I ordered the Nikon Monarch African dangerous Game Riflescope 1-4x20 recently. I have had another Nikon Monarch on my .35 Whelen Improved and have been very happy. The scope came in while I was out of the country so today is the first chance I have had to look it over.

A couple things stand out:
1. Full lifetime warranty
2. Made in the Philippines

I guess I'll have to dig out my older scope and see where it was made just out of curiosity. Location of manufacture is really a non-issue as long as there is proper QA/QC and materials of construction. I guess I didn't realize that the Philippines was involved in the manufacturing of hunting optics. I'd much rather buy a scope made in the Philippines than in China.

I have been running the Nikons here now, one for about 2 yrs, and have not broken it yet. In the last 6 months or so I have moved everything over to Nikons, and still have not broken one. In the same time frame I would have already sent 1/2 dozen Leupolds back to the factory!! Not kidding.

I have 8-10 of the 1X4 Africans running right now, zero zero zero issues, problems, nothing. I am also running many other models on other rifles, zero issues, no problems. I am so used to breaking and busting scopes here, I really don't know what to think, having eliminated that from the program? Amazes me, 1st time in years that I have not had 3-4 broken scopes on the bench to send back.

Excellent quality as far as I am concerned.

Michael

My Nikon Omega 3x9 scope is holding up just fine on my .458 Lott. Unfailing performance so far with any of my Nikon scopes.

The new Redfield Revenge series is also made in the Philippines as well, and I feel better about A Filipino made scope vs a Chinese scope as well

Same here.
My Nikon Monarch 1,5-6x42 has seen use and abuse the last year on my 375 Ruger both on the range and hunting moose i rain and sleet.

Clear, stable and with a eye relief of 4 " it suits my Ruger like hand in glove.
It says made in Japan on the box by the way.

I like the Nikon with ballistic reticle on my 22LR rimfire Ruger M77:
Prostaff Rimfire 3-9x40 Matte BDC 150

Squirrel brain shots to 150 yards!!!

I am still stuck on Leupold for the big bores.
I have shot a lot of hard kickers with them in
2.5X
1.5-5x
1.75-6x
2.5-8X
and never had a problem with any of them.
I have had to send back a 4-16X and a 6.5-20x that gave up the ghost on a 6mmPPC and a .223 Rem. respectively.
But they were fixed on warranty and no problems since.

I have just not come across any low power Nikon variables for impulse buy, and have had no reason to go looking for them to replace any Leupolds.
Sightron has also been very good to me.
Trijicon no problems yet.

My one Nikon rimfire scope: No problem yet.

My favorite scope of all time: Leupold 2.5-8x
Perfect for the .375 ilk.
Very adequate optics of light weight and ruggedness, with excellent eye relief, and many reticle choices.
Even Walter cannot screw them up on Saeed's loaner .375/404, after thousands of rounds.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
My favorite scope of all time: Leupold 2.5-8x
Perfect for the .375 ilk.
Very adequate optics of light weight and ruggedness, with excellent eye relief, and many reticle choices.
Even Walter cannot screw them up on Saeed's loaner .375/404, after thousands of rounds.

x2 No better 375 scope going IMHO.

For my rifles that are intended for longer ranges, however, I have a new love affair with the VX-3 4.5-14x40.

quote:

Originally posted by ELeeton:
I ordered the Nikon Monarch African dangerous Game Riflescope 1-4x20 recently. I have had another Nikon Monarch on my .35 Whelen Improved and have been very happy. The scope came in while I was out of the country so today is the first chance I have had to look it over.

A couple things stand out:
1. Full lifetime warranty
2. Made in the Philippines

I guess I'll have to dig out my older scope and see where it was made just out of curiosity. Location of manufacture is really a non-issue as long as there is proper QA/QC and materials of construction. I guess I didn't realize that the Philippines was involved in the manufacturing of hunting optics. I'd much rather buy a scope made in the Philippines than in China.

I always thought the Nikon was Japanese.

However if I'm right and Nikon is a Japanese firm it doesn't matter if their scopes are made in China or Philippines.

If Japan has to source low cost labour elsewhere all I have to say is "fuck me".

Pyzda

Used the Vari X III 2,5-8x36 with HD reticle for many years on my 375 H&H.
A very faithfull follower by the way.

The only thing I never get used to is the change of eye relive between the lowest and highest setting.
Not a big deal, but one has to crawl the stock a wee bit on x8.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyzda:

quote:

Originally posted by ELeeton:
I ordered the Nikon Monarch African dangerous Game Riflescope 1-4x20 recently. I have had another Nikon Monarch on my .35 Whelen Improved and have been very happy. The scope came in while I was out of the country so today is the first chance I have had to look it over.

A couple things stand out:
1. Full lifetime warranty
2. Made in the Philippines

I guess I'll have to dig out my older scope and see where it was made just out of curiosity. Location of manufacture is really a non-issue as long as there is proper QA/QC and materials of construction. I guess I didn't realize that the Philippines was involved in the manufacturing of hunting optics. I'd much rather buy a scope made in the Philippines than in China.

I always thought the Nikon was Japanese.

However if I'm right and Nikon is a Japanese firm it doesn't matter if their scopes are made in China or Philippines.

If Japan has to sorce low cost labour elsewhere all I have to say is "fuck me".

Pyzda

Go to any camera store and look at most expensive Nikon DSLR's - they are made/assembled in Thailand.

Dave there was nothing said about disputting the quality of the optics.

It was more about the cost cutting and out sourcing the labour. The cheap labour it is.

Pyzda

quote:

Originally posted by Pyzda:

I always thought the Nikon was Japanese.

However if I'm right and Nikon is a Japanese firm it doesn't matter if their scopes are made in China or Philippines.

If Japan has to source low cost labour elsewhere all I have to say is "fuck me".

Pyzda

Nikon is indeed a Japanese company and all its specs and QC reflect that. However, like so many other companies throughout the world, it is now outsourcing assembly functions to markets with much lower labor and other costs.

Apparently, the Philippines has good quality workers. At least in the plants I helped set up years ago, they did great work.

quote:

I am still stuck on Leupold for the big bores.
I have shot a lot of hard kickers with them in
2.5X
1.5-5x
1.75-6x
2.5-8X

RIP

Send those down here, I will show you how to bust the 1.5X5 and the 1.75X6 within a week, then the 2.5 and 2.5X8 inside a month. We are notorious for busting things here! LOL............

The 1.5X5 may not take a week, I had one new out of the box bust on the 3rd round, watched it explode!

I agree with Michael, I have always loved Leupold but have busted three on big bores so far. They are great for the average caliber but on heavy recoiling guns I'd say no. Michael can sure test them for you. He has had really good luck with the Nikon scopes and if anybody could put one through the test it is him.

Sam

You two should stop mounting those Leupold scopes with only crowbars and sledgehammers to supplement your fingers ... OK, I like Nikon too.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
You two should stop mounting those Leupold scopes with only crowbars and sledgehammers to supplement your fingers ... OK, I like Nikon too.

Don't forget some of my favorite most useful tools besides the sledgehammer, smaller 3 pound hammer always comes in handy, several sizes of Vise Grips are always needed, A couple of really good Bastard Files, just to make sure things fit proper, then use the hammers on them if not exactly right, good tight fit is always important.

I've got a Nikon Monarch African on my 416 Rigby. No problems thus far.

As a matter of fact, all my rifles wear Nikon Monarchs with the exception of a Nikon Buckmaster on a 17 HMR. I only own one Leupold scope on a 22-250, if the damn thing wasn't such a tack driver, I'd replace it with a Nikon Monarch.

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
... Leupold scope ...if the damn thing wasn't such a tack driver, I'd replace it with a Nikon Monarch.

I always say that too.

Yeah, RIP, I understand. The biggest problem I have with my Leupold is the eye relief. That thing doesn't jeehaw with my eye. I feel like I'm always doing some kind of mumbo jumbo dance with my neck. However, once I finally get my head in the right position, it's lights out for whatever critter I'm looking at.