Nightforce is one of the top optic manufacturers in both the military and competition spheres. One drawback of most Nightforce scopes are that they are heavier than a typical hunting scope. The Nightforce NXS 2.5-10×42 breaks the mold and offers a lightweight compact optic with Nightforce durability. I’ve ran the NXS 2.5-10 on a variety of rifles over the past three years and here’s what I’ve learned.
Feature Set
First off, the Nightforce NXS 2.5-10 comes with an impressive feature set. Despite weighing only 20.5oz, the NXS 2.5-10 features a dial-up turrets with an elevation zero stop, adjustable parallax, and an illuminated reticle. The reticle on my example is the Mil-C, which is my favourite reticle offered by Nightforce. A great feature for zeroing in the Mil-C reticle is the T-post for measuring targets. Due to the illumination and the second focal plane design the reticle is visible even at low light.
Also, the magnification adjustment ring has a small removable throw lever. As an aside, the inclusion of low profile throw levers on more and more optics is fantastic. Adjusting the magnification with wet hands or gloves is so much easier with these low profile levers.
Strengths
Perhaps the greatest strength of this scope is it’s durability. Having seen thousands of rounds, many hours in the field, and thousands of dirt road kilometers this scope has only shifted zero once. This was a 0.3 MIL shift after I rolled my quad off of a 15 foot embankment with both myself and the ATV landing on the rifle at the bottom. The rifle re-zeroed properly and has been issue free since.
Another aspect of the scope that I like is the SFP design paired with the Mil-C reticle. By using a more conservative 4x erector compared to the NX8, the 2.5-10×42 is a very useable scope at all power ranges. The second focal plane design is visible at 2.5 power, and the reticle subtensions are accurate at 10 power. While shooting at max power reduces field of view, because of the relatively low max magnification it’s not a hindrance with this optic. If the target is far enough away you need to hold wind you will want to be on 10 power anyways.
Finally, the glass on these scopes is very good and the tracking is accurate and repeatable. I have shot this optic out to 1000 yards, and have run it in NRL Hunter competitions. The NXS 2.5-10 handled the constant dialing without complaint and tracked as well as the larger match scopes I was competing against. Glass quality was plenty for spotting misses and the field of view with the lower max power was another strength.
Weaknesses
While this is a favourite scope of mine, there are still a few aspects of the 2.5-10 NXS that aren’t perfect. One quality that could be improved is the turrets. While tracking is accurate, the clicks are not as tactile as on the larger NX8’s and there is only 6 MRAD per rotation. Another minor gripe is that the black ring around the image is thicker than on a Leupold or Swarovski scope. This may be due to the much thicker tube that Nightforce builds their scopes off of, but I’m not an optical engineer.
Also, my largest complaint with this scope is the parallax adjustment. The parallax adjustment needs to be set near max for virtually all ranges beyond 100 yards. In use, I usually set the parallax just shy of infinity and leave it there. However, it would be better if it had more space between adjustments at standard hunting ranges.
Closing Thoughts
In closing, the Nightforce NXS 2.5-10×42 is a very attractive hunting scope. It provides exceptional durability, a technical reticle, illumination, and parallax adjustment in a lightweight package. The magnification range is useful for practical hunting ranges. This is an excellent scope, providing backcountry toughness, a full feature set, at a weight that won’t make a mountain rifle top heavy.