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Scope Usage Hints (Nikon Monarch 3, 4-16x42) |
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pbw
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/09/2016 Status: Offline Points: 15 |
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Posted: February/13/2017 at 23:06 |
A friend of mine gave me a Nikon Monarch 3, 4-16x42 scope which I've had on my deer rifle for over a year (and it helped me get a deer last fall). I'm no glass expert, but the image it gives me seems nice and clear, and I consistently shoot some nice groups with it -- less than MOA with handloads at 100yds and 200m (max at my range). It holds its zero great when moving between the two distances.
My problem is that it is extremely finicky on where I place my eye. Just a hair to far forward or backward, high or low, and I can't see anything but muck. I do wear glasses and my eyes are going downhill fast, but the guy who gave it to me did so because he couldn't get it to work for him, and a different friend I took shooting this weekend looked like a bobble head while he tried to find the picture. I've gotten pretty used to it so I can find it OK, but it is a sort of grating background annoyance each time I shoot. I recently got an elk rifle and put a meopro 3-9x40 on that, and it presents me with a pretty picture practically effortlessly (although, I will says that the turrets on this low end meopro are chintzy -- apparently, all the money went into the glass, which is fine, but I do like the NIkon turrets a lot more). I've tried to mount the scope as close to my barrel as possible but I wonder if I'd be better off with higher scope rings and looking through the center of my glasses --I am looking through the top portion of my glasses right now, but if I raise it higher I'll lose my cheek weld. The Meopro is even lower though, and I have no trouble seeing with that one. Anyway, is the Nikon just a finicky scope, is there something that could be mechanically out of order, or are there some things I should try to improve my user experience before giving up on it? |
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Steelbenz
Optics Jedi Knight ROLL TIDE ROLL Joined: January/03/2006 Location: Heart of Dixie Status: Offline Points: 5153 |
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You are correct in your methodology. A repeatable cheek weld is the most important thing to a rifleman. The scope should sit so that it's position and alignment coincide with your cheek weld. Your Nikon sounds as if it has an extremely narrow eye box making its placement very critical. Thus you will have to decide what you plan on doing with it as shooting style and clothing will make this hard to accomplish.
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"Don't argue with a fool! From a distance you can't really tell who's who!"
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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The higher the mag the smaller the eye box as well. One reason i don't use or buy many scopes over 12x.
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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Generally, MeoPro has a more forgiving eye relief than the Monarch.
However, you also want to keep in mind which magnification you are at. Are your issues with the Monarch at all magnifications? ILya
Edited by koshkin - February/14/2017 at 11:53 |
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pbw
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/09/2016 Status: Offline Points: 15 |
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Thanks all for the replies.
I do have trouble with a range of magnifications. I've been shooting the 200m at about 12x (less or more and my groups seem to open up), 100yd at 8x (these two are bench shooting with a sandbag under the front of the stock), and I've been practicing offhand shooting too, 50 yds at 4x magnification. I can usually find the spot, but it is never effortless and it always takes me a few seconds. This wasn't an issue when I hunted with this scope last fall because of good luck -- my target was standing still browsing some willow so I had plenty of time to set myself up, but if I ever wanted to make a quick shot, I wouldn't be able to do it. |
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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At 4x, this is a bit odd. Monarch is not the most forgiving scope, but it is not quite that bad. Is it possible that the scope is mounted to far forward or too far back?
ILya |
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Lockjaw
Optics Journeyman Joined: May/17/2016 Location: Chelsea Status: Offline Points: 434 |
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I have 2 monarchs. One is a 3x9x40 UCC, and the other is a 4x16x50. The 3-9 is great.
The 4-16 I never use it above 12X. Below that its fine. And its really a good scope at low light. I just find the image gets cloudy. I have a Minox ZA5 3-15x42, and its great at low mags, I don't like it really turned up either. I think the issue is more of the diameter of the exit pupil out of the scope as the magnification goes up. If you want a great eye box, get a Leupold. I have never looked through one that wasn't fantastic. And I suffer like you with glasses. I don't need them to hunt, I just need them to see anything up close. And they jack me up walking in the woods when the light is fading.
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pbw
Optics GrassHopper Joined: July/09/2016 Status: Offline Points: 15 |
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BINGO! Thank you so much. When I put the scope on I thought I had it in good position -- wrong. I moved it back a little over a quarter inch and the image just pops into view at all mags. I put it back where it was and the problem came back. I'm sort of embarrassed to not think of that myself. |
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Uncle Lawrence
Optics GrassHopper Joined: March/29/2014 Location: B'ham, AL Status: Offline Points: 29 |
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wish I had friends like that
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