SHV nightforce highly recommended or no?

I have one and think it’s fantastic for the cost. I also own a few Vortex, S&B and other NF. The SHV offers great value in my opinion
 
Personally I would go Vortex PST Gen 2 over the SHV.
We sell both but feel the Vortex is the better scope for the money.

That's an interesting head to head right there!

I love my SHV F1 but if Vortex has improved reliability of the gen 2s this might be the way to go. Watching two gen 1s fail soured me a bit

I went NF because I trust them. I don't need a reticle coming loose when I'm hunting in grizz country. Also, I prefer the capped windage for hunting

PS, watch the EE as both scopes come up there once in a while. NF is rock solid and Vortex has a no question warranty so I feel safe buying either used
 
Nightforce reticles are etched and can't fail. Look up scope tracking on youtube, Vortex doesn't fair well.
 
Nightforce reticles are etched and can't fail. Look up scope tracking on youtube, Vortex doesn't fair well.

I dont think I'd be as worried with tracking on the gen 2s. Ilya Koshkin on Snipers Hide does some phenomenal testing and gives the 3-15 a great recommendation, good glass and tracking. Dependability is still a question though
 
vortex doesn’t really interest me. So far the shv really does. The MOAR reticle is also my favourite and that also helps. The scope seems solid too.
 
Never tried the SHV as the eye relief seems very short, especially for any bigger/taller people or anyone wanting to use it on larger recoiling rifles. The other downside for me is the size and weight, not ideal for most hunting rifles...
 
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I dont think I'd be as worried with tracking on the gen 2s. Ilya Koshkin on Snipers Hide does some phenomenal testing and gives the 3-15 a great recommendation, good glass and tracking. Dependability is still a question though

Watch the videos. The Vortex tested is their razor line, the high end stuff, not the mid grade viper.
 
I had a NF SHV F1 and it was a super solid scope. I only got rid of it because it wasn't ideally suited to what I wanted to use it for (PRS-type matches). As a hunting scope, it would be great, tracks perfectly and is nice and solid. Another good, similar option is a Bushnell LRTSi, similar mag range, good glass and super sturdy.
 
I had been wondering about this line of scopes and wanted to compare it to the higher end NF. I finally got to have a look through an SHV at Wolverine Supplies and was pleasantly surprised at the feel and glass quality. The turrets were great and you just know it will track. This is what will be going on my next hunting rig.
 
+1 on Bushnell LRTS - it feels like heracy recommending a bushy over a NF, but both the optics and featureset are better when compared to the SHV. It comes as a surprise to some that both scopes are made in the same factory (Light Optical Works, Japan).

The 2.5-10x42 SHV fills a nice niche in terms of being well built, compact and fairly lightweight, but for higher magnification I would look elsewhere.
 
This is where it gets subjective - I believe NF uses the same glass on both SHV and NXS. More than adequate for most applications. Simply put, I don't think NF sells scopes based on their optical quality. They are known for durability, reliability and great quality control.

For a lot of users, this trumps optical quality, and they are happy to pay for it.

I see a lot of reviewers splitting hairs on optical quality, but it's a targeting optic, not a set of binos.

To be 'clear', the reason I recommend LRTS (Or LRHS which can be found on clearance) is the low profile elevation turret with BIG numbers (easy to see), quality zero stop, more versatile reticle, and better eye relief (offers more flexibility when mounting). The fact that it's a smidge better optically is just a bonus.
 
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I have the LRHS 3-12 and the glass is way better than SHV, Vortex Gen 11.
The only thing I don’t like is the mil/mil dials ,as I’m to used to MOA scopes.
For that reason only,it has to go.
 
Kind of like wiping one's butt with the wrong hand?

The 3-12 is a great scope. Bushnell did make a MOA version of the 4.5-18 LRHS at one point - I think they are pretty rare, however.

I really like the 'infinite' zero set and the reticle (ebr-2c) on PST gen II.
 
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