SmallCaliberCentral

I took a couple of pictures of the view through the lens of my NightForce 12-42X56mm Benchrest model with the CH-3 reticle. The first picture lets you see some actual targets at fifty yards off to the left side. If you look closely at the pictures you might be able to make out the one hundred yard targets on the right side. I'm sitting directly on the cusp between the fifty and one hundred yard ranges. The view through the lens is at one hundred yards. The grass is so tall it almost completely blocks the view. Notice how the exit pupil gets larger as I move closer for the next picture.

The second picture gives you some idea of just how fine the crosshairs and center dot are. The bulls eye on those targets measures a half inch and the center dot fits inside the dot with pleanty of white all the way around. The cross hairs bracket the bulls eye but don't cover any of the first ring. The NightForce crosshairs are laser etched and about as fine as any I have ever seen. This reticle is about as good as it gets for target work.

You can imagine how much better the view gets when you get your eye situated so that the exit pupil fills the entire ocular. Sorry my camera skills aren't the best in the world but, this should give you some idea of why I like the NightForce so much. Leave the spotting scope at home, you won't need it.

I got my first peek thru a Nightforce back in May, it was superb. I usually don't get envious of such things, but that made me green. I wish I could afford a half dozen, or even ONE.

wow, that is nice. Is it just me or do your crosshairs look crooked, I was just wondering.

huntnfool: Knowing Skipper, I'd bet it's either the camera angle (most likely), or just the way the rifle was sitting on the bags for the photo.

Skipper is not the kind of guy to have canted scopes........

At my range, you have to take your rifle back behind the line of fire and cradle it during a cease fire. When I set up my chrony, I set it too high so I was waiting for the next cease fire and just threw my rifle up there to take those pictures.

After looking at the pictures more closely, you may be right. I will get out my level and realign my scope if it needs it. I have changed front bags recently. I leveled the scope with the previous front bag in place. The previous one may have leaned one direction and the new one the other.

I have been shooting these targets for a couple of months now because they are always available. The problem is that they don't have the horizontal and verticle lines to align my crosshairs with. The good news is that with a good front rest the rifle is going to sit the same orientation every time. If you held your rifle at a specific cant angle, like David Tubbs does, every shot it would impact the same place on the target. Cant is only your enemy if it changes from the previous or subsequent shots. If the cant is consistent, the shots will be too.

Over the Fourth of July week, I was in Orofino, Idaho and had the opportunity to visit the Nightforce plant.I was able to see how they are made and I got to visit with the production manager. He told me they are very busy with military orders, Seals, Marines, and Army Special opps.
When you look through one of their scopes you can see why. The 5x22 was better than my Leupold 25x spotter. With the selection of reticles there is something for everyone. One of the big pluses is the amount of verticle and horizontal adjustment, 100 moa verticle and 70 moa horizontal.
There will be one of these on my Cooper as soon as I find a way to fund it!

Just checked my answering machine. My NightForce is at the gun shop waitin for me to pick her up

Hawkeye Joe

Well, there goes the competition. Good shooting buddy. You're just gonna love that NightForce.

huntnfool wrote:wow, that is nice. Is it just me or do your crosshairs look crooked, I was just wondering.

Sure looks like that to me too.

I can confirm Skippers findings. SUPERB. Built like a tank!!. It's a Benchrest 12-42x56 with NP2DD reticle.The weight helped balance my LRPV. It kinda looks good on it being a large rifle. To bad it's temporary.I couldn't help myself, I just had to shoot with it this morning. Once I scrape up the cash for dies,brass,TPS rings,bases,custom 204 barrel, and bullets, the NightForce is going on my Savage F class 6.5/284.Looks like it's going to be a while That's ok though


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Ok. That is good news. We want a full range report.

Targets are not verticle, gives a sensation that the scope is not level, but the scope is....

The exit pupil is the exact same size in both pictures - look at the targets - the exact same amount is shown in both pics.

I LOVE Nightforce!!!!! 5.5x22 NXS and 8x32 NXS Coopers 17 Mach IV and 22-250

Hey coopersrcool,that is certainly a handsome pair of rifles.
Making me feel real jelous.

cooperscool: Now, that is one very sweet pair of rifles you've got there buddy! Absolutely beautiful. It appears there's a NF in my future too. Skipper has had his way with me......