Nikon, the new kid on the block?

[machann]

I eventually found someone also recommending Nikon instead of just Leupold which I don’t have problem with as my VX-L gave me good serves on my 25-06. I did some prelim field test on a Nikon Fieldmaster 3-9x40 which included submerging the scope in water for 24hrs and chucking it into the freezer for another 24hrs. The scoep is still on my 308 and its shoots straight with no hassles. Has anyone else had a look at Nikon? What do you guys think about the Scope and has anyone also tested one?

[machann]

Image of the scope in the water

[jmb]

I use a Nikon 3.5 - 10 x 50 on my 308. I am very happy with the scope. I have a similiar Leopoldt vx3 on my 375 and optics clarity wise there is no obvious difference.

[Scuba Steve]

i understand there is a visual optical quality difference between say a lynx and a swarovsky, but between a nikon and a leupold i would say its negledgable - the differences between the two are far out weighed by your ability as a shooter. I can honestly say my hundred meter grouping would not differ at all from my lynx if i bought a R25000.00 scope - the shooter determines accuracy. I would be happy with the nikon - cant say i am brave enough to freeze it, but i would be happy with it.

[krobar]

A lot of the difference between scopes will only really be seen in low light conditions, so on a normal day at the range you won't really see the difference between a R3k scope and a R20k scope.
For the purposes most of us use a scope for, Nikon is good value for money, and they have years of experience in making lenses, so its a solid brand.

[machann]

True Krobar. I found that long distance at high magnification also shows difference between various brands. JMB what reticle do you have on the Nikon?

[Arnold]

It is nice to have a scope with clear optics, although the cheaper scopes also work for most applications.

I think poor scope mounting is the reason for a lot of scope failures due to extreme stresses on the scope. Make sure you know what you are doing. Correct scope mounting is simple but done wrong could lead to problems in the long run. {over tightening of bolts just makes the problems worse and solves nothing}

[machann]

I agree with you Arnold although I have seen my fair share of scope failure (cheaper scopes), from crosshair snapping to crosshair turning in a scope. A friend had his 308 re bedded and barrel check and everything as the guy that sold him the scope could find nothing wrong with the scope. At the end of the day, it was the scope. Luckily it has not yet happened to me but you don’t want to have a defective scope on a hunting trip. Buy the best value for money you can afford!!

[THOMAST]

Had a look through Nikon Monarch & Buckmaster. Optics were good, can't comment on tracking repeatability as I was not able to test them. People who had them on their rifles were very pleased with them, but could not answer me regarding tracking issues, if any. The Buckmaster had the BDC reticle, so once set up you should be good to go, the Monarch had the standard duplex reticle (Nikoplex) and here I would say that the tracking is more critical if you adjust your scope up for further distances and then go back to your original zero.

[jmb]

The tracking on the Nikon has been very good. I use the gun in Cape Hunt field shoots and thus go from 100m zero to 200 m zero and back many times with no problems. Mine has the standard duplex reticle.