Rifle Scopes Better Glass...
- Thread starter cjs88
- Start date
Swarovski has superior optics
Nightforce has superior turrets and tougher build quality
Nightforce has superior turrets and tougher build quality
$2500 opens a lot of doors, I would expand your manufacturer list beyond just Nightforce and Swarovski.
Tons of good deals going on through hide vendors and in the PX section.
You could start by calling hide vendors and telling them your budget and your intended use. That'll help you out a bunch.
Also defining some specifications you want would go a long way here. (Weight, magnifcation range, size, intended purpose) would help get better answers and feedback. Posting "which has better glass" is a kind of dumb/weak question
Tons of good deals going on through hide vendors and in the PX section.
You could start by calling hide vendors and telling them your budget and your intended use. That'll help you out a bunch.
Also defining some specifications you want would go a long way here. (Weight, magnifcation range, size, intended purpose) would help get better answers and feedback. Posting "which has better glass" is a kind of dumb/weak question
Erectors in swaro’s break easier. If you baby you guns then it might not be a issue. But I haven’t heard of to many surviving drops. I’ve seen the a few guys have issues with the zero stops being broke as well. So superior turrets is one that tracks and one that isn’t made with shitty components that breaks. The superior glass the swaro has isn’t even so great that I’ve ever noticed much of a difference. Further more, does it help you shoot better to have a perfect image of you target in slightly better colored detail?
Im with you on most of what you just said, and about the glass to a point. The Z6 and X5 series I can’t tell much difference in glass. The Z8 line the glass is simply phenomenal. Much more so than anything NF offers.
To be clear. There should be an o ring on the turret cap.
For some reason, most of them are oversized.
You are comparing scopes made for 2 different things. NF is a tactical scope made for hard use. Swarovski is a hunting scope renowned for its glass. Swaro owns Kahles, that is their tactical line. A better comparison would be NF vs Kahles.
Swarovski has amazing glass.
But NF has better function and options.
For $2500, your options are huge.
Are you wanting 1st or 2nd focal plane?
And what magnification are you looking for
But NF has better function and options.
For $2500, your options are huge.
Are you wanting 1st or 2nd focal plane?
And what magnification are you looking for
- Apr 23, 2019
- 47
- 23
You really are comparing tactical to hunting. Swarovski is going to be superior optics in low light as well as resolution. If that's your end game and want to get a little dialing in for longer distances go with one with a BT on top. Now if this is going to be a target gun that doubles as a hunting rifle from time to time, but you are dead set on dialing out to distance. I would look more so at a Kahles vs. Nightforce because Kahles uses the same glass as Swarovski. Nightforce has great clarity and resolution but nothing gathers more light than a Swaro/Kahles in my opinion.
It’s worth mentioning that the main 2 properties that consist of perceived “glass” quality are Resolution and Contrast. (Several other factors too, of course.)
This is one reason why guys don’t always agree on which scope has better “glass”. Everything in optics is about compromises, and generally to get really good levels of both, the compromise then is higher cost. In a long range precision scope, obviously tracking is king. Then for “glass”, I personally prioritize resolution the most and I care a bit less about contrast and I don’t care at all about color rendition etc, so long as the image is bright and sharp. After all, it’s a gun site!
Nightforce (NXS anyway) has been known for years to have great resolution, but in the past at least, lacked that “pop” that higher contrast (and also great resolution) that Swaros have. The Swaros are light weight hunting optics, Nightforce are heavy, mil grade tanks that track true. The newer models have more “pop”, as the coatings are getting better and better every year.
I would venture a guess that Nightforce would be the better choice for the OP for his pst upgrade, but he never said what’s he’s using it for...
This is one reason why guys don’t always agree on which scope has better “glass”. Everything in optics is about compromises, and generally to get really good levels of both, the compromise then is higher cost. In a long range precision scope, obviously tracking is king. Then for “glass”, I personally prioritize resolution the most and I care a bit less about contrast and I don’t care at all about color rendition etc, so long as the image is bright and sharp. After all, it’s a gun site!
Nightforce (NXS anyway) has been known for years to have great resolution, but in the past at least, lacked that “pop” that higher contrast (and also great resolution) that Swaros have. The Swaros are light weight hunting optics, Nightforce are heavy, mil grade tanks that track true. The newer models have more “pop”, as the coatings are getting better and better every year.
I would venture a guess that Nightforce would be the better choice for the OP for his pst upgrade, but he never said what’s he’s using it for...
This is very good advice. When someone says what glass is the best, that is asking one question that blankets four primary properties together.
Resolution
Contrast
Depth of field
Image brightness
Each scope company prioritizes these differently. You have to ask yourself which is more important to your application. There is lots of threads on which scope does what the best. I suggest you think about which of those are priority to your application and narrow it down from there on which scope is best for your needs.
It was funny a couple weeks ago when my friend and I kept going back and forth comparing glass between his Athlon Ares BTR and my new Ares ETR! We both thought our own scopes had better glass after doing this 4-5 times, we had to stay with our own opinions.
Then had another friend looked through both, ha I won (JK), or the ETR won out. "eye of the beholder" our eyes vary by individual.
On the other hand we both like the glass better in that same friends Swaro X5 vs my S&B, both 5-25's. In fact I think the glass in that X5 is the nicest I've seen yet.
Then had another friend looked through both, ha I won (JK), or the ETR won out. "eye of the beholder" our eyes vary by individual.
On the other hand we both like the glass better in that same friends Swaro X5 vs my S&B, both 5-25's. In fact I think the glass in that X5 is the nicest I've seen yet.
The Ares BTR has nice glass but the higher the mag the smaller the view and very difficult for many to even use
Yeah we decided to look with 20x and 25x through both scopes so it was the same mag for both. Too me the ETR handled 30x better than the Ares handled 27x. Seems the Ares doesn't pull off 27x that well because it's starting to dim out by then but 25x is fine.
I tried removing the oring it completely changes the feeling of the windage turret it's much better very close to how the elevation turret feels
Probably shouldn't run the scope without an oring there but going to try and find a smaller oring. The one that came with the scope didn't fit great
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