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Rifle Scopes NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

precisionshutr

Private
Minuteman
Dec 5, 2008
54
0
LA, CA
I'm looking to purchase a scope for a TRG in a 338 LM I recently purchased for target shooting. I like Nightforce and will probably go with that brand. I had a couple of questins I was hoping to get answeres on?

For 100 to 1500 yard shooting, which scope do you recommend?

The 22x scope has 100moa of elevation, 32x is 65moa and 42pwr is 45moa. I have a 30moa base, do i need to worry about running out of elevation on the higher power scopes? why do higher power scopes have lower elevation counts?

I'm leaning towards the NP R1 reticle, is this best for long distance shooting?

Any help is appreciated.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

Best is a relative term.
For my similar setup (338 Lapua) I am running the 5-22 50 mm with NPR-1 hispeed and could not be happier.With any scope there is compromise and the 5-22 to me has the least amount of compromise. It takes my rig 65 moa to go 1860 yards.(with a30 moa base it has 80 usable moa after zeroing.)

my 5-22 has 80 usable moa for elevation
-it has great magnification, but not as much as the other two.(plenty for shooting purposes). The hi speed zs hasmade shooting Lr easier, no getting lost and very little chance of miscalculating your adjustments.

The 12-42nxs I had had about 40 usable moa
-it has enough mag to be used for a spotting scope but is very limited by the the 45 moa elevation.Some will say the 12-42 is too much magnification but that was not my experience, at 12x even on a hot day I had no problems with mirage, on cool day 42 worked very well(you would shoot a group at 42x that looked terrible but when you went and actually looked at it , it would be a great group!!) The other negative is it does not (yet) come with hi speed zs.

An 8-32nxs with the proper base would have around 50-55 usable moa
- Looks like an okay compromise in high magnificationoptic if you are not shooting much past 1000(1500 may be pushing it a little). Again, no hi speed zero stop yet. (if it comes out in a hi speed it would be a little more tempting for me.)

For me it boils down these items
1. enough moa (as close to 100 as possible)
2. repeatability (Night force has a great past history)
3. Ease of use (hi speed, zero stop)
4. enough mag to get the job done.
5 Decent optics
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

I got similar feedback on another forum. The 22x seems to be just right for all around use, including having the most distance. One other thing I didn't realize since I have not shot in Tacticle competitions is the 22x low end is 5.5x well suited for moving targets, I can't imagine it would be as easy with a 8x.

As to the 50 vs 56mm objective, any thoughts as to which one?
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

one other question, you mentioned "usable" moa versus what's spec for the scope (80moa on the 22x versus 100moa per NF specs), what's the difference?
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

Some of the total internal adjustment is used to zero the optic to the weapon. So if you have a 100 moa optic and it takes 20 moa to get your 100 yard zero in theory you would now have 80 moa left for elevation.

Also, the more severe your right to left compenstion the less elevation you will have, (Ask the M1A guys about this one!!!)This is not so common on bolts, but it can happen. This is because a scope tube is round and the erector tube is round, if you push the erector tube way right or left it will hit the inside of the scope tube sooner than if it were centered in the tube.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sandbogg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Some of the total internal adjustment is used to zero the optic to the weapon. So if you have a 100 moa optic and it takes 20 moa to get your 100 yard zero in theory you would now have 80 moa left for elevation.

Also, the more severe your right to left compenstion the less elevation you will have, (Ask the M1A guys about this one!!!)This is not so common on bolts, but it can happen. This is because a scope tube is round and the erector tube is round, if you push the erector tube way right or left it will hit the inside of the scope tube sooner than if it were centered in the tube. </div></div>

Good stuff, very interesting...

Wouldn't the use of a 30moa base simply add that number to the total moa the scope can move UP and take away from DOWN movement? So my count would be 130moa for 100moa on the scope and 30moa on base. However, only 70moa of down movement? am i on the right track...
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

Not sure what your 130 moa number is, but yes if you add a 30 moa cant base that adds aproximately 30 moa to your elevation adjustment.
In the case of my setup if I changed out my 30 moa base (which gives me 80 usable moa) For a 40 moa base I would in theory have 90 moa usable.

When you are dealing with a scope like the 12-42 you have to have the exact right cant(around 20 - 25 moa) to get any decent amount of elevation(usaually you can coax 40 moa usable moa out of one)

***** what you have to be careful of is if you use too much cant (like a 40 moa base on the 12-42) You would not have enough adjustment on the bottom end to get a 100 yard zero.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sandbogg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Not sure what your 130 moa number is, but yes if you add a 30 moa cant base that adds aproximately 30 moa to your elevation adjustment.
In the case of my setup if I changed out my 30 moa base (which gives me 80 usable moa) For a 40 moa base I would in theory have 90 moa usable.

When you are dealing with a scope like the 12-42 you have to have the exact right cant(around 20 - 25 moa) to get any decent amount of elevation(usaually you can coax 40 moa usable moa out of one)

***** what you have to be careful of is if you use too much cant (like a 40 moa base on the 12-42) You would not have enough adjustment on the bottom end to get a 100 yard zero. </div></div>

Got it!

The more I read, the more the 22x seems like the right scope.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

The 5.5-22 offers a lot. You can shoot a very long way with a 22 power scope. I'm running 2 right now and have not felt the need for more magnification at all.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

Any thoughts on 50 vs 56mm objective?

Also, leaning towards the NP-R1 reticle, should i consider somthing else. I like MOA and not mills, comes easier to me. My other scopy is a mill dot, works great for me.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: precisionshutr</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Any thoughts on 50 vs 56mm objective?

Also, leaning towards the NP-R1 reticle, should i consider somthing else. I like MOA and not mills, comes easier to me. My other scopy is a mill dot, works great for me.</div></div>

50mm is a few hundred dollars less than the 56 *shrug* Weight savings seems pretty small in the grand scheme. I don't have both to compare "brightness" but obviously the 56 will be better at full mag. If you're eyes are going, I'd opt for the 56. I have the NP-R1 on one NF, and wish I would I would have gotten mil-dot. Mil-dot on every scope: consistency!! That's where I'm heading (mil-turrets, too, now that lots of folks make them).
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

Mil on mil or moa on moa its a personal choice. For me , I live in an inch and foot world and everyone I shoot with has moa adjustments so it is easy to spot a miss and then correct (either by hold or adjusting).
The NPR1 is faster for me than anything I have ever used(including mil on mil 5-25 premiers).
I think you would be very happy with NPR1, I know I am. My 12-42 had the mlr and it too is a great reticle, but the NPR1 works better for me.

As to 50 vs 56 I have owned both and as to light gathering I have shot both at night and if I am shooting at night I am probably on the lowest power setting where the extra 6mm obj does nothing for me (even at high powers I cannot tell a difference). The difference to me is a50 mm will mount lower to the rifle and will fit more rifles without running higher rings. I like my 50mm and low TPS rings!

In the end you need to decide what what will work for you.(I went through a lot of scopes to find a setup that works for me.)
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sandbogg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Mil on mil or moa on moa its a personal choice. For me , I live in an inch and foot world and everyone I shoot with has moa adjustments so it is easy to spot a miss and then correct (either by hold or adjusting).
The NPR1 is faster for me than anything I have ever used(including mil on mil 5-25 premiers).
I think you would be very happy with NPR1, I know I am. My 12-42 had the mlr and it too is a great reticle, but the NPR1 works better for me.

As to 50 vs 56 I have owned both and as to light gathering I have shot both at night and if I am shooting at night I am probably on the lowest power setting where the extra 6mm obj does nothing for me (even at high powers I cannot tell a difference). The difference to me is a50 mm will mount lower to the rifle and will fit more rifles without running higher rings. I like my 50mm and low TPS rings!

In the end you need to decide what what will work for you.(I went through a lot of scopes to find a setup that works for me.) </div></div>

I really appreciate all the first hand advise. You can read and talk alot about this but unless you have hands on experience, it's tough to really know what you're talking about.

Lastly, the mill on mill and moa on moa. why would anyone mix is a mill and moa, wouldn't that just cause of a world of confusion. Measuring the elevation on a quater of an inches and the reticle on .36 of an inch...am i missing somthing.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

5.5-22

You have heaps more internal elevation, allowing you to dial out further
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

Yeah, given i want to see how far i can take the 338LM, the 32x really dosn't look like an option anymore.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

The 8-32 definately meets your original criteria and after looking at the balistics it has enough moa to easily get to 1500 yards (if the proper base is selected). If your emphasis is on target shooting than the 8-32 is a pretty good compromise, if you want to do tactical shoots or push the 338 to past a mile than the 5-22 is better. (especially with the hispeed ZS)

My opinion is the 5-22 is better.

Why would someone go mil reticle with moa turrets?
Speaking for my self the 3-15 nf nxs suffers from poor reticle choices when it comes to moa reticles. I am of the opinion that my beloved NPR1 is a terrible reticle in a 3-15(way, way to fine). Therefore the only two reticles that would work well for my use would be the mildot or the mlr because they show up well in lowlight and brush. But I still prefer moa adjustments.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sandbogg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The 8-32 definately meets your original criteria and after looking at the balistics it has enough moa to easily get to 1500 yards (if the proper base is selected). If your emphasis is on target shooting than the 8-32 is a pretty good compromise, if you want to do tactical shoots or push the 338 to past a mile than the 5-22 is better. (especially with the hispeed ZS)

My opinion is the 5-22 is better.

Why would someone go mil reticle with moa turrets?
Speaking for my self the 3-15 nf nxs suffers from poor reticle choices when it comes to moa reticles. I am of the opinion that my beloved NPR1 is a terrible reticle in a 3-15(way, way to fine). Therefore the only two reticles that would work well for my use would be the mildot or the mlr because they show up well in lowlight and brush. But I still prefer moa adjustments. </div></div>

The use will be pretty broad and I think the 22x will work best. I have a local range i shoot at from 100 on paper to 700 yd steel. I've entered 1000yd NRA competitions with my 308, so the 338 with the NF will be a nice step up. Would love to try for maximum range, maybe out in mojave desert and a tacticle competition which I've never done before. The 22x seems to be the best all around candidate, especially with the 5.5x for moving targets in the tac comps.

So the mill/moa combo is out of lack of options, makes sense. I was looking at Leupolds with the MLR reticle, really liked that reticle. But the fact that it was mill killed it for me. Really complicating a relatively simple calculation.
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

We all know the answer is "Get one of each!" for pretty much any "this one or that one?" style question
wink.gif
 
Re: NF NXS 5.5-22pwr, 8-32 or 12-42???

my experience w the 12x42 is that usable moa is just not enough.

any imperfection on the mounting of your scope and its a pain