nikon scope--any good?

[Dave44]

found a nikon rifle scope locally for 100.00 cheaper than anywhere else...catch is that is refurbished,all warrantys
still apply--its the monarch series, anybody have any thoughts on this scope? would prefer a leupold, but this may be a great deal, who knows, looks in mint condition

 

[GW]

I can't speak for the scope in particular, but I can for Nikon optics and they are outstanding
Nikon is one of only 2 companies that make their own glass (Zeiss being the other) and their high -end binoculars are as good as anything Swarovski Zeiss or Leica put out
Of course, the bottom line is how does that scope look for you?
Good luck with your choice

 

[SR_]

The monarch should be a pretty good scope. If you have the extra funds, go for the Leupold. But for the money, a Nikon monarch is pretty hard to beat.

 

[Bottom Gun]

I have Nikon scopes mounted on .22, .223, 30-06 and .338 Win Mag rifles. They are excellent scopes. I replaced my Zeiss Conquest scopes with Nikons. I like them better.
Mine are Monarch and pre-Monarch. I did find the made in Japan pre-Monarchs to be ever so slightly better than the Monarchs but if you didn't have the two side by side, you would never notice a difference.

I haven't tried the Buckmaster or ProStaff scopes.

I've compared my Nikons side by side with my Leupold VX-1, Vari-X II and Var-X III at various power settings, various lighting and varying distances. I found the Nikons had a slight edge over the VX-1 and Vari-X II in brightness and clarity although the Leupolds had slightly longer eye relief. The Vari-X III edged the Nikons out but not by much. Of course the Vari-X III scopes cost twice as much as my Nikons did.

Nikon also has a lifetime guarantee even if you aren't the original owner. I sent them a pretty beat up 4-12X pre-Monarch for repair and they replaced it free of charge with a new Monarch 4-12X within a week.
That's top shelf customer service.

Buy the Nikon. You won't be sorry.

 

[rbernie]

I'm a big fan on the Monarch series. Excellent glass, good repeatability - I put them on par with my Vari-X III. The Buckmasters are OK, but Monarch's they ain't.

I've taken to scanning eBay and bidding on every Monarch that's listed under $150 - sometimes I get lucky and nobody else notices it's there....

 

[Bottom Gun]

rbernie,

so YOU'RE the guy bidding against me on all those Nikon auctions!!!!

 

[TheOpticZone]

I personally think that all the Nikon items are great and very good for the price. I highly recommend them!!

 

[Byron Quick]

Sounds like a good deal to me. Jump on it. I've got Nikon, Redfield, Leupold, and Nightforce scopes. I'd buy it for the price with no qualms.

 

[84B20]

Buckmaster vs. ProStaff

I've been a photographer for nearly 40 years and have owned dozens of Nikon lenses. The optics can't be beat. The one Nikon lens I haven't looked through is a rifle scope. I'm going to buy the Buckmaster or the ProStaff but there are no gun shops in my area that have either in stock to view. Anyone have any opinions?

 

[Idaho Elk Hunter]

I have a dozen or so Nikon Monarchs and I have about the same number of Leupold VX III's and I will not purchase another Leupold unless it is a deal. I recently purhased a Nikon Titanium on clearance in the 5.5x15.5x44 and Leupold doent have a thing on it. I do have on Buckmaster on a target 22 rimfire and for the price I think it is a good scope probably comparable to the VXII. I wish they would find another name for it and let the Buckmasters go!