Nightforce ATACR F1 5-25×56 vs. Schmidt and Bender PMII 5-25×56

Nightforce Optics as well as Schmidt and Bender are known for producing excellent scopes for pro shooters, who place quality over price. Both Nightforce ATACR F1 5-25×56 and Schmidt and Bender PMII 5-25×56 riflescopes are highly reputed ones in their genres and are priced a tad higher than most scopes in their category. If you are looking for military grade tactical scopes, which can be used even by the Special Operations groups, NF ATACR F1 5-25×56 and SB PMII 5-25×56 riflescopes are just the ones for the purpose. These scopes are made up of high quality materials, have high levels of durability, and are extremely rugged. In the world of long range riflescopes, Schmidt Bender PMII 5-25×56 is regarded as the ruler mainly because of its class, quality, and most importantly its presence over the last one decade. Nightforce ATACR, on the other hand, is mainly known as the preferred choice of the military evaluation strategic degrees, surpassing the established standards in long range shooting. Let us do a comparative analysis of the two scopes in question for a better understanding.

Comparative Analysis of Reticles in ATACR and PMII 5-25×56 F1 Scopes

A closer look at some of the important aspects associated with both the scopes:
Nightforce ATACR F1 5-25×56 comes with 4 kinds of reticle choices and they are:
1. Horus H59 – Non-Illuminated
Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56 F1 can be bought with this reticle that comes with fast ranging as well as holdover facilities, ensured by patented milradian based grid system. Shooters will also find this reticle helpful for targeting moving targets because of the presence of lead markers in the reticle.
2. Horus TReMoR3 – Non-Illuminated
This reticle is a preferred choice for shooters who use NF ATACR F1 5-25 × 56 scopes for faster shooting. Faster shooting becomes possible with non-illuminated Horus TReMoR3 reticle because of the incorporation of multiple features such as Accuracy 1st – Speed Shooting Formula in reticle’s elevation hold. Accurate mil targeting quickly also becomes easier with the use of this reticle usage.
3. MIL-R F1
Shooters looking for taking quick follow-up shots and also taking effective shots at the first time can select this reticle while buying ATACR 5-25 × 56 F1 riflescope. You will find floating center crosshair in this riflescope which is spread across 1.0 mil. Throughout the reticle you will find Mil-Radian graduations including .1, .2, half, and whole.
4. MOAR F1 – 20 MOA
You can accurately find range as well as hold-off through MOAR F1 – 20 MOA reticle as it has been incorporated with both elevation as well as windage markings of 1MOA. There are 3 bold posts at 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. A floating center crosshair along with the bold posts makes this reticle perfect for field usage in an easy and fast manner.
Schmidt and Bender PMII 5-25×56 F1 comes with 8 kinds of reticle choices and they are:
1. P3L
This reticle is an improved version of the already popular mil-dot reticle that comes with a floating crosshair.
2. P4L
This reticle has become very popular among the shooters because of its ability to locate targets easily and quickly. It is closest to the P4L Fein reticle but is distinguished by thicker lines, thereby helping in better locating targets. P4L is a mil-based reticle.
3. P4L fein
P4L fein is actually P4L Fine, which is one of the most popular reticle choices of Schmidt and Bender riflescopes. It is a mil-based reticle that comes with subtensions of 0.5 mil. Below point-of-aim in this reticle, you will find 27 mils of elevation. For wind hold-offs, you will find 5 mil marks on each direction. A floating crosshair is featured in P4L Fein along with 0.2 mil subtensions posts to accurately estimate range. Quick target acquisition at low lights as well as lower magnification is easy with this reticle because of the incorporation of three thick posts at 9 o’clock, 12 o’clock, and 3 o’clock positions. There is no chance of obscuring of target due to the reticle because of the 0.03 mil fine line thickness. Range estimation can also be done instantly as P4L Fein has been incorporated with pre-calculated reference marks. It has an uncluttered design and the reticle comes handy for long range shooters to spot or observe for long periods of time.
4. Police
It is quite similar to P3L reticle and is similarly a mil-based one. However, the shooters find Police reticle easier to use, especially in estimating range, because of the presence of pre-calculated reference marks.
5. Klein
It comes with 0.5 mil subtensions and the targets will not become obscure because of the presence of see-through dots. Klein is essentially an improved version of the mil-dot reticle.
6. H2CMR
It is a very popular reticle of the precision shooters and is essentially a mil-based one. In the main aiming area, you will find 0.2 mil subtensions. For extreme holds, the reticle has been incorporated with total markings of 30 mils on each line. On each direction from the center, 15 mils markings are there where the subtensions are of 1 mil.
7. H37
H37 is specifically manufactured for extreme long range shooters and is one of the ultra long range reticles in the Horus series. At increased magnification, shooters can use additional grids in this reticle because the central targeting grid is 4 mils higher in FOV. Long range targets will never get obscured as H37 has been incorporated with thin lines. This feature also helps shooters in making precise shot placements. In many cases, tactical shooters and even some pro hunters prefer to take shots at over 2,000 yards. In such cases, this reticle will be especially beneficial.
8. MSR
It is one of the most popular reticles used by the shooters and is one of the preferred choices of medium-to-long-range shooters. Best aspect of MSR reticle is the capability of being used in various shooting ranges. A shooter can not only use this reticle for targeting long-to-extreme-long-range targets but also for sensible close range targets. Top half of MSR reticle has an uncluttered design, which makes it perfect for spotting or observation usages. You can estimate range instantly because of the presence of pre-calculated reference marks in this reticule. Precise milling capabilities are available in MSR and are most suitable for benchrest-type shooting. The company that designed this reticle has preferred practicality over ultra-fine precision in this reticle.

A Brief Comparison of Nightforce ATACR F1 5-25×56 and Schmidt Bender PMII 5-25×56

Schmidt Bender PMII 5-25×56 scope is one of the best scopes available in the market. As this scope has been there in the market for over 10 years now, it has set a standard of its own. By keeping this scope as a pivot, other mid-to-long range scopes are judged. Due to its decade long presence in the market, some people feel that the design needs a refresh. Other than that, this Schmidt and Bender PMII 5-25×56 riflescope is surely one of the best available. When comparing this scope with another robust scope like Nightforce ATACR F1 5-25×56, we find ourselves in a peculiar situation where we are comparing two behemoths and are cast before our viewers to give a final word on scopes that are considered leaders in the same category.

Schmidt Bender PMII 5-25×56 scope comes with 5x magnification and has inculcated a name of setting standard in the long range shooting market. We found image fidelity to be great in this scope. Though tunneling effect is visible in low magnification, it vanishes as we move higher in magnification. The knobs and adjustment turrets are a bit too tight and always required a visual confirmation while shooting. This aspect is a bit problematic in the field because every time you concentrate on locating your target, you have to move your eye away from the eyepiece to confirm whether you are getting the knob. We found this scope to be perfect for those users who are looking for a scope for mid-to-high-range shooting, which generally translates to a magnification that is greater than 10x.

Nightforce ATACR F1 5-25×56 riflescope comes with a 5x range of magnification along with 34mm body tube. This means you will not only get all the best features of NXS but some improved aspects too. We found this new ATACR F1 scope to come with an improved adjustment range (which helps shooters to be able to shoot easily at extreme long ranges), wide FOV, enlarged zoom adjustment range, amazing optical quality, more durable riflescope body, and larger body. When compared with the Nightforce NXS model, some new reticle designs have been incorporated with the new Nightforce ATACR model. Extra bulk is pointed out by some as a potential problem for chase and hunt situations. However, this problem is not a problem at all because this riflescope has not been manufactured in the first place for running and hunting situations. This is more suitable for benchrest kinds of shooting and F-Class competitions. Overall, Nightforce ATACR 5-25×56 F1 riflescope is one of the best scopes we have tested in a very long time and can be easily put side-by-side, in terms of quality, with the already established Schmidt Bender PMII 5-25×56 scopes. You can also call ATACR F1 an enlarged and improved version of Nightforce NXS scope.

To conclude, both NF ATACR F1 5-25×56 and SB PMII 5-25×56 riflescopes are top of the line military grade tactical scopes which can be used for several applications. Your final call will partly depend on the budget and partly on your specific requirements in the field of long range shooting.