Nikon is leaving the scope market?

globemaster3 · February 7, 2020, 01:39 PM

https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/ge...e-riflescopes/

I pulled this from the 6.8 Forums and it caught me by surprise. Has anyone else heard or read anything else about Nikon leaving the scope market?

I've been running Nikon for years with great success, and like their Spot On app for the BDC reticle. Maybe this is why they haven't produced any app updates for some common factory loads.

Sounds like I need to buy a few more before they are all gone!

NoSecondBest · February 7, 2020, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Sounds like I need to buy a few more before they are all gone!

Yeah, it should be interesting to see how they take care of any warranty issues in the future. Lifetime? It's just a word. The company quits and the warranty quits.

BBarn · February 7, 2020, 07:27 PM

Yep, they're exiting the riflescope business based on their position in a highly competitive optics market. Seems they will continue to offer spotting scopes, rangefinders, and binoculars. I have a nice older pair of their compact binoculars, but none of their riflescopes. Was always struck by the large number of refurbished Nikon riflescopes offered by some retailers.

Weaver is another brand that is discontinuing their riflescopes.

Have to admit, there are a high number of riflescope brands currently on the market. And NSB made a good point about "lifetime" warranties.

FrankenMauser · February 7, 2020, 10:25 PM

Not a single person that I have a personal relationship with, who owns or has owned one (or more) is happy with their Nikon scope.
You can add binoculars and range finders, too, if you want to drill down a bit.

They will not be missed by the people that I associate with. -Myself included. (I do enjoy associating with myself, and don't like the Nikon sitting on my .338 WM.)

Colorado Redneck · February 7, 2020, 10:54 PM

Well thats a hell of a note! I've owned several of that brand and never had an issue. At the price, I thought Nikon was firmly anchored in the scope competition. However, the local gunshop quit selling Nikon, the manager told me Nikon was requiring large volume purchases only, and he doesn't sell that many scopes. I guess we have to adapt to change.

Blindstitch · February 8, 2020, 01:29 AM

Huge Nikon fan when it comes to camera equipment. I bought a Prostaff a few years ago and am happy with it but I guess if it's going to break it better happen now.

kilotanker22 · February 8, 2020, 04:02 AM

Nikon is claiming that their warranties will still be honored.

Makes me curious a bit. Nikon has such a large portion of the market share. I am not sure why they would stop if not for some political move to distance themselves from guns a bit. Or simply a business decision to cut their departments with the least margin.

reynolds357 · February 8, 2020, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kilotanker22

Nikon is claiming that their warranties will still be honored.

Makes me curious a bit. Nikon has such a large portion of the market share. I am not sure why they would stop if not for some political move to distance themselves from guns a bit. Or simply a business decision to cut their departments with the least margin.

Its pure P.R. and politics. More so in Europe thsn here.

NoSecondBest · February 8, 2020, 09:14 AM

There always seems to be a huge supply of Nikon refurbished scopes for sale. I've bought two in my life and sent them both back. The glass might appear clear, but the finish of the final product always looked second rate to me. I also could never figure out who liked those reticles where you were supposed to look through those little circles instead of a mil dot. Personally, I never thought much of them. Anyone who's going out of a business and promises to honor the warranty afterwards is blowing smoke. How long do you think Nikon is going to keep a supply of parts, scopes, and personal/repair people around after they exit the business? That's called magical thinking. At best, they'll sell the name and it won't be the same product....it's just a name. That happens all the time. The buyer might do warranty business for some period of time, but forget "lifetime". That term is really meaningless any time a company goes out of business. It's only worth the paper it's printed on.....nothing.

stagpanther · February 8, 2020, 01:14 PM

I have gobs of Nikon scopes throughout their price range. They are generally pretty good for the money, the only thing I've never liked about them was their screw-down turret attachments--I've had several eventually break and the scope then becomes useless.

FrankenMauser · February 8, 2020, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Nikon is claiming that their warranties will still be honored.

When you don't honor it to begin with, it's pretty easy to continue doing so.

When a product fails, it sucks. But, life is a little better when you know you have a "lifetime warranty" that will get you back in business at some point.
...Unless that warranty is arbitrarily enforced, and the company changes the application of various requirements and rules, after your purchase.

That is exactly why two of the people that I know went from Nikon lovers to Nikon haters, overnight.
Even though the products were "registered" when new, the owners couldn't produce the requested original purchase receipt at the time they requested a warranty repair. Nikon told them that warranty policies had changed, and they had two choices:
1. Find the receipt;
2. Or get lost.

The above garbage is why yours truly won't buy Weaver or Bushnell, either.

reynolds357 · February 8, 2020, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankenMauser

When you don't honor it to begin with, it's pretty easy to continue doing so.

When a product fails, it sucks. But, life is a little better when you know you have a "lifetime warranty" that will get you back in business at some point.
...Unless that warranty is arbitrarily enforced, and the company changes the application of various requirements and rules, after your purchase.

That is exactly why two of the people that I know went from Nikon lovers to Nikon haters, overnight.
Even though the products were "registered" when new, the owners couldn't produce the requested original purchase receipt at the time they requested a warranty repair. Nikon told them that warranty policies had changed, and they had two choices:
1. Find the receipt;
2. Or get lost.

The above garbage is why yours truly won't buy Weaver or Bushnell, either.

Nikon did not used to require a receipt. They do now. I was done with Nikon high end scopes years ago. Burris, Leupold, Vortex,Minox, and Meopta are about all I buy. All except Meopta have EXCELLENT customer service. I cant say about Meopta c.s. because I have never needed them.

std7mag · February 8, 2020, 05:26 PM

I also am a huge fan of their camera optics.
Their riflescopes i've never been impressed with.

I've actually seen a few Nikon scopes at the range where someone appearantly used it as a hammer, before filling it with bullet holes, then left to lay.

Scorch · February 8, 2020, 08:49 PM

Approximately 30 years ago, I bought a Nikon scope because I knew their camera lense quality and assumed their rifle scopes would follow the same plan. I was very disappointed. The field of view was sharp in the center of the field, but got fuzzy towards the edges, and focus was not really sharp. OK, no biggie, it was a scope for a rimfire rifle, kinda pricey, but it held zero well. Next was a 3-9x Nikon Monarch scope for a Savage 223 bolt action for varminting. Same issues, poor focus and fuzzy towards the edges. That one came off and a Redfield went on the rifle. I never considered Nikon a viable scope since that time. And apparently neither do they. I have listened to people sing their praises for the past 30 years and just smiled to myself.

bamaranger · February 9, 2020, 03:55 AM

I've read enough negative press prior this current dust storm to believe that Nikon service was an issue and stayed away from the brand. The abandonment of the line and the receipt business just confirms it all.

I've got one, it came on a rifle that I bought used, not even sure the model, but it's not a Monarch. It's still in use, working fine, but I never bought one outright. I'm a Leupold guy first, Burris second, and Vortex has got my attention.

Eazyeach · February 9, 2020, 11:15 AM

I have 2 Nikon scopes. A 3x and a 1-4. Seems like decent glass. Holds zero. But I have only shot them on .22s. I have leupold , eotech and primary arms on other guns. Lucky for me I’ve never had a problem with any scopes. But I don’t abuse them very much either.

Lucas McCain · February 9, 2020, 01:10 PM

There have been a lot of rifle scope that have washed out down the river over the years. Names like Lyman, Unertl, Tasco, Redfield, Bausch & Lomb and now Nikon and Weaver are on their way out.

60 years ago when I could afford a rifle scope it took a weeks of wages (Iron miner@ $2 an hour) to by a 4X Weaver scope, American built. Redfield, Lyman, B&L, Bushnell and we’re American built. They all started going to Japan to make more profits, customer service dropped, quality dropped, Market share dropped and then they were bought up by some conglomerate holding company and profit levels were to low so they liquidated or sold to another conglomerate and each time customer service and warranty were casualty's of the trade. That’s where the receipt requirement comes in. What conglomerate made it.
You can get a very high quality scope today that is made in Europe. How many days of work today does it take to buy one. They are quite popular with a lot of the shooters of today, but I personally know that their warranty program is very complicated to get something done under warranty.
It’s the new normal that you going to have to deal with.

reynolds357 · February 9, 2020, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucas McCain

There have been a lot of rifle scope that have washed out down the river over the years. Names like Lyman, Unertl, Tasco, Redfield, Bausch & Lomb and now Nikon and Weaver are on their way out.

60 years ago when I could afford a rifle scope it took a weeks of wages (Iron miner@ $2 an hour) to by a 4X Weaver scope, American built. Redfield, Lyman, B&L, Bushnell and we’re American built. They all started going to Japan to make more profits, customer service dropped, quality dropped, Market share dropped and then they were bought up by some conglomerate holding company and profit levels were to low so they liquidated or sold to another conglomerate and each time customer service and warranty were casualty's of the trade. That’s where the receipt requirement comes in. What conglomerate made it.
You can get a very high quality scope today that is made in Europe. How many days of work today does it take to buy one. They are quite popular with a lot of the shooters of today, but I personally know that their warranty program is very complicated to get something done under warranty.
It’s the new normal that you going to have to deal with.

B & L just changed names. What is going on with Weaver?

FrankenMauser · February 9, 2020, 03:08 PM

The Weaver brand name has changed hands at least five times in the last 30 years.
The current owners don't offer support for any products that they did not produce. (Not unusual in today's world, but not helpful for previous warranties/guarantees.)

Since just 2007, Weaver has been passed from Meade Instruments, to ATK, to ATK Sporting, to Vista Outdoors. Though the ATK to ATK transition involved minimal changes, the ones from Meade to ATK, and ATK to Vista involved changes to warranty policies and support.

Tasco has better support for its products, than Weaver does right now.

stagpanther · February 10, 2020, 12:20 PM

Somewhere in China there's a factory that makes 99% of the world's sub $400 scopes and red dots.

O4L · February 10, 2020, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stagpanther

Somewhere in China there's a factory that makes 99% of the world's sub $400 scopes and red dots.

It certainly appears that way.

I know of one of the newer US scope companies that states that their scopes are designed here, use Japanese glass, and are made in their own facility in China.

I guess that's one way to do it.

globemaster3 · February 10, 2020, 08:02 PM

22 posts and only a couple of people addressed my questions.

The rest just turned into a Nikon bashing/defense thread. I'm sorry people had a bad time with Nikon. I've had nothing but good experiences. Just like any other manufacturer in any market, there will always be some good experiences and some bad. I was just looking for confirmation if this is truth or not, since a single source from an outdoor mag doesn't necessarily count as truth.

Mods, shut 'er down please.

FrankenMauser · February 10, 2020, 10:47 PM

Several people addressed the only question that I see in your OP.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · February 10, 2020, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Sounds like I need to buy a few more before they are all gone!

The post is reverent to those like you whom prefer/ use the product.
Maybe consider {this OB's advice.}

My opinion & likes:
My preference in scopes {leupold} but I do believe it would behoove someother to squirrel away a spare Nikon or two.

Picher · February 13, 2020, 02:31 PM

If your scope mfg. offeres a "Lifetime" guarantee, I suppose they only have to keep it for a lifetime.

February 7, 2020, 01:39 PM	#1
globemaster3 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2006 Posts: 1,482	Nikon is leaving the scope market? https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/ge...e-riflescopes/ I pulled this from the 6.8 Forums and it caught me by surprise. Has anyone else heard or read anything else about Nikon leaving the scope market? I've been running Nikon for years with great success, and like their Spot On app for the BDC reticle. Maybe this is why they haven't produced any app updates for some common factory loads. Sounds like I need to buy a few more before they are all gone! __________________ NRA Life Member "We have enough gun control. What we need is idiot control."

February 7, 2020, 10:25 PM	#4
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Not a single person that I have a personal relationship with, who owns or has owned one (or more) is happy with their Nikon scope. You can add binoculars and range finders, too, if you want to drill down a bit. They will not be missed by the people that I associate with. -Myself included. (I do enjoy associating with myself, and don't like the Nikon sitting on my .338 WM.) __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

February 7, 2020, 10:54 PM	#5
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	Nikon quitting scopes Well thats a hell of a note! I've owned several of that brand and never had an issue. At the price, I thought Nikon was firmly anchored in the scope competition. However, the local gunshop quit selling Nikon, the manager told me Nikon was requiring large volume purchases only, and he doesn't sell that many scopes. I guess we have to adapt to change.

February 8, 2020, 01:29 AM	#6
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,693	Huge Nikon fan when it comes to camera equipment. I bought a Prostaff a few years ago and am happy with it but I guess if it's going to break it better happen now. __________________ NRA Lifetime Member

February 8, 2020, 04:02 AM	#7
kilotanker22 Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2012 Location: North Central, PA Posts: 2,117	Nikon is claiming that their warranties will still be honored. Makes me curious a bit. Nikon has such a large portion of the market share. I am not sure why they would stop if not for some political move to distance themselves from guns a bit. Or simply a business decision to cut their departments with the least margin. __________________ “We do not seek peace in order to be at war, but we go to war that we may have peace. Be peaceful, therefore, in warring, so that you may vanquish those whom you war against, and bring them to the prosperity of peace. – St. Augustine

February 7, 2020, 07:27 PM	#3
BBarn Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2015 Posts: 887	Yep, they're exiting the riflescope business based on their position in a highly competitive optics market. Seems they will continue to offer spotting scopes, rangefinders, and binoculars. I have a nice older pair of their compact binoculars, but none of their riflescopes. Was always struck by the large number of refurbished Nikon riflescopes offered by some retailers. Weaver is another brand that is discontinuing their riflescopes. Have to admit, there are a high number of riflescope brands currently on the market. And NSB made a good point about "lifetime" warranties.

February 8, 2020, 09:14 AM	#9
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	There always seems to be a huge supply of Nikon refurbished scopes for sale. I've bought two in my life and sent them both back. The glass might appear clear, but the finish of the final product always looked second rate to me. I also could never figure out who liked those reticles where you were supposed to look through those little circles instead of a mil dot. Personally, I never thought much of them. Anyone who's going out of a business and promises to honor the warranty afterwards is blowing smoke. How long do you think Nikon is going to keep a supply of parts, scopes, and personal/repair people around after they exit the business? That's called magical thinking. At best, they'll sell the name and it won't be the same product....it's just a name. That happens all the time. The buyer might do warranty business for some period of time, but forget "lifetime". That term is really meaningless any time a company goes out of business. It's only worth the paper it's printed on.....nothing.

February 8, 2020, 01:14 PM	#10
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,786	I have gobs of Nikon scopes throughout their price range. They are generally pretty good for the money, the only thing I've never liked about them was their screw-down turret attachments--I've had several eventually break and the scope then becomes useless. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

February 8, 2020, 05:26 PM	#13
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	I also am a huge fan of their camera optics. Their riflescopes i've never been impressed with. I've actually seen a few Nikon scopes at the range where someone appearantly used it as a hammer, before filling it with bullet holes, then left to lay. __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

February 8, 2020, 08:49 PM	#14
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Approximately 30 years ago, I bought a Nikon scope because I knew their camera lense quality and assumed their rifle scopes would follow the same plan. I was very disappointed. The field of view was sharp in the center of the field, but got fuzzy towards the edges, and focus was not really sharp. OK, no biggie, it was a scope for a rimfire rifle, kinda pricey, but it held zero well. Next was a 3-9x Nikon Monarch scope for a Savage 223 bolt action for varminting. Same issues, poor focus and fuzzy towards the edges. That one came off and a Redfield went on the rifle. I never considered Nikon a viable scope since that time. And apparently neither do they. I have listened to people sing their praises for the past 30 years and just smiled to myself. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

February 9, 2020, 03:55 AM	#15
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,308	good riddance! I've read enough negative press prior this current dust storm to believe that Nikon service was an issue and stayed away from the brand. The abandonment of the line and the receipt business just confirms it all. I've got one, it came on a rifle that I bought used, not even sure the model, but it's not a Monarch. It's still in use, working fine, but I never bought one outright. I'm a Leupold guy first, Burris second, and Vortex has got my attention.

February 9, 2020, 11:15 AM	#16
Eazyeach Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2014 Posts: 706	I have 2 Nikon scopes. A 3x and a 1-4. Seems like decent glass. Holds zero. But I have only shot them on .22s. I have leupold , eotech and primary arms on other guns. Lucky for me I’ve never had a problem with any scopes. But I don’t abuse them very much either.

February 9, 2020, 01:10 PM	#17
Lucas McCain Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2013 Location: Callaway, MN Posts: 361	There have been a lot of rifle scope that have washed out down the river over the years. Names like Lyman, Unertl, Tasco, Redfield, Bausch & Lomb and now Nikon and Weaver are on their way out. 60 years ago when I could afford a rifle scope it took a weeks of wages (Iron miner@ $2 an hour) to by a 4X Weaver scope, American built. Redfield, Lyman, B&L, Bushnell and we’re American built. They all started going to Japan to make more profits, customer service dropped, quality dropped, Market share dropped and then they were bought up by some conglomerate holding company and profit levels were to low so they liquidated or sold to another conglomerate and each time customer service and warranty were casualty's of the trade. That’s where the receipt requirement comes in. What conglomerate made it. You can get a very high quality scope today that is made in Europe. How many days of work today does it take to buy one. They are quite popular with a lot of the shooters of today, but I personally know that their warranty program is very complicated to get something done under warranty. It’s the new normal that you going to have to deal with. __________________ If you have time to do it twice, then you have time to do it once right and put your name on it

February 9, 2020, 03:08 PM	#19
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	The Weaver brand name has changed hands at least five times in the last 30 years. The current owners don't offer support for any products that they did not produce. (Not unusual in today's world, but not helpful for previous warranties/guarantees.) Since just 2007, Weaver has been passed from Meade Instruments, to ATK, to ATK Sporting, to Vista Outdoors. Though the ATK to ATK transition involved minimal changes, the ones from Meade to ATK, and ATK to Vista involved changes to warranty policies and support. Tasco has better support for its products, than Weaver does right now. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

February 10, 2020, 12:20 PM	#20
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,786	Somewhere in China there's a factory that makes 99% of the world's sub $400 scopes and red dots. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

February 10, 2020, 08:02 PM	#22
globemaster3 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2006 Posts: 1,482	22 posts and only a couple of people addressed my questions. The rest just turned into a Nikon bashing/defense thread. I'm sorry people had a bad time with Nikon. I've had nothing but good experiences. Just like any other manufacturer in any market, there will always be some good experiences and some bad. I was just looking for confirmation if this is truth or not, since a single source from an outdoor mag doesn't necessarily count as truth. Mods, shut 'er down please. __________________ NRA Life Member "We have enough gun control. What we need is idiot control."

February 10, 2020, 10:47 PM	#23
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Several people addressed the only question that I see in your OP. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

February 13, 2020, 02:31 PM	#25
Picher Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 3,694	If your scope mfg. offeres a "Lifetime" guarantee, I suppose they only have to keep it for a lifetime.