Straight up, are nikon monarchs cheesy?

double gun said:
I am looking at higher power scope and the monarchs seem to have prices that are pretty reasonable. So are they cheesy? Is it like shooting a Tasco, scorpion, or vortex - or are they decent and underrated?
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I used several when they first came out years ago ... when 30mm scopes were a mega dollar rarity. For the scopes of that era, they had very nice optics, decent eye relief and for 1" scopes, reasonable adjustment range.

Then a whole whack of 30mm scopes hit the market including the Sightrons. For high mag, lots of adjustment, affordable scopes with superb optics and mechanicals, the Sightrons are it but with the dollar falling like a rock and Sightron pretty much dropping their 1" products, I am again looking for a manf to fill this niche.

I would have suggested Bushnell Elite 4200's but that was also years ago and now I wouldn't recommend a Bushnell if optics are important - certainly nothing in their budget range

And that can be also be said for the vast majority of consumer grade scopes under $1000 using 1" tubes.

I will be giving Nikon another look and I expect that they will have stayed the course... decent glass, decent eye relief, limited adjustment range, limited features (not much seems to have changed in their product line over the last decade) at a fair (for today) price.

I had no mechanical issues with the scopes I used and their tracking was solid. BUT if you want higher mag, the Sightron SIIB6.5-20X50 still exists and I have yet to look through a 1" tube scope that will touch it. Still a sub $1K scope and vastly superior features.

Jerry
 
I picked up a Nikon Monarch 3 2.5-10x42 mildot last winter.
It is bright, has nice glass and good eye relief.
You really can't go too wrong for the price.
 
10x is probably the most magnification I would want for hunting purposes personally. Seems to be some hate on for vortex here, I have only owned their mid tier target scopes and never had an issue. If you do have an issue their customer service I have heard is unbelievably good. I can't really comment on their low tier 500 or less scopes but I don't think I would shy away from one.
 
I've just installed a Monarch 3 3-12x42 with Nikoplex reticle which I bought when cabelas had them on special at $100 off. IMO solid scope, decent smooth zoom ring, good audible/tactile windage and elevation controls, quite clear and bright glass with good light gathering somewhere in between an Elite 3200 and Zeiss binos. Would buy it again although it's a bit heavy if weight is a critical factor.
 
I think it's you who are missing the point. The nikon monarchs are $400-600, you listed a scope that costs $2000-3500. Rest assured if I was dropping two plus bills on a scope it sure as hell wouldn't say vortex on the side.

This is a nikon thread, go start your own defend vortex thread. Nobody asked for it here.
 
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double gun said:
Sorry, it's for hunting not target. On the high end I was thinking something 15-20x.
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Unless you hunt Antelop in the south you will never need that and you will find you lose more game because you can't find it in the scope at the low range quickly. 3-9 is honestly the highest you will ever need in a prairie province for hunting. I normally buy 2-7 now for all my hunting guns. Even my Savage Lightweight in 6.5-284 has a 2-7 on it. Haven't had an issue with it yet, and one moose was actually out a long way in the farmland.
 
I appreciate your advice on magnification, I have a safe full of 3.5-10x40 scopes - but this is a different style hunt, on wide open prairie and I was told to be prepared to shoot farther than I ever have at game. It also is more or less a once in a lifetime draw that I want to be ready for.

That all said I don't think I will buy the monarch but rather spend the extra money on a brand I'm more familiar with.

Thanks to all who replied.
 
double gun said:
I appreciate your advice on magnification, I have a safe full of 3.5-10x40 scopes - but this is a different style hunt, on wide open prairie and I was told to be prepared to shoot farther than I ever have at game. It also is more or less a once in a lifetime draw that I want to be ready for.
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Once you get over 12x, pretty much all scopes greatly benefit from either side focus or objective ring adjustment. Most have it now, but just something to keep in mind.
 
May I ask what the game in question is? Sounds interesting, I don't mean to "defend vortex" just offering the opinion that I wouldn't shy away from one on a hunting rifle.
 
got a monarck 2,5-10 BDC when they came out. it survived to quite a few moose seasons on an unbraked 338LM, a 300WM and its still holding great on a 270. its been beat up pretty bad and never let me down. on the other end, the viper PST died in less than one year just going at the range.

the only down point to this 2,5-10, is the paralax error at longer range. the ones with side focus ( paralax adjustment ) solve it.
 
I have Monarchs on a few of my rifles. I find they have very clear glass and I have never had any issues with them. I think they are the best value on glass out there.
 
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