just looked at nikons site, from a marketing stand point it appears we are seeing a disconnect with what many want and what many people actually buy. Nikon has a few scopes with what they call the XR turret, which for me makes a whole hell of alot of sense. Its basically pretty similar or a competitor to leupolds CDS setup. The problem for me is I have never been able to understand exactly how that setup works on nikons. does it have a rev limiter like leupold does or does it let you go past one turn, or is there no limiter at all? I love leupolds CDS setup for a hunting scope. its pretty much ideal. The problem is leupold scopes are shat, and not reliable.
I suspect nikon isn't selling the XR turret scopes like hotcakes. The problem with promoting them more and offering more of them, is there is a huge segment of the market that will not take a tactical/heavy duty/ dialing scope seriously unless it has big ole knobs sticking out. Heck companies even sell scopes with 34mm tubes and larger. I mean why not just make a 40 mm tube scope. bigger is better right? again its like a giant lifted truck running 22" dubs for wheels. its all show and no go. I have to laugh when I see 34mm tube scopes and they offer no more elevation travel than a competitors 30 mm offering, ITS ALL MARKETING!
I think nightforce pulls off the capped windage turret with the ATACR line because of their reputation in the marketplace AND well lets face it the 34 mm tube in the ATACR line is MARKETING TOO, bushnell the same way with the LRHS line, they have a reputation they have cultivated with their high end optics that keeps growing. But the problem there is the company has been run into the ground by private equity firms horse trading the company. vortex has replaced them pretty much everywhere on the retail level and no one is really even able to see their high end offerings.
another undeniable fact, the long range hunting scope market is very very small, G7 and huskemaw are the only 2 companies that have offered products specific for long range hunters, G7 appears to no longer have a deal or the deal they had with nightforce and huskemaw well, you know, I do think I am going to buy one of those and test it just for the hell of it, provided I can buy it right and not take a beating on resale if I don't keep it. but despite the ridiculous name and a TV show that left out alot of important details, its still a scope that should check every box for a long range hunter, provided it tracks and operates well mechanically.
so nikon I dunno what to tell you, figure out a way to gain a reputation for reliable mechanical adjustments, So far the path to that is only a couple ways, a ton of money spent on a optics in europe which is going to mean a scope probably over 2k, IMO the market is saturated there. OR a scope made in japan, I don't trust Philippine manufacture yet, maybe at some point I could and I do think they are close.
just some random ramblings.
on edit I do have a monarch 3. 2.5-10 with mil dot reticle on an AR that I have used for a couple years. I have been happy with the scope. it is phillipine manufacture but I don't ask that scope to do a whole lot, simply hold zero I don't dial it. I do use the mil dot reticle for some hold overs, but there again that scope is probably too boring for your average tacticoool guy. I generally do like nikon's optical formula, that being, eye relief, FOV and ease of getting behind. glass seems to always be pretty darn good on your scopes too.
Last edited by cumminscowboy; 02/07/18.
