Nikon Monarch

The $400-500 dollar Vortex Viper PA and HS series are superior to the Nikon Monarch series of scopes. The Vortex has great optic quality, tracking, side focus and 30mm tubes, plus better turrets.
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Yep. Plus their warranty is awesome.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/vortex-riflescopes-vpr-m-04p.html

$400 shipped, free hat and you can use your current rings. I have the 3.5-10x50 version and it is VERY, VERY crisp. My box test was almost perfect.

Beentown
 
I use to buy only Leupold scopes, but then they started getting pricy. I have several Nikon Monarchs (4X40, 6X42, 2.5X10X42 mil dot, and 5.5X20X42 target scope). All of them work fine, are bright and clear, don't have any problems with tracking. The 2.5X10X42 mil dot scope is very close to the one your looking at. I like it, it is a great scope. Last year, I did purchase another Nikon target scope 8X32X50mm with etched reticile which was a disappointment. It did not have enough MOA adjustment to go from 100 to 1,000 yards. I got rid of it at a loss and bougth a Sightron.
 
I have contacted Saltydog over a year ago trying to help him out and change his mind about Nikon
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News to me. I do remember a rebuttal to a previous statement along the same lines I have made here. Tell you what, you want to change my mind on your products, send me one of your Monarchs for a season, nothing special, a 2.5X10X50 with a BDC reticle or similar to put on my Savage 10 Precision Carbine. I'll use it for deer season which starts here on September 1, 2012, if it doesn't break, fog up, lose zero or any other problems I'll buy it from you on January 2, 2013 and rescend publicly on this forum any derogatory comments I have made about Nikon optics. I'll need the scope prior to August 1, 2012 so that I can get it mounted, zero'd and comfortable with it.

If I scratch it or ding it up, I'll buy it too.

If it breaks or develops any issues you will publicly announce on this forum that your Optics are inferior.

What do you say, ready to put your product to the test and show the confidence you have in the line?

I will also document the time I used the rifle in the stand which will not be every time I hunt since I plan on hunting my 700 in 7mm08 most of the time. You scope will be subjected to 95 degree plus heat and 90% humidity in the early season and 25-30 degree temps and 50-60% humity in the later part of the season. It will see rain, dusky late condidtions etc. 95% of the time will be spent in elevated stands. It will also be taken very good care of as far as cleaning and handling.
 
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I just put a Monarch 2.5x10x50 BDC on my Savage 116 and after half of a dozen boxes of ammo I am completely satsified with it. Seems to be a quality riflescope at a fair price.
 
I own two Monarchs and honestly, in their price range I haven't seen a better scope. When I bought my first Monarch, I was actually prepared to drop the money on a Zeiss or a Leupold but felt that the Nikon was brighter.

Fast forward five years and my first Nikon has been trouble free and holds zero on perfectly on my hard recoiling 45-70 Gov't Ruger No 1.

I don't know any thing about the Vortex, but if you chose the Nikon, I don't think you would regret it.
 
I own two Monarchs and honestly, in their price range I haven't seen a better scope. When I bought my first Monarch, I was actually prepared to drop the money on a Zeiss or a Leupold but felt that the Nikon was brighter.
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I agree with you I had a Zeiss Conquest and it was a pretty good scope, but I would put my Nikon Monarch up against it any day. I had the 3-12x56mm Conquest and now I have a Monarch 4-16x50mm with no regrets at 1/2 the price of the Conquest.
 
I own two Nikon Monarchs, 3x9,40mm on two Weatherbys, 300,and 340. I have recently put a Vortex Viper PST, 6x24,FFP and zero stop on my Cooper,MDL22, 6.5x284. The Nikons are excellent hunting optics, track perfectly, and handle WBY recoil just fine. The Vortex is big and heavier, but optically my old eyes see no real difference.

I don't think you'll go wrong either way. I'm quite satisfied with both. I have in the past used Leupold, Weaver, and Zeiss optics and you won't be dissappointed with any of them IMO. They are all warrentied lifetime, transferrable.

If target shooting is your gig, then the Vortex or Leupold, may have more to offer, but for hunting Nikon is as good or better optically, than just about any offering in it's price range.

I have never had a scope fail, of any brand, maybe good luck, or just good optics. The warranty is excellent on all of the montioned scopes, so I don't think you'll go wrong with Nikon, Vortex, Leupold, Zeiss, or Weaver. I have been shooting and reloading for magnum centerfire since 1976

I think Nikon, Weaver, Leupold all use the same glass and Vortex also for that matter. Take your pick. If it's for hunting, then Nikon is great, for targets Leupold or Vortex would be my choice. Good shootin' pal.
 
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Monarchs have good glass, usually not so great on internal adjustment in the mid to higher magnification ranges.

Reticles to me seem a bit too thick for target work.

Feel well built.

Vortex represent a good set of features for the money but it doesnt necessarily mean its all in the glass. Find out where the scope is made is my advice. Vortex products are tiered. Low end are made in China, mid range are made in Philippines, and the nicer stuff is from Japan. As new models roll out the manufacturing origin sometimes changes.

I trust the Japan stuff, the Phillippines stuff can be alright, but if its something ilke 500+ dollar range I certainly would want it made in Japan.

I have two pairs of optics from them, and the lens coatings are different (one is japan and one is philippines)
 
I have the 2.5-10X42 Nikon Monarch with BDC reticle. I have zeroed my AR15 to 200 yds. Was amazed that the BDC reticle actually worked. Without having to do any dialing or adjustment I set the BDC reticle on a target at 511 yds. Was able to make hits back to back consistently as well as my brothers.

There is a downside to this story though. I would not buy another scope like the one I have now. My particular scope does not have a parallax adjustment knob, so parallax beyond 100 yds is very noticeable. This makes precision shooting for groups obsolete. I found out about this while trying to perform a ladder test at 200 yds. I wondered why my shot groups were inconsistent. Than a slight movement of my head revealed the parallax issue.
 
There is a downside to this story though. I would not buy another scope like the one I have now. My particular scope does not have a parallax adjustment knob,
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Are you sure you do not have that adjustment? You have the little knob on the left side of the scope?

That is what that does. By using it to focus on the target, you are bringing the target image into the same focal plane as the crosshair.

Unless you have a Monarch that only has a vertical and horizontal crosshair adjustment, you do have the adjustment you need.

Some Nikons have a friction only adjustment and some require you to pull the knob out from the side before you can actually move the adjustment.


Geetarman:D
 
I haven't had a Vortex but the Nikon's I've had (Monarch and now ProStaff) are the best scopes for the money I've found. And I've found people with problems with Vortex scopes and some of the other scopes mentioned in here. I'll keep buying Nikons. In my side by side comparison they sure (to my eyes) were optically better then equally priced Leupolds.
 
Ok, you've convinced me on the Nikon.
I just hope the reticle isn't to think but I'm sure it'l be know worse than the Vortex.

Where do you fine people find the cheapest place to buy optics from?

What websites do you recommend?

Bear in mind I don't live in the US so I'd need the place to do international shipping.
It'l be far cheaper to have something shipped out of the US, the price of scopes here are stupidly expensive.
 
I feel like I am just piling on at this point... but hey why not...

I own two Monarchs and honestly, in their price range I haven't seen a better scope
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Agree 100%... IN THEIR PRICE RANGE, Nikon's are excellent.

I have a Monarch 1-4X 20mm on an AR-15 that is awesome. Clarity and brightness is outstanding, and the #4 style reticle is perfect for a fast shooting carbine. Price I paid: about $260

I also have a Nikon buckmaster 3-9X 40mm on a .243 bolt gun. Again, the clarity is excellent, eye relief generous, and it is great in low/dim light. Price I paid: $210.

Comparing these scopes to others in the $400 - $800 price range will ( no doubt) prove that if you spend twice to four times the money, you get a better optic... Regardless, I think Nikon has a great product at a great price.
 
I was under the impression that some scope manufacturers other than NIKON actually use NIKON glass.
Ironic, if true...:eek:

That said, I have a few NIKON optics that I am completely satisfied with.
I also have Leupold VARI-X III's that are excellent.
Some Redfields, including a couple from Denver and the PI.
Even have a couple of TASCO scopes that have proven durable...especially the TITAN that sits on my AR-10. It was $1100.00 less than the other scope I was looking to put there! :D
 
I was under the impression that some scope manufacturers other than NIKON actually use NIKON glass
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I've heard the same thing. My issues were never with the glass, it was other things with the scope(s) that gave me problems. To each his/her own, just glad we have so many options and products available to choose from.
 
Put me down in the "No More Monarchs -- Or Any Nikons For That Matter" column. Figured the Monarch would be a step up from the Buckmasters that I had pretty good luck with; other than the tunnel vision, they seemed to be accurate-tracking with decent glass. Big mistake. The 5-20X Monarch I bought had almost no eye relief @ max power (didn't matter, the glass was lousy anyway), the windage/elevation adjustments soon went south and the parallax control was so far off from reality it was laughable. Lesson learned: never buy a mail-order/internet scope without first checking one out "in person", despite the positive reviews (which, incidentally have gone downhill since.) Have since replaced the Monarch with the new, improved 6-18X40 Leupold VX-2 (AO, I know, but I can live with it) and haven't looked back.
 
"Are you sure you do not have that adjustment? You have the little knob on the left side of the scope? That is what that does. By using it to focus on the target, you are bringing the target image into the same focal plane as the crosshair. Unless you have a Monarch that only has a vertical and horizontal crosshair adjustment, you do have the adjustment you need. Some Nikons have a friction only adjustment and some require you to pull the knob out from the side before you can actually move the adjustment."



GEETARMAN I am very familiar with scopes as I was probably shooting before I was potty trained. This is what I have.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/381453/nikon-monarch-rifle-scope-25-10x-42mm-bdc-reticle-matte
 
I would look at Sightron. I have one that I bought and dollar for dollar in my own opinion and to my eyes you get better glass, great tracking with the dials, better eye releif at the top of the magnification scale and their warranty is better than Nikons. It's a no fault warranty and they won't fix your broken scope if you break it. They REPLACE it with a new one. Plus they have more internal adjustments for longer range shooting than Nikon.
 
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