nikon monarch 3,5,7 tracking ?
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westcliffe01
Well-Known Member
Bart, if your turret is always on zero, you are not a long distance shooter and paying for field adjustable turrets is a waste of money. You seem to have a problem comprehending the work flow involved in making long distance shots. Everyone knows that no elevation correction should be needed for a 100 yard shot.
Lets say we replaced your factory knob with one of your custom engraved ballistic knobs and it was then marked in yards. We go to the range, zero the scope at 200 yards. When in the field it will always be set at an arbitrary distance given the circumstances. Your "zero check" method that you describe will be worthless. If the knob is bumped and disengaged from the mechanism and is now free spinning, the scope will be equally useless. I know of no other manufacturer with this "feature" and it does not belong on what are mid priced high value scopes. We need reliable equipment, period.
Lets say we replaced your factory knob with one of your custom engraved ballistic knobs and it was then marked in yards. We go to the range, zero the scope at 200 yards. When in the field it will always be set at an arbitrary distance given the circumstances. Your "zero check" method that you describe will be worthless. If the knob is bumped and disengaged from the mechanism and is now free spinning, the scope will be equally useless. I know of no other manufacturer with this "feature" and it does not belong on what are mid priced high value scopes. We need reliable equipment, period.
jotrot
Well-Known Member
bman, thank you for your feed back. im going to pick up 3 Nikons, prostaff 5 4-16x40 t-dot retical, prostaff 7 4-16x42 I don't like the retical options on that, I have not made up my mind on the 3rd one, leaning towards one of the monarchs.
I was looking at reticals on the site and I was liking the precision retical and I cant find it in any of the models, can I change out the reticals or do I have to order the scope I want with preferred retical.
thank you, joel
I was looking at reticals on the site and I was liking the precision retical and I cant find it in any of the models, can I change out the reticals or do I have to order the scope I want with preferred retical.
thank you, joel
West., I am not discounting what you are saying by any means, you just happen to be the irst person I have ever ocme across who had an issues with the turret accidentally being pulled up and put into freespin. These days it is rare for me to dial in a long range shot just on click numbers alone, I am usually using Nikon's Custom Turret or BDC reticle which gives me the distances for each circle so I am good to go. Even when we do shooting event's to 600 yards we use the BDC reticle and Nikon's Custom Turret to impact target's 100-600 yards. I do understand what you are saying and I have passed it along to the people I work with at Nikon. I would also love to see a zero-stop type of mechanism on Nikon's scopes.
J, Custom reticle's are not available at this time. You might want to check out the PROSTAFF 5 4.5-18X40 Matte Fine Crosshair With Dot, I find the fine crosshair toght to pick up in the eve or ealry morning but add the dot and no issues at all. I have been hearing nothing but positive comment's from PROSTAFF 7/MONARCH 7 owner's. They love the 30mm tubes. Nikon also makes S-Series 30mm mounts in med and high. Feel free to drop me a note if you have other question's.
J, Custom reticle's are not available at this time. You might want to check out the PROSTAFF 5 4.5-18X40 Matte Fine Crosshair With Dot, I find the fine crosshair toght to pick up in the eve or ealry morning but add the dot and no issues at all. I have been hearing nothing but positive comment's from PROSTAFF 7/MONARCH 7 owner's. They love the 30mm tubes. Nikon also makes S-Series 30mm mounts in med and high. Feel free to drop me a note if you have other question's.
westcliffe01
Well-Known Member
I initially was not aware that the change had been made and had in fact been thinking of buying a couple additional scopes. Then I was warned by another shooter who experienced this exact issue. At first I didn't believe that it could happen, but the more I investigated how the turret worked, the clearer it became that this could be a real field issue. I thought that one had to exert continual upward pressure to hold the turret free, but it is essentially a detent type mechanism. Once it has sufficient force to overcome the detent it pops up and then it spins.
One is actually more likely to create such an effect (snapping the knob out the detent) than actually rotating any great degree against the friction of the turret, especially when working through brush or willows. Once free of the turret the knob spins very readily. If one could be 100% sure of what point one last had it at, great, it is easy to return. But if one does not remember, or there is the possibility that it rotated some before popping free of the detent, then the only way to re-zero will be to shoot at a target.
Fine for a target scope. Very bad for a field scope. If you gave a customer a way to defeat this "feature", that would be alright. Without a defeat, I would not buy it. In the meantime, since this has been introduced, Vortex is getting my money.
I also looked at the Monarch line and the only new reticle I see is the Mil dot and only on 1 scope model. You need a vortex type reticle that is calibrated to be available on every Monarch scope, even if it is SFP.
One is actually more likely to create such an effect (snapping the knob out the detent) than actually rotating any great degree against the friction of the turret, especially when working through brush or willows. Once free of the turret the knob spins very readily. If one could be 100% sure of what point one last had it at, great, it is easy to return. But if one does not remember, or there is the possibility that it rotated some before popping free of the detent, then the only way to re-zero will be to shoot at a target.
Fine for a target scope. Very bad for a field scope. If you gave a customer a way to defeat this "feature", that would be alright. Without a defeat, I would not buy it. In the meantime, since this has been introduced, Vortex is getting my money.
I also looked at the Monarch line and the only new reticle I see is the Mil dot and only on 1 scope model. You need a vortex type reticle that is calibrated to be available on every Monarch scope, even if it is SFP.
I"m sure other's are tired of reading our back and forth threads. It is a stiff pull required to get the turret up to set it ot zero. As I have said before, most of us zero at 100 yards, set the scope to zero and we are good to go. If you are going to dial your shot with clicks it is most likely done at the tie you range your target. If the turret happened to be up and again, in 6 years this is the first time I have heard of this happening, you just return it to zero and push down. Then you can turn your turret as needed.
Maybe I am missing something, just trying to help,West.
Nikon currently has 4 Mildot scopes in PORSTAFF 5 and MONARCH 3 configuration's.
While I am not involved in new product meeting's I do pass on request's for new product's or changes in existing ones. I do think you will see a number of new mil and moa scope's in the near future.
Rifle Scopes from Nikon
Maybe I am missing something, just trying to help,West.
Nikon currently has 4 Mildot scopes in PORSTAFF 5 and MONARCH 3 configuration's.
While I am not involved in new product meeting's I do pass on request's for new product's or changes in existing ones. I do think you will see a number of new mil and moa scope's in the near future.
Rifle Scopes from Nikon
jotrot
Well-Known Member
thank you bart, very helpful.
joel
joel
codyadams
Well-Known Member
Westcliff, I have a vortex viper 6.5-20x44, and it has the same kind of turret, you lift against spring tension and turn, then slide down on the correct spline to set your zero. I see what your saying, how it could happen. I have had this scope for 3 years on my rifle. It has NEVER happened while in the field hunting, shooting praire dogs, a few deer at 300 or more yards, or just shooting steel. I see your point, and I was concerned at first as well. BUT. If your aware of this, there is a simple fix. Don't lift the turret when you turn it. I put slight downward pressure when I turn. It's not hard, it doesn't take any more time.
Now, if I handed my rifle to someone that didn't know, and they dialed for a long range shot but didn't know how the turret worked, it's POSSIBLE (but not likely) that this could happen. Though, with the multiple people that have shot my rifle and dialed in the correction I gave them, it never has.
I have no experience specifically with the nikon turret, but if it's anything like the vortex, it is really not an issue if you know about it. Just my thoughts.
Now, if I handed my rifle to someone that didn't know, and they dialed for a long range shot but didn't know how the turret worked, it's POSSIBLE (but not likely) that this could happen. Though, with the multiple people that have shot my rifle and dialed in the correction I gave them, it never has.
I have no experience specifically with the nikon turret, but if it's anything like the vortex, it is really not an issue if you know about it. Just my thoughts.
I am glad that I found this post since I am currently shopping for a scope and have always liked the Nikon's. I have been upgrading scopes from standard 3-9. One rifle I went to 3.5-12 BDC and One with one of the XR Turret models.
I am re-barreling another rifle that currently has a Buckmaster 3-9, re-barreling to 270wsm and will likely take a close look at one of the new 30mm models.
In regards to the turret issue, As Codyadams stated is the case with the Vortex is exactly the case with the Nikon, there is a considerable amount of tension on the turret and I personally would find it unlikely that you could accidentally lift it and turn it.
Yes, an actual mechanical zero stop would be great-not what is on the Custom XR turrets that can be gotten which limit you to one revolution. A custom reticle would be nice as well, not to complicated, simple moa hash marks would be great.
Gary
I am re-barreling another rifle that currently has a Buckmaster 3-9, re-barreling to 270wsm and will likely take a close look at one of the new 30mm models.
In regards to the turret issue, As Codyadams stated is the case with the Vortex is exactly the case with the Nikon, there is a considerable amount of tension on the turret and I personally would find it unlikely that you could accidentally lift it and turn it.
Yes, an actual mechanical zero stop would be great-not what is on the Custom XR turrets that can be gotten which limit you to one revolution. A custom reticle would be nice as well, not to complicated, simple moa hash marks would be great.
Gary
westcliffe01
Well-Known Member
Gary, as demonstrated in this video [ame]https://youtu.be/SoqwnJCkrOY?t=1m17s[/ame]
The Nikon turret system is not held down under spring tension. Rather both the engaged (lower) and disengaged (upper)positions use a kind of string detent. If you lift it up, it then stays up and is disengaged. This can happen if you snag the knob on some brush. Whether it then rotates or not is totally open to what happens next. I am not familiar with any Vortex scope that has this feature. None of my PST scopes do, nor does the HS-T, which is in a similar price class to the Nikon or even more affordable.
In case you were wondering, the lock/unlock feature was originally introduced on the M223 and M308 scopes, which is where I first heard of it.
[ame]https://youtu.be/NTW8fGF7mSI[/ame]
The Nikon turret system is not held down under spring tension. Rather both the engaged (lower) and disengaged (upper)positions use a kind of string detent. If you lift it up, it then stays up and is disengaged. This can happen if you snag the knob on some brush. Whether it then rotates or not is totally open to what happens next. I am not familiar with any Vortex scope that has this feature. None of my PST scopes do, nor does the HS-T, which is in a similar price class to the Nikon or even more affordable.
In case you were wondering, the lock/unlock feature was originally introduced on the M223 and M308 scopes, which is where I first heard of it.
[ame]https://youtu.be/NTW8fGF7mSI[/ame]
snox801
Well-Known Member
I have quite a few Nikon and vortex. I have a feeling that your problem with the turret is rare. I happen to like that feature. I understand that it could happen but not sure it really does. I have several scopes with the same feature.
On a side note a few years ago I ran over my brothers case with my truck, never saw it sitting next to my truck. Did some amount of damage. Set the scopes in with a letter explaining what happened kinda just to see. To my amazement Nikon sent back a brand new scope within days. I was really pleased and tend to lean toward them now.
On a side note a few years ago I ran over my brothers case with my truck, never saw it sitting next to my truck. Did some amount of damage. Set the scopes in with a letter explaining what happened kinda just to see. To my amazement Nikon sent back a brand new scope within days. I was really pleased and tend to lean toward them now.
snox801
Well-Known Member
I have had none on my Nikon. When you are comparing Nikon to vortex it's a toss up. Personal preference.
