I’m pretty sure the ATACR 4-16, or MK5 3.6-18 will be the direction I’m going to go. The M110 scope was a 3.5-10x40 Leupold MK4, and the ATACR 4-16 and MK5 3.6-18 are an upgrade in every way.
Last edited:
Rifle Scopes NF ATACR, S&B, or Leupold?
- Thread starter Hammer_Man
- Start date
I’m pretty sure the ATACR 4-16, or MK5 3.6-18 will be the direction I’m going to go. The M110 scope was a 3.5-10x40 Leupold MK4, and the ATACR 4-16 and MK5 3.6-18 are an upgrade in every way.
You can't go wrong with either one. Just pick the reticle you want and run with it.
I currently run and SB 5-25 on my range gun and a SB 5-20 ultra short on my hunting rifle.
SB scopes are really nice. Optical quality is great. However, before I had the SB 5-20 US on my hunting rifle I ran the NF atacr 4-16 x 42 for a couple of years. I don't think the NF gives up much up against the SB 5-20 except in the mag range. Optical qualify is pretty close, but the NF was really easy to get behind and just flat out worked. I hate the rotating eye piece, but that is a minor complaint.
just my experience.
SB scopes are really nice. Optical quality is great. However, before I had the SB 5-20 US on my hunting rifle I ran the NF atacr 4-16 x 42 for a couple of years. I don't think the NF gives up much up against the SB 5-20 except in the mag range. Optical qualify is pretty close, but the NF was really easy to get behind and just flat out worked. I hate the rotating eye piece, but that is a minor complaint.
just my experience.
Look for reviews and comments by resident optics master @koshkin, aka Dark Lord of Optics, aka ILya. He works with optics for a living and has a good YouTube channel. He recently had a big high-end optics review.
edit: forgot his website: https://opticsthoughts.com/?page_id=52 (also has link to his paid site. I’m not a member.) and he posts here too: http://www.opticstalk.com/
I would give you comparative advice if it had merit, but I’ve never used a S&B or NF.
My random experience: I had a Leupold Mark 5 5-25 with the CCH reticle. Nice scope, nice turrets (like the locking method) but disliked the CCH reticle. Sold it. Have Vortex Razor 4.5-27s because the eyebox and I like the older mrad 2c reticle.
Good luck!
edit: forgot his website: https://opticsthoughts.com/?page_id=52 (also has link to his paid site. I’m not a member.) and he posts here too: http://www.opticstalk.com/
I would give you comparative advice if it had merit, but I’ve never used a S&B or NF.
My random experience: I had a Leupold Mark 5 5-25 with the CCH reticle. Nice scope, nice turrets (like the locking method) but disliked the CCH reticle. Sold it. Have Vortex Razor 4.5-27s because the eyebox and I like the older mrad 2c reticle.
Good luck!
Last edited:
Thank you for the shoutout @carbonbased
Just about all scopes mentioned here are good options. Reticles are an individual thing. For someone fairly new to this, I would probably not start with Horus. Aside from my personal dislike for them, when you are new, less is more.
For gas guns, unless it is something really substantial, I tend to stick with scopes that are a little bit on compact side of things. For most long range applications, I think the need for a lot of magnification is a bit overstated. That having been said, if you have a 15 pound gas gun (I have one of those and it has a 5-25x56 TT on it most of the time), it does not matter. If it is something a little more handholdable, I would go with a more compact design.
In the grand scheme of things, something that tops out around 20x or so is a good option and of those the ZCO 4-20x50 is the best one currently available, I think.
S&B has three good options: 3-20x50, 3-20x50US and 5-20x50US, although it tunneling does not bother you much, the original 4-16x44 and 4-16x50 are really nice. The 4-16x44 was one of my favourite scopes ever made.
Nightforce has the excellent 4-16x42 and 4-16x50
March has 3-24x52 and 3-24x42 (I have the 52mm version). There is also a 4.5-28x52, but it is not out yet
Leupold has the Mark 5 3.6-18x44
Steiner's upcoming M7Xi 2.9-20x50 looks promising, but I doubt we will see it in the US before SHOT.
TT has the 3-15x50
Given the mil discount and sub-$3k (I think) budget limitations, both Leupold and Nighforce have a lot to offer. Personally, for a gas gun, it is hard to do better than Mark 5 3.6-18x44 with illuminated TMR if you want a simpler reticle or ATACR F1 4-16x42 with Mil-XT if you want a tree reticle.
ILya
Just about all scopes mentioned here are good options. Reticles are an individual thing. For someone fairly new to this, I would probably not start with Horus. Aside from my personal dislike for them, when you are new, less is more.
For gas guns, unless it is something really substantial, I tend to stick with scopes that are a little bit on compact side of things. For most long range applications, I think the need for a lot of magnification is a bit overstated. That having been said, if you have a 15 pound gas gun (I have one of those and it has a 5-25x56 TT on it most of the time), it does not matter. If it is something a little more handholdable, I would go with a more compact design.
In the grand scheme of things, something that tops out around 20x or so is a good option and of those the ZCO 4-20x50 is the best one currently available, I think.
S&B has three good options: 3-20x50, 3-20x50US and 5-20x50US, although it tunneling does not bother you much, the original 4-16x44 and 4-16x50 are really nice. The 4-16x44 was one of my favourite scopes ever made.
Nightforce has the excellent 4-16x42 and 4-16x50
March has 3-24x52 and 3-24x42 (I have the 52mm version). There is also a 4.5-28x52, but it is not out yet
Leupold has the Mark 5 3.6-18x44
Steiner's upcoming M7Xi 2.9-20x50 looks promising, but I doubt we will see it in the US before SHOT.
TT has the 3-15x50
Given the mil discount and sub-$3k (I think) budget limitations, both Leupold and Nighforce have a lot to offer. Personally, for a gas gun, it is hard to do better than Mark 5 3.6-18x44 with illuminated TMR if you want a simpler reticle or ATACR F1 4-16x42 with Mil-XT if you want a tree reticle.
ILya
I have over 2000 rounds on my Mark 4 ER/T 4.5-14X50 strapped to my Scar 17S and have had no issues. Just bought a Nightforce due to a great deal. Honestly I think the answer is whoever gives the OP the best deal.
Similar threads
