Continued From Part 2
Wind Games And Spin Drift (Continued)
My shooting partner and spotter for the day was a newer shooter. So, instead of holding over the targets solely with the grid, I chose to spend the entire session using the elevation turret to dial each “come up” in order to clarify the concept of holds and the general theory of turret dialing.
However, the lack of holding over with the grid on the fly didn’t stop us from taking full advantage of the Nightforce Mil-XT’s principal horizontal stadia line (last picture found in Part 2 of this series) to account for these strong winds. I really like the fact that every mil on that horizontal line is clearly spaced and has a corresponding, easy-to-read number above.
Even if a newer shooter doesn’t understand mils deeply, the ability to use the numbers and hashes as clear markers and being able to tell them to hold the “right-hand side number 2 [horizontal] hashmark against the hard left edge of the 700-yard target” still gets the desired result! It was the same with the other steel targets.
“Hold 1.5 mils to the right for the 400-yard steel.”
“Why don’t you shoot the 700-yard steel again? Try holding 2.4 mils, and line up the number two with the left edge of the target.”
Bang…
Claaaang!
With good DOPE in place, the Mil-XT’s horizontal hash marks helped us take care of the rest. Likewise, its 0.2 mil divisions help with taking bullet spin drift into account.
The Nightforce Mil-XT’s Grids and hashes work like a “built-in ruler” and make it so that the rifle shooter has only to do their part to connect with their targets.
Nightforce Mil-XT Reticle Critiques
By the time this third installment gets published, I will have spent plenty of time looking through the Nightforce SHV C694 and its Mil-XT reticle. I’ve shot plenty of careful groups at 100 yards while also having connected with different steel targets between 400 to 955 yards.
During the 2024 Christmas season, I was fortunate to make “ballistic lemonade” and use the Nightforce Mil-XT reticle as one of its main ingredients. Having a chance to shoot steel at different distances like this is also a treat and not something I could do back at my gun club with any regularity or convenience.
At this point in my “precision rifle” experience arc, I only have a very minor quibble with the Mil-XT in the context of using it with the 30 mm SHV 4-14×50 F1. When shooting careful groups at small targets (e.g., half-inch wide at 100 yards), I find that the 0.2 mil hash marks closest to the floating aiming point can interfere with the sight picture and make it feel crowded. With larger steel targets, this wasn’t an issue at all.
The only other minor quibble I have with the Mil-XT is that I wish that the prominent 0.2 mil hash marks found throughout the primary horizontal and vertical stadia lines were slightly shorter or just evenly spaced. Between each 1 mil wide section, the hashes at every 0.2 mil and 0.8 mil jut out to one side while the inner 0.4 and 0.6 mil hashes protrude to the other side. Each hash mark stands 0.2 mils tall off its stadia line.
First Focal Plane
This isn’t a critique, but at lower magnifications, the Mil-XT simply works like a crosshair, given that it shrinks down by virtue of being a first-focal plane reticle. The only thing I don’t yet have an informed opinion on is shooting with the reticle’s illumination on. I never felt the need to use it at any of these shooting sessions.
The Takeaway
Even though this series isn’t about the Nightforce SHV 4-14×50 F1 C694 scope itself, I’d like to once again praise the clarity of the glass in spite of the thinner 30 mm main tube. Being able to see targets and spot splashes was crucial. Sure, the SHV can have a somewhat tight eyebox and I subjectively felt that it was harder to see through in twilight conditions.
In my opinion, this is the biggest trade-off about the SHV. Unlike the NX8 or ATACRs, it is more budget-friendly while still being a Nightforce.
It’s too bad this range trip story didn’t make it on my original review from months earlier. My experiences shooting with the Mil-XT reticle on the 6.5mm Creedmoor Bergara BMP covered two separate range trips out to the steel range. On the second trip, we took shots out to 955 yards with this rifle and scope combo.
For those newer to precision rifle shooting, the best way to describe a modern mil-based grid reticle like the Nightforce Mil-XT would be to compare it to having a built-in shooting ruler directly inside the scope. The gist of such shooting reticles is to allow shooters to measure and/or use the reticle’s reference points on the fly, something that’s harder to do on rifle scopes that have plain or simpler reticles.
Beyond the Basics
Compared to other MRAD reticles, like Leupold’s classic TMR reticle that I’ve previously covered, the Mil-XT offers more functionality beyond basic shooting, ranging, and milling, given its built-in grid. And compared to other reticles that use MRAD-based grids, the Nightforce Mil-XT reticles cover the main points needed for tactical shooting, precision shooting, competition shooting, and maybe even hunting*.
While the “busyness” of a reticle lies in the eye of the beholder, I think that the Mil-XT covers its bases without being overly busy or obfuscating. No, it’s not a Tremor 3, either. Frankly, I’ll write that article in the future when I can properly explain the magic of the Tremor 3 reticle in my own words.
After seeing what I can do with the 30 mm 14x Nightforce SHV C694, given the chance, I’d love to use this reticle on a bigger, more capable scope like the Nightforce 7-35 ATACR.
Click here to read Part 1 and Part 2 of my Nightforce Mil-XT reticle experience.
