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Word is Nikon is out of the scope business.

Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,617 ✭✭✭✭
edited November 2019 in General Discussion
I was picking up some guns from a local dealer that is also a wholesale distributor. They had heard rumors, but it was confirmed yesterday that Nikon is no longer making scopes. Sad days.....people love them and they have a decent price level for a good product. I hate to hear it myself. There are a lot of scope manufacturers out there still, but I hate to see a major player call it quits.
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Comments

  • montanajoemontanajoe Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 57,893 ******
    edited November -1
    Yes,I agree LF. A good scope for a fair price. Sorry to see them go.
  • neacpaneacpa Member Posts: 2,702 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wow, I love the Nikon Monarchs. :(:(
  • savage170savage170 Member Posts: 37,446 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have quite a few of them always thought they were good scopes for the price
  • BobJudyBobJudy Member Posts: 6,445 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well crap. I know the scope market is getting real crowded and maybe the economics aren't there to keep making them. Bought my first Monarch almost 20 years ago and have since bought a few more. I wonder what will happen to the warranties? I never had to send one in (unlike Leupold and Burris) but with my luck I'll sure as heck probably bust one now. Bob
  • shootuadealshootuadeal Member Posts: 5,230 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    One word why Nikon is no longer selling scopes...Vortex.

    Vortex has taken over the optics market and is now the largest optic company in the world. I would hate to see Leupold's sales figures lately but I bet it is ugly. Leupold keeps changing their dealer policies in order to try and control the situation. We used to sell hundreds of Leupold and Nikon optics every year in the store and were kind of late to sign on with Vortex, we did so around 2 years ago, since then I bet we haven't sold 50 combined Nikon/Leupold scopes, binocs, spotting scopes, etc.

    Word is Nikon is still going to do spotting scopes, binoculars and rangefinders but no longer through distribution, only dealer direct, which will further kill their sales in those categories, kind of like Leupold trying to get dealers to sign their reseller agreement.
  • BobJudyBobJudy Member Posts: 6,445 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    One word why Nikon is no longer selling scopes...Vortex.

    Vortex has taken over the optics market and is now the largest optic company in the world. I would hate to see Leupold's sales figures lately but I bet it is ugly. Leupold keeps changing their dealer policies in order to try and control the situation. We used to sell hundreds of Leupold and Nikon optics every year in the store and were kind of late to sign on with Vortex, we did so around 2 years ago, since then I bet we haven't sold 50 combined Nikon/Leupold scopes, binocs, spotting scopes, etc.

    Word is Nikon is still going to do spotting scopes, binoculars and rangefinders but no longer through distribution, only dealer direct, which will further kill their sales in those categories, kind of like Leupold trying to get dealers to sign their reseller agreement.

    I have a pair of Vortex Razer binoculars. Super pleased as they are close to Swaro performance at less than half the price. Day time they are equal but dusk and dawn you get about 2 more minutes with the Swaros. Bob
  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,724 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    as soooooo...more oriental stuff now.....can AMERICA even make a plastic plate now ????
  • bambihunterbambihunter Member Posts: 10,675 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    spasmcreek wrote:
    can AMERICA even make a plastic plate now ????

    Yes, designed in America, stamped in Mexico by Panamanian workers. With Syrian oil, formed in German molds, controlled by Japanese electronics, shipped by a Norwegian ship. :lol: :oops: :mrgreen:
    Fanatic collector of the 10mm auto.
  • Sam06Sam06 Member Posts: 21,254 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Too bad they made good glass and a good price point.
    RLTW

  • fatcat458fatcat458 Member Posts: 380 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    That's sad for Nikon :( l remember when they came on the market in the early 90s. They even had a Sportsmans Cub that gave away free gifts. l still have a small eating utensil kit. 2 forks/spoons along with a knife /cutting board.. All in a small case app 7' square... Lets hope there'll be some great deals on the remaining lnventory :D
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Nikon is a massive conglomerate, with rifle scopes representing a miniscule portion of their portfolio. Only the high end Nikon scopes are still made in Japan, production of the others moved to the Philippines years ago. Labor costs in the Philippines are now among the highest in Asia, so shifting production to China would have been in the offing. I've always had excellent results with Nikon scopes, and recently purchased a Nikon 4X12 for my Ruger .22 target rifle. Hopefully Nikon will reconsider getting out of the scope business.
  • shootuadealshootuadeal Member Posts: 5,230 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nikon is a massive conglomerate, with rifle scopes representing a miniscule portion of their portfolio. Only the high end Nikon scopes are still made in Japan, production of the others moved to the Philippines years ago. Labor costs in the Philippines are now among the highest in Asia, so shifting production to China would have been in the offing. I've always had excellent results with Nikon scopes, and recently purchased a Nikon 4X12 for my Ruger .22 target rifle. Hopefully Nikon will reconsider getting out of the scope business.

    I don't disagree with you often but this is not entirely true. They WERE a huge conglomerate but unless they have a huge business outside the optics world they own I think they are probably on the ropes so to speak. MAYBE rifle scopes at one time are were a minuscule part of there business but what would you say is there biggest part? Cameras? That was probably the big driver in their net worth but how is that doing for them now days. Digital camera sales are plummeting worse than watch sales. Most people now have a very good camera built into their cell phones so there is no need for a stand alone camera.

    Nikon is very close to bankruptcy, I bet in less than two years they are either done or will be bought out by some other "has been" corporation on its way out. It will be similar to the slow death of Sears. It is a big shame but that is what technology was been doing, pretty soon there will not be enough jobs for everyone as technology and automation eliminate whole fields of jobs,

    Vortex is already bigger than Nikon and they don't even build cameras.

    The end is near folks. In like 30 years Amazon will be the only company left on earth.(I'm only half serious with that comment, half)
  • shootuadealshootuadeal Member Posts: 5,230 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    BTW for the record, I have 5 guns currently scoped with Nikon's and have two pairs of Nikon Binocs. They made a good product and had a great warranty(pretty much the same as Vortex's but Vortex did such a better job promoting it that they convinced the general populace that they were the only ones with an unconditional lifetime warranty).

    I was a big Nikon fanboy for a couple decades, it's a shame they are in shape they are in and hope they can come through it in the future.
  • mrmike08075mrmike08075 Member Posts: 10,998 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There did appear to be a proliferation or surfeit of Nikon rifle scopes and firearms optics / and binoculars in all the discount catalogs and websights over the last 15 years - seemingly focused on scopes in the $100-$200 price range (factory seconds or demos or repairs or discontinued models or entry level items) or the $799.99 to $1250.00 high end super scopes with amazing whistles and bells...

    I have 3 low end Nikon branded scopes purchased in the $75.00 to $100.00 range from one such guide to sportsmans catalog series - a standard 3-9X40 plain solid matte black metal tube rifle scope with bold cross hairs and a 2.5X fixed shotgun scope with the front half being a straight tube and a 3-9X50 with an illuminated reticle that can be green or purple tinged / runs on batteries and has 3 two position switches for various functions...

    Two are mounted on rimfire rifles - a customized Remington 597 semi auto and Winchester 190 semi auto with a custom laminate blue and yellow stock...

    The illuminated reticle piece is currently on a Marlin 336 lever action rifle in .35 Remington...

    I think Nikon made terrific top notch high end rifle scopes - and should have stayed out of the entry level low end discount catalog or closeout web site part of the market.

    I like all of my Nikon scopes - though the illuminated reticle closeout bargain model can be a pain in the rear and can be left on accidentally with no external indication of powers up status - and it will kill the batteries...

    I particularly like the vintage all steel tube Nikon rifle scopes from say the 80's or 90's but folks tend to hold onto them - they don't seem to come up for sale used very often - and they command a premium price.

    I always thought that Nikon was a solid company with a real warranty and proper customer service - which is why I bought my 3 scopes rather than any other that might have been superior or offered more abilities - I felt comfortable having a Nikon atop a rifle over some Chinese no name scope (of which I own at least a dozen)

    Mike
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,947 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    spasmcreek wrote:
    as soooooo...more oriental stuff now.....can AMERICA even make a plastic plate now ????

    Well the US now makes more steel than ever before, let the Chinese make plates for Walmart. No good optics are made in China, though Japan makes almost all of the decent glass except that made in Germany.
  • dreherdreher Member Posts: 8,777 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Don't Nikon scopes have a life time warranty??? So does anyone have any idea if this voids out any warranty work???

    Like many of you are stating, I thought Nikon had a quality product at a fair price. Not enough products can make that claim.
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