Nikon is getting out of the gun scope business.
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/nikon-is-exiting-the-rifle-scope-business/
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/nikon-is-exiting-the-rifle-scope-business/
Another one bites the dust...Nikon
- Thread starter Tommie
- Start date
Vortex and Creedmoor stuff is selling well. They just need a name change.
Yeah, but that's some top quality stuff, like H2O.
I guess the Black FX 1000 or whatever it was called was a last attempt to remain in business with a "tactical" scope. I think it was made in the Philippines which made the price and features attractive but maybe not enough to compete with Japanese and European made scopes.
I bought a Tract Toric 30mm a couple years ago. Evidently that company was started by a guy who left Nikon Sport Optics. That scope wasn't as "tactical" as some due to the reticle but it was made in Japan with Schott glass and the construction is nice. It's also sold direct from their website. It sounds like their founder figured out the recipe and left to do it somewhere that he could.
The Meopta Optika 6 seems like even bigger competition if they can ever deliver the scopes they announced. I tried ordering one but eventually Meopta cancelled the order because they decided not to make the 5-30x56 with Dichro MRAD reticle.
I bought a Tract Toric 30mm a couple years ago. Evidently that company was started by a guy who left Nikon Sport Optics. That scope wasn't as "tactical" as some due to the reticle but it was made in Japan with Schott glass and the construction is nice. It's also sold direct from their website. It sounds like their founder figured out the recipe and left to do it somewhere that he could.
The Meopta Optika 6 seems like even bigger competition if they can ever deliver the scopes they announced. I tried ordering one but eventually Meopta cancelled the order because they decided not to make the 5-30x56 with Dichro MRAD reticle.
Coyotefurharvester
Silver $$ Contributor
Sure and I have a Monarch that seems to have developed a vertical poi shift, I wouldn't be able to test the warranty.
daylate
Gold $$ Contributor
Nikon along time ago could have owned the tactical scope market...There first with the Gen 2 reticle was very well built but only up to 10 power I believe....They had the resources and capability too..Pretty sure they didn't want to be associated with the tactical side.....They finally half heartedly tried...In the beginning there was only one line..Now can't even keep up with all of them ...Too bad I'm sure they have the capability....Maybe political thing?
Turbulent Turtle
F-TR competitor
Nikon is a large company with multiple entities. The main Nikon is composed of Imaging Products (cameras, lenses, sports optics) 45%, Precision Equipment (Lithography) 40%, Healthcare (Microscopes) 7%, and Industrial Metrology (Measuring instruments) 8%.
The Imaging Products used to be the core of the business but as camera sales plummet due to competition in the DSLR area, growth of the Mirrorless cameras and the fact smartphones have great cameras with software to boot, this division's sales have been shrinking, with no end of that shrinking in sight. Where before cameras were all Nikon or Canon, with a sprinkling of a few small brands, now it's Sony, Olympus, and the smartphones. The cameras are computers with lenses.
The sports optics was small part of the Imaging division and the spotting scopes, binoculars and rangefinders remain. Only the riflescopes are gone. It has been a long time since they were made in Japan. The few Nikon riflescopes that I have were made in Japan, but these are over 10 years old.
I have a Monarch Tactical 2.5-10X44 with a Mildot reticle. That scope is built like a tank and the glass is superb. I got it in '05. A couple years later they changed the name to the Monarch-X then it was discontinued. I have another Monarch, the 6.5-20X44, which was one of the scopes that was tested by that German Optics magazine in '07 and it was found to have better light transmission and clarity than all the other scopes they tested: a $400 scope beat out the S&Bs, NF, Swaros, Leupold, Docter, etc. They were shocked, in German of course, but shocked nonetheless.
The Imaging Products used to be the core of the business but as camera sales plummet due to competition in the DSLR area, growth of the Mirrorless cameras and the fact smartphones have great cameras with software to boot, this division's sales have been shrinking, with no end of that shrinking in sight. Where before cameras were all Nikon or Canon, with a sprinkling of a few small brands, now it's Sony, Olympus, and the smartphones. The cameras are computers with lenses.
The sports optics was small part of the Imaging division and the spotting scopes, binoculars and rangefinders remain. Only the riflescopes are gone. It has been a long time since they were made in Japan. The few Nikon riflescopes that I have were made in Japan, but these are over 10 years old.
I have a Monarch Tactical 2.5-10X44 with a Mildot reticle. That scope is built like a tank and the glass is superb. I got it in '05. A couple years later they changed the name to the Monarch-X then it was discontinued. I have another Monarch, the 6.5-20X44, which was one of the scopes that was tested by that German Optics magazine in '07 and it was found to have better light transmission and clarity than all the other scopes they tested: a $400 scope beat out the S&Bs, NF, Swaros, Leupold, Docter, etc. They were shocked, in German of course, but shocked nonetheless.
No big deal. Nikon scopes are like Hornady bullets, they are OK but not great. Nobody wins matches shooting Nikon scopes or Hornady bullets. BTW, I have 2 Nikons.
NZ_Fclass
Silver $$ Contributor
I always felt that Nikon never reached their full potential with their scopes. There were odd marketing decisions, the Black 1000 was never available here in NZ, in fact in hardly any markets outside of the USA, Their scopes were at the lower end of the market,while the company had a good reputation for quality optics. I guess that there will be bargains to be had,and retailers stuck with inventory that they have paid a high price for.
As a long time photographer, I was very familiar with the high image quality of Nikon camera lenses. I was shocked the first time I looked through a Nikon scope at the very poor image quality. How could a company make great camera optics, but do a total face plant on riflescope optics? I never considered a Nikon scope after that first look.
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