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Rifle Scopes Nightforce, hard to see?

Oxn316

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 18, 2011
54
1
42
ohio
well i recently purchased a nxs scope and took it out to zero today. I was having problems seeing the crosshair while focusing on the target. Anybody have any helping tips for me. The scope is the nxs 3.5-15 with the np-r1 reticle.
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

Sounds like you need to adjust your diopter to suit your eyes.

follow the instructions that came with the scope, it pretty easy. sometimes the locking ring is pretty tight and can be hard to loosen. once loose turn the eye piece until the reticle is in focus. detailed instructions are in the manual

Cheers
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

Focus on the crosshairs, not the target... But the above is good advise too. Both your target and reticle should be in focus and on the same focal plane, but you should concentrate on the reticle not your target.
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

Yep -- it's an ocular focus setting issue. You can do this at home...

1. Place your rifle pointing at a brightly lit white wall so you can go prone behind it
2. Loosen the lock ring and screw out the ocular focus like 5-7 full turns so you know it's definitely out of focus
3. Get down on the rifle behind the scope
4. Now close your eyes and rest for a moment, then open them
5. If the reticle is out-of-focus, screw in the focus knob 1/2 turn
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5. You will see the reticle is more focused each time. Repeat until you actually overshoot what looked best by one iteration.
7. At this point, just pendulum around the optimal point.

When you get to the range next time, you will have to barely fine tune the focus to get it perfect -- tighten the locking ring and you never have to adjust it for your eye again.

When shooting, the reticle should feel naturally in focus & use the parallax knob to bring your target into focus.
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hamstur</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
When you get to the range next time, you will have to barely fine tune the focus to get it perfect -- tighten the locking ring and you never have to adjust it for your eye again
</div></div>

More accurately, he will not have to change the ocular until his eyesight charges
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hamstur</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yep -- it's an ocular focus setting issue. You can do this at home...

1. Place your rifle pointing at a brightly lit white wall so you can go prone behind it
2. Loosen the lock ring and screw out the ocular focus like 5-7 full turns so you know it's definitely out of focus
3. Get down on the rifle behind the scope
4. Now close your eyes and rest for a moment, then open them
5. If the reticle is out-of-focus, screw in the focus knob 1/2 turn
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5. You will see the reticle is more focused each time. Repeat until you actually overshoot what looked best by one iteration.
7. At this point, just pendulum around the optimal point.

When you get to the range next time, you will have to barely fine tune the focus to get it perfect -- tighten the locking ring and you never have to adjust it for your eye again.

When shooting, the reticle should feel naturally in focus & use the parallax knob to bring your target into focus.
</div></div>

Although I have a Vortex Razor, I went through this procedure recently when I mounted it on my 300 WIN MAG. Worked great.
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

I had that exact model about three years ago, had the same problem. I sent it back to NF and they said the diopter had something wrong with it (or something similar). It was shipped back to me within two weeks with paperwork stating some repair work had been done. I noticed no difference from prior to sending it in. I chalked it up to my eyes not getting along with NF glass and sold it.
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

Same trouble with a 8x32x56 nxs.
some time tinkering with it and it all went away.
Hell when I got mine I would Lose the crosshairs at 100.
Blamed the scope for a bit then broke down and read the instuctions. Not sayin that is your problem, But if you aint started from step one you may have missed something. (hell I did)
Good luck
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

The cross hairs are VERY fine. My 2.5-10X32 is almost too fine. I use the illumination towards twilight.
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

This is a common complaint with this particular nightforce model. Had the same problem myself as did another local shooter.
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

If you are going to adjust the ocular outside, while focused at a target at 100 yards, first make sure the parallax is properly set.
 
Re: Nightforce, hard to see?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Oxn316</div><div class="ubbcode-body">well i recently purchased a nxs scope and took it out to zero today. I was having problems seeing the crosshair while focusing on the target. Anybody have any helping tips for me. The scope is the nxs 3.5-15 with the np-r1 reticle. </div></div>
As <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Kruger21</span></span> said, it sounds like you need to set or re-set the diopter on your scope. Adjusting the Ocular Lens (aka the <span style="font-style: italic">"Diopter", or "eyepiece"</span>), on a scope is the first thing that should be done after the scope has been mounted and leveled. Even if you've already adjusted the diopter, its' worth your time to read through my post - a lot of people who think they know how to adjust the diopter on a scope don't know the correct procedure. Well, below is THE CORRECT WAY, plain and simple. The Nightforce Owner's Manual does a poor job of detailing the correct procedure. Instructing people to <span style="font-style: italic">"look through the riflescope eyepiece at a light colored background such as a white wall..."</span> isn't the best way to focus the ocular / diopter / eyepiece.

Why? Because the best way to adjust the reticle is to adjust it <span style="font-style: italic">without distraction</span> to the eye, and the best way to eliminate any distraction is to have nothing else in the view except the reticle. This is why the Ocular should be adjusted while viewing the reticle against a cloudless sky (or at least a clear area of the sky). A blank wall is "OK", but clear sky is best because the reticle will be the only visible object within view.

Below is <span style="font-weight: bold">the</span> correct procedure for Diopter (Ocular/Eyepiece) adjustment for both fixed and variable power scopes. The procedure is the same regardless of scope manufacturer, or whether the objective/parallax focus is on the objective ring or is a side focus type.

<span style="font-weight: bold">NOTE:</span> If the scope is a fixed power unit skip steps 1 and 2 as they do not apply.

(1) Turn the magnification ring to maximum (highest power).

(2) Turn the Parallax focus to "Infinity" (the symbol for Infinity looks like a figure eight). <span style="font-weight: bold">NOTE:</span> Most non-side focus scopes use a ring on the objective bell to adjust parallax, and the distances are usually numbered. Side focus parallax adjustment knobs may or may not have distances marked.

(3) Turn the ocular bell/eyepiece all the way in.

(4) Aim the scope at a cloudless section of the sky (you don't want anything except sky in the view, or else your eye will naturally attempt to focus on the object in the view beyond the reticle.

(5) Look at something nearby, but not too close, then look through the scope at the reticle. If the reticle is out-of-focus turn it a bit to begin to focusing the reticle, but look away from the scope. <span style="font-weight: bold">Never look at the reticle for more than a couple of seconds when adjusting the eyepiece</span> (if you look at the reticle for more than a second or two your eye will naturally begin to adjust to bring the reticle into focus - and you don't want this to happen. <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">You want to be able to look through the scope and see a sharply focused reticle immediately with your eye relaxed</span></span>. <span style="text-decoration: underline">This cannot be achieved by continuously looking through the scope and turning the eyepiece into focus in one continous motion because your eye will have already begun to adjust.</span>

Note that the threads on Diopter adjustments are normally very fine, so you may have to turn the Diopter more than you might expect before any appreciable difference in reticle focus is discernable. You will most likely have to make several small adjustments before you get the reticle perfectly and finely-focused for your eye, but it is very important that you do so. A lot of shooters' <span style="font-style: italic">"chase the focus"</span> because they didn't set their diopter adjustment correctly when they initially set-up the scope.

<span style="font-style: italic">Remember, look away every few seconds and make small adjustments to dial-in the Ocular/Eyepiece focus.</span> Once you have achieved this, you should not adjust the eyepiece at all, <span style="font-style: italic">except to maintain sharp reticle focus</span> as your vision changes over time <span style="font-style: italic">(it always does).</span> You may want to put a pen mark on the eyepiece indexed to the index dot on the scope tube - if the tube doesn't have an index mark use a pencil. That way, if someone else shoots your rifle and adjusts the Ocular you know where to return the adjustment to.

However, if you still cannot achieve simultaneous reticle and image focus after following the above directions for Eyepiece/Ocular Focus, it is <span style="font-style: italic">possible</span> that there is a problem with the scope. That said, it should be noted that <span style="font-style: italic">setting the diopter at the extreme end of it's adjustment range in either direction can affect the image focus.</span>


Keith