NF ATACR 1x8

[Life's a Hillary]

NX8 is FFP as well

You are correct good sir, I had a brain fart and confused it with the NXS line.

[Leftie]

Curious what you more experienced guys think about the ATACR having capped turrets and the NX8 being exposed. Is this because the ATACR is FFP and being a 1-8 they expect you would make reticle adjustments instead of twisting dials? I think I’d prefer a capped windage and locked elevation like on my 4-16 ATACR personally. It’s the best of both worlds.

The reticle offering on the ATACR 1-8x is a christmas tree-style and angular unit of measurement-based (it's in MILs). Given the different ballistic trajectories of the rounds fired from rifles most likely to be wearing an ATACR 1-8x (probably 5.56, maybe a semi-auto 7.62x51) and the engagement distances where 1-8x is applicable, I'd wager a guess that the decision was made by NF based on end-user testing. I'm also betting that, for speed and ease-of use within the engagement distances of those users' host rifles, the reticle holds are more than adequate (you would be hard-pressed to run out of elevation/windage on the christmas tree within the "reasonable" limitations of the presumed rifle/caliber/use profile). I'd also bet that the capped turrets are only removed to re-zero/confirm zero, and then slapped right back on the optic until they're removed again to do the same thing.

Personally, while I like an adjustable elevation turret in most cases, I understand the rationale behind not having one on this kind of optic, given the probable use profile (engagements from 0-1000 yards caliber and situation dependent, with reasonable PID). With an accurate-enough measurement system for windage built into the reticle, I'd rather have capped turrets in the majority of situations to avoid "oopsies" even as a hunter. Christmas-tree and BDC-style "lollipop" reticles make shooting reasonably-well at distance pretty straightforward if you understand how atmospherics affect bullets, and how the load you are shooting performs at whatever range you are engaging. Lots of people tend to overthink this (I know that I used to!)

I think that it's also important to note that Vortex just released their 1-10x FFP with capped turrets and christmas tree-style reticles. Take that for what it's worth, but I bet that we will see people making 1200 yard+ hits on steel with that optic if they're shooting .308 or 6.5.... Whether it's the right optic for that kind of rifle.... well, it's their rifle, and "right" is subjective!

[LMT/556]

Old thread, but I've been tossing around what lighter weight, lower cost LPVO I'd want on a small frame AR. Criteria: obviously lighter weight, .1 mil or less adjustment, good usable yet fine reticle both powered and not, low capped turrets, good glass and eye box. I went with a Trijicon Credo SFP 1x6 CR624-C-2900015. 18ish oz, 1/4 moa adjustment, BDC similar to a TA01NSN I already own. CR624-C-2900023 is the .mil FFP counterpart.

I already have had and sold an NX8 and two Vortex 1x6 (one with BDC, one mil), and currently have the ATACR 1x8 on a large frame AR. Vortex 1x10 is attractive with a familiar reticle but starts tipping the scale into ATACR region real quick and are out of stock. Credo was out of stock also but with a 3 week ETA. We'll see.

[Walker_Texasranger]

Old thread, but I've been tossing around what lighter weight, lower cost LPVO I'd want on a small frame AR. Criteria: obviously lighter weight, .1 mil or less adjustment, good usable yet fine reticle both powered and not, low capped turrets, good glass and eye box. I went with a Trijicon Credo SFP 1x6 CR624-C-2900015. 18ish oz, 1/4 moa adjustment, BDC similar to a TA01NSN I already own. CR624-C-2900023 is the .mil FFP counterpart.

I already have had and sold an NX8 and two Vortex 1x6 (one with BDC, one mil), and currently have the ATACR 1x8 on a large frame AR. Vortex 1x10 is attractive with a familiar reticle but starts tipping the scale into ATACR region real quick and are out of stock. Credo was out of stock also but with a 3 week ETA. We'll see.

Why did you sell the NX8?

[LMT/556]

Why did you sell the NX8?

Tight eye box, glass was OK but not great, .2 mil adjustment, the reticle had a tendency to double especially with the led turned on, diopter adjustment was super picky, I had to adjust at 6x, doing so at 8x would make the doubling more pronounced. Size and weight were great, but adding up all the negatives led me to sell it.

[WS6]

Tight eye box, glass was OK but not great, .2 mil adjustment, the reticle had a tendency to double especially with the led turned on, diopter adjustment was super picky, I had to adjust at 6x, doing so at 8x would make the doubling more pronounced. Size and weight were great, but adding up all the negatives led me to sell it.

I have found Nightforce diopter adjustment to be very...demanding. I finally just got the specs from a friend with similar eyes (20/10) and used a micrometer to adjust mine.

[WS6]

I need to correct myself, I have the NX8 not ATACR. After seeing Euros post jogged my dead brain. Kinda heavy for an AR15 IMHO.
NX8 is just fine.

PB

I googled this up out of curiosity and this thread came of. Of note, I just weighed 10 rounds of 5.56 Browntip. It came in at 4.4oz. The weight of the magazine and weight of the optic are centered similarly on the weapon. The NX8 weighs about 17oz, the ATACR around 22oz. The difference is roughly that of a 20 round mag vs. a 30 round mag, fully loaded. I have not seen any posts about running 20 round mags vs. 30 round mags because the 30 is too heavy for a fighting rifle.

[LMT/556]

I googled this up out of curiosity and this thread came of. Of note, I just weighed 10 rounds of 5.56 Browntip. It came in at 4.4oz. The weight of the magazine and weight of the optic are centered similarly on the weapon. The NX8 weighs about 17oz, the ATACR around 22oz. The difference is roughly that of a 20 round mag vs. a 30 round mag, fully loaded. I have not seen any posts about running 20 round mags vs. 30 round mags because the 30 is too heavy for a fighting rifle.

Maybe not but I have both, an NX8 and an ATACR 1x8. The NX8 is mounted to an LMT 556 16", the ATACR on an LMT MWS 16". My preference is compact, light weight for small frame, usually 1x6 SFP if I can get good ones. The NX8 is a finicky optic for reasons already posted but it's strengths are light weight, daylight bright dot durability and compactness. The ATACR while superior is chunky in my opinion. Most of my small frames sport 30mm tubes.

[titsonritz]

I googled this up out of curiosity and this thread came of. Of note, I just weighed 10 rounds of 5.56 Browntip. It came in at 4.4oz. The weight of the magazine and weight of the optic are centered similarly on the weapon. The NX8 weighs about 17oz, the ATACR around 22oz. The difference is roughly that of a 20 round mag vs. a 30 round mag, fully loaded. I have not seen any posts about running 20 round mags vs. 30 round mags because the 30 is too heavy for a fighting rifle.

It’s more about balance than weight, that weight being on top of the weapon rather then the bottom makes the difference. Only the individual can decide if it makes enough difference.

[WS6]

Maybe not but I have both, an NX8 and an ATACR 1x8. The NX8 is mounted to an LMT 556 16", the ATACR on an LMT MWS 16". My preference is compact, light weight for small frame, usually 1x6 SFP if I can get good ones. The NX8 is a finicky optic for reasons already posted but it's strengths are light weight, daylight bright dot durability and compactness. The ATACR while superior is chunky in my opinion. Most of my small frames sport 30mm tubes.

I can respect that. My k16i was much larger than my mk6. I simply have not handled an atacr.