The Best Rifle Scope Ever Built: NightForce ATACR 7-35X

At this year’s SHOT Show, “Sniper Jesus” told me the new Night Force ATACR 7-35X was the best deal going in optics. I have anxiously been wanting to put this to the test. I begged, borrowed, cajoled, harassed, and arguably stalked NightForce for a review sample. Arguably stalked is a loose interpretation or so my lawyer tells me.

Earlier this week a box arrived from Orofino. And you know what? It was absolutely worth the wait.

As a former soldier, I have a bit of a love/hate with NightForce glass. They have always had a great reputation for glass clarity, durability, and mechanical precision. When I was in the service, they also had a reputation for complete inflexibility, even for the boys in SOCOM. I personally called the last time a new version came to the U.S. Army, on our brand new .300 Win. Mag. MK13s. Could we get rid of this reticle and second focal plane madness, and have a Horus? We will pay for the difference, checkbook is right here. No? Schmidt and Bender will. Talk to you later.

The problem tended to be, NightForce really liked building things to Squeal Spec. And the Squeals refused to step away from the second focal plane. Learn the difference between first and second focal plane, here.

So, Night Force has fixed the reticle part of the problem, in a grand fashion. Ray Dennis, the founder of NightForce, bought Horus Vision. And the offerings now in First Focal Plane (FFP) fill the majority of their catalog.

NightForce ATACR 7-35X F1

So it’s been a few years, and I was really excited to try one of the new models out. It did not disappoint. The clarity of the glass is on par with anything else in the world, and I do mean anything. I was serious in the previous mention of Schmidt and Bender, it’s what we used my last few years serving. It has been called the gold standard of clarity, but I would put this NightForce up against it or anyone else. It could take on Zeiss and Swarovski.

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SPECS

• Model: ATACR F1
• Magnification: 7X-35X
• Tube Diameter: 34mm 
• Length: 16 in.
• Weight: 39.3 oz.
• Click Ratio: .250 MOA; .1 Milrad (tested)
• Eye Relief: 3.26 in. – 3.58 in.
• Power Throw Lever: Standard
• Illumination: Digillum
• Elevation Feature: Zero Stop
• Manufacturer: NightForce

Mechanically, this scope was so good it validated my testing protocol for tracking. I didn’t invent this method, but I can pirate ideas with the best of them. It’s hard to make a square and level target, so I don’t try. I set up the most stable target I can, and then draw a straight line using a 4-foot level. My line is square to the Earth that way, no matter how it looks to the eye. Then I use calipers to measure and mark lines every 10 centimeters, the distance of 1 milradian at 100 meters. Using my most accurate rifle and trusted ammo, I shoot at the bottom line. Without changing my point of aim, I dial 1 mil on the elevation turret, and shoot again. So on and so forth until I run out of target or travel in the scope. In testing the ATACR, I had it attached to my Tikka T3 TAC A1, and used Hornady 140-grain ELD Match ammo. I like testing this way, because I am actually shooting. My eyes can’t detect a 1-percent incorrect movement just by looking, and I seriously doubt many others can. The NightForce crushed the test, tracking perfectly through 15 mils and back down. The line on the test board was so perfect it was shocking.

The 35X is a very high maximum magnification for a tactical scope. I was concerned that maybe it would introduce problems focusing or adjusting parallax at zero range. This was absolutely unfounded. The clarity was perfect, both at 100 meters and 1000. In fact, sitting here at my desk, I can easily focus on a light switch 10 meters away.  How Night Force accomplished this is a miracle of innovation. The range of magnification is really growing on me too. In my experience, I never tend to use my scope much below about 8 power, and probably used it the most in combat between 12 and 14. That offers a wide field of view, and a reticle that is still big enough to use easily. The only real reason I have seen to go below 8X on a precision rifle is if your glass sucks, and you are using clip on night vision. There is threshold where your lens errors make using a UNS ( Universal Night Sight) impossible. Everything else, more power tends to be better. So having a floor of 7X is awesome. For most of the sub-1,000 meter shooting I did this week, I kept the scope on about 20X. It is really nice to have the option of 15x more for observation, or if you had to dial some mils on and take a very long shot.

The power balance is awesome, and it will likely set a new standard for tactical scopes.

All of the controls are simple and positive. My test model has a Horus reticle in it, but that won’t be everyone’s choice. As full rotations of elevation are completed, numbers appear from under the turret. Very handy for not getting lost in the moment. It is embarrassing to engage a close range target and miss by 10 mils, but it has happened to the best of us. The zero stop was easy to adjust, if a little bit involved. NightForce recommends a torque wrench capable of 4-inch-pounds for this task. That is a little scary for someone that has broken an anvil, but it worked out just fine.

Durability is a cornerstone of the NightForce legend, which is not something I can really speak to. I’ve only had the scope a short while. I will, however, defer to my friend Tom Beckstrand. He has been to the factory and swears that before a scope leaves the quality control room a final test is conducted. The scope is beat from 5 directions with a rubber armored steel block. Then rechecked to ensure the zero didn’t shift. That tells me pretty much what I need to know. I would never willingly do that to a scope I own, nor would I expect one to survive. These boys are serious about building tough scopes.

If illumination is something you need in your scope, Night Force has answered that as well. And for once, you don’t have to choose between red or green. The ATACR does both, with a very simple press of a button. I have never been big on illumination in scopes like this, but I must admit. The green works very well in low light, and the red is bright enough for daylight.

In the interest of full disclosure, I only own one NightForce product, a spotting scope that I won a few years back. I have made my living with a firearm in one capacity or another for the last 20 years, and I own zero scopes at this price point. But after this week, I will be buying this ATACR, even if I have to sell half my pistols to do it. I have been issued many nice toys, and the ATACR 7-35X bests them all. Including a Schmidt and Bender PMII.

This isn’t the best scope for the money. It is the best rifle scope that has ever been built in the history of man.

The ATACR 7-35 certainly isn’t cheap, but you only have to buy it once. If you are serious about long-range precision rifle shooting, this is the scope for you.

For more information about NightForce optics, click here.

For more options of long range scopes, click here.

To purchase a NightForce optic on EuroOptic, click here.