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View Full Version : Nikon Omega - Let's bow down because we're not worthy.


Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
November 5, 2008, 10:04 AM
Holy Fake-Muscle-Suit, Batman - have youens looked at this scope?!

I looked through one last night and immediately had to buy it. For around $250, it has some of the clearest optics going, comparable to a high-end Leupold, looks to me, and here's the kicker - the eye relief is just insane. It's literally like 8-10", just like an EER "scout" scope, on 3 power (this is a 3-9x40mm). I'm not exaggerating at all when I say that it is clear from edge to edge, with no blackout, EASILY at 8" from the eye on 3 power. The only scope I've seen personally that even comes close to this eye relief is a Trijicon Accupoint. Of course, I don't get out too much, so maybe I haven't seen everything.

Anyway, if I had known about this scope's features back when, I would probably have about 10 of them by now, on many different rifles. If it holds up, with that kind of eye relief, it is THE scope for big boomers (muzzleloaders, slug guns, big bore leverguns, .338s and up, etc.) - blows the old eye relief kings away (Leupold & Trijicon). This scope - assuming it works - will surpass the Sightron S2 as the best value going, IMO, unless I'm missing something - I'm crappin' ya negatory.

Miscellany:

1. Bonuses: It's got a BDC which is nice. This scope is marketed as a "muzzleloader scope" but of course could be used for anything. The BDC is set for a muzzleloader load, but I'd guess that the holdover markings would approximate a bottlenecked centerfire, but just at different ranges.** Next, it's got easy finger-adjustable covered turrets, with nice audible and tactile clicks. Comes in both regular and camo versions.

Dunno where the parallax error free is set - anyone know? I'd guess that since it's marketed as a 250 yard scope, it would have "normal" parallax-free setting of 100 or 150.

2. I grabbed a Nikon "Team Primos" scope (which is *supposed to be* the same scope), and compared the two side by side. The Team Primos is definitely NOT the same scope - the Team Primos is inferior to the Omega. They look the same at first, but at long eye relief (over 5"), then the Team Primos begins to black out around the edges, whereas the Omega does not.

3. Drawback: This is a SHORT scope, requiring mounts/rings that are pretty close together. It's gonna require offset rings or not work at all on many rifles. I couldn't put it on my Savage 10 ML II without getting offset rings.

4. Ironically, and completely separate tangential subject, I also looked at a Nikon Prostaff, which had optics that appear to be INFERIOR to my current Prostaffs I already have. There was a fair amount of fishbowling going on, which is something you normally don't see unless you're blessed enough to look through a Simmons, etc.

Whaddya think - go check one out.

**The four "circle crosshairs" below the center are supposed to represent holds for 150, 200, 225, and 250 yards for a 250 gr bullet with 150 gr of BP, when the main crosshair has your 100 yard zero So for a faster bottlenecked centerfire cartridge rifle, maybe these would hit very close at 200, 250, 300, 350...??? In addition, look at this quote:

By using a circle [...] instead of a dot or hash mark, you have
multiple aiming points (top, middle and bottom
of the circle) to customize the reticle to your
specific firearm.

So due to this multiple aiming point setup, you could pretty easily get it to hit quite close at round numbers - 200, 250, etc., for your particular rifle/load, by picking and knowing which to use (top, bottom or middle of the four circles - this actually gives you a total of 12 aiming points in addition to the center one - but as a practical matter, the top two circles are touching, so you really only have 11 aiming points in addition to the main one).

armoredman
November 5, 2008, 10:36 AM
Nice!

thirdeagle
November 5, 2008, 11:44 AM
That Omega sounds nice except for the fact that it won't fit many rifles. As for the Nikon Prostaff 3x9x40, folks keep telling me it is the best thing since sliced bread. It's a shame to hear their newer scopes may be inferior to their older product.

Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
November 5, 2008, 12:03 PM
Actually, they're more like $210 - $230 - here's a link:

http://theopticzone.com/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=250

Anyone know what technology they used to accomplish this eye relief, and whether there's a "catch" that I'm missing?

Thirdeagle, I don't know if that Prostaff was just a lemon or what - it's got me curious and a bit concerned because it was definitely there......

I guess if we were dreaming, we'd take the technology that gives us this eye relief, add the coatings to bump up the light transmission to 95% (from the 92% of the Omega), like the Monarch Gold & Elite 4200, then add the Rainguard coating of the Elite Bushnells - then we'd really have something. Particularly if it came in a 1.5-6x42mm. Ahhhh, I'm beginning to wake.

Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
November 6, 2008, 11:00 AM
P.S. I may be off/exaggerated a bit on my "some of the clearest optics going" statement above - I haven't truly evaluated that thoroughly - just a guesstimate from looking. The main thing that interests me is the eye relief. But it *does* look pretty darn sharp & clear.

Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
June 6, 2009, 12:38 PM
Regarding the Nikon Team Primos versus Nikon Omega....


Attention; To everyone who uses scopes and especially that sub-group who consistently espouses the Team Primos as the best value going:

I just today for the 2nd time compared SIDE BY SIDE the Nikon Omega and the Nikon Team Primos. I have verified to be true what I said before - the eye relief of the Omega is FAR, FAR superior to the (already very good) eye relief of the Team Primos. So I wasn't crazy or seeing things. They otherwise appear to be nearly identical.

The eye relief of the Team Primos is around 5 inches, give or take, before blackout from the edges begins. The eye relief of the Omega is at least 9 or 10 inches before ANY blackout occurs (on 3 power). That's NINE or TEN inches; I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm obsessing over this issue, but I am actually, for good reason. What this means in reality is that this scope is not "almost as good" of eye relief as an IER/Scout scope - it IS an IER / Scout scope, if you choose to utilize it in that manner (albeit you'll have to stay on 3 or 4 power)!! But unlike the other IER / Scout scopes, it can ALSO be used in the traditional placement, as the range of eye relief is much much greater, including working fine up close at 2 or 3 inches. This is seriously a fantastic scope for all big boomers and EBRs to boot - any rifles where quick snap shots may occur.

So please do everyone a favor when you're proselytizing about the Team Primos: Yes, the Team Primos is a *good* value scope, but don't forget to mention that the Omega is yet several degrees better still, for the same price (or actually about $10 less).

Note: All this assumes equal optical quality, which I cannot prove, but they sure look identical in optical quality to me.

This Omega is probably the best value ever in a scope, seems to me.

By the way, Academy has discontinued the camo version of the 3-9x40 Omega, and as a result it is $199 right now, if there's any left (compared to its old price of $279 and the current price of $259 for the matte black Omega). There is only the display model left at this one Academy and I'm going to go back and get it in a little while if I can thing of a good rifle to put it on.

PS. I sure hope some of the Rifle forum and Hunting forum folks get over here to see this.

Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
June 7, 2009, 11:48 PM
Today I managed to find one of the 1.65-5x36mm Omegas and yup, same deal; even better. On 1.65x, there was a full 10"-12" of eye relief. Now it drastically reduced to around 4.5" by 5 power, but it too is truly an IER scope on the lower settings. Also had the same ballistic reticle with the circles. I think this scope is going to go on the IMI Timberwolf .357 and possibly others. Impressive stuff.