At range day, we got a chance to catch up with Night Force Optics, who had the new 1×8 riflescopes on hand. Night Force has been very quiet on the 1x front, for a very long time. This year, however, they have come back strong.
The 1x8X will be offered in 3 models, the ATACR mildot, the NX8 Mildot or MOA. Full disclosure, we cheated on this one a little bit. I had two weeks with the ATACR mildot and NX8 MOA before SHOT Show. And they are amazing.
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The problem with a 1×8, for a very long time, has been the bottom end of the power. A 1×6 was no problem, lots of companies have been doing that for years. Trying to hit that 8X-market proved to be altogether a different animal. The 1X tended to not be very good, and the parallax focus was for very short ranges Not to mention the price. For a 1×8’s from other companies were almost $4,000. So imagine paying $4k for a scope that was actually a 1.1 x 8, with parallax that only allowed you to see about 50m of ground clearly at a time, which is not good.
***Read our full review of the NightForce 1-8X.***
NightForce has crushed that problem. From in-depth field testing, I can tell you this. The 1x is a true 1X, and is just as useful up close as a red dot sight. The eye box is very forgiving, and the illumination is daylight bright. Full sun in the desert, no problem. The glass is very clear, and the parallax adjustment is on par with any other Night Force. That means excellent.
The ATACR model also features a 10 mil holdover grid, a far cry from most 8x scopes. With 4 mils of wind hold built in, this is a very useful medium range scope. This would be the one to beat at any price. But it gets better. The NX8 models start at $1,800, and the ATACR maxes out at $2,800. NightForce has just decimated the competition in this market segment.
For more information about NightForce, click here.
I can happily attest to the quality (clarity) of the Primary Arms Platinum. As a matter of fact, I can pretty much attest to just about everything Primary Arms offers as they’ve been my primary firearms part/accessories, etc., provider for some time.
However, not yet being able to compare my PA Platinum with the NightForce 1-8X, I honestly couldn’t imagine there would be to many extremely close similarities concerning clarity, features, etc..
Not saying there is anything whatsoever not absolutely great about my Primary Arms Platinum, I couldn’t be happier with it’s performance (especially after I finally completed their 4-year “Recital-Deciphering” Masters Degree Program) but, it has been my experience that when considering the quality of optical glass, you most likely get what you (have too) pay for. I haven’t been able to find a way around that fact and if someone eventually does, I’d certainly like to know about it. Just my semi-experienced opinion.
Call me a malcontent, but if the price is $2000-$3000, I expect to have the ability to make adjustments for any parallax, especially if I’m taking a long shot at 8x. A fixed 125yd parallax doesn’t make sense. Correct me if I’m wrong. I’ve never owned a Nightforce.
I wouldn’t say nightforce are over rated. Maybe if your a guy that uses his or her gun 2-3 times a year at the range. I’m excited for this new scope. My 5.5×18 close to 8yrs old, been used and at times Abused. My only complaint is weight, which really isn’t a issue. Wonder what the weight of this one comes in at?
Similar to previous statement, I think that Night Force Optics are OVERRATED, just like GLOCKS are… You buy equal quality products for half the Price!
Bob, aside from David’s recommendation of Primary Arms what scope do you feel holds up to the NightForce’s reputation for quality optics at half the price? I have a NightForce scope and I have to say I am not that impressed with it. (I have a Zeiss I like a lot better.) Anyway, I’m always on the look out for different suggestions. Thank you for your time.
You can find a Trijicon 1-8 for a little over a third of this price. It is phenomenal. My buddy has one and allowed to fire some rounds rounds on his “Recce” build. Let’s just say 1100 is gone from my tax refund right off of the top.
I think the primary arms 1×8 platinum at half the price is still a good deal same factory lots of people say it is a true 1x , just another option.