Need any opinions or facts regarding Nikon

[savageT]

Softpoint,
You say you have a Tasco Cheap-O.  Is there something wrong with it? Or are you wanting to buy a more expensive scope in hopes of preventing future problems?  I own a Bushnell 3200 and find it to be excellent.  Greybeard has said on many occasions in the past that he really likes them.  I see people praising Leopolds,and there are very expensive european scopes aswell the Japanese too.  Your desire to purchase a Nikon is certainly based on excellent optics reputation since the earliy 50's.

The big problem, as I see it, is that gunoptics have to endure unbelievable hardships!  Recoil, dropping/bumping, weather extremes, hot and cold.  This kind of treatment can result in failure in most  any camera and binocular optics, but if it happens to a rifle scope their labeled a "Piece O Schmidt"!!!!!!  Correct?  So what do  you do?  I say go with the best factory backed warrantee you can find and pray you never have to use it.  I had an older Bushnell Range-finding scope that I dropped while cleaning the gun.  My fault, no question!  I told them so!  I returned it to Bushnell for repair and sadly, they said it was not repairable. However, they were sending me a new #3200 Elite to replace it.....FREE.  All I paid for was the original shipping and handling fee.  I find that this is excellent customer service and I will look for another Bushnell when I need another scope.  Good Wishes on your choice.
savageT

[savageT]

Softpoint,

One comment and I'll bow out.  Some people call me a pretty good photographer.  I've been in the business and sold and used allot of Japanese optics through the years.  I own an old (50's vintage) Swift 7x50 binoculars and another, more recent 10x50 Nikon also.  Both have given me excellent service...no problems.
Lately, I've seen a report about the variable zoom inexpensive scopes having problems holding zero when you crank up the power.  Has this been your problem?  Do you sight-in at the highest power and then dbl. check it at the lowest?  I'm sure the scope you got with the Savage is probably inexpensive in keeping with the price package, to make it competitive.  I don't believe those scopes are going to be suited for higher power use as compared to the top-shelf brands....They just have to compromise with their design and materials somewhere??.  If you're going elk hunting, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, then you better buy the best you can afford, especially since you will be carrying it in a scabbard.  I just read in Field & Stream about a custom gun builder who uses an old 4x fixed power Leupold without adjustment turrets to leak [the bases have adjustments].  My two cents.....get a Leupold.

savageT

[savageT]

Softpoint,

Oh, I most certainly agree!  The turret adjustments are sticky, and should be returned to Tasco.  Probably the result of too much grease or binding of the internal alignment mechanism.  That's the kind of production tolerance errors that create the accuracy problems.  Not Acceptable.
If you're going to a good sports/Gun Shop, ask the person behind the counter for a recommendation (stay away from the "X"-Marts, etc. and find a dealer/gunsmith that has experience with the products he's selling. I swear, every time I recommend a brand name, someone comes along to tell another sad tale about how they got "burned".  I repeat, if this is a once in a lifetime purchase you better make it count the first time......or in your case the 2nd time!
Is there a "Rule of Thumb" to follow?  You paid X amount for the rifle package, seems as though you should be looking to spend that much or more for a good scope.
savageT

[Zachary]

I have numerous Nikon Scopes, both the older versions and the new monarchs.  The new monarch series are better, at least glass quality wise, over the Buck Masters.


Want to know a little secret?  The older Nikons, which were great to begin with, had light transmission of about 88%, while the new monarchs are about 95%.  It appears that the new Buckmasters are really nothing more than the older 88% Nikons with a new name.  Other than that, the internal quality is, from what I understand, about the same.

I too cannot say enough about my Nikons.  Granted, of course, that I believe that, for the same money as the Monarchs, you could get the Bushnell Elite 4200s which are, in my opinion, even a little better than the Monarchs.  Of course you want the Buckmasters, and I can still tell you that they are good scopes for the money.  Consider the Buckmasters to be the Elite 3200s of the Bushnell line.

Hope this helps.

Zachary

[harley]

I hunted on horseback for years in the back country of Idaho.After a few years I stopped carrying pretty rifles with variable power scopes. I don't care what rig you use, the equipment is going to take a pounding.The Nikon optics are very good and quality of craftsmanship is also excellent, but you made a statement that I found interesting. You sight in at 3X and never move it!! No matter how you cut it there are more parts to move and have problems with built into a varible power scope that a fixed. ALL of the rifles that I ask to do tough duty ( ex, horseback ) have high quality 4X fixed power scopes on them. If I can't make a clean shot on an Elk with a GOOD 4X scope I shouldn't be shooting at it with a 9X.My last 2 scopes on hard use STAINLESS rifles have been Burris ( not the cheaps ) they are all brass in the insides with 1 peice tubes and the company stands behind they're products no questions asked.My recommendation for rugged elk country on horse back is high quality FIXED power.Leopold,Nikon, Burris- top of the line companies all !! Good Shooting