Compared to Nightforce scopes (either NXS, ATACR, or SHV line), are Vortex scopes in the same class?

I've become spoiled with Euro optics (Swarovski, Zeiss, Schmidt&Bender), but am looking for some compromise in quality vs. price without getting something unreliable in nasty weather.  

I've concluded, for the money, Nightforce rules.

Thoughts?

The only Nightforce that rules, IMO, is the ATACR. The SHV is more on par with Vortex Viper PST II. And the NXS (although still a solid scope) is quickly becoming outdated. The Vortex Razor Gen II is really just as much of an optic as the ATACR.

There is much more to a quality optic than glass. Many scopes today have high quality glass. Chromatic aberration is usually the only variable that I've noticed between different high end scope glass.

How they track, eye relief, weight, turrets, features, durability, etc, are more variable than straight glass quality IMO. I have an Athlon Cronus that visually has better glass clarity than Vortex Razor, and just about on par with ATACR. But it doesn't mean it's a better scope. Still in the testing and trial phase.

back to Vortex, they completely hit a home run with the Razor II. It's currently the most popular scope on the PRS trail and is an exceptional value that makes it hard to pass up when comparing to an ATACR F1.

I love S&B PMII scopes but they have all but priced themselves out of the Tactical / long range scope market. They seem to still rely on .gov / .mil contracts however.

Rob has some of the best advice on this and a few other forums, trust his word!

I recently was in the new high end scope market and handled the ATACR, it was very nice, but I wouldn't say nicer than the Razor G2. I have 2 friends that have been into high end optics for awhile, they have PMII's, Hensoldt, Nightforce, etc, and they say the Razor is just as nice. Only complaint on the Razor is the weight, but if that's a concern there's always the AMG. From what I gathered, it really comes down to personal preference of features and reticle. All that said I ended up with a Razor G2 and couldn't be happier.

Can't go wrong with a Razor Gen II or AMG. I really wish the Gen 2 had an option for a modified ebr-2c with a .2 mil break in the center crosshairs and a .035 mil center dot. That's about the only thing I'd change on it. The glass is great and compares favorable to more expensive options. I think the PMII has a slight advantage for resolution. I've thought about getting one, but I don't really like their reticle options. The Gen 2 still allows me to see 4-6" targets beyond 1200yds, so it's certainly good enough for my uses.

As it is now, the only high end scopes that I'd look at outside of more Gen 2's would be a 7-35 ATACR or Minox ZP5. Very pleased with what I saw from the 7-35 that my dad bought, even if I wasn't sold on the reticle. I could see the benefit of the added magnification for some uses, but in most match settings I'd still run it at 8-20x. The Minox has a desirable reticle and great glass, but I'd like to mess with the turrets before purchasing. The 2nd rev cam isn't desirable to me, and I don't think that the turrets are as nice as the Gen 2 Razor / ATACR based on initial reports.

I think the PST II compares pretty well to the NXS lineup, and it's available in SFP and FFP

Where do you rank the Sightron SIII FFP series in this line up?

I have a PST 2 and was thinking of picking up an SIII FFP but can't find one in person to fondle.

I will say, I much preferred the turrets on the PST 2 to the SHV I demo'd for comparisons.  The clickless zero was a wonderful feature and honestly the PST2 felt like a higher quality scope at a similar price.  Really getting in to it, with a flashlight I could spot some lint in the SHV while the PST2 scratches easily.

The SIII scopes have great glass for the price, but not a lot of other features. They are stepping up towards the Razor Gen 1/ NXS level of glass. Not ideal for a tactical match scope (5 mil turrets, lack of zero stop), but they work for just about everything else. Had great success running them in F class. High resolution (as good as my Razor) and repeatable tracking. Looking at that scope in particular for 2 precision AR's.

We'll see how I like it; just ordered one from Euro Optics.  Looks like I can buy shims or machine a collar to put under the turret for a zero-stop similar to the Gen 1 PST method.


Honestly, if availability wasn't such an issue, I would've simply ordered a 5-25 PST Gen 2.  It really does hit all of my wants with Nightforce SHV quality glass (at least in my sample size of 1).

Be sure to report back on your impressions of the glass and overall scope.