Sorry Scope Debate: Nikon Monarch vs Vortex Viper

[rmdailey]

I'm looking at two scopes that are almost exactly the same price. Slightly less than 500 from OP and Midway. Which is the most I can spend. One is the Nikon Monarch 3 4-16x42 Mildot (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1320287248/nikon-monarch-3-rifle-scope-4-16x-42mm-matte) The other is the Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44or50 PA Mildot (http://www.opticsplanet.com/vortex-riflescopes-vpr-m-06fp.html)



The features are very close and meet my set of requirements. The rifle is a Savage 30-06 that is my hunting rifle/Range gun that I pretend to be a sniper with.

Features that both have that I find preferable.

Both have capped turrets that wont unknowingly be changed in the brush
Both have finger indexing turrents with the ability to zero the turret
both have paralax adjustment
both are availible with a Mil-dot reticle I believe they are both accurate at 12x
Each is covered by a lifetime warranty with the nod going to vortex for CS


Differences include

30mm tube on Viper 1inch tube on the Nikon: I don't think it will make a hill-a-beans difference to me
The Vortex is a 6.5-20 and the Nikon is 4-16. Higher Power of the Vortex is better at the range. Lower power of the Nikon is better IMO in the field
The Vortex zoom seems to be the preferable design over the Nikon


The Nikon Monarch and the Vortex Viper lines seem to be each brands "bread and butter lines" Each has good reputations, and there are indeed other scopes in this price range but these have the features I want.

I'll be dialing shots at the range, but for the field I'll establish a DOPE and use holds. Will the turrets be accurate if I ever get to go to a shooting school/go to a novice level competition? I have not found a local dealer of Vortex, but have seen various Nikons in person (I have an older Buckmaster from my grandfather), but not the Vortex. I like the sleek "no nonsense" look of the Nikon, but also like the "Tacticool" look of the Vortex.

Thanks, and peace be with you.
Robert

[stomp442]

Either one will work great for what your describing but I think you would be happier with the vortex as it has more power and more internal adjustment.

[missed]

I have the vortex and have been very pleased with it. I don't have any experience with the Nikon Scopes, my experiences with Nikon on photography gear I won't ever buy anything else from them.

[chukarmandoo]

One only has 40 moa and that won't get you very far. The other has 68 which might get you to 1000. I know you said mil. but same difference. If I wanted to play with LR I would at least get something that could get me there. Remember you only get to use half of the stated elev. without a moa rail. Food for thought.

[bythebook]

I have and use 3 6.5 X 20 by 50 Vipers and have never had any trouble with them. The 3 expirences I have had with Nikons have been negative and I cannot bring myself to buy another Nikon.

[CharlieNC]

Check Natchez for factory refurbished models before you buy; if they have what you want you can usually save over 1/3. I have Viper and Buckmaster (lower grade than Monarch) and they are comparable to me; paid around $250 for them. A few months ago I got a new Weaver Euro Slam for $515 from Natchez that is far superior to both in terms of optical quality, features, robustness.

[MZ5]

I like the Nikons I have. I've even used a slightly-older Monarch UCC in a precision rifle match, and it tracked well enough for that purpose.

I've never had a Vortex.

I wouldn't even consider putting a 6.5-20x scope on a big game rifle; absolute non-starter. If you've had good success hunting big game with that much mag, good.

Purely because of the magnification range, of these two I'd choose the Nikon. Choose the same mag range for each, and I'd probably choose based upon what rings I had on-hand (1" vs. 30mm, etc) or something like that. If everything was exactly identical in all respects, I'd likely take the Nikon because it's a 'known quantity,' so to speak, whereas I've never had a Vortex.

[rmdailey]

I like the Nikons I have. I've even used a slightly-older Monarch UCC in a precision rifle match, and it tracked well enough for that purpose.

I've never had a Vortex.

I wouldn't even consider putting a 6.5-20x scope on a big game rifle; absolute non-starter. If you've had good success hunting big game with that much mag, good.

Purely because of the magnification range, of these two I'd choose the Nikon. Choose the same mag range for each, and I'd probably choose based upon what rings I had on-hand (1" vs. 30mm, etc) or something like that. If everything was exactly identical in all respects, I'd likely take the Nikon because it's a 'known quantity,' so to speak, whereas I've never had a Vortex.

I have a Nikon Buckmaster that's probably 10years old that I have been impressed with. I asked this same question elsewhere and get ALOT of Nikon haters, which is fine I want to hear the bad and not waste my money. I just don't see specifics. I do however see "I had problem x with my Vortex Viper sent it in and they fixed it and I'm happy. Most Nikon stories like that are I'll never own another. Why is that?

The 6.5-20 is my biggest issue with the Vortex can get up the price and get the 4-16. As stated, the dialing I don't think will be an issue with a 20moa rail and 30-06 trajectories, but is a valid difference.

[davemuzz]

I owned a Nikon Buckmasters once. I think it maximum was 14X. It was a good scope and I never had any problems with it. Held it's zero and it took a fair share of hunting abuse from me. I did sell it for just a bit under what I paid for it though. Nikon makes a nice scope, just not my favorite. And I think everyone has a "favorite" for whatever reason.

I had the Vortex Viper PST 6-24X and it just didn't twinkle my toes for the price. A lot of people like if for the bargain price that you get it for, I simply wasn't impressed. I had my reasons.

So, I sold the Vortex to a buddy of mine and took a $50 loss, and then I bought what I wanted.....bit the bullet....spent the money....shot the wad....and got a Leupold VX-3 with the side adjustable parallax and 30mm tube in 8.5-25 with a 50mm objective lens. I also got the Varmint hunters reticle which I absolutely love.

But again, I like's what I like's. Not everyone's cup of tea and the Leupold was $300 more than the Vortex, but $700 less than the Nightforce. A bargain when compared to the Nightforce!!

FWIW

Dave

[stangfish]

Ziess 3-9x50 Magnification is nothing if it lacks sufficient clarity!

Or this for 475
http://forum.snipershide.com/optics-sale/192602-wts-swfa-ss-3-9x42-w-bobro-mount.html

[MZ5]

The Buckmasters is a well-sorted scope. Not the world's finest glass, but good, and very well engineered as an overall system. I have a relatively new one (newer than my Monarch UCC).

Vortex offers a Leupold-like customer support & warranty promise, and that adds to the price of the Phillipine-made Viper line (and Chinese-made and Japanese-made scopes, too) just as it adds to Leupy's. Still, something about the Vortex lineup just doesn't offer _me_ a good value proposition. Don't have a good and specific reason why not.

[chukarmandoo]

Either one will work great for what your describing but I think you would be happier with the vortex as it has more power and more internal adjustment.

+1 what stomp said.

[trigger-finger]

I went Nikon because I like the Nikon SpotOn software designed for their scopes. I really want to get into the science of shooting long distances and I think the software is a good learning too especially since I plan on custom loading my own ammo soon. Currently, I have the cheap Nikon 3-9x40 BDC but I compared it to other more expensive scopes and found it to be brighter and clearer especially in low light. I am also a professional photographer and although I shoot Canon, I never heard any pros have anything negative to say about Nikon ED Glass.

[river grant]

I have the Monarch 4-16x42 BDC, Monarch 5-20x44 Nikoplex, and the Viper 6.5-20x44 mil-dot. I bought the BDC Monarch first and have always felt that the reticle subtends too large for "mixed" shooting. For hunting only, it's fine...if you like to target shoot for tight groups...it's less than perfect. With those experiences, my next Monarch was the Nikoplex version...probably subtends close to 1/3 of the size of the BDC and is much easier to fine tune your point of aim at any distance. I find the Viper's mil-dot to be fine enough for target shooting that I do. The 5-20 Monarch also included 3 different sets of turrets...standard capped, tall target capped, and target uncapped. I do a lot of coyote hunting, from calling them into your lap to spot and stalking for significantly longer shots and I dial elevation on any shot 300 yards or longer. All of these scopes have tracked flawlessly from adjustment back to zero over and over again. Now for the clear negatives. Both of the Nikons have, perhaps, the stiffest mag adjustment rings I have ever felt...and the colder it is, the stiffer it is. Not so with the Viper...it remains stable yet moveable in all conditions. Where the Viper has disappointed me has been in the arena of eye relief. I have always found the Viper to be much more finicky about eye relief at the higher magnifications. As far as clarity goes, I don't see a clear winner between these three...they're all good. Doug at CameraLand has a steal of a deal right now on open box Minox 4-20x50 scopes for $420 shipped...this is a $700 scope with Schott glass! Only available with a standard duplex reticle though.

[yobuck]

choices are wonderfull. there are more coming seemingly every day.
all the not so old pictures showing guys using unertle or unertle type scopes were for one reason.
there werent any others you could dial.
major changes have taken place over a period of about 25 years. thats especially so in the last ten.