had a few)?
The March FML-1 looks like it'd be pretty good, not too thick and/or busy but should be usable on 3x still.

All of them. None have been bad to use. All very similar, about .1mil thick and mil based hash marks.

Agree re ffp, I haven’t encountered a downside or a bad reticle yet but I don’t have “old” eyes yet

Originally Posted by 199p

I am a sfp fan but if your wanting another option this have great reviews in the usa

https://themodernhunter.com.au/produ...-2-5-15x44-ffp

ill end up trying the 4-20 at some point me thinks glass will be at least on par with the nx8 its not amazing especially for the price

As of yesterday I have two of these inbound from Aussie, which leaves only one that’s going into the dealers stock. Selling like hotcakes it appears…. I’m planning to do a write-up on it when it gets here as requested by a forum member.

A mate and I are using the 2.5-20x50 F1 NX8 in a mil-c reticle on our 223’s. If your hunting in tight bush a SFP is a better option, the low magnification is a little slow to aquire target for proper shot placement and a clean kill because the reticle is so thin especially in big native on a dark overcast day and or evenings, it’s better with illumination on or set on 4 to 6 magnification but you loose FOV. For medium range 100m-300m and longer range 300-800m it’s a awesome scope when there’s plenty of time to take the shot, setup rig, slow heart rate, adjust parallax, dial elevation etc. One thing past 300m is that the parallax needs adjusting every time the magnification and range has changed, the NXS and ATACR models are not as sensitive. 90% of the time I’m never at max power and that’s when a FFP shines, wind holds are true at any magnification and make life so much easier.
My main bush rifles ware 2.5-10x42 NXS they are a SFP and when shooting long range I’m at max magnification and the reticle matches the wind holds.

Hi Taka,

I think the answer to your question depends a lot on how you hunt, where you hunt and how you do your holds / dial.

I've been using NF and Leupold optics for 19 years and only use NF optics now on hunts. That said, I have been very impressed with a couple Leupold Mk5 HDs and rate their optical clarity in low light conditions.

I currently have two NF 2.5 -20 NX8's, FFP with Mil-XT reticles. I primarily hold when using these scopes as that method works well for how and where I hunt when targeting deer, pigs and Tahr. I have taken one Chamois at 450m with the 6.5CM and the NF 2.5 -20 attached in extremely low light conditions where I could no longer make out on the animal in my Vortex binos or Leupold spotting scope. I have also compared the low light performance of the NF 2.5 -20 NX8 to a NF 5 - 25 ATACR I had and believe the NX8's I tested performed better than the 5 - 25 ATACR. I also have a 7 - 35 ATACR on my 7 PRC long range rig and from the limited comparisons to date, I believe the 7 - 35 ATACR to perform better in low light conditions and have better optical clarity overall compared to the 2.5 -20 NX8.

I sometimes use the 2.5 - 20 FFP NX8 for bush hunting, but like people have pointed out, the reticle is super small when at 2.5x. To mitigate this issue I illuminate the reticle which essentially turns it into a "red dot" optic. However, this could be considered risky because you are relying on battery power for your bush stalks and I have never been a fan of red dot optics for that reason.

Ref FFP vs SFP - if you are used to dialling, I would go SFP and conversely go FFP if you are used to holding.

Lastly, if you are going to invest in something like a NX8 (which are not cheap), I recommend also investing in a bubble level, good rings and get your scope mounted by someone who has torque tools and knows what they are doing.

Hope that helps,

JT

Same been using Nightforce scopes for a long time since 2001 and can’t fault them other than weight and price. Sold alll my big NXS’s for ATACR and NX8. ATACR glass is definitely better than the nxs and NX8. Now that I have Mil FFP scope instead of MOA I’ve been using the Accuracy 1st speed drop system, it’s bloody quick for multiple distance goat culling.

Originally Posted by tikka

Same been using Nightforce scopes for a long time since 2001 and can’t fault them other than weight and price. Sold alll my big NXS’s for ATACR and NX8. ATACR glass is definitely better than the nxs and NX8. Now that I have Mil FFP scope instead of MOA I’ve been using the Accuracy 1st speed drop system, it’s bloody quick for multiple distance goat culling.

Are you dialing down the value of your and using the mil hash for your eqivalent metre hold?

Sent from my SM-A556E using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by andyanimal31

Are you dialing down the value of your and using the mil hash for your eqivalent metre hold?

Sent from my SM-A556E using Tapatalk

Yes I’ve setup the zero stop 2 Mil under the rifles standard zero so I run it in Speed Drop mode depending whatever ammo’s getting used. Now that I’m spoilt with FFP Mil Mil I want to change all of my LR MOA scopes but that’s an expensive exercise I’m not going to do any time soon.

@TakaRat while not exactly what you were after, this could be a good starter? https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....3-10-a-105403/