The day many tactical optic enthusiasts have been whispering about over the past year is finally here: Nightforce has just announced their long-rumored 1-8 power tactical scope, called the NX8. Nighforce describes the NX8 1-8×24 F1 as “a class leading, compact and lightweight riflescope optimized for short to mid-range shooting“. The company also released a full spec sheet, replicated below:

• Focal plane: First
• Objective outer diameter: 30 mm
• Exit pupil diameter: 1x: 7.9 mm | 8x: 3 mm
• Field of view @ 100 yards/100 meters: 1x: 106 ft. | 1x: 32 m
• Eye relief: 3.75″ | 95.3 mm
• Internal adjustment range for MOA: e: 100 | w: 100
• Internal adjustment range for MIL-RADIAN: e: 30 | w: 30
• Click value: .5 MOA | .2 MIL-RADIAN
• Parallax adjustment: Fixed at 125 m
• Tube diameter: 1.18″/30 mm
• Eyepiece outer diameter: 40 mm
• Overall length (in/mm): 8.75/222
• Weight (oz/g): 17/482
• Mounting length (in/mm): 5.7/144
• PTL (Power Throw Lever): Standard
• Reticles available: FC-MOA™/FC-MIL™
• Illumination: Daylight visible, externally adjustable
• Elevation Feature: ZeroStop®
• MSRP: $1,750

It’s too early to have put the NX8 head-to-head in the field with what may be its closest competitor, the Vortex Razor HD 1-6×24, but going by the spec sheet alone the new Nightforce looks like a major threat to the Vortex. It’s a far more compact and lightweight scope, being 2.85″ shorter, and over half a pound lighter (!!!), and it does all this while being a nought to eight power variable, rather than a 1-6x. The Nightforce wins on budget too, being listed with a $1,750 MSRP, versus the Vortex’s $1,999. If the market reduction for the Nightforce comes down the way it has for the Vortex, that means we could see NX8s on the market for less than $1,200, eventually. I would expect initial prices on the NX8 to be considerably higher, however, probably in the $1,500-1,600, which still makes it potentially highly competitive with the Vortex. The inclusion of a free throw lever by Nightforce further improves the value, as that’s a $60 “must-have” addon that has to be bought separately from the Razor HD.