NZ Hunter – August 2019

Nightforce

ATACR 7-35x56

WRITTEN BY ~ GREG DULEY

Nightforce optics developed their enviable

reputation in some of the toughest military

theatres in the world – the battle grounds of

Iraq and Afghanistan in the Middle East

Used by a large percentage of special forces and in particular the

snipers, they have proved themselves to be one of the most reliable

optical sights in the world.

Their advertising used that classic image

of a Nightforce scope with a bullet hole

right through the tube, and the story

of the sniper carrying on to finish his

assignment and the scope performing

it’s duty perfectly - despite the near

catastrophic damage. The NXS was

the model most of their reputation

has been built on, and while the

reliability has been first class,

optically it always left me

wanting more. With the

advent of scopes with

higher zoom ranges and significantly

better optics, Nightforce have stepped

up to the plate with their latest models

offering up to 8x zoom and fluorite/

ED low dispersion glass. Hardy Rifle are

now the agents for NightForce in New

Zealand, and they sent us the latest

iteration of the ATACR in 7-35x56 F1 for

review. This stands for Advanced Tactical

Riflescope, and was the first of their

models to get the ED glass. It has a 34mm

tube to provide more total elevation

adjustment. It also has the newer high

speed turret with zero stop adjustment

system – providing 30 MOA or 12 Mils of

elevation per revolution depending on

the model. It has a 5x zoom range, up

from the NXS’s 4x zoom. The eyepiece

is still not a fast focus type, and the whole

ocular housing rotates when you

change the magnification – as

with the NXS. I am surprised they didn’t

change this in the ATACR, as it is quite

slow changing from one person’s reticle

focus to another’s if a couple or more

of you are using the same rifle, and if

you use a flip up scope cover on the

eyepiece it also rotates as you change

the zoom. The F1 model they sent us

is a Mil adjustment, first focal plane

which is all the rage with the tacti-cool

crowd these days so you can use some

of their Christmas tree reticles on any

magnification as the subtension doesn’t

change with the magnification. This all

sounds good in theory, but you do

struggle to read the reticle on the

lower magnifications and the outer

half of the reticle does disappear

from the field of view on the higher

magnifications, so I’m not convinced

totally. And I do really dislike the way

the reticle is magnified in relation to the

target as you zoom in – the complete

opposite of what you actually want.

This model sent us had the new Mil-XT

reticle, which cluttered up the field of

view and was far too complicated for

my liking, but it does allow you to just

hold for range and wind using the reticle

with no dialling. Personally, I far prefer

to dial the firing solution with a simple

uncluttered reticle with hash marks only

on the vertical and horizontal crosshair for

August / September 2019~ NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE 89

Testfire

Nightforce

ATACR 7-35x56

WRITTEN BY ~ GREG DULEY

Nightforce optics developed their enviable

reputation in some of the toughest military

theatres in the world – the battle grounds of

Iraq and Afghanistan in the Middle East

Used by a large percentage of special forces and in particular the

snipers, they have proved themselves to be one of the most reliable

optical sights in the world.

Their advertising used that classic image
of a Nightforce scope with a bullet hole
right through the tube, and the story
of the sniper carrying on to finish his
assignment and the scope performing
it’s duty perfectly - despite the near
catastrophic damage. The NXS was
the model most of their reputation
has been built on, and while the
reliability has been first class,
optically it always left me
wanting more. With the
advent of scopes with

higher zoom ranges and significantly

better optics, Nightforce have stepped

up to the plate with their latest models

offering up to 8x zoom and fluorite/

ED low dispersion glass. Hardy Rifle are

now the agents for NightForce in New

Zealand, and they sent us the latest

iteration of the ATACR in 7-35x56 F1 for

review. This stands for Advanced Tactical

Riflescope, and was the first of their

models to get the ED glass. It has a 34mm

tube to provide more total elevation

adjustment. It also has the newer high

speed turret with zero stop adjustment

system – providing 30 MOA or 12 Mils of

elevation per revolution depending on

the model. It has a 5x zoom range, up

from the NXS’s 4x zoom. The eyepiece

is still not a fast focus type, and the whole

ocular housing rotates when you

change the magnification – as

with the NXS. I am surprised they didn’t

change this in the ATACR, as it is quite

slow changing from one person’s reticle

focus to another’s if a couple or more

of you are using the same rifle, and if

you use a flip up scope cover on the

eyepiece it also rotates as you change

the zoom. The F1 model they sent us

is a Mil adjustment, first focal plane

which is all the rage with the tacti-cool

crowd these days so you can use some

of their Christmas tree reticles on any

magnification as the subtension doesn’t

change with the magnification. This all

sounds good in theory, but you do

struggle to read the reticle on the

lower magnifications and the outer

half of the reticle does disappear

from the field of view on the higher

magnifications, so I’m not convinced

totally. And I do really dislike the way

the reticle is magnified in relation to the

target as you zoom in – the complete

opposite of what you actually want.

This model sent us had the new Mil-XT

reticle, which cluttered up the field of

view and was far too complicated for

my liking, but it does allow you to just

hold for range and wind using the reticle

with no dialling. Personally, I far prefer

to dial the firing solution with a simple

uncluttered reticle with hash marks only

on the vertical and horizontal crosshair for

August / September 2019~ NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE 89

Testfire