Nightforce Atacr, Sightron SVIII ED and Delta Stryker HD?

[jeffhernandez]

Anyone that has experience on this 3 scopes on the high magnification models.
Looking for better glass amd may be better/easier parallax adjustment.
I understand the three are not in the same price range.
I wanted to know if the +3K Nightforce is that better than the Delta or is the SVIII ED a better choice.
I am looking at a better glass quality/clarity.
I currently own the Delta and would like to know if it's worth the extra money for the Sightron or the Nightforce.
What I find sometimes with the Delta it's hard to focus properly, I have to go back and forth several times before I find the spot.
I usually use up to 35X at 75 and 100 yards so this is the magnification range I need.

Thanks for your advices.

Jeff.

 

[qball]

Have the S8 for a few weeks and a match, the clarity and ranging capability is astonishing. Under 20 yards the depth of field can be measured in inches and under a foot at 50 yards. Unfortunately the parallax gear ratio is high so you need to a big wheel to get sensitivity down to reasonable level.

Glass is on par with top tier level scopes IMHO, great buy if you can get it for 1800 sale price.

 

[rsfrid]

I believe Nightforce scopes only focus down to 25 yards if that matters to you. For the money, I would seriously consider one of the March single focal length scopes in their super ED glass. They are reported to help with mirage at high power. I have the 45x Sightron with ED glass but am going to get the March High Master 48x benchrest scope due to its unique glass elements. I have the Nightforce competition now and it's good, but not as good as March. Just my opinion.

 

[2L8]

@steve123 might have some input as well.

Patrick

 

[steve123]

I've looked through the Delta SFP 50x. I didn't think it was bad, though not great either. The AGN member that had it said that he thought there was something wrong with it so he sent it back(Jeff, maybe yours has the same problem??). They sent him another one of the same model which he liked so there must have been something that was off in it.

The NXS series(I've had 5 of them) has decent glass but not up there with the tier 1 scopes. Functionally NF has been one of the best.
The only recent NF I can comment on, and there might have been something wrong with it too??? is the NF ATACR 7-35. A friend owns it and glass wise it was equal to that same guy's Athlon Cronus. When we compared side by side my S&B PM2 5-25 had much better IQ which surprised both of us.

I had a 10-50 Sightron, the older model, and I wasn't impressed. The newer ones are probably better. Mike N has a Sightron I recently looked through but it might have been a fixed power model, I didn't pay attention we were so busy, but it had pretty good IQ.

SFP and glass wise I'd go for the March HM 10-60. I've looked through two of them and was left with a WOW impression. It had superior IQ than my March 5-42x56 by a noticeable amount when I looked through my squad mates scope at the Sonoran FT GP match in 2021.
At the Shot Show when this scope first came out I went to look through it at the March booth. I could clearly see the pores in painted orange peel testure on the walls maybe 50 yards away. With the other non HM March scopes the pores didn't stand out near as well. Also the lighting isn't very good in there.

Years later I asked Don in Utah of Long Range Supply which March scope he thought had the best IQ and he concurred with me even though I hadn't mentioned that I already thought the 10-60 was the best, so that confirmed my suspicion.

I'd spend the extra money for the HM 10-60 personally. It's a step, or more likely two, above the other scopes mentioned in IQ. The only other scopes with great glass that I've seen were a Swarovski X5 5-25, a Tangent Theta 5-25, and my March Genesis 4-40, in that order. That Swaro makes my two Cronus scopes look like cheap glass, its that good.

If I get a scope for FT next year this 10-60 will most likely be my choice.

 

[jeffhernandez]

Thank you very much for your advices.
I think I will go for the March X as you suggested.

Jeff.

 

[Centercut]

I'd say take a look also at the Sightron SVIII before you drop $4K for the March. Larry Piercy (Daystate Wolf Pack Team Captain) has one and its pretty amazing. 40mm tube, LOTs of vertical and windage adjustment, comes with the 40mm scope rings, and glass is that much better than the SV, which already was much better than the SIII. I think they are on sale at a few places for $1895 ish.

 

[jeffhernandez]

I was looking at this SVIII but I can't find it at that price online that take paypal as a payment.

 

[qball]

I was looking at this SVIII but I can't find it at that price online that take paypal as a payment.

For 2800 price tag I would also go with the HM to be on the safe side. I was close to bite the bullet and get the HM 10-60 but couldn’t pass up the sale. No regrets as the glass is phenomenal, I can see the center dot of pellet marks which is pretty nutty plus super narrow depth of field AND it’s a FFP.

However the 49 oz weight could be an issue for some but my gun is quite heavy already and balance felt great to my surprise. Don’t think it’s a scope for everyone, the the S8 is amazing if you can live with the weight and sensitive parallax wheel. Would I buy it again at full price? Nope, I would still go HM wasn’t for the sale. But at sale price it’s absolutely a no brainer!! If you can wait a little S8 should go on sale at many different places soon or by holidays, they/sightron supposedly just got the second production batch in US so dealers should be getting them soon.


Edit: compared to the delta the S8 has better glass, at that level it’s not leaps and bounds but certainly noticeable. Delta is king of midtier and S8 is best value in top tier IMHO.

 

[Altair-uy]

I had a sv and NF, a friend of mine has the delta stryker, and I now have a march. I strongly recommend the latter, Nf atacr is amazingly robust, like war proof and I don’t need that. March are more designed for shooters and have finner clicks and reticles, are lighter and in my opinion the glass is a little better (at least their ED glass)

 

[qball]

@Altair-uy: weight doesn’t equate to heavy duty/war proof. March is the only manufacture I know cement all the lenses in all their scopes so about as mil spec as mil spec gets. Obviously lack of mass is a clear disadvantage in hand to hand combat.

 

[Altair-uy]

I didn’t say that, and I agree with you. My point was that march offers lighter products and sometimes in lv matches, it’s an advantage, they are strong too but not like a nf that can take a bullet. I take care of my equipment so I prefer that the money is elsewhere and not in robustness that I don’t need.

 

[qball]

I didn’t say that, and I agree with you. My point was that march offers lighter products and sometimes in lv matches, it’s an advantage, they are strong too but not like a nf that can take a bullet. I take care of my equipment so I prefer that the money is elsewhere and not in robustness that I don’t need.

March is pretty hard to beat with performance and weight combo, no other scope in that quality range I know is even close in weight(lack of). Eventually I’ll get a March…..eventually.

49 oz or 3.5lbs with steel rings it comes with would make many lighter rifles top heavy so definitely something I want to point out before someone make the decision to buy it. That puppy will win hands down in hand to hand combat!

 

[Smok3y]

I have owned the ATACR, the Delta, and several Sightrons, but not the S8. It is on my wish list. I will start by saying all our eyes don’t prefer the same things…

Delta - Nice scope with very nice glass in its price range, but I didn’t like the reticle choices. Much too thin for me. That made it difficult for me to use.

ATACR - One of my absolute favorite scopes. For my eyes, it has been the best FFP scope that I have tried. That being said, I liked a Cronus close enough, that I couldn’t justify keeping it. Definitely better than the Cronus, don’t get me wrong,

Sightron S8 - I haven’t tried, so I can’t compare. I really want to especially at $1k less than the ATACR. I won’t bother with my other Sightron comparisons with different glass. Really really want to try it and kick myself all the time for not getting one when it was $1600.

March - Always wanted to try one but haven’t yet. Plenty of people super happy with them.

Current favorite SFP - Kahles - Currently my favorite scope and I still have it. Like the ATACR, I can adjust it to my eyes, and never lose it. I like that the reticle is thicker than some SFP scopes, and it has never ever been too big. The lens and coating combo for me, is what my eyes are looking for. Hard to describe without using a bunch of optical terms that I’ll probably get wrong. Heard other scopes be called brighter, and I wouldn’t argue, but I use mine under cover through the woods all the time and have no issues. I like it so much, I have been tempted to try a FFP version, but I like this one too much. Clicks are amazing, turrets track perfectly, snaps in and out of focus very well, and hasn’t shifted a bit in any temp change.

If FFP vs SFP plane doesn’t bother you, and it sounds like it doesn’t… I like paying up for the SFP scope and getting more magnification than I can get with FFP. But I love being able to aim really small.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I have been shooting a Sightron SV ED 10x50x56 for two seasons. Brightest scope I have ever looked through. POI retention and repeatability has been perfect. Big eye box which can be huge in a timed event. The dual focus knobs in mirage is amazing. I have a shooting buddy who has sold of all but 1 of his Marcus since he got into this scope.