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Rifle Scopes Mk12 Mod 1 Scope Showdown (Need Help)

asanders380

Private
Minuteman
Feb 14, 2020
19
11
Texas
I’m finishing up my first SPR build and it happens to be a Mk12 Mod 1.
I’m stuck on scope options, I know what’s clone correct but without being able to physically look through any of these scopes I can’t justify a $1600-$2000 scope without testing it first. Any input from guys who have built out these rifles and what y’all used and your thought ?

current scopes I’m considering:
thanks !
 
First one on your list is dogshit

if you are limiting your selection between the other two, nightforce all the way. Burris sucks too.

If open to others, NF 4-16x42 or Mk6 3-18x 44. Reticle is your choice.
 
Nightforce NXS 3.5-15 has also been accepted as a clone correct option. It has been seen on many mod1 in the wild. I ditched the mk4 for it.
 
First one on your list is dogshit

if you are limiting your selection between the other two, nightforce all the way. Burris sucks too.

If open to others, NF 4-16x42 or Mk6 3-18x 44. Reticle is your choice.
I definitely was feeling that way about the Leupold based off other stuff I seen, that’s why I’m looking for other options in the same field. I feel like I’m leaning towards NF but honestly I never even looked through one and the price tag is crazy to me lol!
 
Nightforce NXS 3.5-15 has also been accepted as a clone correct option. It has been seen on many mod1 in the wild. I ditched the mk4 for it.
I am leaning towards that also, how far out can you feel you can accurately shoot with that scope and setup ?
 
I definitely was feeling that way about the Leupold based off other stuff I seen, that’s why I’m looking for other options in the same field. I feel like I’m leaning towards NF but honestly I never even looked through one and the price tag is crazy to me lol!

it all good man. I’d go to your local range whenever possible to see if anyone is running a scope that interests you. Strike up a convo and get a look through the glass. That’s prob the best (most likely) way to see before you buy.

worst case, if you have to leap before you can look, you can just resell it on here or whereever in case you don’t like it.
 
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I’d put the Bushnell LRTS line in the running.
I never should have sold mine...couldn’t find another at the time so bought it’s Korean brother...the Nitro 3-12 with Deploy Mil and it has been pretty great match for my Mk12Mod0ish SPR.

I also have an ECOS-O and been happy with the Mk6 3-18 quite a bit.
 
I am leaning towards that also, how far out can you feel you can accurately shoot with that scope and setup ?

I can't answer for Sogan but for a while I ran a NF 3.5-15 F1 on my 18" SPR and with IMI 77gr Razor Core I could do 800 in the right conditions. I upgraded to the NF 4-16 ATACR and at a match we pushed out to just over 900 and I connected pretty consistently on a full size IPSC with BH 77gr OTM, but again the conditions were just right with regards to the wind.
 
I can't answer for Sogan but for a while I ran a NF 3.5-15 F1 on my 18" SPR and with IMI 77gr Razor Core I could do 800 in the right conditions. I upgraded to the NF 4-16 ATACR and at a match we pushed out to just over 900 and I connected pretty consistently on a full size IPSC with BH 77gr OTM, but again the conditions were just right with regards to the wind.
Nice, would you say the price tag is worth it? Compared to a similar style scope for half the price ?
 
I have a 2-10 Burris on my PRI upper. I would try to grab a nightforce if you can. The Burris is...ok. That’s all. It’s just...ok. I have an nx8 on another rifle and it’s freaking awesome. The mk5 3.6-18 I have is freaking awesome as well.
 
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Don't listen to all the Leupold haters. I picked up a Leupold Mark 4 LR/T 3.5-10x40mm (30mm) M3 Rifle Scope illum TMR for under $1K. I love it.

Is it the best scope available? No. But for period correct it suits my needs just fine.

The money I saved on it is going toward a nicer scope for my other rifles.
 
Before I sold mine, I had a Leupold MK6 3-18 on it and I think that was about perfect. I had used the MR/T 2.5-8 and NXS 2.5-10x24 and both had their own shortcomings.

For clone correctness I think a NF NXS F1 3.5-15 would be the best bet.

If you are not interested in being clone correct I would go with a 3-12, 3-15, or 4-16. Nightforce ATACR and Leupold MK5 immediately come to mind.
 
Before I sold mine, I had a Leupold MK6 3-18 on it and I think that was about perfect. I had used the MR/T 2.5-8 and NXS 2.5-10x24 and both had their own shortcomings.

For clone correctness I think a NF NXS F1 3.5-15 would be the best bet.

If you are not interested in being clone correct I would go with a 3-12, 3-15, or 4-16. Nightforce ATACR and Leupold MK5 immediately come to mind.

Glad you liked the 3-18x44 Mk6 as I just ordered one with a Tremor 2 reticle for my Mod H. Should have it mounted by Friday...
 
My non clone correct Mod0 (HCS upper) started with an NXS 2.5-10x42. Sold the scope for a 4-16 ATACR T3. Been running that a few weekends and I found myself wanting to move back into a 2.5-10 pretty quick. One can over scope... 8-10 max power is enough.
 
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3/3 at 625yards w/ 75gr Hornady American Gunner on 12” plate
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I really wanted to like the 2.5-10x24. It really started getting finicky at x7-8 power. At x10 it was a bitch. Eyebox was extremely tight. For all intents and purposes it really is a 2.5-8 power scope.
 
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I am leaning towards that also, how far out can you feel you can accurately shoot with that scope and setup ?
800 in the right conditions and it only gets easier at 700. I wanted more mag than the mk4 had to be able to shoot smaller groups etc but it certainly shines further out. What I hated the most about the mk4 was the mismatch reticle to turrets if you are getting the clone correct model.
 
If you want to hit shit at range, the MRT is legit, I’ve got a few although they are not top tier glass or features they work and work well
 

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I have no dog in this fight as I sold my MK12 to fund AIs. I have thought about contacting Kevin and getting another MK12 MOD1, if I did, it would have a NF NXS F1 3.5-15
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3/3 at 625yards w/ 75gr Hornady American Gunner on 12” plate
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I really wanted to like the 2.5-10x24. It really started getting finicky at x7-8 power. At x10 it was a bitch. Eyebox was extremely tight. For all intents and purposes it really is a 2.5-8 power scope.

That Mk6 sure looks the part. How sweet an updated x24 would be with a better eye box.

Edit: I was talking to Kevin the other day and he mentioned he’d be taking delivery of some 6ARC barrels...
 
That Mk6 sure looks the part. How sweet an updated x24 would be with a better eye box.

Edit: I was talking to Kevin the other day and he mentioned he’d be taking delivery of some 6ARC barrels...
MK6 certainly had its own QC issues. The MK5 has faired better. The MK6 I had was solid but it had been back to Leupold.

I am not buying into the 6ARC, just like I didn’t buy into the 6.5GT.
 
MK6 certainly had its own QC issues. The MK5 has faired better. The MK6 I had was solid but it had been back to Leupold.

I am not buying into the 6ARC, just like I didn’t buy into the 6.5GT.
I dunno what it is about the Mk6. Despite all of the documented issues it’s always been on the want list...

I stuck with the standard offerings myself. Im sure potential is there but not for me. Too early. I’m weary of stuff with an abundance of marketing.
 
Turret swap and tracking issue

Gotcha; always sucks when the scope fails but it happens sometimes. I’ve had to send a Leupold spotting scope back a few years ago, which leupold fixed quick and sent me back a small tripod with it.
 
Gotcha; always sucks when the scope fails but it happens sometimes. I’ve had to send a Leupold spotting scope back a few years ago, which leupold fixed quick and sent me back a small tripod with it.

Was it reticle equipped and did the reticle turn clockwise with the focus adjust?
 
Was it reticle equipped and did the reticle turn clockwise with the focus adjust?

Has the TMR reticle and functioned fine insofar as the reticle was concerned but had dirt/crud inside as well as a lacerated eyepiece. So when viewing, there was always a dark streak in the sight picture, esp at higher magnification.
 
Has the TMR reticle and functioned fine insofar as the reticle was concerned but had dirt/crud inside as well as a lacerated eyepiece. So when viewing, there was always a dark streak in the sight picture, esp at higher magnification.
Oh shit. That’s no bueno. Cool they gave you a tripod with the return.
 
Oh shit. That’s no bueno. Cool they gave you a tripod with the return.

yea wasn’t expecting it and thought it odd when such a large box showed up from them a few weeks later.
 
yea wasn’t expecting it and thought it odd when such a large box showed up from them a few weeks later.
I just finished a older Kifaru podcast with a few PRS guys on there, and they were talking about a certain scope manufacturer that had that issue with almost a whole batch that was part of a government contract and recommended guys look into NF for their tracking and reliability if not already. And to my knowledge Leupold was the other scope contract in SOF...
 
If you want to hit shit at range, the MRT is legit, I’ve got a few although they are top tier glass or features they work and work well
How’s that? Unless you mean “hit shit at range if you don’t know your dope” and you are just using the mk262 turret that goes off of yardage?
 
I just finished a older Kifaru podcast with a few PRS guys on there, and they were talking about a certain scope manufacturer that had that issue with almost a whole batch that was part of a government contract and recommended guys look into NF for their tracking and reliability if not already. And to my knowledge Leupold was the other scope contract in SOF...

I’m not entirely surprised to learn of a large batch failure, esp given the amount of scopes they pump out, under deadlines. Not making excuses for them either, they may have had machines that were past their service intervals and picked up excessive tolerance, etc. Something they should have had under control. Nightforce, SB, Vortex also have had issues, pretty much every major manufacturer has

I had 3 USO scopes over the years and two of them (an SN-3 1.8-10 and LR17) fail (tracking issues in both cases) so no more USO for me. Others swear by them (Maybe not as much anymore but did 10 years ago when my two failures occurred)

For the rifles I shoot frequently, I keep a back up scope that’s zeroed and ready to go in the event the primary fails.
 
How’s that? Unless you mean “hit shit at range if you don’t know your dope” and you are just using the mk262 turret that goes off of yardage?
the BDCis dead nuts, and easy to use, range, dial, shoot...not as fast as shooting the CMR-WG but fast; is it as precise as my precision shooting? nope...but its faster and I tend to hit shit I shoot at with it out to 800...ran it against a great shooter using a issue M40a3 and typically was on target faster and had 3-4 hits before his first shot was off, its a SPR scope, it does what a sir scope should do...it works, its simple
 
Another +1 for the 3.5-15 NXS.
The 2.5-8 mk4 isn’t a bad scope, it just doesn’t do the rifle any justice if you want shoot any long range.
I have stretched mine out to 700 with ease. Douglas barrel and 77gr tmk handloads is extremely accurate.
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5 shots @100
 
First one on your list is dogshit

if you are limiting your selection between the other two, nightforce all the way. Burris sucks too.

If open to others, NF 4-16x42 or Mk6 3-18x 44. Reticle is your choice.
Why is the first one dogshit? Any data or evidence to back that up?
 
Why is the first one dogshit? Any data or evidence to back that up?

Lol, yea owned one for a year and a half. All the evidence I need. Given the price similarities between it and the NF 2.5-10x23/32 it’a no contest. YMMV
 
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Lol, yea owned one for a year and a half. All the evidence I need. Given the price similarities between it and the NF 2.5-10x23/32 it’a no contest. YMMV
My experience is just the exact opposite, the NF are overpriced dogshit.