Nikon scopes

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reynolds357

New member
The last Nikon scopes I bought were about 25 years ago. I bought 3 monarchs and was very pleased with them. At that time, they would go head to head with any glass out there save Schmidt and Bender. In the last 25 year's, I have shot mainly Leupold, Meopta, Nightforce, and as of recent Minox.
I decided to buy my sons some scopes and the Prostaff 7 seemed to be about right for the youngest. Nikon touts the Prostaff 7 to be a high quality scope. Looks good in normal light. Flat sucks in low light. The most shocking thing is the "made in China" stamp on the tube.
The same shopping spree landed a Monarch 5 for my oldest son. Monarch, aka Nikons flagship. Great scope in daylight. Not anything to brag about in low light. Proudly wears "made in the Philippines" badge.
What gives? I thought Nikon was Japanese. Maybe Meopta has ruined me, but Nikon has slid way downhill.
 
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Bfglowkey

New member
They design a scope with certain specs...where they are assembled is of less importance as long as they QA and they meet the specs. My Nikon Black fx1000 says China on it and it is a very impressive scope for what I paid for it.
 
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std7mag

New member
Yup, Nikon used to be top tier for optics, especially camera, but that has since changed.
Not sure how their camera lenses are anymore.
Bottom line is, well the bottom line. As in maximizing profits.
 
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Nathan

New member
I’m not sure how to say it, but IMO, Nikon was great for the money. Now they are good not great. Still a good optic.

Burris is kind of going the same way. Not sure why they are choosing this path.

Vortex seems to be holding their own, but not improving much.

Leupold is innovating some compared to before and there optical quality seems more competitive to my eyes.

Who is doing will, especially in a hunting scope?
 
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Bfglowkey

New member
Athlon is constantly improving based on customer feed back. It's impressive. Vortex has to large of a gap between their great glass and then it drops off a cliff...but customer service is phenomenal so they continue to Garner respect. Leupold has sat back for too long on their name and not breaking any ground or turning heads with new stuff...but they are still a solid hunting scope option. Nikon is like vortex in terms of major drop from high end to mid teir etc....but I still see alot of buckmasters and prostaffs on hunting rigs. Low light on those are not the best.
 
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bman940

New member
I think if you look at Nikon's new product's for 2018 you will see a lot of products that you guys have been asking for from Nikon for a long time. More MOA/MRAD options, more 30mm tubes, and glass upgrades. I have been doing freelance work with Nikon's for almost 10 years now and I have watched the changes and perceptions. I can assure you when it comes to low light visibility Nikon's PROSTAFF line is rated at the top. Many guys don't get a chance to hunt more than a few days a year and don't see the upside in spending more $ and often times that $ just isn't there for a hobby. Nikon's give you a lot of value for what you have to spend and I think you will be seeing even more changes that you will like for 2019. If any of you ever have an issue with a Nikon product or a question, feel free to drop me a note. If you want to see Nikon's new flagship scope, check out the BLACK FX1000. I recently bought 2 and pinging steel at 700 yards with a 6.5 cm wasn't difficult at all.
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reynolds357

New member
Bart, what is the Prostaff 7 being compared against in low light score? To my non-scientific eye it's definitely not nearly as bright or clear as the glass I am accustomed to.
 
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bman940

New member
Years ago there was some sort of measurement that had the PROSTAFF scopes light transmission around the highest. Sadly, I don't have any other info except that the coating's on Nikon's PROSTAFF line allow for excellent light transmission. I would think that the larger obj on the 7's would be even brighter. Sadly I do not have the data to back it up, but I am checking in to it. Some coatings decrease light transmission albeit slightly. The PROSTAFF's do as well, just less than others. While the coatings are better on the PROSTAFF 5 and MONARCH 3 line, their light transmission is slightly less, maybe even almost unnoticeable to the average person.

Just spoke to my buddy who recalls the same test that showed Nikon's PROSTAFF line having 98+ light transmission. Sorry I can not find the details to back it up right now.
 
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Bfglowkey

New member
I agree with the FX Black line. I have the 6x24 fx1000 on my 6mm Creedmoor build and it is a very pleasant surprise in terms of value and performance.
 
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bman940

New member
Reynolds357., Nikon's PROSTAFF line has the highest numbers in relationship to light transmission in Nikon's line. This includes the PROSTAFF 5 which also has SF Parallax adjustment.
 
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reynolds357

New member
Reynolds357., Nikon's PROSTAFF line has the highest numbers in relationship to light transmission in Nikon's line. This includes the PROSTAFF 5 which also has SF Parallax adjustment.
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Thanks. That is odd. My Monarch 5 is significantly better in low light than my Prostaff 7. Maybe it's the wavelengths of light they transmit.
 
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bman940

New member
I do not know what to tell you. The MONARCH 5 is a whole different beast. It has ED glass and I do not know if it is brighter or not but oh my is it sharp edge to edge. I have 2 MONARCH 5's and would love to see that same glass with a MOA/MRAD reticle someday. I have seen them on sale for more than half off because they are being discontinued.
 
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RC20

New member
Does not matter what spec you give China, they will vary from it.
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Yes it can and does. Depends on spec and quality control and who does it.

Nikon will have a solid handle on what they do. Toys? Katie bar the door.
 
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bman940

New member
Today just about every scope comes out of the Philippines. I'm not sure if any of their higher end optics's come from Japan or not.
 
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bman940

New member
I got to look down a March scope tube last year and my son got to shoot one of gun club members competition rifles. He has 2 rifles set up the same way, 1 for 100 and 1 for 200-yard targets. My son shot a group at 200 yards that were sub .3 MOA, the guy wouldn't let me shoot it because I am left handed and he didn't want to move everything. It was 1 impressive optic, not to mention a $1000 rest as well, but for a $3300 scope, I would expect nothing less!
 
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