What is the best reticle in the Nightforce scopes for long range target shooting and hunting. I'm planning on tactical targets out to 800 meters, but limiting my hunting to 600 meters for antelope and shorter for larger game.

I've pretty much decided on the Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x50 (maybe 56??) for this purpose. They have such a range of reticles, I'm very undecided on which one. I like the NP-22D, the MLR and the NP-R1.

Also, does somebody know if these reticles are in the first or second focal plane?

They now have some reticles in the first focal plane, but don't think the one you want is. Their web site should have that info. I have the NXS 3.5x15.56 with the NP-R2 reticle. The NP-R1 reticle has too many lines. It may be fine for target shooting, but I wouldn't want it for hunting.

I would buy Nightforce rings. Also, if you don't want the tapered MOA bases, I would buy a picatinny base from Ken Farrel (660-438-9456). They were recommended to me by Nightforce.

I had my Nightforce mounted on my gun originally with Talley rings and bases. I was one week from going to Africa and the scope was moving in the rings. couldn't get it to stop. Had to take it off and put my Burris on it. I ordered Nightforce rings and got the base from Ken Farrel, but didn't have time to deal with it before my trip.

You should get up to speed on the Mil-Dot reticle. "Mil" comes from "milradian" and describes a specific arc at a given distance. Mil-Dot reticles serve as range finders and bullet hold over markers. Finding range w/ a Mil-Dot entails multiplying the width of the target in yards/metres by 1000 and dividing that product by the total span of dots. This process produces distance in yards or metres.

With practice, using the Mil-Dot becomes second nature. It's the way to go for snipers, long range targets of a known size.

If you are looking for a nightforce with the first focal plain, it is around $2500. This site has a comparison with night force and priemer reticle scopes in the first focal plain.

http://www.snipershide.com/

As far as which to chose, I have the NP-1RR, mil dot, and just got a NP-R1. I like the NP-1RR the best. Mostly coyote hunt these days.

I have noticed a difference in the 50mm and the 56mm's that I have. The 56 does gather more light, and is better in low light conditions.

I like first focal plane, but I also like to shoot with 2X magnification, where the hatch marks get so tiny, they get lost.

NF is too heavy for me to carry while hunting.


There are mili radian people and there are moa people like Ford vs Chevy or radial arm saw vs table saw.

I like moa.
I think in moa.

The way I look at it:
1 moa is 1" at 100 yards and 2" at 200 yards.
.5 moa is .5" at 100 yards and 1" at 200 yards.
1 miliradians is 3.6" at 100 yards and 7.2" at 200 yards.
.5 milirads is 1.8" at 100 yards and 3.6" at 200 yards

If I zero at 200 yards with the scope mounted 2" above the bore, the
7mmMag needs 7.9 moa = 2.2 mils = 49.7" elevation at 600 yards, while the
7mm-08 needs 9.9 moa = 2.7 mils = 62.2" elevation at 600 yards.

The way other people look at it:
one mil equals 3.438 MOA, not 3.6.
There is nothing "metric" about mils. Both milliradians, IPHY (Inches Per Hundred Yards) and MOA are measurements of angle which have nothing whatsoever to do with any system of linear measure.
There are two times Pi radians in a circle, and a milliradian is simply one-thousands of a radian. One milliradian is an angle which subtends an arc whose length is 1/1000th of the distance from the vertex.
In other words, one milliradian subtends an arc whose length is:
1 yard at 1000 yards.
1 meter at 1000 meters.
1 mile at 1000 miles.
1 league at 1000 leagues.
1 fathom at 1000 fathoms.
1 inch at 1000 inches.
1 foot at 1000 feet.
1 lightyear at 1000 lightyears.
1 attoparsec at 1000 attoparsecs.
3.6 inches at 3600 inches (100 yards).

The Nightforce MilDot reticule uses see through circles instead of solid dots and is very user friendly. The MLR is a Mill reticule with lines instead of dots. The NPR-2 is the best of the MOA reticules IMHO. The NPR-1 is too cluttered for me

Thanks for all the input. It has been valuable. I'm pretty much narrowed down to the Nightforce 5.5-22x56 NXS with NF rings and bases (thanks 338zmag). Previous to this, I was going with the 50mm objective (thanks mgoodrich). I'm down to the NP-1RR or the NP-R2 reticles. I too think in MOA, not mil-dot, so I'm leaning to the NP-R2 more. I do have a mil-dot on my AR, but for long range it seems the dot sizes begin obscuring the smaller targets (less than a deer).

I'll let you all know the final decision. The bank account needs to grow a little more

I've got the Nightforce 5.5-22x56 NXS on my longrange gun & had the Mil dot, but just got it back from NF & had it replaced with the NPR-1 (best thing I ever did).
I could not get the hang on the mil dot & I can now field judge deer to within a couple inches with the help of a laser range finder.
I also replaced my Talley rings with NF rings & bases (I went with the one piece) & got the buble level & cosine guage.

Either the NP-R2 or the NP-R1.....whichever you prefer after looking through them............I have 6 with NP-R2 reticle.......