Dear all

Firstly apologies for posting this thread on the Euro forum. I have posted it also in the optics section but as us Euro's tend to shoot more in low light I thought I would post it here to see if anyone has any opinions/experiences with both makes of scope.

Just thought I would share what I thought to be an interesting observation with everyone which I experienced last night.

After being a die hard fan of S&B scopes for some years now I decided to venture outside of my comfort zone and buy a Nightforce NXS scope.

The model I went for was a 3.5 - 15 x 50 with R2 ret. Thinking that the optics would not have the light gathering capability of the S&B I deceided to carry out a like for like comparison testing them both in low light conditions.

The S&B was a 3-12 x 50 Klassik model. After looking through both at low to last light at the same object 400 yards away I honestly could not ascertain one better than the other. I had both scopes set at 12 power so I could get a close to apples to apples comparison as possible.

There were certain advantages to either scope i.e. the S&B had a slightly better field of view and the NXS ret got lost in low light however this was mitigated by the fact it has an illuminated ret and once lit it was better than the S&B ret in my opinion.

I was surprised as I did not think the NXS would rate particularly well in low light but it did impress me. I am now thinking of equiping my Sako 85 in 300WSM with one when it comes and use it for normal stalking aswell as long ranging.

Just an observation which I thought I would share and would be interested in recieving any comments from anyone who has experienced this or who has a differing opinion etc.

Many thanks

Jon,

How do they compare weight wise? What extra features on the NXS made you choose it over the S&B?

Regards,

Pete

Hi Pete

I think thats a good point because I think it does come down to features.

The reason I picked the Nightforce was because I needed dial up capability. If I didn't need this I would not have chosen a Nightforce. The R2 ret has 2 moa graduations on the verticle and 5 moa marks on the horizontal although as i say it was dial up i needed not necessarily the ret.

In terms of weight comparisons I am not sure how they compare. I would think the NXS is heavier than the S&B but I have not weighed them as such. One is not noticably heavier than the other. I feel where the S&B scores is the field of view and I think this is an important consideration when evaluating the pro's and con's of a scope when primarily it is for hunting use.But again the NXS has an illuminated ret which is an absolute must if you have a fine ret in the first place. The other thing about the NF's is the fact that because of the pound dollar rate they are very good value for money coming out at £635 at the moment. The best price in the UK I could find was I think York Guns at £1015. I was lucky enough to have friends who were just coming back from the US when I deceided to buy so I had it shipped to them and they brought it back. I have subsequently found a retailer who will ship to the UK (still worth doing even if you have to pay the import duty).

Thanks

jon

Jon,

I assume you can get that model S&B with an illuminated reticule as well, but I suspect it would be nearly double what you paid for your NXS..

Weight is the major complaint I've heard against Nightforce scopes..Whether thats all of them or just certain models, I don't know.

For stalking, I like my Swarovski, but would mind trying a German made Zeiss next time around...

Regards,

Pete

Yes Pete

I did look at the S&B PM2's but more money and they have 34mm tubes which I was trying to avoid.

Cheers

Jon

Well, Pete & jon,

You two appear to be having an excellent discussion on the atributes of S&B vs. NF.

I don't own a NF; but have viewed many of them that my hunting buddies own - if I was to purchase one it would (like the great majority of them) also be the 3.2x15x50 and I have always been impressed by the glass quality of this scope - the recicle leaves me cold but we don't have much use for the exotic recticles offered by NF here in the Fatherland.

Of all the quality scopes I use, I have to admit that the clearest, sharpest view I've ever seen (IMO) is from a vanilla-flavored 6x42 old steel-tubed S&B. The Zeiss', Kahles, Docters & Leupolds don't hold a candle to this fine scope; period.

The issue with the S&B 3-12x50, which is an oustanding scope is the eye relief. It is VERY exact. If your eye isn't in the exact same position EVEY time; you'll have to re-adjust - then it is crystal clear but has to be "just right" to get the maximum benefit IMO.

Hi Gerry

He he yes it was like a private forum for a while. Interesting to hear your opinions on the NXS. As i think I have stated in the initial section I didn't expect the NXS to come close to the Euro scopes and I didn't buy it for light gathering capability but it was a nice surprise which may lead me to get another.

Yes I agree re the rets. Unless you are shooting at extended distances the ret is not the best. Again like with most things rifle wise it is all a compromise. Getting as close as you can to the criteria is the main thing IMO.

Thanks

Jon

Hello Jon, how do the two brands compare when it comes to strenght. I am asking because Denmark just started fielding NXS to their sniper and two friends told me that the thing they like the most is that they seem to be pretty strong compared to waht they use for their private rifles (Zeiss and S&B).

Montes

I am not able to comment from direct experience but I hear from other users they are very robust. The build quality appears excellent if you can go by that.

I would think they are pretty good and I also hear they are used in various war theatre situations so would think they are pretty rigorously tested.

I can testify to the strength of S&B as on one occasion a rifle of mine fell from a horizontal mount which was about six foot above a concrete floor. The scope was undamaged and had recieved impact on the ocular bell. It also had not shifted zero.

Regards