Are you looking for the best durable, long-range scope? Do you need a hunting or tactical scope with little to no compromises?
If these are questions you can relate to, the Nightforce Optics ATACR 5-25×56 might be the scope for you!
It’s one of the most DURABLE optics out there, with high-quality glass and useful features.
In this guide, I’ll explain the pros and cons of this riflescope, including the build, ease of use, performance, and pricing.
Contents
Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56 Overview
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The Nightforce ATACR line of scopes is well known for its durability and top-tier glass and is used by many US Special Forces and military operations.
ATACR stands for Advanced TACtical Riflescope. Nightforce loaded this scope with tech to improve accuracy at long range.
The Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56 is the latest scope offering in Nightforce’s line.
Specifications
This optic has a 34mm main scope tube, sporting a large 56mm aircraft-grade objective lens in the front. The front cover screws cover the larger lens and protect it.
The 34mm main tube has an advantage over previous Nightforce scopes because of added durability and more space for the windage turret and elevation adjustment mechanism.
The Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56 is finished with a smooth matte black texture, which helps ward off fingerprints.
The markings on the turret housing are off-white for easy readability.
Nightforce has a custom process for this scope, which include:
- Hand-bedding the ED glass lenses
- Adjusting the elevation turret to 110 threads per inch
- Using titanium in the springs.
The scope is in the first focal plane, which works well with elevation adjustment turrets and windage stop mechanisms to enhance performance.
These features come in handy when a shooter needs to hit a target at a longer range.
- Optic glass is crystal clear, with accurate colors
- Generous eye relief for shooting in an awkward position
- Smooth and ergonomic adjustment mechanisms
- 30 MOA intervals in the elevation turret
- The reticle is in the first focal plane (no need to use correction value)
- Heavier than other scopes
- On the expensive side
Full Review of Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56
Since this Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56 has a lot to offer, I’ll give a comprehensive breakdown of its standout features.
I’ll give the scope a final rating, considering all of the factors on this enhanced feature list, and you can see if this scope is worth buying!
Build and Design
The build quality on the ATACR is TOP-NOTCH! The aircraft-grade aluminum and matte coating protect the scope from damage.
I didn’t notice any scratches or fingerprints at all after taking this out in the field!
It comes with Tenebraex flip-up lens cap covers that protect the optic glass from dirt and scratches when not in use.
The front cover screws into the sunshade, and the rear cover clamps on the eyepiece.
The best part about these covers is that you can chamber a round and cycle the bolt without removing them by shifting the flip-up portion.
You can also quickly detach and reattach the covers if you wish.
The 34mm main tube also helps with the looks of this scope.
While the objective lens on this scope is bigger than other Nightforce sights, the larger main tube keeps dimensions proportional.
The overall length of the scope hasn’t increased compared to earlier models, which is always a welcome change.
Ease of Use
Many of the features introduced in the Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56 focus on making the scope EASIER to use.
One of these features is the generous eye box or eye relief at 3.54 inches (90mm), making target acquisition fast and scoping in and out easier.
The turrets are smooth and easy to adjust, which is another plus! The elevation turret is 1/4 inch shorter than the last generation but is easier to grip.
True enough, the good eye relief and smooth turrets made shooting pretty easy!
However, the scope is heavy, which can differ in how much it affects you based on your use case.
I’ve used it for long-range hunting, and lugging it around was pretty annoying.
Reticle
The Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56 has four optimized reticle designs: MOAR, MIL-R, TReMoR3, and H59.
The MOAR reticle features a subtension of only 0.140″, which helps in long-range situations and several tactical matches.
The reticle has a floating crosshair and hash marks in one MOA interval. These are placed along the horizontal an