Rifle Scopes Nightforce vs Leupold vs Vortex

[AZNG Nelly]

So... Got the age old question of which scope to go with. This will be mounted on a hunting rifle (Seekins Precision Havak PH2 6.5 PRC) just ordered today, yes I will post pics when everything comes in. Furthest shot I've had to take was about 450yds and now im wanting to get out to about 700-800yds for elk. I am trying to decide between the following to mount on it and it is because these are what are in my price range.

Vortex Razor LHT
Since it is a hunting rifle this seemed like a sure thing but I started researching and found that the glass may not be as good as the other razor glass line up.. I own mainly Vortex optics because of the warranty which I have used.

Nightforce SHV 5-20x56 illuminated
See nightforce optics on a lot of the long range hunting shows and love the durability testing videos they have. Heard they have good glass but haven't seen a reveiw that compares glass and tracking between all these scopes. I know the higher priced scopes are way better but like I said these are in my price range.

Leupold VX 5HD 3-15 x 56
Read and watched that leupold has unmatched glass for early morning and late evening. Saw a couple reveiws stating that there are tracking issues. This scope seems light weight about 2 ounces heavier than the Razor so is a plus.

Sorry to bore you all stating only what I've read and researched. I have no experience with these yet, only pick em up and held them at the sporting stores.

 

[cleric]

Why not step up to a used amg?

 

[Birddog6424]

Do yourself a favor. Try to compare an XTR3 3.3-18X50.

I bet you'll like it better than your existing choices.

 

[AZNG Nelly]

Why not step up to a used amg?

Guess I never really considered used but with Vortex don't think I could go wrong. If I couldn't find an amg, do you have a preference on the above?

 

[cleric]

So I like ffp scopes so that takes all of yours off The table.
I have a mark 5 Leo On my 300wm and like it. I think a 30mm tube may feel a bit better as it won’t look as bulky.

so I get the best glass I can because that matters most to me in hunting. I saw movement with my binos about 45-60 minutes before legal shooting time in Colorado. I watched 2 cows for 20 mins and saw the bull before shooting time. They were at 800 yards away and I had a covered trail to get myself closer. I high tailed it up the mountain and set up again at legal shooting time. I waited for about another 15-20 mins and connected at 405 yards. Glass to me trumps all. And personally I care more about reticle then turrets. at 400-500 yards your drop should be small, I would use a reticle, as it has less of chance of going wrong compared to turrets

 

[MaximusDecimusMeidius]

unless you're wanting to go with something lighter, it's hard to beat the razor amg 6-24 or illuminated mark 5 3-18 for a crossover hunting / comp build

 

[AZNG Nelly]

if you see one somewhere please let me know.

 

[cleric]

@LibertyOptics give him a call and see what he can do on a new one otherwise watch the px and be prepared to move quickly as good ones sales fast.

 

[Slab74]

I own the top two. I have no complaints about the vortex lh or the shv. The Nightforce is on my target .308 and the vortex is on my 6.8.

 

[AZNG Nelly]

I own the top two. I have no complaints about the vortex lh or the shv. The Nightforce is on my target .308 and the vortex is on my 6.8.

Is the 6.8 a hunting rifle amd have you had experience with early morning or late night glassing?

 

[Slab74]

The 6.8 is my black tail gun. The glass is excellent. I have the 1.5-8 x 32, so it’s not the brightest in low light. My guess that the 2-10 would be much better with the larger bell. I have the #4 reticle, which I really like for hunting.

 

[Gatorshark]

I'd pass on the SHV. I think they are Nightforce in name only. AMG and MK5 for sure based on your list. You'll likely prefer the MK5 for glass if you find a reticle you like.

 

[338Winny]

I own the SHV and have had quite a bit of personal experience with the VX-5HD but haven't had a chance to lay hands on the LHT yet. Between the VX5-HD and the SHV, there is really no comparison in the glass. The VX-5HD pretty handily beats the SHV in terms of color resolution and light transmission (I get about 5 more minutes out of the VX5-HD deep in the woods at the end of shooting hours and the colors are more vibrant in the VX5-HD , but both have very crisp edge to edge clarity when comparing them side by side), but that's not to say the SHV won't get the job done and isn't a good scope for what it is. Like you said, its not an ATACR for sure, but I like my SHV and use it quite a bit - it's currently residing on a 300 PRC for the time being (trying to decide between an ATACR or if I really want to wait and save up for a ZCO but that's a whole 'nother thread) and I have no problem ringing steel dialing or holding over out to a grand on MOA size targets and I have taken several whitetails out to about 200 or less when it lived on my .308 before that. I've also run it on a 7STW and 338 Win Mag with no issues. But keep in mind you're not getting the famed Nighforce durability in the SHV like you do with the NXS or ATACR but I have personally had no issues with mine holding zero or tracking - but then I haven't dropped it on a rock or slammed it into a tree sliding down a mountain.

That being said, last fall one of the guys in our elk camp did drop his VX5-HD on a rock hard enough to bend the tube (about an 8ft drop while he was climbing up the side of a mountain) in the back country of Montana with no way to check zero and he still killed an elk two days later at 90 yards. When we got home, the scope was about .3 mils off zero after the impact. Given the nastiness of that drop I was quite impressed that was all it was off. I can't speak to the tracking of the VX5-HD as my buddy never sent off for his CDS and we always just hold over whenever we shoot it now.

In other words, I think either of those scopes will serve you just fine and you should go with whichever one you feel drawn to and you'll be happy as a clam.

Finally, not trying to start WW3 here, but a few of the folks on here mentioned the Mark 5HD. I own one of those as well but that is a whole different animal than the VX5-HD you mentioned. The Mark 5 HD is a good scope for the money (I think there is better stuff out there for the price or a little more) but that's not what you were asking about in your post and is a little over double the real world price of the scopes you were asking about. If you are going in to that price range, I'd suggest holding out for a little more and get the ATACR 5-25x56 or take a hard look at the NXS and Sig Tango6 if you don't want to go all out before you pull the trigger - pun intended. Good luck!

 

[rtsneddon]

You say you’ve taken successful shots at about 450. What power of scope were you using at that time? I would imagine that if you are wanting to hunt elk at 800 yds, you might want to look at something in the 20-35x max power range. I personally really like the 5-25 scopes, but furthest I’ve had them out was about 600yds. 400 I am usually using 15-20 power, dialing it back for a wider field of view for changing between targets. I haven’t had my hands on the VX5 yet, but I have been able to compare the Razor HD II and the Leupold Mark 5. I personally think the mark 5 had a bit more clarity in the upper ranges of its max power as compared to the Razor. Like you, I have mostly Vortex because of their warranty, but I haven’t heard a bad story about Leupold standing by their customers yet.