Nx8 2.5-20 first thoughts

I feel like I have pretty much tried every scope under the sun which officially puts me in the "optic slut" category.

Just to clarify, I am not a first time nightforce owner so that rules our the the "smitten " or "honeymoon" NF owner title. I also think it's worth mentioning that I don't consider myself a target shooter or long-range hunter.

My lists of needs in a scope are simple;
^Must have good glass/clarity
^A fine reticle with graduation marks for quick long range shots
^repeatable ability to to dile and return to zero
^robust In construction/can take a knock
^a good warranty as I use my gear
^enough mag to shoot out to 6-700 yards

So I wacked this thing on my Tikka which was mounted on a NF 20 moa rail and and the NF rings. I put the laser bore site in it and diled roughly to what looked like zero and took to the range a few days later.

1st shot at 50 yards was bang on the dot.
2nd at 100 yards was 60mm high.
A quick Calc of where I needed to be flying and adjust up and I was bang on at 300 yards, my typical zero for hunting tops. Pretty efficient use of ammo!

What I have learnt and liked in the past with NF scopes is that with my normal 300 yard zero I can either dial into the negative or hold down with the reticle for the 200 yards shots. This is when the projectile is flying 5 inches high@200 with a 300 yard zero so it comes in handy on occasion. Most shot shots down south, around my area in Queenstown are between 250 to 350 yards, hence why I choose to run the 300 as my zero.

Previously I had the NX8 - 4-32x50mm F1 and I liked it but wasn't totally convinced as the F1 wasn't usable at lower range until 6x and who shots an animal at 32x?
Asides from that I would tend to use the mag range more to get the reticle the size I wanted rather than the image size.

I guess the only negative could be the price and the weight.
I can afford it and have a light weight 7saum that was happy to have the weight added to tame the reciol so all is good.

Being a lover of the vx6 and seeing this scope as being a similar comparison I personally think the nx8 kicks the leupys arse in all attributes.
Apart from maybe 200 grams.... but who cares on chick's count grams right?

Will update once I have thrashed it out in the field for a while.

Have a great roar and be safe!
Attachment 193069[ATTACH]193070[/ATTACH

Probably the best all-round nz hunting scope made.
A little bit more weight than most but a small price to pay for what your getting.
First versus second focal plane probably the hardest choice to make, never the brand.

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I see Custom Turrets NZ has an elevation turret for the NX8 on their FB page....presumably they're not far away from offering it as part of their line-up.

I seem to have a habit of saving weight where sensibly possible on a rifle to allow me to sit something like a Nightforce on top & end up with a normal carry weight rifle with brilliant optics. Works really well for me & stacks the odds in your favour in low light when most of the hunting opportunities occur.

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Originally Posted by LJP

I seem to have a habit of saving weight where sensibly possible on a rifle to allow me to sit something like a Nightforce on top & end up with a normal carry weight rifle with brilliant optics. Works really well for me & stacks the odds in your favour in low light when most of the hunting opportunities occur.

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Exactly my thinking, optics are the answer what was the question?

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Originally Posted by LJP

I seem to have a habit of saving weight where sensibly possible on a rifle to allow me to sit something like a Nightforce on top & end up with a normal carry weight rifle with brilliant optics. Works really well for me & stacks the odds in your favour in low light when most of the hunting opportunities occur.

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Great plan,

Always have a few here, second focal, useful and reliable harvesters of deer

Top scope on the 85 rem mag is a 4-32 -50

Bottom one on the 75 rem mag is a 5.5-22-50

Attachment 193088


If a hunter is bothered by a bit of weight then don’t shoot anything, venison is heavy and you have to carry it :)

Not to detract from the fact that these are a beautiful bit of kit but I think we have a propensity in nz to overscope the crap out of our rifles and the lightweight rifle so you can run a heavyweight scope thing results in terribly balanced rifles that can only really be shot well prone to counter this problem. We also have a propensity to think that because we soent a shit tonne of money on something it must be good and it warrants singing its praises high and low.
I looked pretty seriously at buying one of these last year before eventually deciding on the 1.7-13.3 z8 instead as the NF is just a brute of a thing in the flesh, pictures don't do it justice as to how much of a brick it is, heavy, sharp angles on the turrets etc and the short tube coupled with the forward position of the turret makes it a rail mount only optic on most rifles.
I have no doubt that it will take a beating and keep coming back for more but if it were mounted on a rifle that was hunted hard in alpine conditions etc it would really do my head it fighting to get it around pack straps etc with those turrets and the weight on top of a lightweight rifle would make it terrible for that quick shot at an animal dissapearing down a gut as you crest a ridge. Is it a good optic? Yes, very good in fact. Is it "the perfect NZ hunting optic" no, very far from it in my opinion

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Not to detract from the fact that these are a beautiful bit of kit but I think we have a propensity in nz to overscope the crap out of our rifles and the lightweight rifle so you can run a heavyweight scope thing results in terribly balanced rifles that can only really be shot well prone to counter this problem. We also have a propensity to think that because we soent a shit tonne of money on something it must be good and it warrants singing its praises high and low.
I looked pretty seriously at buying one of these last year before eventually deciding on the 1.7-13.3 z8 instead as the NF is just a brute of a thing in the flesh, pictures don't do it justice as to how much of a brick it is, heavy, sharp angles on the turrets etc and the short tube coupled with the forward position of the turret makes it a rail mount only optic on most rifles.
I have no doubt that it will take a beating and keep coming back for more but if it were mounted on a rifle that was hunted hard in alpine conditions etc it would really do my head it fighting to get it around pack straps etc with those turrets and the weight on top of a lightweight rifle would make it terrible for that quick shot at an animal dissapearing down a gut as you crest a ridge. Is it a good optic? Yes, very good in fact. Is it "the perfect NZ hunting optic" no, very far from it in my opinion

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If you don't mind scopes that bend under impact you have chosen the right one!

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Originally Posted by andyanimal31

If you don't mind scopes that bend under impact you have chosen the right one!

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We stopped clubbing animals years ago, dont be such a hard ass

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Not to detract from the fact that these are a beautiful bit of kit but I think we have a propensity in nz to overscope the crap out of our rifles and the lightweight rifle so you can run a heavyweight scope thing results in terribly balanced rifles that can only really be shot well prone to counter this problem. We also have a propensity to think that because we soent a shit tonne of money on something it must be good and it warrants singing its praises high and low.
I looked pretty seriously at buying one of these last year before eventually deciding on the 1.7-13.3 z8 instead as the NF is just a brute of a thing in the flesh, pictures don't do it justice as to how much of a brick it is, heavy, sharp angles on the turrets etc and the short tube coupled with the forward position of the turret makes it a rail mount only optic on most rifles.
I have no doubt that it will take a beating and keep coming back for more but if it were mounted on a rifle that was hunted hard in alpine conditions etc it would really do my head it fighting to get it around pack straps etc with those turrets and the weight on top of a lightweight rifle would make it terrible for that quick shot at an animal dissapearing down a gut as you crest a ridge. Is it a good optic? Yes, very good in fact. Is it "the perfect NZ hunting optic" no, very far from it in my opinion

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Bro you carry a fully wooded rifle clearly weight doesn't bother you[emoji1787]
I do agree somewhat with what your saying though, but I feel our fad of needing to put cans on the end of everything does way more to destroy any balance than being "over scoped" ever will.
Of all the people I guided onto deer no one ever said I've got to much scope, but I often heard I can't see it/make it out.

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They just really screwed up with the aesthetics of the 2.5-20:wtfsmilie:. Man it’s not pretty to look at and what a pain having to raise it so much higher above the comb on a rail to make it fit. That and the weight aside, she is spot on! I went for the 4-32 F2 due to those reasons although in line with what Ryan is saying i’m not sure yet that I am convinced. In my 22 years of hunting only once have I seen a scope fail on a trip due to a knock so i’m not necessarily sold on the requirement for the extra weight. I’ll give it some more time on the hill before I make any further judgement.

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Originally Posted by BRADS

Bro you carry a fully wooded rifle clearly weight doesn't bother you[emoji1787]
I do agree somewhat with what your saying though, but I feel our fad of needing to put cans on the end of everything does way more to destroy any balance than being "over scoped" ever will.
Of all the people I guided onto deer no one ever said I've got to much scope, but I often heard I can't see it/make it out.

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A naked fully wooded rifle ;)
Attachment 193109

This is an interesting topic - "over-scope".

Let me be the first to agree that we all want less weight and less bulk with our scopes. not only it is lighter to carry, it is also aesthtically more pleasing to have a small and low profile scope.

"Over-scoping" would be definition mean it is more scope than one needs and having it is detrimental. So lets talk about these two aspects.

Is 24 power more than you need? If you only ever shoot deer sized animal within 300m, and hitting chest area is good enough, and only every shoot prone and supported, I would agree. maybe 16x or even 9x will do.

But if you want to -
* shoot further; or
* shoot without support;
* shoot sitting, kneeling, or standing;
* shoot rabbit, magpie, hare, or other small games.
Then 9 or 16 just wont do it.

The standard scope in 100m metalic silhouette shooting is 20x. People tend to use 6.5-20, but clearly 6.5 at the low end is not ideal for hunting, hence you have night force making 2.5-20, March making 2.5-25. My conclusion is simple, extra reach is always useful. It is never pointless. I agree that beyond a pointyou face deminishing of returns. Image quality starts to drop, weight is out of control, eye box is razer think, exit pupil is too small and image is too dim for hunting. This point may be around 30x on a 50mm scope.

The next point is about detriment. Apart from weight, people often complain about balance. I honestly do not get this problem. I own quite a few guns (just like everyone else here), in all shapes, barrel profiles, stock materials, steel or alu rings, large and small scopes. While they all feel different, I have never found "balance" to be a problem. Sure, some guns are heavier on the front end and some are lighter, but even shooting standing free hand none have ever bothered me. My most forward heavy gun is an Anschutz MS 54 with 22in bull barrel. This big boy is about 4kg without scope and is designed specifically for Metallic Silhouette shooting (hence the name), i.e. to be used standing without support, with scope. I thus do not understand when people complain about guns with 20 inch sport barrels with a mid-large scope of having bad balance.

Heavy beast. Does it make your rifle top heavy? That x hair with the red dots has a to much going on for me. Leupold 2.5-8 is hard to beat…….

Guess both my hunting rifles are over scoped. My do it all 308 wears a 4-32x50 F1 Nightforce & so does my longer range 300 Norma Magnum. I like the familiarity having identical scopes / reticals for me at least I'm less likley to get confused in the heat of the moment with windage hold offs etc. Lol im tempted to get another for my Anschutz 17 HMR :wtfsmilie:

Impressive bit of optics for sure , I have to agree though they are a odd looking in shape

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Originally Posted by Ginga

Heavy beast. Does it make your rifle top heavy? That x hair with the red dots has a to much going on for me. Leupold 2.5-8 is hard to beat…….

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Im feeling a little inadequate with my 2.5-8 Leupy VX3, I can only hit 6 inch plates out to 400m with it so maybe I need to get a better scope.................................let me think ........................um no. They Leupy is simple like me and no dial or paralax to piss about with.
Having owned a couple of NF scopes they are awesome but for my I just cant put on my nice light rifle.
Now on a gong gun, totally

Guess it would have to be defined what "Over Scoped" is.

Most, probably wouldn't consider say a Finnlight in standard medium/sm sized action in a calibre with some reach, Eg 270/ 270wsm with a 3-12x50 optic over scoped.
Whereas.
The same person might consider the same standard Finnlight over scoped with the NX8 2.5 -20x50 or 4-32x50.

However, if the 3-12 scope on the Finn was a S&B PM11 that weighed more than either Nightforce NX8 scopes does that then make it over scoped ?

I don't think it's got two shits worth of what gear you like or dislike. It's all about getting out and using it.
As you were ...

Very nice they stock a lot of NF 's at my local gun shop in Perth I get tempted every time I'm there waiting, have a project finishing bonus coming up shortly ;)

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Originally Posted by Gkp

I don't think it's got two shits worth of what gear you like or dislike. It's all about getting out and using it.
As you were ...

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Wicked scope mate. Am sure it will get PLENTY of use with you at the helm

@Gkp do you think it would fit on remington 700 short action with something like medium height talley rings? Wondering if the shorter action length might be the solution to not needing a rail.

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Originally Posted by stagstalker

@Gkp do you think it would fit on remington 700 short action with something like medium height talley rings? Wondering if the shorter action length might be the solution to not needing a rail.

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Maybe. The Tikka action is quite long.
Although it looks quite short I was still able to spread the low NF rings out a fair way.
I do like the NF Ring and rail set up. I am guessing they have a very fine machining tolerance as I have found them to be easy to zero on 3 different rifles with the same rail.

Thanks for taking the time to post. I’m looking forward to your future impressions once shaken down on the hill.
Love my NXS Compact, the top end zoom of the 2.5-20 would make it an extremely versatile optic.

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Originally Posted by Moutere

Thanks for taking the time to post. I’m looking forward to your future impressions once shaken down on the hill.
Love my NXS Compact, the top end zoom of the 2.5-20 would make it an extremely versatile optic.

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How do you like the ‘Compact’?


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I like it plenty, not much to not like about it.
Got lucky in the buy sell swap.

One of these 2.5-20 NX8's is the plan for me.
I just cant decide whether I need a NX8 or a Hoyt RX7 Ultra more because I cant afford both.

As good as the RX7 is when it’s time to sell it you will get a better resale for the NX8 and that’s if you decide to sell it.

Ironically I own the "royal flush" of the five scopes mentioned in this thread, all mine are all sfp, I just like it like that, seeing the reticle suits my style.

Attachment 193314

All are great scopes, like everything it comes down to what you value, Weight - strength - quality - value - performance - wank factor. I can't be arsed doing a keypad review tonight but might do an in-depth in the next week or two

PS - plus I owe Andy Animal xxo

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Originally Posted by Gibo

We stopped clubbing animals years ago, dont be such a hard ass

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Andy is a Taihape fencer... You have to excuse his desire to occasionally wanting to club something to death with his scope :D

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Originally Posted by ebf

Andy is a Taihape fencer... You have to excuse his desire to occasionally wanting to club something to death with his scope :D

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I must find my nightforce testing video!

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Just a quick update.
Have shot 11 animals with it from 150 to 600 yards.
It's fair to say I am in love with this thing.
The whole set up is reliable, repeatable and a great carry weight

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Originally Posted by Gkp

Just a quick update.
Have shot 11 animals with it from 150 to 600 yards.
It's fair to say I am in love with this thing.
The whole set up is reliable, repeatable and a great carry weight

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Yes the pain of the price is soon forgotten when enjoying the best!

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Originally Posted by andyanimal31

Yes the pain of the price is soon forgotten when enjoying the best!

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I personally don't think they are expensive. Compare the price with what you actually get with say a vx6.
Not saying there is anything wrong with the vx6, just a good comparison