Looking to get a scope for a dedicated bench rest long range gun

Any experience with these scopes? Thoughts? How would you rank them?
Nightforce NX8 4-32x50 C624 MOA
Leupold Mark 5 5-25x56 TMR
Leupold Mark 5HD 7-35x56 TMR
Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56 M1C3 FFP PR2-MOA

Once I read Night Force NX8, I ignored the others.

Seen a new Mark5 HD be broken right out the box. You will not see that with Night Force.

And get Mil based, not MOA based.

I can’t rank it because it’s the only one I’ve had experience with.

Mk5 HD 5-25x56 PR1-MIL illuminated

I like the reticle better than anything I’ve used and I have used many just not on your list. With the center dot and nothing around it for .2 moa it makes life easy holding on target. Irrelevant if your holding wind.

Illumination: I find totally useless for target but for hunting it would be helpful when turned down to 5. That’s been the acceptable fix for FFP and hunting.

Tracking: I haven’t had an issue with it but I haven’t spun it much. I haven’t shot it past 500 but 100-500 has been repeatable.

Turrets: Again the best I’ve handled. Sharp and crips with and easy to use zero stop. An indicator that pops up on the second rotation. Easy to read, easy to hear.

Glass: this is where this scope shines for me. It’s easy to define this to my eyesight. Excellent. On paper at 500 yards I can easily see my .284” holes, I can sometimes see .264” holes, and I can almost never see .244” holes. That makes it pretty easy to compare.

I would easily buy this again but would not pay for the illumination, it’s a significant expense over non illuminated.

I second the Nightforce but might try to move up into the the ATACR line if you are serious about the long range shooting. The 7-35x56 seems to be the gold standard.

Leupold doesn’t impress me that much. I kind of view it as my father’s scope. Growing up we all thought that Leupold was the best. I think they have sort of rested on their prior fame and success and other companies have passed them by.

Take a look at this objective study of what the pros use. Leupold is way down on the list. https://precisionrifleblog.com/2018/12/21/best-scope/

I’m shooting mil but if you’re talking dedicated bench rest it seems over half are using moa. It is a finer increment of measurement when dialing corrections.

FG is right, NF is known to be more durable than Leupold, but that doesn’t make the Leupold junk. I don’t even think the NX-8 is in the same class as the Mk-5 HD. At least in turrets and glass, which has been the limit of my handling of the NX-8. The NF ATAC is a much better comparison.

I have two ATACRs. The 5-25X and the 7-35X, but FFP, both Mil-C reticle.

The 5-25X is all I needed until shooting a mile one day (1760 yards) It still got it done, but no matter the scope maker, the maximum magnification is not going to be as clear as it turned down to 80-90% of maximum magnification.

So, 25X on the 7-35X scope should be more clear than 25X on the 5-25X scope.

The 7-35X lives on the .300 Norma Mag, which was built for mile shots, and farther.

The 5-25X moves between my trainer .223 A.I., my competition rifle 6.5 Creedmoor, and has also been used on my 7 Rem Mag hunting rifle.

The glass is good on all. The tmr reticle is far from my first choice for long range

I currently have a Viper PST 6-24 FFP MRAD on the gun and have been happy with it out to 600. I just know that out to 1000 and beyond it might work but I am looking for an upgrade.

My thought for the MOA was to make it easier when shooting with my buddy that is strictly an MOA guy and he has no desire to learn.
I get the differences in ranging but is there an advantage in MIL over MOA in long range bench shooting?

Your calculator will do it for you

Here is a good article on the mil vs moa debate https://precisionrifleblog.com/2013/07/20/mil-vs-moa-an-objective-comparison/

The MOA scope will move your impact 2.5” at 1000 yards with 1 click, the MIL scope will move it 3.6”. People who need to dial quickly use MIL, those with plenty of time use MOA.

Ranging with the reticle is a parlor trick. We have had great laser range finders available for a long time.

Wind holds are easier to manage in Mils. I have written it on this forum no less than 50 times. Go to a ballistic calculator plug in caliber, weight, B.C., MV and ask for a 5 mph wind hold in MOA. Then switch it to Mils. Then plug in a 7 mph, then a 10 mph.

While correct what difference does it make? There are very few shooters in the world who could tell the difference in 1.1” at 1000 yards. While the MOA scope clicks are smaller practically speaking it makes no difference. People can have lots of reasons for choosing one or the other but this is a non issue.

I can understand it being a ‘non issue’ (sic) to some that do not require precision, but, whether I am capable or not, I like to know my equipment is. It may also become an issue if the OP decides he wants to shoot shorter distances.

94% of the precision rifle series competitors use mil. The top competitive shooters in the world. If it is good enough for them it is good enough for the average joe. If he shoots shorter distances it becomes less relevant. A 1/10 mil click is .36” at 100:yards. That is pretty darn close to the average bullet diameter. Name me one scenario where that is not adequate or where having a more precise adjustment would offer any advantage.

He is not shooting PRS, he is shooting off a bench……did you bother to look up those stats?

He asked a question, I answered it….correctly, according to you. Whether he is capable utilizing that advantage is not up to you or me to decide.

Never been a Leupy made that I'd choose over a NF. It's officially a no brainer, as is the MIL version.

I believe there are some bench classes where you're shooting bullseyes at very long distances; some MOA scopes come with 1/8 MOA turrets for extreme precision-each click is .13" or nearly 3x finer than .1 MIL.

Interesting. I did not know that. I just always have associated long range precision shooting with mil scopes.

I guess I stand corrected that there are some applications that call for finer clicks.

Still though from a practical perspective I doubt it matters to the majority of people. The difference between a 1/4 MOA click and a 1/10 mil click at 100 yards is less than 1/8”. This has no bearing on group size, just the location of the group center.

If a 1/8” difference in the group center at 100 yards matters to someone then:
A: they are a much better shooter than most people
B: they most likely they wouldn’t be asking for advice on what scope to get

Here is another option that might save you some money over the NF/Leupolds

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1024153571?pid=703017

Basically talking out my rear, what about the Trijicon Tenmile?
There's a youtube dude I like to watch called F Class John that seems to like it. In general, I really like Trijicon scopes even thought my experience with them is lower magnification and much less in cost than the Tenmile.

https://www.amazon.com/Trijicon-Tenmile-Riflescope-Precision-Reticle/dp/B083F5HR7C?th=1&psc=1

I run the Mark 5 HDs on every bolt gun I shoot beyond 800.

I don't care about brands, feelings, etc. I don't care about money. I want performance. This was taken from my phone on a dusty day through the 7x35x56.

I'd put this glass up against any other scope and it works for me. Obviously, the resident expert is correct re MILs being the preferred method to precisely put lead to paper.

One thing about the TMR. It's great for hunting. It's great for quick hits on a torso-sized target. But if you're not dialing wind, the half - mil static marks will keep you out of the winner's circle. Insufficient precision for bench rest shooting.

I like the PR-1-MIL that I’ve got with .2 increments. I’ve never held elevation and wind at the same time other than corrections on target. The PR-1 would be insufficient for holding 10 mils elevation and 4 mils wind etc.




Do you often hold elevation Inge?

Yes sir, but not when precision is paramount. If timing is of the essence, I hold and send round 2 the instant I see splash vs. impact.

FYI - My photo didn't correlate to a specific hold. Tough to get a good pic and the sight picture walked on me.

I'd like to find a reticle with .2 increments that provides more info on the tree.

Any suggestions?

Night Force Mil-XT

It is the Mil-C, with the tree added. Based on .2 Mils and whole Mils.

https://www.nightforceoptics.com/technology/reticles/mil-xt/