In that case, I can't wait until they come out. Zero-Stop 1x4 for under $600 seems to be an amazing deal. Thanks!

Not to start a flame war, but why is this scope only $600 when the Nightforce is $1300?

Molon: Do you still use your Nightforce? The reticle looks fairly bright in the indoor photos you took. What's your experience outdoors?

I have read several reviews that it is not day time visible but would definitely be up for hearing more input from first hand experience.

I've owned the NF 1-4 NXS with both the FC-2 and NP-1 reticles.  They are not daytime visible.  Not such an issue with the FC-2 as it's a bold design.  The NP-1 was hard to pick up on the move.  Still, no one can deny the benefits of a daytime illuminated  reticle with regards to speed.

Sam will those turrets be able to be retrofitted to the line of 1-4's coming out this spring?  Same question regarding the turret caps.  This going to be one helluva scope.  +1 regarding contacting Larue.

Ah, I see the confusion, I didn't explain myself correctly.  I was asking if "future" 5.56 calibrated turrets could be retrofitted to the optic.  Subsequently, I was wondering if and when turret caps were to come out - if they could also be retrofitted.  Having the CRS pretty much negates the need for such a thing anyway - but still.

All good here. Guys, if you haven't perused Vortex's tactical website, you should.  The features & specs are impressive.  

H

10-4, thanks Sam.

Absolutely and I won't be selling it any time soon.  The latest generation is definitely brighter than the original ones.  During certain conditions outdoors (eg aiming into a shaded or dark colored area) the illumination is visible.  However, outdoors in the bright sunlight and against light colored areas, the illumination does wash out; the black reticle is still clearly visible though.

Dumb question, but how can you tell which "generation" of scope a Nightforce is?

Damn... now I'm really confused about optics. Lots of high dollar 1-4x scopes in this thread. I had come to the conclusion that the Acog was the shit when it came to combat optics that also have magnification capabilities. Without getting too technical, can someone explain the advantages/disadvantages the OP's 1-4x scopes would have to the Acog?

EDIT: nevermind.... i read that Acogs are not variable power optics, but fixed.

Advantages of 1-4 Optics: More precision, more versatility at differing ranges.
Disadvantages of 1-4 Optics: Inherently not as robust. More moving parts = higher chance to break. It's only a marginal difference, but something worth noting.

It's that simple.

For the price, I would be interested in one of these scopes as well. Just curious, what is the function of the BDC caps? Also, how would the durability of the Viper 1-4 scope compare with the same version from your higher end line? Is the recticle viewable in the daylight when the power-illumination is turned off?



Thanks,



Mike



 

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The Thin Grey Line?

Maybe a poor choice of words on my part.  I don't know if they actually labeled them by different generations, just that they seem to have made improvements to the illumination over time.

If you are shooting on a completely overcast day, or into a dark/shaded area, the illumination is slightly visible.  Otherwise, it is washes out in sunlight. The pic below was taken on a completely overcast day with the illumination at the highest setting.  

Although not a 1-4, do you have comparisons to the SPR reticle on the 1.5-5x Mark4's?

I no longer have my SPR Mark 4, so I only have the one old pic of the reticle.

Here's the Leupold in a LaRue mount.

Has anyone got their hands on a Vortex yet? I've been spending my money on other things, but I really do need something magnified beyond 50 yards on my carbine. My new Aimpoint ML3 is fantastic, but I hate my Eotech magnifier (or the Aimpoint I tried on someone else's rifle). My eyes suck (-9 diopters with astigmatism).

You get what you pay for?

Themao-

I also have major astigmatism issues and found classic "red dot" optics to be difficult to use because of the dot blurring out badly. I have better luck (in regards to sight picture) with the Leupold Prismatic optic for a both eyes open optic. I am currently waiting on a Nightforce 1-4 and am going to compare to the S&B short dot CQB scope with the same variable. I also had good luck sighting through the Trijicon scopes with fixed power (favorite set up had small red dot canted to right for closer targets, red dot on top of Trijicon seemed difficult due to requiring to break cheek weld). All of it was frustrating because buddies with good vision can grab a classic "great" such as EO Tech or Aimpoint and start gunning. Hope this gives you some ideas...

My usual judgment of a 1x optic is looking throuh the optic with one while keeping the other eye open

The question was meant for the Vortex Optics rep. I figured there are significant structural differences in how both scopes are manufactured, along with the quality of the glass.

My desire for a 1-4x optic is on the back burner right now, because I'm saving my pennies for a bobtailed 1911.

Regarding the Ruler of Truth Test:
I'm sure it's been covered somewhere before, but IIRC, the 1x or 1.1x is measured at the objective lens. So, factoring in the length of the scope+eye relief means seeing the view is from about 15" closer. At shooting distance, this is a tiny, almost unnoticeable percentage. Very close, say two feet, it's A LOT higher percentage of the distance. It would be more accurate to use something larger at shooting distance. This is also why front sights look fuzzy unless you adjust the focus to the distance of the front sight from the scope. Aimpoints and Eotechs don't bend light, hence their true 1x, no eye relief characteristics. The shooter's eye is adjusting focus automatically, which the scope doesn't do. The shooter's eye is stuck with the virtual image created by the optics at a fixed distance.

Regarding 1x or 1.1x
I read somewhere that most of those are based on thin lens calculations that don't account for the thicknesses of the lenses so it's not entirely accurate. More detailed calculations or actual measurement should be a more accurate gauge of actual magnification.

I really like my TR24G a lot. Nothing's perfect, but thanks to the BAC, it works really well as a 1x and can be varied up to 4x. It's also nice to not worry about batteries or brightness adjustments. As shown, the worst case is a big, dull, green triangle that's still easy to see. As far as BUIS, there's not enough room on my bullpup anyway.

Thanks,
Lee