Scopes

Joe Ponto

New member
What's your favorite production scope today? Performance ignoring cost. Fixed power. Leupold, March, Ior, weaver ao or side focus, sightron, nightforce. Did I miss any and thanks for sharing your experience.
 
It's a toss up between the Night Force Fixed 42x and the Valdada 36x with a magnifier. The Valdada has better glass, but the cross hair is pretty thick.

Both seem rock solid.
 
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Thanks Jackie! I wondered about IOR. A leupold rep was telling me that their product has improved over their 2003/4 versions in so many words.
 
I'm very pleased with my two Night Force Fixed 42x, definitely optically better than the Leupold & March equivalents we have looked through.
 
What's your favorite production scope today? Performance ignoring cost. Fixed power. Leupold, March, Ior, weaver ao or side focus, sightron, nightforce. Did I miss any and thanks for sharing your experience.

I have 6 LCS's, 4 are 45x and 2 are 40's. This last one I got last week tests OK but the cross hair is smaller than the rest. I always send the new LCS's back just in case. When Allen Tucker was at Leupold he would polish the spot where the adjuster pushes on. I take mine to local chicken house and do a square test. So far so good. The only Nightforce I had, a 42x44 I couldn't see the crosshair and my 3x multipliers don't fit. I understand Nightforce doesn't have good customer service??? Leupold has excellent customer care.

I also notice on recent equipment lists the Marches are disappearing??

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I also notice on recent equipment lists the Marches are disappearing??

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I noticed that too Jerry. May be price related.....the IORs and fixed 42X Nightforces are hundreds less. And from what I'm told they're every bit as good. That said, I've enjoyed my 40X March. It's clear, tracks beautifully, and most importantly holds POA (at least so far).

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
 
I have 6 LCS's, 4 are 45x and 2 are 40's. This last one I got last week tests OK but the cross hair is smaller than the rest. I always send the new LCS's back just in case. When Allen Tucker was at Leupold he would polish the spot where the adjuster pushes on. I take mine to local chicken house and do a square test. So far so good. The only Nightforce I had, a 42x44 I couldn't see the crosshair and my 3x multipliers don't fit. I understand Nightforce doesn't have good customer service??? Leupold has excellent customer care.

I also notice on recent equipment lists the Marches are disappearing??

.


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Jerry,
I've had two occasions to use Nightforce's Customer Service. The first, I dropped a 15x55 Competition, bent the front bell and broke the front lens. Best I can recall, the gave me a call when they had diagnosed the damage and gave me a fair price for the repair. I had it back within 3 weeks of sending it in. The second time, I felt that another Competition scope wasn't holding POI. They told me it would be 3-4 weeks, but they actually called me two days after receiving it. We discussed the perceived problem. The rep told me they could find no problems, but when I received it back the problem was corrected. The total time from shipping until return was less than two weeks. I was pleased with their response and handling. I thought their CS was as good as anybody I've used including Luepold, Burris and Bushnell.

Rick
 
Thanks for the information guys! Much appreciated. In the past I have typically used - Leupold (2 - suffered point of impact shift) and Weaver T36 with lock ring (no noticeable issues other than simple glass)... B&L only for a short time but no testing.

Jackie, what multiplier are you using on the IOR?
 
I DO NOT KNOW! Having said that, I have two rifles, the LV has a Leup 45X on it the HV has a 60X March. Now I agree with the people who say that the Leup, and what ever, are more clearer. This is my problem, and I have proved it to people standing around. The Leup is clearer and when that cross hair, in mirage is 45X, you know it. The HV with the March on it brings the target to your door step, which for old eyes, it is a good thing, but is clearer in heavy mirage, which goes against all of the principles that I have been taught. Everything is magnified by the power of the scope. In the case of the Leup, (which has the best warrity on the planet), the magnification is 45X, and the March is 60X. So WHY? is the March clearer in heavy mirage, and by a long shot? Is it because the March is not set for my eyes? I do not know the answer.
 
I DO NOT KNOW! Having said that, I have two rifles, the LV has a Leup 45X on it the HV has a 60X March. Now I agree with the people who say that the Leup, and what ever, are more clearer. This is my problem, and I have proved it to people standing around. The Leup is clearer and when that cross hair, in mirage is 45X, you know it. The HV with the March on it brings the target to your door step, which for old eyes, it is a good thing, but is clearer in heavy mirage, which goes against all of the principles that I have been taught. Everything is magnified by the power of the scope. In the case of the Leup, (which has the best warrity on the planet), the magnification is 45X, and the March is 60X. So WHY? is the March clearer in heavy mirage, and by a long shot? Is it because the March is not set for my eyes? I do not know the answer.


Thanks Bill I knew I could count on you to be "CLEAR" things up....lol...

Good to see you are well.
 
Better glass

It's a toss up between the Night Force Fixed 42x and the Valdada 36x with a magnifier. The Valdada has better glass, but the cross hair is pretty thick.

Both seem rock solid.

Define better glass. Optical glass manufacturers are not that great in number. Last I heard was NF and Valdada products used Schott glass.
Go figure ?
 
Jackie what magnifier are you using? Thanks again.


Joe,I made it myself. I took an objective lens out of a cheap variable scope and mounted it in a carrier that fits over the eyepiece.

I've made one for my 42 Nightforce as well. It makes it about 55x.

For my 8x32 NXS Nightforce mounted on my long range Rifle, I went to Texas State Optical, bought a +3.25 lens, mounted it on a carrier, and boosted it to about 40x at the highest power. +3.25 is as high as you can go and still focus the reticle on that particular scope.

Here's the one On the NXS Nightforce.

http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19984&stc=1&d=1504483340
 

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Thanks Gents. Very interesting Jackie!

I believe Nightforce gets their glass from Japan, but perhaps they started outsourcing as well to Schott. I suppose you never know what glass / coatings you get when you buy a scope these days. Whoever meets the spec at the best price and availability I suppose.
 
Don't forget the Vortex Golden Eagle. I've been very happy with it. 15-60x. After I got some other gun issues strraightened out I shot a 200 yard VFS record with it this year. It's been rock solid.
 
The march new 48x is the best right now
Next would be the night force 42.
There is a Definite difference in power .
I like the power .
 
Used to

Thanks Gents. Very interesting Jackie!

I believe Nightforce gets their glass from Japan, but perhaps they started outsourcing as well to Schott. I suppose you never know what glass / coatings you get when you buy a scope these days. Whoever meets the spec at the best price and availability I suppose.

NF have sourced glass from Japan no doubt from Fuji. But if your business grows and you can place a large enough order companies like schott and chance pilkington can supply for a lot lower price. Not sure who is doing the surfacing for NF but it will be done on the same type of equipment many other companies do theirs on. Even the design of the scopes these days are remarkably similar. The only real difference between one quality scope and another is the price and people who look through them.
 
The march new 48x is the best right now
Next would be the night force 42.
There is a Definite difference in power .
I like the power .
IMO my March 48 HM is close to my 3 NF Comps in brightness and resolution, but my eyes still give the edge to the NF. I trust all of my March's when it comes to holding POI. I don't trust any of my Comps to hold POI after what Alex Wheeler of Wheeler Accuracy posted when he took 4 separate NF 15-55's and one of Hood's scope checker tested each of them. All 4 of them printed the same way. Each of the 6 shots kept printing higher from shot 1 to 6. I took my only 55 off my 2 & 300 yard dedicated rifle because it wasn't shooting as good as it use to. I put my March 10-60 Tactical on it and won the 1st 200 yard match that I shot with it and the 2nd match that I shot with it I came in 4th on Sunday at the Nationals in Weikert. I have no faith in NF scopes anymore.
 
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