Whats the consensus on these? Still tough? still reliable? New Coatings? Better glass?
Rifle Scopes Curent Production Nightforce F1 scopes
- Thread starter g3ninfinite
- Start date
New coatings better glass equal to 4-16 Henny, but narrower eyebox.
narrower eyebox than before or than the henny?
Than the Henny.
You have something to sell?
Nope, I like almost everything about the scope but to me, the glass quality is lacking and I feel you get a tunnel effect vs other similar scopes.
I've got 2 F1's. I owned a third, but a buddy wanted the rifle it was on, and the optic really bad.....so he got the total package. So, I've had 3 F1's....first one when they first came out, second one about 18 months after, and a third one a year ago. The second 2 have 10mil/HS turrets. I find the clarity basically the same on all 3. They are my favorite all around rifle scopes.
I have to agree with Sandnsnow. They are well built durable scopes but definitely lack on glass quality compared to the top tier scopes. I have shot nightforce scopes directly next to S&B, US Optics and Steiner scopes. After moving from the Nightforce to those others I could definitely tell the glass quality was better in the others.
Nightforce glass in my experience is right on par with my Bushnell meaning it looks good when you look through it but as soon as you look through something else better you realize how much more clear and crisp the others are. So if you never look through another top tier scope and get to look through them side by side you will never know the difference then Nightforce glass doesn't look too bad. By looking through each scope at different times / settings you don't really realize the difference and I think that is why you get a lot of people who claim that Nightforce glass is the best even after looking through other scopes. I wouldn't buy a F1 with the other offerings that are available or will will soon be available. Especially when those other offerings have better glass and features at a better price.
Nightforce glass in my experience is right on par with my Bushnell meaning it looks good when you look through it but as soon as you look through something else better you realize how much more clear and crisp the others are. So if you never look through another top tier scope and get to look through them side by side you will never know the difference then Nightforce glass doesn't look too bad. By looking through each scope at different times / settings you don't really realize the difference and I think that is why you get a lot of people who claim that Nightforce glass is the best even after looking through other scopes. I wouldn't buy a F1 with the other offerings that are available or will will soon be available. Especially when those other offerings have better glass and features at a better price.
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I think Coloshootr is basing his opinion of F1 glass on older F1's.
Hmm. That's interesting. From what I've shot behind and observed I haven't seen one F1 with tunneling issues. If you come to me asking for the all around best long range scope on the market, I'm going to tell you the F1. If you want a optic that simply works, look no further.
I always hear about how all these optics companies out there have such great customer service. Pretty comical. After my last scope went down I'm not really interested in great customer service. I'd much rather invest in a scope that'll never need any customer service attention.
I'd rather 'keep it simple stupid bombproof' versus chasing features. But that's just me...
Re tunneling:
If tunneling is any reduction in the FOV, then S&B 5-25 has got to be the worst. It tunnels badly from 5-8x. In contrast, my Henny tunnels slightly from 4-4.5x, and my F1 slightly from 3.5-4x. But outside of that to say that looking through a F1 is like looking through a roll of paper is pretty ignorant. I agree that the Henny has what seems like a 20% larger eyebox, but it isn't really that much bigger, maybe 10%. It is visibly larger and easier to acquire. But it is the best eyebox ever and every other scope will look like shit in comparison.
The F1 is just as sharp and contrasty edge to edge at all magnifications. Anyone arguing otherwise doesn't understand resolution and contrast. According to NF their is min resolution standard is 2.9 Arc Seconds. Hensold's is 3 for the 4-16 and 3.75 for the 3-12. There is no debate. These are facts and easily verified with some googling.
If you wanna dispute contrast, that might be an area to fight over. To me, older NF lacked contrast. That's why I didn't buy them. This one is indistinguishable from the Henny.
I'm a lifelong Zeiss snob. I'm not a NF fanboy at all. But the current F1 is a damm good scope for bird watching.
If tunneling is any reduction in the FOV, then S&B 5-25 has got to be the worst. It tunnels badly from 5-8x. In contrast, my Henny tunnels slightly from 4-4.5x, and my F1 slightly from 3.5-4x. But outside of that to say that looking through a F1 is like looking through a roll of paper is pretty ignorant. I agree that the Henny has what seems like a 20% larger eyebox, but it isn't really that much bigger, maybe 10%. It is visibly larger and easier to acquire. But it is the best eyebox ever and every other scope will look like shit in comparison.
The F1 is just as sharp and contrasty edge to edge at all magnifications. Anyone arguing otherwise doesn't understand resolution and contrast. According to NF their is min resolution standard is 2.9 Arc Seconds. Hensold's is 3 for the 4-16 and 3.75 for the 3-12. There is no debate. These are facts and easily verified with some googling.
If you wanna dispute contrast, that might be an area to fight over. To me, older NF lacked contrast. That's why I didn't buy them. This one is indistinguishable from the Henny.
I'm a lifelong Zeiss snob. I'm not a NF fanboy at all. But the current F1 is a damm good scope for bird watching.
Yep, my Nightforce F1 tunnels slightly from 3.5 to 4.
It is still one of my absolutely favorite scopes. The MLR2.0 is what i consider perfection.
I've never felt the glass wasn't good enough for just about any situation I've shot it in... from overcast rain, howling dust storms, 110+ degree mirage... sucker has NEVER let me down.
When I dial a correction, there is never any second guessing or wondering "wait.. why does it feel like it went .3 mils and not .2 mils"...
I don't feel at a disadvantage when I'm behind it as opposed to my S&B, Steiner, Premier, Vortex, etc scopes.
Would love a 3-20 though.
It is still one of my absolutely favorite scopes. The MLR2.0 is what i consider perfection.
I've never felt the glass wasn't good enough for just about any situation I've shot it in... from overcast rain, howling dust storms, 110+ degree mirage... sucker has NEVER let me down.
When I dial a correction, there is never any second guessing or wondering "wait.. why does it feel like it went .3 mils and not .2 mils"...
I don't feel at a disadvantage when I'm behind it as opposed to my S&B, Steiner, Premier, Vortex, etc scopes.
Would love a 3-20 though.
If someone wants to dis the F1, then they better have a better reason than complaining that it has a bit less contrast than a scope costing twice as much. The optical quality is fine; one just needs to realize that it's biased more towards resolution than contrast, which is a very defensible choice for a riflescope.
They are also tough and not overly heavy or bulky. I like 'em.
They are also tough and not overly heavy or bulky. I like 'em.
As for tunneling it's hard to find FFP scopes that don't tunnel. As others have mentioned the F1 only tunnels from 3.5-4 which is nothing. To the glass quality, it is great. Does S&B have brighter and prettier glass? Yes. Compare the resolution though which is what's most important and I see no difference. Put them both behind a NVD and compare to other scopes and you will be amazed.
Cost, performance, features, and reliability you can't beat a F1.
Cost, performance, features, and reliability you can't beat a F1.
Can you elaborate?
Behind NVD, color, brightness, and "pop" don't matter at all. Resolution is what is important behind NVD. NF has that aspect down well.
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This.
918v how many current scopes have you verified your results with?
Just mine.
Again this morning.
Side by side.
Using the resolution chart from the stickies.
Again this morning.
Side by side.
Using the resolution chart from the stickies.
I feel the glass on the Nightforce is good, it is not the best but it is very good. The Nightforce NXS are also HANDS DOWN one of the toughest scope in the market.
I love mine.
Nightforce Optics NXS 3.5-15x50 - YouTube
I love mine.
Nightforce Optics NXS 3.5-15x50 - YouTube
What vintage F1 are you running?
I got an idea to illustrate what I meant. I found this pic on the net:
The above pic represents the lack of contrast I see when looking through older NXS scopes. The contrast I see in my new scope looks more like this:
I enhanced it on my iPhone to illustrate.
That's what I meant when comparing it to my Henny.
The above pic represents the lack of contrast I see when looking through older NXS scopes. The contrast I see in my new scope looks more like this:
I enhanced it on my iPhone to illustrate.
That's what I meant when comparing it to my Henny.
Tunneling or no tunneling in a scope is unimportant. What is important is field of view at lowest magnification. If a scope with a lot of tunneling has a wider FOV than a non tunneling scope set at the same low X the tunneling scope is the preferred scope.
anyone know the difference between a c359 and c357?
Nightforce F1 3.5-15x50 MRAD Zero Stop MLR2 C359 On Sale
Nightforce F1 3.5-15x50 Zero Stop MLR2 C357 On Sale
Nightforce F1 3.5-15x50 MRAD Zero Stop MLR2 C359 On Sale
Nightforce F1 3.5-15x50 Zero Stop MLR2 C357 On Sale
Besides $177 ... the links show C357 as 0.25 MOA turrets and C359 as 0.1 Mil turrets.
thanks. I couldnt get into the link. So i couldnt see the 357 was moa turrets.
Damn really want to pull the trigger on one but i feel like NF is gonna drop something crazy like a non-beast HD F1 soon.
I got an idea to illustrate what I meant. I found this pic on the net:
The above pic represents the lack of contrast I see when looking through older NXS scopes. The contrast I see in my new scope looks more like this:
I enhanced it on my iPhone to illustrate.
That's what I meant when comparing it to my Henny.
That top pic is what I've always observed through NXS's. Haven't shot with the F1 though.
Can't go wrong with the Nightforce F1. Especially the MLR2 reticle. It's just about perfect.
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I have said it before and I'm not the only one but if Nightforce had just done an NXS 5-22 in F1 they could have owned the market for another 10 years. Instead they did the Beast which is competing with S&B glass blah blah blah but way more expensive. They could be in direct competition AGAIN with Vortex and Steiner if they did it now, but since they aren't I'm sticking with those companies for the $2K scopes.
Glad to hear the F1 coatings are improved, if it had just a bit more magnification it would be a perfect scope for my needs. Alas, such is life. Good thing Steiner is stepping up.
Glad to hear the F1 coatings are improved, if it had just a bit more magnification it would be a perfect scope for my needs. Alas, such is life. Good thing Steiner is stepping up.
I still say I'd probably ditch S&B for 5.5-22x F1s.
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5.5-22x f1s would be the cats ass. In fact I'd take an atacar in ffp. I like the beast but there's a few things such as the turret lock I don't like
Not saying its a bad scope currently and don't know if NF has anything new for the F1 up their sleeves but that model is long overdue for a update. Something in line like a 34mm tube, true 5X erector but still 3.5X at the bottom making it 3.5-17.5x50, updated illumination control, improving the glass to the level of its current competition (haven't looked through a recent make) and adding both the MOAR and Mil-R reticles. Would hope if it was to be updated they could improve the FOV as well. Kind of small for its magnification level.
I agree. There is the Nightforce BEAST.
I also second that. If I want something with a little more mag in ffp I have to go to another manufacture. Not that anything is wrong with that, but I trust NF and would like to stick with them. 5.5-22x F1 would be fantastic. Even if they didn't put all the bells and whistles on it to update it and just extended the mag, i'd buy one.
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