My first Nightforce
- Thread starter Gillis2
- Start date
I have owned all these scopes at one time or another, S&B 12-50, Nightforce 15-55 Comp, and SIII Sightron 10-50. Still own 2 S&Bs and sold the other scopes.
To compare, they are all very very close to my eyes. I shoot with two experienced and veteran long range guys and they have the luxury of buying whatever they prefer as well, and I'll tell you what we all thought of the 3 of them. fWIW.
I had a hard time choosing a better scope between the Nightforce and S&B. I sold my Nightforce as I was just too used to the reverse turrets and wider field of view of the Schmidts. The glass in the Nightforce is 99% of the Schmidt. One of my buddies highly preferred the Nightforce to his eyes, and the other thought it was a tie. I liked the Schmidt a hair better.
Schmidt is heaviest. Nightforce better turret markings. If you couldn't look thru them at the same time, they would be hard to tell apart. All 3 of the scopes.
The Schmidt has a wider field of view, which I prefer, but I dislike it's VERY short eye relief, which the Nightforce is better. The Sightron has a good eye relief and a better field of view then the Nightforce. Absolutely would be very careful about putting that model Schmidt on a big recoiling rifle.
My other buddy kept his Sightron and he has the S&B 12-50, and finds them very close. I'd rate the Sightron as 95% of the others. I actually like the Sightron reticle the best, is uncluttered and just very easy on the eyes to look thru for hours, but this is highly subjective. The Competition Nightforce reticle is excellent as well. Schmidt P4F is good, not amazing. This is for long range shooting over a day, not ranging targets and PRS stuff etc.
The Sightron does nothing poorly. If you are shooting the Sightron all day, you really never think "I wish I had a better scope". I am a big fan of the Sightron line and have owned 4-5 over the years. All the S3 versions.
If the 3 of us could not afford the extra 1500$ for the high end stuff, we would all be totally fine with the Sightron.
I am mulling the new Sightron S5 for my next purchase though, that's how much I like them.
So no wrong answer here at all.
If the Schmidt had better eye relief, it would be a clearer win for it, but that really is an issue with it for me. I do run it on a 338 Lapua, but my Barrett MRAD is a big heavy gun, and a lighter gun, you may have issues.
To compare, they are all very very close to my eyes. I shoot with two experienced and veteran long range guys and they have the luxury of buying whatever they prefer as well, and I'll tell you what we all thought of the 3 of them. fWIW.
I had a hard time choosing a better scope between the Nightforce and S&B. I sold my Nightforce as I was just too used to the reverse turrets and wider field of view of the Schmidts. The glass in the Nightforce is 99% of the Schmidt. One of my buddies highly preferred the Nightforce to his eyes, and the other thought it was a tie. I liked the Schmidt a hair better.
Schmidt is heaviest. Nightforce better turret markings. If you couldn't look thru them at the same time, they would be hard to tell apart. All 3 of the scopes.
The Schmidt has a wider field of view, which I prefer, but I dislike it's VERY short eye relief, which the Nightforce is better. The Sightron has a good eye relief and a better field of view then the Nightforce. Absolutely would be very careful about putting that model Schmidt on a big recoiling rifle.
My other buddy kept his Sightron and he has the S&B 12-50, and finds them very close. I'd rate the Sightron as 95% of the others. I actually like the Sightron reticle the best, is uncluttered and just very easy on the eyes to look thru for hours, but this is highly subjective. The Competition Nightforce reticle is excellent as well. Schmidt P4F is good, not amazing. This is for long range shooting over a day, not ranging targets and PRS stuff etc.
The Sightron does nothing poorly. If you are shooting the Sightron all day, you really never think "I wish I had a better scope". I am a big fan of the Sightron line and have owned 4-5 over the years. All the S3 versions.
If the 3 of us could not afford the extra 1500$ for the high end stuff, we would all be totally fine with the Sightron.
I am mulling the new Sightron S5 for my next purchase though, that's how much I like them.
So no wrong answer here at all.
If the Schmidt had better eye relief, it would be a clearer win for it, but that really is an issue with it for me. I do run it on a 338 Lapua, but my Barrett MRAD is a big heavy gun, and a lighter gun, you may have issues.
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Guneegoogoo bought my Nightforce, so curious to hear how he's liking my old scope?
If you are a Nightforce guy, I'd say buy the Competition and don't look back. Great reticle and glass.
If you have a budget at all, buy the Sightron, in a heartbeat, and will be totally happy.
If you like the feel of the best, buy the Schmidt, which to me has the best glass and serious "Swiss Clock" feel to it, but it comes at a premium cost, and has a couple little quirks.
Also keep in mind, I like to try new stuff all the time, am always buying and selling my gear and playing around with different things, so do not take that I sold the Sightrons/Nightforce scopes as a knock against them, not at all. Am going to be trying out the new Zeiss Victory V8 4.5-35 here in the next 7-10 days, and will see how it stacks up to these other scopes.
As always, just my personal opinion with hands on use, and definitely others will feel differently, and not saying anyone else is wrong, just my thoughts, and sharing my shooting buddies opinions.
If you are a Nightforce guy, I'd say buy the Competition and don't look back. Great reticle and glass.
If you have a budget at all, buy the Sightron, in a heartbeat, and will be totally happy.
If you like the feel of the best, buy the Schmidt, which to me has the best glass and serious "Swiss Clock" feel to it, but it comes at a premium cost, and has a couple little quirks.
Also keep in mind, I like to try new stuff all the time, am always buying and selling my gear and playing around with different things, so do not take that I sold the Sightrons/Nightforce scopes as a knock against them, not at all. Am going to be trying out the new Zeiss Victory V8 4.5-35 here in the next 7-10 days, and will see how it stacks up to these other scopes.
As always, just my personal opinion with hands on use, and definitely others will feel differently, and not saying anyone else is wrong, just my thoughts, and sharing my shooting buddies opinions.
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Some great posts - while I think the S+B to be the best (for my eyes) the points made about Sightron's are spot on; I have a number of the Siii's and all are excellent. The 8-32x56 may be the pick of the litter of the Sightron's though, having said that, most of mine are the 10-50x60 as I appreciate the extra mag for spotting my own bullet holes. I recently bought ( and returned) the NF Comp - as the eye relief for me was an issue even though - oddly - it is the same as the NF BR which gives me no trouble at all.
I agree with you, the 8-32 S3 Sightron is the strongest of that line. It is the one scope that I wish I had kept and been able to throw on all my new guns as a benchmark for new scopes.
I sold both of mine to buddy who was just getting into long distance shooting, and he will not sell one back to me, and refuses to use anything else, lol. He loves my Schmidts but for the 2000$ extra, he laughs at me about spending that much more on the S&B stuff.
I sold both of mine to buddy who was just getting into long distance shooting, and he will not sell one back to me, and refuses to use anything else, lol. He loves my Schmidts but for the 2000$ extra, he laughs at me about spending that much more on the S&B stuff.
I have to agree with you gentlemen. The Sightron SIII 8X32X56 is a fantastic scope. I use one on my Anschutz 54 Supermatch target rimfire. That being said, I should know how I like that new Nightforce I just bought as my new build is « en route » from ATRS to me. I'll keep you posted.
Gilbert
Gilbert
- Location
- Jameson, SK
I'm very very happy with it.
It's one of those things that I never think of, so to me that means it "just works".
It's the 55x competition. I should do a side by side comparison with my S&B 50x for ####z and giggles.
You will love it Gilbert, I have the exact same scope and it has served me well.
Unfortunately, I'm going to part with it soon as I sold the rifle that wore it and have nothing to put it on..
