Vortex Viper PST vs Nightforce SHV?
- Thread starter saunders278
- Start date
It looks to be as though is available in FFP or SFP... The 4-14X50 F1 is FFP
h ttp://nightforceoptics.com/shv/4-14x50-f1
P.S. Saunders, thanks for letting me "piggy back" on your thread....I seem to be making the same decision as you right now....
Last edited:
FFP is only really important for fast calculated shots, it lets your reticle be true for any distance. So 1mil or moa on the hash marks is always 1mil or moa, not 1 at 14 power and 2 at 7 power and so on.
If you plan on using the scope mostly on the highest power then there is no huge advantage of the FFP and maybe the drawback of having the reticle shrink as you zoom out.
The SHV is available in FFP if you pay more fore it, I have the FFP version and like it.
About the BEAST, I agree it was dead on arrival. Nightforce dropped the ball with it but I have one of the newer one and I love it. It is much better than the NXS but much heavier and the features are awsome. I would like to compare it to the ATACR as I hear they are great, it might decide my next purchase.
Vortex has a great warranty, they also had shoddy QC, which is why they have to have a great warranty.
On top end glass (razor gen1 gen2) they are built like tanks, however in the diamonback and viper line... couple searches and youll find a lot of them go back for warranty replacement.
TLDR - warranties are great, but Id rather a product that wont ever need to use it.
On top end glass (razor gen1 gen2) they are built like tanks, however in the diamonback and viper line... couple searches and youll find a lot of them go back for warranty replacement.
TLDR - warranties are great, but Id rather a product that wont ever need to use it.
I have the PST, its 7/10
Mind you I am shooting out to 1200m
I would buy scopes that use high density glass and better coatings. I look through lenses daily for 20 yrs as a photographer and coatings and HD is paramount. If you get chromatic aberrations dump the glass fast (rainbow shimmer)
Mind you I am shooting out to 1200m
I would buy scopes that use high density glass and better coatings. I look through lenses daily for 20 yrs as a photographer and coatings and HD is paramount. If you get chromatic aberrations dump the glass fast (rainbow shimmer)
I'll throw in another recommendation for the SHV 4-14F1. I had one and it was a great scope, shot many PRS (and prs-type) matches with it and routinely shot it out to 1000 yards. I found it to be super reliable, always held zero and tracked dead on. Turrets were great as well. If the make one with 10 mil turrets and a H59 reticle, I'll buy another one tomorrow. Seen way too many PST (Gen1s) crap out at matches and guys have to send them in for repair/replace. Also found the glass in the NF to be better but that's always subjective.
coleman1495
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Whitecourt
Not the Viper PST is all I can say. Owned three of them.One didn't hold zero and none of them tracked correctly.
I was one of those Vortex's... (Hey T*****)...sent it for repair and sold it...would never buy another one after seeing what I saw. Rob was nice enough to lend me a Leupold but I wasn't a fan of it. For the price point you're looking at take a look at the higher magnification Sightron SIII (preferably), those new Athlon's or the Burris XTR II. However if you don't mind staying at 14x I'm sure the SHV would work well for you.
saunders278
CGN Regular
P.S. Saunders, thanks for letting me "piggy back" on your thread....I seem to be making the same decision as you right now....
Right on, what'd you think you'll go for?
I'm thinking the SHV in 14x, I might consider going for the F1, although I noticed the objective lens is only 50mm while the SFF is 56mm. Think that makes much of a difference?
I had a nightforce shv 4-14X50mm ffp and I was very happy with it and ended up selling it when I sold the tikka ctr that it was on. I have also had a number of Vortex pst gen 1 scopes and still have two of them. One difference between the nightforce and the gen 1 Vortex pst's was the weight, since the shv weighed quite a bit more. The gen 2 scopes however weigh about the same as the nightforce shv scopes, but the the vortex gen 2 3-15x44mm has a smaller objective lens than the gen 1 vortex 4-16x50mm and nightforce shv scopes. One range of scopes I never see mentioned in postings are the trijicon accupower and accupoint scopes, since the trijicon accupower scopes cost less than the vortex gen 2 pst and nightforce shv scopes and weigh about the same as the gen 1 vortex scopes. I ended up buying 3-9x40mm trijicon accupower last year in Reliables's sale and when it came time to get a new scope recently I decided to buy the 2.5-10x56mm trijicon. It seems that people do not seem to bother about the combined weight of rifles and optics as much, I guess that is mainly because they are not being carried a lot. The tikka ctr weighed just under 10lbs with the nightforce shv 4-14x50mm fi scope with an empty mag.
Last edited:
Leaning toward the SHV in 4-14X F1. I do want a first focal plane. Just wishing for a little more magnification but as guys on CGN have said, quality glass trumps magnification. The ATACR is just too much $$ for me.
I sent off an email to Nightforce asking if they had plans to put a F1 FFP in there SHV 5-20x56. They answered me within a day saying that that is not in their short terms build plans but would add the idea for consideration.
Last edited:
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toon Town, Sk
If you like a zero question warranty as a selling feature then vortex is for you. If you want a good scope that doesn't rely on a great warranty to sell product get the nightforce. Nightforce also has warranty it is just not quoted in the selling features.
apex survival
CGN Regular
- Location
- Southern Alberta
How about Bushnell Elite Tactical 6-24x50 FFP G2? I owned a Gen 1 4-16 PST and both the Sightron S3/Elite Tactical are nicer scopes. The Gen 2 PST is an improvement but I still don't like the glass. My next expensive scope will probably be an ATACR. Sightron is coming out with a new scope with mil based reticle and ED glass but I fear it will be closing in on $2k.
Out of the two i'd go with the nightforce. Haven't looked through the SHV but had an older BR and the glass was good in clarity and brightness. Had a gen 1 vortex HSLR and clarity was ok but it got really dark at full power(×16).
But i'll throw another option in, the gen 1 Bushnell DMR.
34mm tube, x21 max power, great reticle and can be had in your budget. It's been favorably reviewed on the net and from some members on here. I've owned one and really liked the features, brightness and clarity. While i did sell it (unfortunately) because my eyes couldn't keep a focused sight picture. But I recently just picked up a 3.5-18 Bushnell LRHS and i'd say the glass is better than the gen 1 DMR and my eyes have no issues with this scope.
PS Bushnell now has a warranty similar to Vortex if that is a big factor.
But i'll throw another option in, the gen 1 Bushnell DMR.
34mm tube, x21 max power, great reticle and can be had in your budget. It's been favorably reviewed on the net and from some members on here. I've owned one and really liked the features, brightness and clarity. While i did sell it (unfortunately) because my eyes couldn't keep a focused sight picture. But I recently just picked up a 3.5-18 Bushnell LRHS and i'd say the glass is better than the gen 1 DMR and my eyes have no issues with this scope.
PS Bushnell now has a warranty similar to Vortex if that is a big factor.
