Scope Opinion NX8 vs VX6HD vs V6

[sjvcon]

Nightforce, Leupold or Zeiss?  Anyone seen them all and used them all?  Any opinions based on personal experience?  Going to step up on my favorite hunting rifle.  Was looking at the (NF)4-32 F1 (or F2), the (Leu)4-24 and the (Zeiss)5-30.

[briant_az]

I have two of the scope that you mentioned, at least kind of. 
I have a leupold 4-24x52 vx6. The year after I got this one, they released the hd. This scope is on a 300 RUM and has been the combo that I have used on everything the last 5-6 years. The scope is great and has done everything that I’ve wanted it to. I had the cds turrets made for my load and they have worked on everything from 200 yards to 760 yards.  
I also have a nx8. 4-32. I was really surprised when I looked through this scope and compared it to the leupold. The night force is clearer and I can see a little more detail through it. 
honestly I don’t think you can go wrong with either of them. The higher magnification on the nx8 is nice, but you really don’t need it. 24x is plenty for hunting in my opinion. I’ve never felt like I’ve needed more while actually hunting with it. 
Hope this helps a little. 

[Crazymonkey]

I have a few guns with leupold scopes and I've had some ziess .my new rig has a Nightforce atacr 5x25x56 and you can see the difference in the glass on the Nightforce .I also have the shv. line 4.5x14x50 f1 and for what it is the scope is better than the comparable from the other brands.Lance Kenyon is the guy to talk scopes with he is really up on them and can give you all the info your looking for based on your application

[hunthard]

I've looked through all 3 of these and the zeiss v6 is the way to go. Turrets track great and hav been put through the test on all the long range sites. The German glass is very noticeably better than both the leupold and nx8. I own both the NF and Zeiss and will buy another v6 over the nx8 which still a great scope.

[lancetkenyon]

Depends on if you want FFP or SFP.  That will be the determining factor.

If you want FFP, the NX8 is the only scope on your list that fits the bill.  I am a FFP MIL guy, so the ONLY one that would get my consideration.

If you want SFP, I would go, in order:

NF NX8 (tracking, mechanics, build quality, glass is still very good, parallax is a slight bit touchy, but not bad)

Zeiss V6 (glass is the best of the bunch, turrets are decent but not as crisp as the NF, I have only shot behind a few, so not sure how the tracking and durability compare to the NF)

A distant third would be Leupold VX6 HD (actually not even considered)

The glass on the Leupold is great, weight is nice, but I have seen WAY too many tracking issues with Leupold to consider one for my own use.  Even if you went Mk 5, Mk 6, Mk 8.  

[Crazymonkey]

If you happen to go nx8 check with sinwagon he usually has some high end scopes for sale most are new or as new .I got my atacr thru him and you could save yourself a few bucks over retail

[AZAV8ER]

Wow how hunting has changed. I have spent many decades hunting with rigs that weighed 8 pounds or so and scopes from 4X, 6X to 3-9 and 4-12. The advantage was moving around, up and down hills was easy and when the opportunity for a quick close up shot presented a handy rig that handled like a quail gun sure was useful. For shots under 500 yards a 3-9 works. Now it depends on your hunting, will it all tend toward longer shots? An F1 scope at lower power does present a pretty faint reticle, I would go F2 if I thought lower power would be used. I have a NX8 4-32 on my competition rifle and IT IS GREAT. I swear my scores got better with the NF scope. I would definitely use the NX8 if I hunted with a 15ish pound rifle and planned on shots from 500 yards on out.

[AZAV8ER]

34 minutes ago, lancetkenyon said:

Depends on if you want FFP or SFP.  That will be the determining factor.

If you want FFP, the NX8 is the only scope on your list that fits the bill.  I am a FFP MIL guy, so the ONLY one that would get my consideration.

If you want SFP, I would go, in order:

NF NX8 (tracking, mechanics, build quality, glass is still very good, parallax is a slight bit touchy, but not bad)

Zeiss V6 (glass is the best of the bunch, turrets are decent but not as crisp as the NF, I have only shot behind a few, so not sure how the tracking and durability compare to the NF)

A distant third would be Leupold VX6 HD (actually not even considered)

The glass on the Leupold is great, weight is nice, but I have seen WAY too many tracking issues with Leupold to consider one for my own use.  Even if you went Mk 5, Mk 6, Mk 8.  

Lance why FFP? Do you use it for ranging or hold over? With LRF and dial up I would think it would not matter. What is it about a FFP that you find advantageous to hunting?

 

[Hunterdan]

5 hours ago, lancetkenyon said:

 

A distant third would be Leupold VX6 HD (actually not even considered)

The glass on the Leupold is great, weight is nice, but I have seen WAY too many tracking issues with Leupold to consider one for my own use.  Even if you went Mk 5, Mk 6, Mk 8.  

The  "not even considered" part is a huge understatement. 😉

[yotebuster]

As usual I agree with lance on all things except the FFP thing    I won’t own another leupold vx6.  Way way over priced and underperforming scope IMO.  I’ve had 3 and yet to see one track properly.   The night force nx8 is a dang good scope for the money.  They make a SFP so that’s in my wheelhouse.  Wish they made one with a simpler reticle as I don’t use subtensions and even their simplest one is a gong show.  If you can save a bit more id look into a S&B Exos.   It’s my current go to scope.  7x zoom so you get the benefit of 3x on the low and 21x on top.  Nice size for a hunting rifle and it will not let you down on tracking.  They make a real simple duplex with dot reticle that gives me wood.  I got my last one as a demo on eurooptic for $2600 so not much more then an NX8 at retail.  That being said my dad was just in same boat and he went with an NX8 4-32.  Great scope.  I’d do a 2.5-20 if it was me as 32x and nigh force glass doesn’t really work together great but it’s a dang nice scope and it’ll do what he needs it to. 

[sjvcon]

All great comments.  Thanks for that.

I did look through a F1 NX8, and was not bothered by the size change.  For holdover that is nice.

Lance...mil over moa...how hard to make the adjustment from Standard to Metric?  I always felt like 1.08@ 100 made it easy.

[AZAV8ER]

3 hours ago, sjvcon said:

All great comments.  Thanks for that.

I did look through a F1 NX8, and was not bothered by the size change.  For holdover that is nice.

Lance...mil over moa...how hard to make the adjustment from Standard to Metric?  I always felt like 1.08@ 100 made it easy.

At 100 yards 1MOA = 1.047in    1MIL = 3.6in.   At 100 yards one 1/4 MOA click = 1/4 inch and one 1/10 MIL click = about 1/3 inch. Clicks in MOA approximately 1/4 inch at 100y in MILL's 1 click approximately 1/3 inch at 100 yards. That is the simple uncomplicated difference , otherwise they act the same. What do your shooting/hunting buddies use? You want to shoot in the same measurement as they do so you are speaking the same language. It becomes more critical in wind calls at distance. If you are in a PRS match and other shooters are saying 3 mills of wind and you are in MOA then get that math brain turning up to make the conversion in your head (3X.36 = 1 MOA approximately. 

[lancetkenyon]

On 10/21/2021 at 7:48 AM, AZAV8ER said:

Lance why FFP? Do you use it for ranging or hold over? With LRF and dial up I would think it would not matter. What is it about a FFP that you find advantageous to hunting?

 

Wind holds.

I almost always dial for elevation.  The only few times I don't is on a moving target that is within 200-350ish yards.  Like when I jump a coyote.

But windage, I never dial.  I hold off.  Not needing to be on max, or exactly half max, is beneficial.  I rarely hunt with a scope on max magnification.  If I am still hunting, or spot and stalk, I am usually on minimum or close to it.  I would rather have a wider FOV for quick target acquisition or return to view after a shot.  Meaning, a FFP scope will keep wind holds true, no matter the magnification.  A .5MIL hold will always be a .5MIL hold.  Whether on 3x, 7.7x, 10.5x, 15.4x, or 20x.  

I don't use the reticle for ranging.

As far as MOA vs MIL, just a different unit of measure. 

As explained above, 1 MOA is 1.047" @ 100 yards.  Or .262" each 1/4 MOA click.  Quarters or halves are easy.   

1 MIL is 3.6" @ 100 yards, or .36" per .1MIL click.  Not quite as refined, about an extra .1" per click adjustment.  10ths are easy too.  A lot of guys I shoot with run MIL.  But not all. 

Here is the kicker with MIL over MOA.  There are WAY more top end scope and reticle choices with MIL than with MOA.  Because a lot of the top tier scopes are European.  Meaning they use metric system, which the MIL is based on (CM & meters).  Here in the US, we just convert to .36" @ 100 yards, instead of 1CM @ 100 meters.  There are even scope companies that do not offer MOA based scopes.  Zero Compromise Optics (ZCO) is one.  Look at S&B, and they will have 10 MIL based reticles to 1 MOA reticle.  So if you want to go with a true top tier European glass, you will look long and hard for an MOA scope vs a MIL scope.  So learning MIL makes a lot of sense in the ease of finding a scope.

Some high end "MOA" scopes, are using "1/3 MOA" turrets.  Meaning they are actually MIL, but labeled for the guys who have to have MOA scopes....Swaro Z5 line is a prime example.

[sjvcon]

Thanks for the explanation.  That makes sense.  Not sure why Inremebered it as 1.08...it is as you say 1.047.

I guess I am an MOA guy...most of my buddies are and we always talk in inches.

[hunthard]

You may look into the new zeiss lrp s5 thats just coming out