I have a 6 ARC gas gun that needs a scope. I have been waiting to see how the reviews come out on the Primary Arms 2.5-20 but I am getting impatient. Should I keep waiting or just go ahead and get the Nightforce 4-16 I had originally planned to get.
Keep waiting to see the Primary arms 2.5-20 or just get NF 4-16
- Thread starter Texaslongshot
- Start date
"A bird in the hand..." 
The PA (2.5-20) is a brand new design, sometimes they have early issues (e.g. NF NX8) so keep that in mind. I'm not sure the PA name is strong enough yet to dethrone NF NX8 series which even though they are different designs it is what most people will compare. I would not expect an 8x erector scope (even modern design) to compete with a good 4x erector scope (like the NF 4-16) when it comes to how forgiving the scope will be, I may be proven wrong with this new design from PA/LOW but what the PA will offer is more flexibility when it comes to magnification range, so if you really feel you will need lower than 4x or higher than 16x (with possibly reduced IQ vs ATACR) then the PA may be worth waiting for. For the price that PA appears to be asking for their 2.5-20 I think I would lean toward the ATACR (but apparently NF just upped their prices so???).
What will likely be better than both these scopes is the new Schmidt unt Bender FFP Meta 3-18x42, but Schmidt is dreaming with their pricing structure currently and eventually I think Schmidt USA will come back to reality (like they have multiple times in the past...). Also, the Swaro patent is likely to expire next year and Schmidt may bring the full FOV version of this scope stateside sometime in 2026, but hard for anyone to know for certain what Schmidt will do.
All this to say, the ATACR 4-16x42 is still a solid choice even all these years later (but at used prices vs. new, though used will likely start to rise as well)...
The PA (2.5-20) is a brand new design, sometimes they have early issues (e.g. NF NX8) so keep that in mind. I'm not sure the PA name is strong enough yet to dethrone NF NX8 series which even though they are different designs it is what most people will compare. I would not expect an 8x erector scope (even modern design) to compete with a good 4x erector scope (like the NF 4-16) when it comes to how forgiving the scope will be, I may be proven wrong with this new design from PA/LOW but what the PA will offer is more flexibility when it comes to magnification range, so if you really feel you will need lower than 4x or higher than 16x (with possibly reduced IQ vs ATACR) then the PA may be worth waiting for. For the price that PA appears to be asking for their 2.5-20 I think I would lean toward the ATACR (but apparently NF just upped their prices so???).
What will likely be better than both these scopes is the new Schmidt unt Bender FFP Meta 3-18x42, but Schmidt is dreaming with their pricing structure currently and eventually I think Schmidt USA will come back to reality (like they have multiple times in the past...). Also, the Swaro patent is likely to expire next year and Schmidt may bring the full FOV version of this scope stateside sometime in 2026, but hard for anyone to know for certain what Schmidt will do.
All this to say, the ATACR 4-16x42 is still a solid choice even all these years later (but at used prices vs. new, though used will likely start to rise as well)...
Thank you both for the feedback. Glassaholic big thanks for your detailed thoughts. The NX8 would have been a consideration but i already have a badger ordnance mount for a 34 mm tube. That is why i had been waiting to see what the primary arms might be and would fit a nice mount I already have. Great point on new possible design issues and getting things worked out. All that being said i read this and placed and order for the 4-16 on a site that hadn't updated NF pricing yet. Hopefully it goes through......
Similar threads
