07-27-2011, 11:27 PM
If we are talking about putting glass on your 16" Grendel, my advice is to get the more economical optic, since the advantages of the USO or NightForce are only realized at extended ranges with bigger, more abusive calibers. If we were talking about a .260 Remington, 7mm WSM, .300 WM, or .338 LM, it would be an entirely different conversation over three or four main brands: USO, NF, S&B, and Hensoldt.
Imagine yourself on the firing line or range with your buddies. You have a $1200-$1500 NF with a $150-$200 mount, while your buddy has a $500-$600 Vortex with the same mount. You've both been shooting from 200yds out to 600yds for an hour or so, and you decide to switch rigs and see how each others' compares. You don't see any discernible difference in glass quality without really squinting, and you both have been hitting targets just the same.
The Vortex has a zero-stop as a standard feature, whereas with NF, you pay $200 more (on top of $1200-$1300). The Vortex has matching turrets, i.e.: Mil/Mil or MOA/MOA, and a no questions asked, fully-transferable lifetime warranty in the unlikely event that something goes wrong with it. The Vortex weighs about the same at 18.4 oz., while the NF NXS weighs 19oz. The Vortex Viper PST has fiber-optic tubes to indicate turret and magnification position, something exclusive to them, to help keep track of how many turns you have dialed on your turret. The Vortex also has tactile "bumps" in the magnification ring so you can feel what magnification you're on without looking.
This really is a no-brainer. If you had a longer-range caliber, you still could use the 2.5-10x44 as I do on my .260 Rem AR10, but I wouldn't mount the 32mm objective NF on that .260 Rem, as the Field of View is more limited. Another plus for the Vortex. A 16" Grendel is not something to splurge on optics for, unless you just want to show others that you really enjoy burning money. You definitely don't want to drop the coinage for a USO on it, unless you find someone with a great deal on a used 1.8-10x37 SN-3 that you can use on other rifles too.
If you are set on burning money and want the absolute best glass you can get for a 16" Grendel AR, I would recommend the Swarovski Z6i 1-6x...but that scope is really best-suited for 3-gun or dangerous game hunting, and doesn't offer uncapped target knobs. I must admit that it is a religious experience in optical clarity when viewing through that tube. Or you could just buy two Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10x44's with Mil/Mil and indefinitely loan one to me. I'll even be your friend and continue to give you great advice like this, until we both need Hensoldt's...:o
Imagine yourself on the firing line or range with your buddies. You have a $1200-$1500 NF with a $150-$200 mount, while your buddy has a $500-$600 Vortex with the same mount. You've both been shooting from 200yds out to 600yds for an hour or so, and you decide to switch rigs and see how each others' compares. You don't see any discernible difference in glass quality without really squinting, and you both have been hitting targets just the same.
The Vortex has a zero-stop as a standard feature, whereas with NF, you pay $200 more (on top of $1200-$1300). The Vortex has matching turrets, i.e.: Mil/Mil or MOA/MOA, and a no questions asked, fully-transferable lifetime warranty in the unlikely event that something goes wrong with it. The Vortex weighs about the same at 18.4 oz., while the NF NXS weighs 19oz. The Vortex Viper PST has fiber-optic tubes to indicate turret and magnification position, something exclusive to them, to help keep track of how many turns you have dialed on your turret. The Vortex also has tactile "bumps" in the magnification ring so you can feel what magnification you're on without looking.
This really is a no-brainer. If you had a longer-range caliber, you still could use the 2.5-10x44 as I do on my .260 Rem AR10, but I wouldn't mount the 32mm objective NF on that .260 Rem, as the Field of View is more limited. Another plus for the Vortex. A 16" Grendel is not something to splurge on optics for, unless you just want to show others that you really enjoy burning money. You definitely don't want to drop the coinage for a USO on it, unless you find someone with a great deal on a used 1.8-10x37 SN-3 that you can use on other rifles too.
If you are set on burning money and want the absolute best glass you can get for a 16" Grendel AR, I would recommend the Swarovski Z6i 1-6x...but that scope is really best-suited for 3-gun or dangerous game hunting, and doesn't offer uncapped target knobs. I must admit that it is a religious experience in optical clarity when viewing through that tube. Or you could just buy two Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10x44's with Mil/Mil and indefinitely loan one to me. I'll even be your friend and continue to give you great advice like this, until we both need Hensoldt's...:o