Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Your Thoughts On Buying Used Nikon Scopes?

Traveled today to a distant gun shop to buy some grooved receiver rings for a new to me Rifle.
While there I came across a "used" but MINT condition Nikon Monarch 6x24x50m/m Rifle scope - this is the model with the side parallax focus and fast feature eyepiece focus.
Anyway I looked it over as best I could and took it outside and it was clear as a bell and focusing as should be.
I own a BUNCH of Nikon scopes but I bought them all (new and some used) back when Nikon was in the "scope business" - now that they have foresaken the Rifle scope market I haven't bought any. Mostly because of the notion/worry in the back of my mind "what if something goes wrong" with the scopes functions.
This scope was on "consignment" at the gun shop and the counterman called the consignee with my "low-ball" cash offer and the owner took me up on it.
Anyway on the way home I stopped and looked at several herds of Antelope (the bucks are re-growing their horns already) with the scope and was VERY pleased with its clarity.
Once to home I mounted the scope and boresighted it and the adjustments moved as expected across the borescopes grid. If the wind is down tomorrow I'll take the rig to the range.
A Varminting buddy of mine had the crosshair break on his Weaver V-16 last spring and "someone" (I forget who) made some kind of a make-up gesture on that Weaver scope for him. It is my understanding that Weaver is no longer in the Rifle scope business either. My friends Weaver V-16 was on a 17 HMR Rifle as will my new to me Nikon - so recoil should NOT be/have been much of a factor.
What are you guys thoughts on buying used scopes from companies "no longer in the Rifle scope business"?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Great scopes but obviously a roll of the dice if there's issues....nothing you don't realize. I've never had a Nikon fail, though. The three I currently have were all used when I got them. After checking them on the tester first, I've never given another thought to them failing.

Good shooti ' -Al

If they fail now the replacement now is a binocular isn't it? That isn't a bad deal IMHO.

Not inclined to ignore a nice cheap Pecar or Ajack when I see it. And most companies do not service old defunct product lines.


I would just about kill for an old 4x Zeiss steel tube with both windage and elevation.

Roll the dice and buy them if you want them. If they break, send them to Iron Sight Inc. in Tulsa IF, BIG IF, they are brands and style that Iron Sight Inc. works on and you want to spend more money on those particular scopes. The last time that I inquired, they were no longer working on Weaver variables.

1. Used scope breaks
2. Company who made it is out of business
3. They send you a new product worth more than the used value of the broken scope
4. Sell the new product for a decent price and come out ahead

That work can get expensive. May cost more than the scope is worth.

DF

I've always figured if you get it cheap enough it doesn't really matter. If something does happen- you trip and fall on it, or it falls out of your truck, or ????? you are only out what you paid and you have a small possibility you can return it to Nikon for a credit on something they still make.
I wouldn't try this with Bushnell, though. I had a 4000 Elite B&L scope that was in partnership with Bushnell. I damaged the scope and sent it back to see if it could be repaired. They told me they couldn't repair it, but they offered me 20% off on one of their new line of scopes. What pissed me off was I had to buy it directly from the factory with the 20% based on MSRP. I could easily buy the scope at any number of retailers cheaper without their stupid coupon so I told them to pound sand...

I just bought a safe queen Nikon Tactical for a .223 Varmint gun I put together. I'll never shy away from a clean Nikon.

Al Nyhus: Where do I get one of these "testers"?
Thanks in advance.
Come to think of it I have never had a "failure" with any of my Nikons.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Son Of The Gael: I did not know that - I feel a bit better already.
I have a pair of Nikon 10xsomethings and they are wonderful in the Antelope fields!
Thanks again.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

True, but if you want it, money is often low on the decision tree hierarchy.

I buy Monarchs whenever I find them. I’ve never had one fail, and unlike comparable Leupolds, they track well.

I’ve used monarchs prostaffs and buckmasters nothing wrong with em

I wouldn't hesitate buying any of the older Monarchs, especially the Japanese models, as long as the price was right...they are very good scopes.

Tell me about it!

Gets me every time.

Every monarch from the Philippines I've purchased was a dam gud optic.......never had any problem selling one if i wanted to make room for something German or Czech.

Got a used Nikon Monarch 4-16x from the original owner about 5 years ago and it's been on a 257 Weatherby since then. I think that was around the time, or shortly before, that Nikon got out of the riflescope business? I like it but now I wonder if it would be worth it to pay someone to repair it if it craps out? Only optics I ever sent out for repairs was an early 1960's Bausch & Lomb Balscope spotting scope, and that was done by Parson's Scope Service in Ohio. They did a great job at a good price, the only downside was that I had to wait almost two years. I have seen the web site for Iron Sight Inc. and that looked interesting if I were in the market for rifle scope work. Anyone dealt with them?

Iron Sight Inc. does great work for a fair price, but the wait times can be a year or more. I've had them repair/rebuild several Denver Redfield and and El Paso Weavers and have been satisfied with the results. The only thing that I had them do that I wish I hadn't have done was to install their German Post reticle. I wanted a heavy/thick reticle, but this reticle is so heavy/thick that it obscures a significant amount of target. The reticle that they installed in my scopes is much heavier/thicker than it appears in the current pictures on their site.

I haven't dealt with them, but did read their website & Nikons are not listed for repairs.

most of the nikons are made in the Philippines, think of this as between chinese and japanese in quaility. For some reason I don't like the optical formula that most phillipene scopes have. this includes, burris, the nikons and vortex models. If the nikon is made in japan, I would be alot more interested. really japan or europe is the only place I want my optics made. Yes I am an optics snob.

Nikon scopes made in the Philippines & Thailand are still very good scopes. MUCH better quality than Chinese. But the Japanese models would be my first pick also.

My 20 year old Monarch 2-7x32 works fine. Click adjustments are good, and overall usage is good. My only wish Nikon is that Nilon had used a slimmer receiver bell housing for bolt handle clearance.

Used is not mint. Used is used. No used scope is worth purchasing, none, not one.

You're joking, right?

I like used scopes in good condition priced appropriately. A few weeks ago I picked up this old, never mounted K-6 for 150$. The box was a bit tattered but oh well
.

Mint condition is used to describe used or pre-owned goods that have an excellent, like-new appearance and are in good working order.

The definition is the definition.

I went threw the Burris garbage then the Leupold garbage been using Nikons for close to 20 years have never had one fail....figure Nikons should out last me......

I got a 3-9 Buckmasters on a used rifle a while back. Seems to work well enough. I'll replace it with something newer if it dies.


Okie John

I just bought 3 yesterday in the classifieds. One shot deal!

I even had a 4.5x14 Buckmasters on my 416 WBY for a long time and used it a few times for antelope. Never failed me.

This one was at 452 yards. 330 GS Custom bullet at 3100 fps.

Kind of a weird statement by the missouri guy there. Hopefully he is joking, or he just isn't that intelligent.

I believe I now own that scope. A mint used one at that.

i better get them cheap to sell again otherwise i would not buy a Nikon scope, myself i won`t use a Nikon scope on my rifles anymore.

Not sure. I have owned many of that flavor, but they are tough scopes for sure.

This is my opinion as well EXCEPT that item #2 doesn't apply since Nikon is still very much in business.
However, you still need to not overpay for the used scope.
Keep in mind that the earlier 'made in Japan' Nikon scopes were very well made. Some of the best lens in the biz.

Have a 2x8x32 Monarch on my Kimber Select AAA French 308.Nice little scope.

You do you.

*knock on wood* neither have I, and I have several of them. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used one if it was at a good price.

Depends on the hunt. Were I to be tossed out of a SuperCub onto a mountainside in AK by myself, I'd probably want a scope that was still in production, that I'd worked with quite a bit beforehand.

OTOH, if it's from a blind 50 yards from where I parked the truck, I'd give it a whirl.

FWIW, at such point as I set up the bighorn hunt, I'll be using Great Grandad's mauser with a 2.5 Lyman Alaskan scope. I'm determined to be the 4h generation to get it done with that setup. Yeah, it'll be in grizzly country, but the guide will have his own rifle, no doubt.

As for Nikons, I never had any problem with 'em. For my eyes, I thought the ProStaff were the best bang for the buck: the Buckmaster & Monarch scopes didn't offer enough extra goodness for the prices they charged. If I were to find a great price on one, though, I could be tempted.

FC

I still own 4 of the them. The Monarch V I bought last probably has the best glass of any scopes I have ever owned .

I have two Nikon Monarchs in 5-20x44 and the glass is amazing, I bought these new. A buddy on this site bought a Nikon 3-12 at the Cabela’s Bargin Cave and again the glass is amazing! I wouldn’t hesitate buying used, the worst case is you get a new bino!

I’m curious do you have to have the original purchase receipt to receive the warranty Nikon store credit?

I've got two of the 6.5-20x44 Monarchs with AO that I use as tester and target scopes. I don't have any other high powered optics on rifles, so I can't compare, but I can easily see .22 caliber target holes at 200 yards and they're the first scopes I ever owned that would shoot the box. Adjustments are spot on and the glass is great. What's not to like?

Nice setup, I recently restored an old wood 700 mountain in 308, wanted something not to big and dang if I didn't run into that same 2x8x32 used at my lgs. Think I paid 200 plus tax for it. Great setup.

I hate nikon isn't making scopes anymore, they are bringing a pretty penny on ebay.

I have no problem buying used Nikons. I just know that if a scope croaks that the best I will do is a voucher to purchase another Nikon product. On the other hand I do try to avoid new Nikon products due to the fact that they are anti-hunting. Plenty of other options that are pro-hunting so I spend my money with them.

I've bought several and never had a problem with them or the ones I bought new. Fairly priced I'd take a chance.

A co-worker's wife worked at Nikon headquarters here on Long Island and was able to get 2 personal orders per year.Around 1990 or so I got a 6.5x20x44AO for $322 no tax.Been on my 22-250 40X ever since.

Sqweeler: Aaahhh.... you are a man after my own heart!
I have the exact same Remington 40-X in 22-250 with a Leupold 6.5x20 on it.
I have Hunted everything from Ground Squirrels, Prairie Dogs, Rock Chucks and Badgers on up to Coyotes and Antelope with mine.
I bought mine mail order from that outfit (Chesters?) in Ronkonkoma, New York - by any chance is that where you got your 40-X from them? I bought several 40X's from them over the years.
Let me know if that 40-X comes up for sale.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Selmer & Sqweeler: I also own a couple of the Nikon Monarchs in 6.5x20 and one in 4.5x14 all with the front parallax adjustment.
This latest 6x24x50mm has the side knob parallax adjustment - I think it is going to work out well in the Colony Varmint fields for easier parallax adjustment?
They have all served me well so far - knock on wood.
Wind has been pesky for the last few days - may get to shoot my new rig tomorrow?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

LOL

Can't count how many rifle's I bought at Chester's.Was looking at some old receipts the other day.Our connection to the Remington Custom shop there was Jerry Rallo.Unfortunately Chester's is no more but Jerry is around here someone.The 40X rimfire's he had in the store has us talking to this day,we should have bought them all!!!! A friend of mine I think has the only dual port 40X ever made:)

My only Winchester model 70 is a XTR Featherweight in 30-06. 1982 push feed rifle. Came with a Nikon 3-9x40 with a red ring. Made in Japan. Really nice scope. Redfield one piece base and rings. Perfect for the rifle. Friend of mine that has been a professional photographer for 40 years says top of line optic. I like it.

Here's a couple of very, very rare Nikons.

At one time, Nikon was interested in getting into the short range Benchrest arena. They had decided that all the BR scopes were going to go through a single U.S. source that would do everything...import, sales and warranty service under one roof. They made some prototype 36X scopes and the distributor (who was a BR competitor) forwarded 6-8 of these to different individuals, including myself, for testing and feedback. The testing was to be hush-hush and none of the test scopes had any badging on them to identify them as Nikons. They performed very well....basically they were the Monarch UCC lenses and adjustments in a fixed power platform. My single suggestion was to offer a 7 MOA raised reticle so the wind flags would be more visible. That suggestion was apparently going to be implemented as an option. Anyone familiar with Nikons will recognize the turrets and A.O. assy., even without any badging.

When everything looked like it was a go, Nikon pulled the plug on the program for whatever reason. They had stocked the to-be distributor with parts and all the tools for service work and he had hired a savvy guy to run the service end of the business.

To make a weird deal even weirder, a year after they rolled up the mat on the BR deal, I got a package via UPS that contained a fixed 12X version of the same scope. The phone number on the packing slip was disconnected.

The 36X on a 30BR and a sleeved 222 that I did a period restoration on. It's one of my 'iron ball' test scopes:



The 12X version on my Savage 112J single shot in 25-06:

Al Nyhus: Thanks for relaying that very interesting story.
I wish "things" had worked out better for Nikons "bench rest" venture and later for their entire scope line.
Great looking Rifles there and great pictures - thanks for sharing.
Enjoy those scopes and Rifles.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy