I am fixing to purchase a new scope for my M14 Sage EBR, i usually just do like prone shooting no more than around 600 yards at most. I am looking at 3 scopes a NF NXS 3-15, a viper pst 4-16, or a weaver 3-15. I have seen good reviews on all 3 and would like some opinions and reasons on why you feel the way you do on that paticular scop. I have owned a NF and liked it but is the 700 bucks plus worth the differeance over the other 2? Thanks
Rifle Scopes NF NXS vs Vortex viper pst vs weaver tactical
- Thread starter sageebr24
- Start date
OR a Bushnell ERS 3.5 - 21 X 50. Very high quality. A few with H-59 reticles may still be available.
I picked up a PST. So far it has been good, but I haven't run it though it's paces yet. I figured I couldn't go wrong with it's excellent reviews and a warranty unmatched by anyone. The glass on the PST is not what my IOR was.
I've only shot out to 600 yards with it so far, but it did good. It gets the job done without spending a shit ton of cash. Reticle and turret adjustment seems to be spot on so far.
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The Nightforce is twice the scope and also has a transferable warranty and is worth the extra money hands down.
The PST and Weaver are not close to the NF. The NF-f1 will have better glass most of all, plus they (NF) have a great reputation for tracking. The PST and Weaver are not shabby but at the extreme mag it's hard to get a crisp image. For the price your better off with a SSHD 5-20, excellent glass and spot on tracking, really well built.
If money is not really an issue than I would get the Nightforce. I have a couple PST's and several Nightforce scopes to include NXS and an F1. If I had a PST on the range sitting next to a Nightforce NXS there wouldn't be any doubt in your mind what the better scope is but that isn't fair either as they are not even closely priced in the same class. The clarity of the Nightforce is not just a little but far better than the PST. I have a hard time seeing holes at a 100 yards with the PST unless shooting a shoot-and-see target; whereas, with a Nightforce 3 -15 is very clear to identify holes.
The PST has a lot going for it as it has lots of features but it is not close to a Nighforce in terms of clarity and glass crispness.
The PST has a lot going for it as it has lots of features but it is not close to a Nighforce in terms of clarity and glass crispness.
The two PST 4-16's I've had were poor enough optically that it pained me to look through them. Others have had good experiences, I may have gotten a couple bad ones... funny, because both the DMR G2 and HDMR I owned were awful as well. I sold the DMR to my shooting partner and he found the tracking to be slightly off, enough to matter past 1200 yds.
I've owned 2 Weaver 3-15 EMDR's now and and they continue to be my favorite budget tactical optic. They are not light by any stretch, but like the Bushy feel quite robust. Both of the ones I owned held up fine to the abuse I dish out and tracked perfectly. They also had surprisingly good glass, nearly impossible to distinguish from my Vortex Razor.
I *REALLY* liked my NF 5.5-22 NXS and expected to like the F1 as well, but when I got to try one out it left me unimpressed. That's not to say that it's not a great scope, but is it REALLY worth 3x the Weaver? Hard for me to rationalize. If my life depended upon my equipment, I would own the very best.... and I think in this magnification range it's hard to argue with NF's track record. But for my intended use, the Weaver works just as well IF (... and this might be a big IF) you can live without a zero stop. That would be the only reason I can think of to upgrade to the NF, and that's one very expensive zero stop!
John
I've owned 2 Weaver 3-15 EMDR's now and and they continue to be my favorite budget tactical optic. They are not light by any stretch, but like the Bushy feel quite robust. Both of the ones I owned held up fine to the abuse I dish out and tracked perfectly. They also had surprisingly good glass, nearly impossible to distinguish from my Vortex Razor.
I *REALLY* liked my NF 5.5-22 NXS and expected to like the F1 as well, but when I got to try one out it left me unimpressed. That's not to say that it's not a great scope, but is it REALLY worth 3x the Weaver? Hard for me to rationalize. If my life depended upon my equipment, I would own the very best.... and I think in this magnification range it's hard to argue with NF's track record. But for my intended use, the Weaver works just as well IF (... and this might be a big IF) you can live without a zero stop. That would be the only reason I can think of to upgrade to the NF, and that's one very expensive zero stop!
John
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He did mention that cost was a factor for this particular rifle. There is no doubt that the NF is a better scope.
I have owned all three, the Weaver, PST and NF NXS, F1's and now the ATACR. My views are those of a tactical/police sniper with 48 year old eyes who does a lot of field work and sticks a bolt gun in the trunk of the cruiser 40+ hours a week. If you do bench shooting or just range work my observations may differ based on the type of use/shooting. So with that said I will give you my observations, but I am NO expert.
Weaver: started out as a great $700 pick up. The glass was very nice, the reticle was useable and it seemed to track well. I even like the illumination for a lower end scope and I normally hate illumination on any lesser (under $1500) scope. Now the bad.... it did not hold up to hard field work and the warranty. I had an issue with the windage turret not catching. It took multiple phone calls and months to get it sent and returned. In the meantime I picked up a PST to use on my back up rifle. After the Weaver returned it went back into use and three months later I had another problem. This time armed with the right POC I figured a phone call and I would get the issued fixed. Well, it was the same run around and once the Weaver gets back (it had been two months) I will sell it off, with warnings attached, or stick it in my safe for use on a future .22 trainer.
Vortex PST: I went into this scope as a quick easy cheep fix so I didn't have to pony up $1500-$2000 for another NF or $2500 for another USO. I didn't expect much but was happy with what I got for the money. The glass is below the Weaver but the reticle was much better. Although not a true zero stop I did like the shims system and the scope tracks well and held up. The problem was the illumination. I do use it a bit when tracking targets on dark back grounds and did not like it as much as the Weaver. About six months in the illumination ceased to function and I sent it in and had it back in 9 days. Nice CS, BUT the lesser glass and other issues led me to sell it off with the rifle it was on.
NF NXS: I love the NXS and have had zero issues, ever. I hear about the glass not on par with the big guys (a problem resolved on the ATACR for sure) but I base glass more on eye fatigue and ability to find contrasting objects. Not a glass expert but when I look through a cheep scope (Barska etc.) my eyes tire quickly and I just do not pick up the contrast of objects in the field. Everything kind of blends and I miss visual ques. I never have this problem with my NXS. I still have my very first NXS and it has seen serious use and has never failed me. Can't find a thing I don't like so this scope is in MHO GTG!
NF F1: I jumped on the FFP bandwagon and spent up for the F1. It is everything the NXS is and the glass has even more of a visual pop to it then the NXS. Not sure if they use different coatings or different glass but it was a great scope. The only reason I sold it was to fund the ATACR and our team uses MOA not Mils so the whole FFP/Mil thing was not a big deal for the type of work we do. For a different style shooting this would be a GREAT pick up and light years above the Weaver or PST.
NF ATACR: I bring this scope up even though its twice the price because it is 2X the scope the Weaver and PST are. It is worth every penny and is my go to scope for all applications. The field of view is excellent and even setting up at 20 yards the other day I still had enough of a FOV and no parallax issues. The glass is just a joy to look through, equal to my USO, and it is flawless in construction. A tad big and heavy but can you say ROBUST! I also love the MOAR reticle and even though it is a SFP scope for most applications that should not be an issue.
So IF it were my money I would reach for the NXS. There are used NF's here on the hide at excellent prices and a NF WILL hold its value and last a lifetime. You may not need to bump up to HS turrets or ZS so that makes it even more affordable. If you really want something you will hold dear for a lifetime then save up for the ATACR and have all the glass you will need for virtually any shooting application.
Sully
Weaver: started out as a great $700 pick up. The glass was very nice, the reticle was useable and it seemed to track well. I even like the illumination for a lower end scope and I normally hate illumination on any lesser (under $1500) scope. Now the bad.... it did not hold up to hard field work and the warranty. I had an issue with the windage turret not catching. It took multiple phone calls and months to get it sent and returned. In the meantime I picked up a PST to use on my back up rifle. After the Weaver returned it went back into use and three months later I had another problem. This time armed with the right POC I figured a phone call and I would get the issued fixed. Well, it was the same run around and once the Weaver gets back (it had been two months) I will sell it off, with warnings attached, or stick it in my safe for use on a future .22 trainer.
Vortex PST: I went into this scope as a quick easy cheep fix so I didn't have to pony up $1500-$2000 for another NF or $2500 for another USO. I didn't expect much but was happy with what I got for the money. The glass is below the Weaver but the reticle was much better. Although not a true zero stop I did like the shims system and the scope tracks well and held up. The problem was the illumination. I do use it a bit when tracking targets on dark back grounds and did not like it as much as the Weaver. About six months in the illumination ceased to function and I sent it in and had it back in 9 days. Nice CS, BUT the lesser glass and other issues led me to sell it off with the rifle it was on.
NF NXS: I love the NXS and have had zero issues, ever. I hear about the glass not on par with the big guys (a problem resolved on the ATACR for sure) but I base glass more on eye fatigue and ability to find contrasting objects. Not a glass expert but when I look through a cheep scope (Barska etc.) my eyes tire quickly and I just do not pick up the contrast of objects in the field. Everything kind of blends and I miss visual ques. I never have this problem with my NXS. I still have my very first NXS and it has seen serious use and has never failed me. Can't find a thing I don't like so this scope is in MHO GTG!
NF F1: I jumped on the FFP bandwagon and spent up for the F1. It is everything the NXS is and the glass has even more of a visual pop to it then the NXS. Not sure if they use different coatings or different glass but it was a great scope. The only reason I sold it was to fund the ATACR and our team uses MOA not Mils so the whole FFP/Mil thing was not a big deal for the type of work we do. For a different style shooting this would be a GREAT pick up and light years above the Weaver or PST.
NF ATACR: I bring this scope up even though its twice the price because it is 2X the scope the Weaver and PST are. It is worth every penny and is my go to scope for all applications. The field of view is excellent and even setting up at 20 yards the other day I still had enough of a FOV and no parallax issues. The glass is just a joy to look through, equal to my USO, and it is flawless in construction. A tad big and heavy but can you say ROBUST! I also love the MOAR reticle and even though it is a SFP scope for most applications that should not be an issue.
So IF it were my money I would reach for the NXS. There are used NF's here on the hide at excellent prices and a NF WILL hold its value and last a lifetime. You may not need to bump up to HS turrets or ZS so that makes it even more affordable. If you really want something you will hold dear for a lifetime then save up for the ATACR and have all the glass you will need for virtually any shooting application.
Sully
You can get a Ziess Conquest 6-20 with tactical turrets for $459 if you look in the right place. I think it's a lot more scope for the money than most, but I have never seen it mentioned here so maybe I'm alone in that assessment.
