Category: Stories

Posted on by Nightforce Optics

Nightforce Tech Tip: Dialing or Holding for Bullet Drop

In the accompanying video, we will be demonstrating each of the methods using our Nightforce B.E.A.S.T. 5-25×56 F1 first focal plane riflescope which includes the Horus H59 reticle.  We are engaging a target at 420 yard which requires 2.2 mils of elevation adjustment for our rifle system. 

Dialing

The first method is to dial your elevation adjustment. In our example, we engage a 420 yard target using 2.2 mils (mil-radians) of elevation adjustment. The shooter will dial 2.2 mils on their elevation adjustment, and hold the center of the cross hair on the center of the target. 

Holding

Alternatively, the shooter can dial their elevation adjustment to zero, and hold the 2.2 mils within the reticle.  This “hold over” will place the center of the crosshair above the target.  The 2.2 mil indication point within the reticle will be used to hold center on the target. 

Both methods perform the same function, adjusting for bullet drop, equally well but use different methods and have their own advantages.  

Holding for elevation adjustments can allow the shooter to engage a single target very quickly without having to take the time to dial the necessary elevation adjustment.  Holding over can also be a way to rapidly engage multiple targets or for taking a quick follow up shot after a miss. For example, by creating a list of elevation adjustments for each target to be engaged (dope chart), the shooter can quickly glance at the adjustment and hold over the appropriate amount within the reticle.  For a quick follow up shot after a miss, the shooter can measure the distance of the miss by utilizing the information within the reticle and can make a corresponding hold adjustment. 

In certain situations, dialing is a preferred method for making elevation adjustments.  One example is the reticle design within the riflescope and another example is when making precise wind holds.

Not all reticles are designed for this purpose and may not offer as much information within them to allow the shooter to precisely hold over for elevation (or wind) adjustments.  For example, our IHRTM reticle is an excellent hunting and dangerous game reticle and does offer hold over reference points. However, by design it has a very clean, unobstructed view yet contains less “intelligence’ or information within it versus the H59 reticle referenced in this article or other Nightforce intelligent reticles such as the MOARTM or Mil-RTM.  Therefore, dialing may be a preferred method of making precise elevation adjustments when using this style of reticle.

When holding for wind, especially at extended distances, dialing the elevation adjustment may be a preferred method.  By dialing the necessary elevation, the shooter can keep the target along the main horizontal stadia line, and hold off for the necessary wind adjustment by using the information in an intelligent reticle. 

Look for a future article which will dive deeper into fully utilizing the information within an intelligent reticle.

Turrets View all types of turrets with explanations on how to use them.

Posted on by Nightforce Optics

Dr. Ray Dennis – 2016 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Finalist

A few highlights from the article…

About EY Entrepreneur Of The YearTM
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. 

About Ray Dennis – Lightforce Australia 
Adelaide-based Lightforce Australia is a specialist manufacturer and exporter of high performance and durable lighting systems, founded by Ray Dennis. Lightforce was the first lighting company to patent polycarbonate driving lights and now deals with some of the largest car manufacturers globally in providing aftermarket lighting products, exporting to more than 50 countries. The wholly owned US-based Nightforce Optics business, produces riflescopes that are used on six continents in some of the most inhospitable environments on earth. In a further demonstration of his entrepreneurial drive, Ray owns the Paroo Pastoral Company, a productive land holding in South Australia and north western New South Wales.

What the judges said: “Lightforce has a formidable reputation as a global leader in its field. 35 years ago, after searching the retail market for a high-quality spotlight to use on his property and finding nothing suitable, Ray Dennis decided to build one himself. Under Ray’s leadership, the company’s innovation, agility and unwavering commitment to quality and high performance, together with their ongoing focus on research and development, has enabled Lightforce to open up new markets and export their products to more than 50 countries world-wide.” 

Posted on by Tom Bulloch

Beyond the Glass

At most of the annual hunting and shooting shows attended by high-end manufacturers exhibiting their wares, there is a phenomenon known as “the whistler.” This refers to the old boy that wanders up to a booth, inspects one of the products on display, and inquires, “How much is one ‘o them things?”

When given the answer, his eyes widen, he purses his lips and emits a long whistle, or perhaps a “hoooooeeee,” quickly puts down the item he was admiring as if it suddenly began burning his fingers, and stealthily backs away into the crowd as if he were confronted by a rabid dog.

Whistlers are especially common these days at riflescope displays, as the cost of premium optics is reaching well into four figures. You can’t blame the old boy for a bit of sticker shock. After all, the scope company just down the aisle is offering the greatest riflescope ever invented for $129.95, fresh off the boat from China and made with the finest multicoated Coke bottle lenses. Just buy one of those, their advertising claims, and you will instantly become an accomplished sniper capable of drilling a fly at 1000 yards.

We’ve all whistled a bit, I’ll wager, when looking at the prices of top-end riflescopes. $1000, $2000, even $3000 or more is not unusual at all these days for premium optics. The problem is, from the outside, every riflescope looks about the same…a black tube with a couple of dials attached, with some glass at each end. What makes one scope require a second mortgage, while another can be purchased with little more than pocket change? Is there really that much of a difference?

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is more involved. For just like a bottle of Scotch, a computer, a fine watch, or even a human being, with riflescopes, it’s what’s inside that counts.

Certainly, the quality of the glass inside a riflescope is a major consideration. That, though, is a topic unto itself for another day. About the last thing anyone thinks about when investing in a riflescope is the hardware store of little pieces and parts inside that black tube. The truth of the matter is that those tiny screws, springs and funny-looking components are what determine if your riflescope will perform for a lifetime or two, or self-destruct at the worst possible time.

Not long ago, I had the privilege of touring the Nightforce Optics, Inc. manufacturing facility in Orofino, Idaho. I thought I knew a lot about riflescopes. I was wrong. We spent an entire afternoon going through one of their NXS riflescopes, piece by piece, comparing it to competitors’ products. I’ll never look at, or through, a riflescope in the same way again.

A modern variable-power riflescope can have over 100 individual components. The inherent quality of those parts, the precision with which they are machined, and the care with which they are assembled are the primary reasons why a really good scope carries a whistler’s price tag…and why that price is justified.

Rifles and riflescopes are not a marriage made in heaven. The tremendous recoil produced by big bore and magnum calibers is transferred directly to the scope. Your shoulder can testify to the shock they produce. Precision optical instruments require microscopic tolerances, absolutely perfect alignment and delicate components. It is not unlike strapping an impeccably made Swiss watch to a hammer and repeatedly pounding 10-penny nails. Something has to give, and it’s not going to be the hammer.

The only way that marriage is going to survive is if the riflescope is built with the best possible materials, and the best is not cheap. For example, you might have heard the term “repeatability” applied to elevation and windage adjustments. What this means is that if your riflescope is calibrated for ¼ inch adjustments, you want to be certain that one click is precisely ¼ inch the day you take it out of the box and ten years from now. You need to be confident that no matter how many elevation adjustments you’ve made over the years, that it is repeatable—exactly ¼ inch every time—whether it’s below freezing or brutally hot, after thousands of shots, after years of hard use. It also means that your shots must be repeatable…no surprises, no variation in point of impact today, tomorrow, or a decade from now.

This is not something easily accomplished by the scope maker. Metal fatigue, wear and recoil will, over time, cause the elevation and windage adjustments in an average riflescope to become sloppy. That ¼ inch becomes 3/8 inch, then a half inch, then even worse, until making an adjustment becomes a new and different experience every time. That same wear will also cause your rifle to easily stray from zero at the least provocation, with no advance notice.

Elevation and windage adjustments are essentially internal screws that move the scope’s erector tube (containing the reticle) up and down and side to side within the scope. This system is held in place, and constant pressure maintained, by two metal leaf springs. The Nightforce people showed me the type of spring common to average-quality riflescopes; it is a simple, thin piece of steel, costing a few pennies.

Then they showed me the springs used in some of their riflescopes. They are pure titanium, cut precisely to length. It spends a couple of weeks in a polishing tumbler before going into a scope, even though it already seems perfectly smooth. This spring costs several dollars. Why go to this trouble and expense? Because titanium, they explained, is the only known metal that can be compressed and held in place for years without developing fatigue or “memory.” It is virtually impervious to wear. It is tumbled to assure that there are no rough spots or burrs to interfere with perfectly smooth operation. It ensures no loss of integrity, and absolute repeatability.

The screws themselves that control the elevation adjustments in Nightforce riflescopes are made of a proprietary alloy, also resistant to wear. The threads are cut with sophisticated CNC machinery to tolerances so fine, so precise, that male and female components must be assembled by hand. No machine is sufficiently accurate. It would be much less expensive to machine coarser threads and assemble everything by automation, as is the case with many riflescopes. But, the price the customer pays is lack of repeatability out of the box, and increased susceptibility to wear.

Soft metals that wear are less costly. Hard metals that don’t are expensive. Even the tiny screws that hold a riflescope’s internal components together are critical in the longevity and reliability of your scope. Inexpensive screws with coarse threads work loose and fall victim to repeated recoil. Hearing something rattling in your riflescope is generally not a good sign.

Scope manufacturers and their ad agencies love to sing the praises of the lenses used in their products. Without a doubt, the quality of the glass and its coatings are major contributors to the resolution and clarity you see through a scope. What you don’t hear, though, is about the corners that are often cut in how a manufacturer assembles those lenses.

Just about all riflescope tubes are now made of aluminum. Aluminum and glass react to heat and cold differently, expanding and contracting at different rates. The easy, and inexpensive, way to assemble a riflescope is to simply glue the lenses to the aluminum tube. When such a scope is subjected to extremes of temperature, however, and glass and aluminum go their separate ways, it will easily throw the lenses out of alignment. If you wear glasses, and tilt them forward or backward, you have seen firsthand what this misalignment does to image quality. Changes in expansion rates can also affect your point of impact. In extreme cases, it can affect the seal between glass and tube, allowing moisture to enter, and even result in a broken lens.

So, I asked the Nightforce people, how do you avoid that? Their answer was that Nightforce lenses are bedded by hand, using a proprietary bonding agent between glass and tube that eliminates any direct glass-to-metal contact. The two materials can merrily expand and contract to their heart’s content without affecting each other in the least. Again, it’s not the cheap way. It is, though, the right way.

In recent years, the hunter has placed increasing emphasis on lightweight gear, from his boots to his pack. Riflescopes have not avoided these market trends. It is one reason the steel tube has all but vanished, replaced by aluminum. But, all aluminum is not created equal. While aluminum tubes are certainly lighter than steel, they are not as resistant to dents, damage and stresses. Inexpensive riflescopes use thin aluminum, allowing their makers to brag about how light they are. Saving a few ounces in aluminum will result in a less costly scope. The hunter will pay a huge price, though, the first time they accidentally drop their rifle.

“Unfortunately,” a Nightforce engineer told me, “the customer can’t determine the thickness or the quality of the aluminum used when they’re shopping for a scope. The only time they’ll discover it is when they bang their scope against a rock or a tree, and the scope—and their hunt—are both finished.”

Nightforce explained that they prefer to use 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, machined from solid bar stock, two to three times the thickness of inexpensive tubes. Lesser scopes use extruded or formed aluminum, at a substantial savings in cost—and in strength—compared to bar stock. “It’s possible to build an extremely lightweight riflescope,” the Nightforce technicians told me. “It’s also possible to build an extremely high quality riflescope. It is not physically possible to do both.”

Even mundane things like the quality of lubricants used affect the weatherproofing, smooth operation and longevity of a riflescope. Cheap lubricants can literally freeze in bitter cold, ending any hope of making elevation or magnification adjustments. In extreme heat, they can melt away like butter in a hot pan, putting metal against metal while contaminating internal elements.

During my visit at Nightforce, we literally analyzed every single component of their riflescopes. I was shocked at the cost differential between things like cheap O-rings and good ones, alloys versus cast metals, and skilled handwork versus mass production. I think I even whistled a couple of times. I came away with one basic conclusion: a really good riflescope isn’t cheap to build. Some consumers think there must be a huge profit margin built into a $2000 riflescope, and that simply isn’t true. They’re expensive to buy because they’re expensive to make.

I was once told by a brilliant individual in South Africa, who had long ago forgotten more about hunting and shooting than I will ever know, that “only a rich man can afford a cheap riflescope.”

He was right. It is much less expensive to buy a good product once than to replace an inferior product many times over. It is beyond my means to pay for “the hunt of a lifetime” more than once in my lifetime because my riflescope caused me to miss a chance at a trophy.

Regardless of advertising claims, there are at present only three or four manufacturers in the world at committed to building the best possible riflescope, regardless of cost. Are they worth it? Probably more than in any other facet of hunting and shooting, with optics, you get what you pay for. Even if most of what you’re paying for, you can’t see.

Posted on by Robby Benedict

2015 Utah Mule Deer Hunt

There, I was greeted by my guide Tanner Puegnet of Western Lands Outfitters, and Paul the Gunwerks cameraman. The Ensign Ranch is a privately owned ranch comprised of 200,000 acres that spans across Northeastern Utah as well as into Wyoming. Known for 200 + inch trophy mule deer, my expectations ran high wondering what the week of hunting would hold.  After getting settled into camp, our group headed down to the range to become familiar with the Carbon LR-1000 Gunwerks rifle chambered in 6.5×284 that we would be using for this hunt. The rifle, topped with an NXS 5.5-22×50 G7 riflescope, was a true example of the high quality reputation Gunwerks is known for.

Two quick practice shots at 600 yards and we were ready to start glassing. This was a great opportunity to test out the ED Glass equipped TS-80 spotting scope. The weather conditions were turning overcast, spitting snow and rain, but the spotter made easy work picking apart the dark canyons. After checking out several vantage points only to find up-and-comer bucks, we decided to switch gears and move to a an area where the guide had spotted a wide management buck in the weeks prior to my arrival. To our surprise, we were able to locate the buck less than 100 yards from the area he had been spotted in just recently. With darkness quickly closing in, we glassed the canyon for vantage points and formulated a game plan for the morning to come.

Day two started with a first class early breakfast. Before daylight, we were perched on a high vantage point hoping that the buck would be in the area. As light began stretching over the mountain tops, we were on the TS-80 and scanning the mountain faces for the previous day’s buck. The light transmission capability of the TS-80 was as good as anything I had ever tried before. Long before the naked eye could make out the surroundings, the superb ED Glass of the TS-80 was picking the canyon apart. After 30 minutes of glassing, Tanner announced to the group that he had spotted the buck and as luck would have it, less than 100 yards from where we put him to bed. A quick discussion of a game plan, and we were off, hurrying up a distant pass hoping to get into position before the buck followed his small group of does over the skyline.

As we crept over the top of the pass to get into position, Tanner relayed a yardage and dope correction from his G7 Br-2 Rangefinder. 873 yards was the distance to the buck. I dialed the correction into the ZeroStop elevation turret and settled in for the shot. The buck had other plans as he beaded down on the hillside. While his vitals were clearly exposed I quickly learned some of the frustrations when attempting to capture film to be aired on a television network. No bedded shots. So at that point it was a waiting game. The buck clearly wasn’t ready for a nap, keeping a close eye on his nearby does, thrashing his head back and forth and shifting positions in his bed. I pulled myself out of the shooting position, hoping to briefly rest my head and neck, when I heard Tanner tell me the buck was attempting to stand up. By the time my eye made it back into the scope I saw the buck had risen to his feet and was standing perfectly broadside. As I settled the G7 reticle on his vitals my long range training checklist began rolling through my mind.  Check the position of my body behind the rifle to ensure my body was as flat as possible, legs in line with the rifle, ankles down. From there I made sure my reticle was level, parallax adjusted properly and my magnification on max power. I reassured my elevation call and asked for the wind. With a steady, but light right to left wind, Tanner called out a 1 MOA hold. Finding 1 MOA in the reticle came easily, and I settled in for the shot. Once I was able to draw a bead, I slowly squeezed the trigger. As the round went off, the buck never budged as I watched the bullet impact just slightly high over the buck’s back. It was a clean miss. The buck was so focused on his does, that the shot never spooked him.  He quickly got on the trail of the does and followed them over the skyline. After the miss we made a move to try and get a spot on the buck. From a new vantage point we searched high and low for the group of deer. After 20 minutes or so we caught a glimpse of the buck making his way into a heavily wooded canyon.

With no clear stalk opportunities, we decided to head back to lodge for lunch to get a new plan for the afternoon. On the ride back to lodge, I kept replaying this miss in my head. What went wrong? I felt rock solid on the shot but obviously I left something out on my mental checklist. Just for reassurance we made a quick stop at the range. A painted piece of steel at 900 yards is where I chose to reboost my confidence. Two shots found me tracking high just missing the top of the plate. Then a light bulb went off. In the mix of setting up for an 873 yard shot on a giant 30” buck, I failed to load my bipod. Without that extra pressure into the stock to load up the bi pod, I was creating an inconsistency from how the rifle was designed to be used; in turn causing the report to print high.  

With my confidence now back we headed out to the same canyon where we last spotted the buck. It was early in the afternoon but we were confident that the buck would work his way down the pass to the creek before dark. With spotters and binos in action we picked the entire canyon apart in hopes of finding the buck bedded in the heavy timber. After a short while, several does and a decent management buck appeared. After giving the buck the pass we returned to search for our missing buck. Around 3:30 I heard Tanner say that he may have found him. Once the buck emerged into a small opening we knew we had located our buck. I quickly got into the shooting position in case a shot opportunity presented itself. The buck worked the timber over stopping to thrash his horns in various sage bushes along the way. Finally the buck was approaching an opening. The adrenaline began to build as I knew this may be our only chance if the buck decided to turn back up into the timber. Much like the morning’s hunt, Tanner was quick to read out an elevation call from his G7 rangefinder, 530 yards actual distance was the call. With the steep canyon the corrected distance came in at 490. With a quick dial on the ZeroStop turret, I was back into checklist mode in preparation for the shot. The winds began to pick up and another 1 MOA wind call was announced. As I neared the end of the checklist I made sure that loading the bi pod was in the mix. I settled the G7 reticle on the point of the buck’s shoulder and squeezed off the shot. With the cameras rolling we watched the 140 grain Berger bullet impact the buck.  Executing a first shot harvest at this distance was the culmination of a number of critical elements including; a proper stalk,  solid pre-shot routine, expert elevation and wind calls, and accurately delivering a 140g Berger through a Gunwerks LR-1000 precision rifle system. 

After all the high fives ended, a grueling 125 yard up-hill drag ensued to recover the deer and load the buck into the Ranger. On the way back to camp, we found one the prettiest peaks on the ranch and finished the picture taking. That evening at the skinning pole we were greeted by two other management tag hunters who also found success in two mature Utah Muleys. It was a quick turn back home to Georgia the following day but you can’t say enough good things about the 1st class operation that Travis Murphy and his Western Lands Outfitters team are running. From quality accommodations, delicious meals, to breathtaking views and giant Mule Deer bucks, this place is definitely everything and more that you hear amongst the chatter in the industry.  I am thankful to have had the opportunity to join the Gunwerks team to see first- hand the quality and expertise that goes into every product they sell.  A final big thank you goes out to Tanner Peugnet, our guide. His knowledge and expertise was much appreciated and certainly would recommend to anyone in search of giant mule deer bucks.  As an added bonus, look for this hunt to air on Long Range Pursuit, sometime in 2016.

Posted on by Tom Bulloch

See the light! – Light Transmission

One of the least understood, most abused topics in riflescopes is “light transmission.” You will find the truth quite…enlightening.

It was a very large and very hungry lion, not forty meters from where we sat and sweated.  I could hear meat tearing and bones breaking, and an occasional low growl as it dismantled a hapless native cow.  I could see nothing, not even the outline of the acacia tree from which the bait hung.  The sun had set over an hour ago, and it would be several more hours before the moon rose.  Sitting in the African darkness as a lion gorges itself a few paces away makes one wonder about the sanity of big game hunting.

“Get ready,” Leon, my P.H., whispered.  I aimed the .375 toward the sound of the carnage and eased off the safety.  Our only source of light was a questionable flashlight, powered by three tired third-world batteries.  

Leon switched on the weak light, and I found a tawny shape with the scope’s crosshairs.  Which end was which?  Where do I shoot?  Then the beast sensed the light, and turned its great head toward us, ringed by a dark mane.  For a moment, it seemed that our eyes met.  I found the animal’s shoulder and the rifle’s report shattered the silence of the night.

It sounded like the devil itself, snarling, spitting, roaring, crashing through the bush. Then, just as suddenly, all was still.  We waited.  Nothing.  “I think it’s dead,” Leon said.  “I’m pretty certain I hit it well,” I offered, half in truth and half in hope, since searching for a wounded lion in the dead of night is not conducive to a long and happy life.  After a rather tense half hour, we ventured from the blind—ever so cautiously—to have a look.

And there it was, dead, not fifty meters from the bait.  One shot, through the lungs.  It would measure nearly three meters from nose to tail, one of the largest lions taken in the area in many years.  The celebration went on well into the night and my long quest for an African lion was over.

For weeks afterward, I relived the event, playing it back in my mind like a digital movie.  Exciting?  No doubt.  Dangerous?  Without question.  Fortunately, everything had gone well.  I couldn’t credit my great shooting, for even I have difficulty missing at forty meters.  The rifle?  It did its job, to be sure.  Hunting prowess?  Leon was very skilled and experienced, and he had placed us in excellent position to ambush the great east.

Then it became as clear as the image of that lion—it was the riflescope.  Without superb optics, I would never have had a shot.  Shooting a lion by the light of a flashlight is not standard procedure.  Without a scope that allowed me use every bit of that pathetically minimal light, it would have been impossible.  

This was a revelation.  Like many hunters, I had never given a scope that much thought.  I am a sucker for handsome firearms, and making small sacrifices (such as eating) or composing justifications to my better half that would put a trial lawyer to shame have always been well worth the effort to acquire an elegant new long gun.  A scope was an afterthought; a necessary evil that required yet more hard-earned funds.  

My encounter with the lion made me see the light, in more ways than one.  I had been doing things backwards all those years.  In reality, I should have devoted much more attention (and money) to my optics than I did to the gun itself.  After all, any decent rifle would have dispatched the lion.  On the other hand, if the scope hadn’t allowed a shot, the finest rifle on the planet would have been worthless.

This gave me a newfound interest in hunting optics.  I began researching how riflescopes work, what separates a truly outstanding scope from one that is merely adequate, and delving into some of the advertising claims made by various scope companies.  What I discovered was, well, enlightening.  Rare is the hunter who cannot tell you about the ballistics, bullet performance, action and other pertinent features of his favorite rifle.  Ask him about the performance of his scope, though, and chances are you will be met with a blank stare.  Or at best, something nebulous about “light gathering” or “coatings” that he read in an article by an “expert” or saw in an advertisement.

That leads us to Truth Number One about riflescopes; there is no riflescope made that can “gather” light.  Scopes can only transmit available light.  Some do a better job of it than others.  The ability of a scope to transmit to your eye the maximum possible available light is what determines whether it will be a sterling performer in near darkness or whether it is best left to noontime use on a sunny day.

Truth Number Two is that it is physically impossible for a riflescope to transmit 100% of available light.  As light enters the objective end of the scope, before it reaches your eye it passes through several lenses.  Each lens absorbs a small quantity of light.  Residual reflection from the individual lenses will also prevent a certain amount of light from passing through the scope.  In addition, undesired reflections within the metal tube can hinder the quality of the viewed image and the transmission of light.

Good scope manufacturers devote every waking minute—and great sums of research money—to negating these basic physical limitations of glass and metal.  How they do it is fascinating.

It was about this time that my work was involving me in the optics industry, where I had the privilege of working with and learning from makers of some of the finest riflescopes in the world, including NIghtforce.

For example, I thought I knew what light was.  It’s what comes through my window in the morning and wakes me up.  Or it’s what is insufficient, in the case of hunting lions by flashlight.

Actually, light is simply radiation. This radiation, or rays, consists of waves of varying lengths.  The length is the distance between the beginning of the first wave and the beginning of the second wave. . .not unlike a wave on the ocean.  

The human eye can perceive light rays between roughly 400 and 800 nanometers in length (one nanometer [nm] = one-millionth of a millimeter).  The brain interprets the different wavelengths as colors.  For example, blue-violet is in the 400 nm range, extending through blue, green, yellow, orange and finally red at 800 nm. 

Oddly enough, the sum total of all the visible wavelengths, seen as daylight, is white.  When light strikes a colored object, the object itself filters out certain wavelengths, and we perceive that object in color by the wavelengths that remain.  This has profound implications for the hunter and the scope maker both.  The human retina has three different types of light-perceiving cells; one for blue-violet, one for green and one for purple.  Our blue-violet cells are the most sensitive.  Thus, at twilight, blue objects are seen as brighter than red objects.  Therefore, it is critical that the coatings used on a scope’s lenses increase the transmission of all available blue light to give us the best chance of seeing what we’re looking at.  A good scope will transmit blue light as a neutral image, giving our blue-violet cells every possible opportunity to discern what we are seeing.

To complicate matters, completely different types of cells in our eyes—called “rods”— are responsible for black and white vision (“cones” handle the color).  Rods are far more sensitive than cones.  So, when we’re trying to discern an animal at dusk, or even after dark, we may not see it in color, but we can see it reasonably well in black and white.  That’s why the transmission of blue light as a neutral image is so important.

This is why the coatings used on riflescope lenses (and the skill of the company applying them) is one of the most critical factors in determining the light transmission properties and low light performance of a scope.  Virtually every scope manufacturer touts “multi-coated lenses.”  That it itself means little, and is often advertising puffery.  The quality of manufacturer’s coatings varies widely, from cheap and ineffective to extraordinarily expensive, complex, and remarkably efficient.

Good modern coatings are known as “broadband” coatings because they transmit a broad range of the visible light spectrum (i.e., 350 to 780 nm) with a high degree of efficiency.  

The weighting and mixture of different nanometer values of visible light are calculated as “day value” and “twilight value” through a somewhat complicated formula achieved by measuring these values with a spectrophotometer.  In simple terms, it compares light of a certain nanometer value as it enters the objective lens of the scope at 100%, then measures the same light at the eyepiece after it has passed completely through the scope.  The comparison between the two reveals the percentage of different light values that the scope can transmit. 

Lens coatings are carefully guarded secrets, formulated by skilled physicists.  Top scope companies calculate the makeup of their coatings in direct relation to the physical composition of the glass to which it is applied, since different batches of glass will react in differing ways to the same coating.  Coatings can actually be tailored to favor certain nanometer (color) values, giving preference to certain wavelengths that are most beneficial to the hunter under actual field conditions.

Quality coatings also help minimize reflection from the lenses themselves, enhancing their light transmission ability.  Modern coatings that have been tailored to the glass used in a scope’s lenses, then carefully evaporated in high vacuum, will ensure a residual reflection of less than 0.25% per glass/air surface.  Each lens has two surfaces.  Thus, the total number of lenses within a scope (a variable-power scope can have between seven and ten) is multiplied by two, then multiplied by 0.25% to determine the amount of light lost in the transmission.  Simple multiplication is not accurate, however, as each succeeding lens progressively reduces the total amount of transmitted light.  It is a favorite technique of some scope manufacturers to claim light transmission values of nearly 100%.  Of course, they’re measuring the first objective lens only, conveniently forgetting about the other eight or nine!

How these coatings are applied is just as important.  The best scope manufacturers utilize a sophisticated evaporation process in a clean room environment, applying multiple layers of very thin film one layer at a time.  It’s not as simple as dunking the lenses in a vat and being done with it.

Truth Number Three about scopes is that the very best riflescopes human beings can create will transmit to your eye—under perfect conditions—slightly over 90% of available light.  There are but a handful of scope makers that produce optics approaching these levels.

100% light transmission is physically impossible to achieve with current technology, and claims to the contrary are to be discounted.  But, what does light transmission mean in practical terms? A decent scope may transmit 80% or so, inferior scopes substantially less.  The human eye can distinguish transmission differences of 3% or more.  Consequently, there is a very real difference in what you can see through a superior scope versus run-of-the-mill optics.  

Under hunting conditions, when you might be trying to distinguish a target at absolute last light, these differences can be critical.  It can determine whether you bag your game or whether you have long since called it a day.

There are, of course, many other factors that determine the quality and capability of a riflescope; certainly the glass itself and its resolving capability, the precision with which lens elements are aligned, the quality and durability of the internal mechanisms, its resistance to recoil, even the reflective qualities of the finish inside the scope’s main tube, to name a few.

But, “light transmission,” “low-light performance,” “light gathering,” and other such terms have been bandied about for so long, they have become virtually meaningless to the consumer. There is not a riflescope manufacturer on earth that doesn’t reference one of these phrases in its advertising claims.  Backing up those claims, though, is another matter altogether. 

The raw materials, machinery, technology and human resources required to craft a top-quality riflescope do not come cheaply.  Building a mediocre scope is actually quite simple.  Building precision optics is something altogether different.  This is the reason for Truth Number Four about hunting scopes; you get what you pay for.  Top-of-the-line scopes are expensive to buy simply because they are expensive to make.  The number of riflescope manufacturers building optics of absolute top quality and performance today can be counted on the fingers of one hand.  And to tell the truth, you wouldn’t even need all your fingers. 

So, does all of this justify laying down a hefty sum for a premium scope?  It depends.  

If all of your hunting is done in bright daylight, you can get by with an average scope.  The truth is, in midday sunlight, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the best riflescope money can buy and one you find on a bargain shelf.  

If, though, you’ve ever found yourself struggling to count the points on a huge buck at last light, trying to make out what is lurking in the shadows before sunrise, fighting glare from the setting sun, or lucky enough—maybe foolish enough—to take on several hundred pounds of African lion after dark on the other side of the world, your riflescope will determine whether you go home with the trophy of a lifetime or go home empty-handed. 

It might even determine whether you go home at all.

 

by Tom Bulloch

 

Tom is a 20+ year consultant to the riflescope industry and has the rare privelege of combining business with pleasure.  That’s actually not a correct statement.  In his own words he “works to fuel his passion for hunting.”

Posted on by Tom Bulloch

The longest 286-yard shot ever

One of the great ironies of hunting is that it often seems the harder we try, the less success we have. Glassing the broad, green farmland at first light had revealed only does and a few small bucks. Ordinary mule deer were not what had brought me to western Colorado to hunt with Doyle Worbington of J&D Outfitters. Doyle had peaked my interest with reports of mule deer pushing 200 points in this verdant river bottom, and he had the photos to prove it.

It was fitting, then, that we first spotted the big buck by sheer accident about 9:00 am, while drinking coffee over the hood of his pickup truck, wondering aloud what our Plan B might entail for the day.
 
Even at a distance of several hundred yards, there was no mistaking the size of this muley.  Big bodied, dark in color, walking with that swaying, bobbing gait characteristic of huge bucks, the mass of its antlers was visible to the naked eye.  A quick check through binoculars confirmed it.  “That is a nice buck,” Doyle said.  He looked again.  “That’s a real nice buck.”
 
The deer had lingered longer than usual that morning, perhaps feeling secure in the mist that hung over the farmlands at first light.  Now, the war sun had scoured the valley of fog, and the buck was moving rapidly to the safety of higher ground.  Its goal seemed to be one of the highest of the hillsides that surrounded the valley, a rocky, almost impenetrable tangle of scrub oak, juniper and cedar.  It was a classic survival technique, one that allows a smart young buck to grow into a massive old buck, the kind that makes the most jaded and experienced deer hunter weak in the knees.  From that vantage point, the buck could see for miles.  Nothing could approach it from below without being seen.  Nothing could approach it from above without being heard.  Its gray body vanished into the dry foliage, its antlers indistinguishable from the acres of twisted, gnarled branches.  It was the perfect camouflage, the perfect spot to while away a day in complete safety.
 
Doyle and I watched the buck until it disappeared, and marked the spot where we last saw it.  Would it stay there, or keep moving out of sight?  “He will probably bed down right there,” Doyle concluded.  Doyle had spent years observing the behavior of trophy animals, which helped make him one of Colorado’s most experienced and successful outfitters.  “All we can do is get as close as we can, try not to spook it, and make a plan.”
 
We drove to a spot on the edge of the river that watered this western valley, producing greenery and crops that made it a mecca for trophy quality mule deer.  We were close to the buck’s hiding spot, but it didn’t matter too much.  One thing in our favor was that resident deer were used to pickup trucks and farming activity; as long as we did not attempt to enter the buck’s hillside sanctuary, it should remain put.  Or so we hoped.
 
We set up shop in the shade of a cottonwood, “shop” being Doyle’s spotting scope, my rifle, and the remaining coffee in our Thermos.  “Assuming he is still there,” Doyle said as he adjusted the spotter’s tripod, “he is watching everything we do.  It shouldn’t bother him, though, since he is used to seeing activity down here.  We just have to find him.”
 
Trying to find an ear, an eye, the flick of a tail, the turn of a deer’s head in jumbled jungle of tall brush covering several acres is, to put it mildly, a challenge.  The sun rose and the day became hot while we strained our eyes and our optics to their max.  Any other deer, we would most likely have given the search up as futile.  But, as Doyle had said, this was no ordinary buck. 
 
Then, there it was.  Doyle and I just happened to be looking at the same area, the last spot we had seen the deer.  “Did you see that?”  I asked.  “Yeah, wait,” Doyle replied, “let me get the scope on it…yep, that’s him.”  The buck had turned its head ever so slightly, and the movement was just enough to give him away.
 
The deer was lying down, head up, completely in shade, not a care in the world.  He had a full belly from a long night feeding on farmer’s crops, and was obviously perfectly content in its hiding spot.
 
We, however, were not as content.  Doyle and I had intended to go “to town” after the morning’s hunt for lunch, so we had brought no sustenance other than coffee.  We couldn’t leave our riverside spot, for fear that the buck might move without our seeing it.  We were hot and we were hungry.  “You like fried chicken?” Doyle asked me.  “Sure,” I said.  At that moment I would have settled for a raw chicken.  “Let me call a friend,” Doyle said, retrieving his cell phone from the truck.
 
A half hour later, a cloud of dust announced an approaching pickup, and one of Doyle’s local associates greeted us with a huge bucket of chicken and several ice-cold sodas.  So there we sat, making short work of legs, breasts and wings, under the warm Colorado sun, in one of the more unusual hunts I’ve experienced.  The deer knew we were there, we knew the deer was there, thus what we had was a complete standoff.  Who would blink first?
 
“All I know to do,” Doyle said, “is to wait until the buck gets up and moves.  He will get up sometime.”
 
But the buck never did get up and move.  The hours ticked by, the sun continued its travel west, and the deer showed no inclination of moving. 
 
“That is a smart old buck,” Doyle observed.  “It appears he will not move from that spot until after dark.  There is nothing we can do except try to wait him out.”
 
We were rapidly running out of options.  All day long we had sat on that riverbank, and now there was at most an hour of daylight remaining.  To make matters worse, the sun was setting directly behind the hill we were watching, causing blinding glare.  We had to make a decision.
 
The only part of the buck that was plainly visible to me was its lower jaw and part of its chest.  It was facing us almost straight on.  There was at most a six-inch opening in the scrub that would afford any kind of shot.
 
“Doyle,” I said, “I don’t think we have a choice other than to take a shot.”  Doyle was not convinced.  “Do you think you can make it?” he asked skeptically.
 
I had one advantage in the standoff with the buck, that being my Nightforce NXS 2.5-10 x 32 Compact riflescope that I had ordered with a Velocity 600 reticle.  I am not a fan of complicated reticles for hunting, nor am I interested in making difficult calculations, consulting drop charts, making elevation adjustments or trying to recall what reticle markings mean when I have a trophy in the crosshairs. 
 
At the same time, I had become increasingly interested in longer-range accuracy, something more precise than a mere holdover estimation, and of course, no riflescope company enjoys a better or more deserved reputation for long-range precision than Nightforce.  The Velocity 600 reticle is actually tailored to the ballistic characteristics of the shooter’s rifle.  In this case, I mounted the 2.5-10 x 32 on my ancient .30-06, the first rifle I ever owned, well worn and showing the bruises of many hunts in many places, but still one of the most accurate rifles I have. 
 
The Velocity 600 has horizontal lines at the 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 yard positions, with smaller hash marks at 50-yard intervals between each of those.  I had spent a lot of time practicing and confirming that the distance markings were right on.  If I want to make a 550-yard shot, for example, all I need to do is confirm the distance to the target, place the appropriate mark directly on the target, be cognizant of any potential wind drift, and pull the trigger.  Simple and virtually foolproof, two essential characteristics for this hunter.
 
According to our rangefinders, it was exactly 286 yards to the buck.  Now, I realize that this is laughably close in this day and age when accomplished 1000-yard shooters using Nightforce products can generate three- and four-inch groups all day long…and when 1500, even 2000 yards is starting to define “long” range.
 
Let’s review the situation, however.  I had a six-inch opening through which to place an ethical, fatal shot on our hillside deer.  I had to approach it with the same techniques that would be required if the distance were three times greater.  There was simply no room for error.
 
The sun was lowering quickly.  For over nine hours, we had watched that deer.  It was either make the shot, or call it quits, with a good probability of not seeing the big buck again.  It was now or never.
 
“Doyle, I think I can do this,” I said with more confidence than I really felt.  “I will either kill the deer with a neck shot, or miss it entirely.”  Over the course of my hunting career I have made my share of good shots, and yes, have made some bad shots.  Having a professional outfitter watching intently does not contribute to the former.
 
I adjusted the bipod affixed to my rifle (second only to a quality riflescope in being conducive to accurate shot placement, in my opinion), placed the crosshairs of the reticle equivalent to 275 yards on the bottom of the deer’s jaw, and took a deep breath.  The setting sun streamed directly into the objective lens; fortunately, NIghtforce lens coatings help reduce glare substantially.  I slowly, slowly squeezed the trigger.
 
“Whoooeeee, what a shot!”  Doyle jumped to his feet shouting, having seen what I didn’t because of the rifle’s recoil.   The big deer never stood up, never moved, never even twitched.  My bullet had struck exactly where I had intended, halfway down its neck, penetrating deep into the chest cavity.  The deer simply rolled over, dead instantly.
 
“That’s one of the best shots I’ve seen,” Doyle exclaimed, which, considering how many he has witnessed, made me one proud and happy hunter.  “Let’s go get him”
 
We made our way through the hillside jungle, clothes being ripped and torn, and finally found the buck.  It was a magnificent old muley that would score 185 B&C points, making every moment of a very long and often tense day very sweet indeed.
 
I have made longer shots, as measured in sheer distance.  I’ve never made a more satisfying shot, though.  Can 286 yards be considered “long range?”  It certainly can, when there is zero margin for error.  I don’t consider myself an accomplished rifleman.  I had two things going for me, though.  One was the wisdom to use the best possible riflescope; otherwise, there would have been no chance.  The second was the willingness to practice enough to learn how to use those optics properly before going afield.
 
Together, they gave me the confidence to make a difficult shot, and to make the right decision.  
 
And to go home with an exceptional trophy.
Posted on by Nightforce Optics

AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE AND OURS

In 2011, Nightforce embarked on a $1 million expansion of our headquarters in Orofino, Idaho. As a result of its completion in 2012, we are now able to provide faster delivery times and more R&D capabilities which have resulted in a number of innovative new products, and even better customer service.

Posted on by Nightforce Optics

2012: TWO DECADES OF BRILLIANCE

Back in 1992, Australian hunter and shooter Dr. Ray Dennis had a problem. You see, hunting at night in Australia is not only legal, but wildly popular. Several years earlier, Ray had founded Lightforce Australia Pty. Ltd., for the purpose of manufacturing the finest spotlights on the planet. Ray’s lights lit up the night for hunting vehicles and vastly improved a hunter’s ability to find and spot targets in the darkness.