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Surprised - Prostaff vs S2 Big Sky and Elite 4200

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ti-force View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ti-force Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Surprised - Prostaff vs S2 Big Sky and Elite 4200
    Posted: November/01/2015 at 09:02
A friend of mine recently purchased a Nikon Prostaff 4-12x40 bdc reticle (not a Prostaff 5). I compared his scope to my 3-9x42 S2 Big Sky and also compared it to my Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10x40 during a sight-in session on paper targets, and also observing trees inside the edge of the woods and tall grass in direct sunlight.

 The first thing I noticed is that the Prostaff has a much higher magnification at the same power setting than either the S2 or 4200. I also noticed that the Prostaff seems pretty darn clear and I really couldn't tell if my S2 or 4200 was any brighter or not at the same power levels. Now, all comparisons were done on a bright sunny day. Perhaps a brightness difference could be seen in a low light setting?

 Both my S2 and 4200 are several years or so old. Has the quality of optics changed that much in just a few years or am I not comparing properly? I just never imagined a sub $200 scope performing as well as an S2 or 4200. I could see holes punched into paper better through his Prostaff than with my 4200 at 100 yards distance, but maybe that's the higher magnification of the Prostaff revealing itself as an advantage when punching holes into paper. The resolution is very nice as well.

 If scopes have improved this much, I'm seriously considering one of the new Prostaff 5 3.5-14x40 with nikoplex illuminated reticle (if that's not a typo on Nikon website).

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or any experience with illuminated reticle Prostaff? I have experienced first hand that a poorly designed illuminated reticle is pretty much useless (with my Hawke Endurance 30). I've been very disappointed with that scope. And not just because of the poorly designed illumination system.

Casey


See below for the Prostaff specs taken from swfa website- http://swfa.com/Nikon-4-12x40-ProStaff-Riflescope-P48760.aspx



Nikon 4-12x40 ProStaff Riflescope
  •  
Stock # - NIK6729
  • Matte
  • BDC
  • 1"
  • Multicoated Optical System
  • Generous, Consistent Eye Relief
  • Precise Hand-turn 1/4-MOA Click Adjustments
  • Sun Shade Adaptable
  • Extremely Bright Sight Picture
  • Versatile Magnification Range
  • Waterproof
  • Fogproof
  • Shockproof

Nikon’s ProStaff 4-12x40 offers the superb optics, Zero-Reset turrets and optimum magnification to help put virtually any shot in your comfort zone.

Specifications
Magnification:4-12x
Objective Lens:40mm
Exit Pupil:3.3 - 10mm
Field of View:7.3 - 23.6 ft @ 100yds
Tube Diameter:1 in
Eye Relief:3.7in
Objective Outside Diameter:50mm
Eyepiece Outside Diameter:44mm
Overall Length:14.1 in
Adjustment Graduation:1/4 in
Max Internal Adjustment:60 MOA
Parallax Setting:100 yds
Waterproof/Fogproof:Yes
Light Transmission:Up to 98
Supplied Accessories:Nikon lens caps, Nikon windage and elevation caps


Edited by ti-force - November/01/2015 at 09:11
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JLud View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JLud Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2015 at 18:05
Prostaff is to me the best value Nikon offers. If I spend more would get something else, but a very decent scope for a low price. I think many people would do just fine with these, but I do have zero experience with their illumination. For what it's worth I would not own a buckmaster or monarch, but still have a prostaff on a 17 hmr.
That thing on the left....my old ride, some days I miss her.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ti-force Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2015 at 18:23
Excellent! Thanks for your reply. I've been out of the shooting scene for several years as I pretty much refused to pay the extremely high prices of ammo, rifles etc, but I'm getting back into it now. Doing some searching yesterday I learned that Trijicon is now making an illuminated reticle scope that's battery powered. This brings more/different reticle options, and since they know their stuff with illuminated reticles, I'm willing to bet it's done right. It's a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the Accupoint line. The new line is called Accupower. I'm eying the 3-9x40 hard. The down side is that a battery will run dead at some point where tritium lasts 15+ yrs, however, I'm actually a very orderly person, and being that I would always have a spare battery in my possession if I was in the field using this scope. I would figure out a way. And that would be my routine from that point forward. I'm also the type of person who would run a test to make sure the illumination is working correctly long before I needed it to take a shot. Maybe I'm just weird, I don't know. I wonder if a spare battery would fit under a turret cap. Anyhow, enough rambling
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peddler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2015 at 18:23
I have two Monarch Golds 30mm that are not in the same ballpark as the pro staff and a couple older Monarch's that I'm sure at the very least are the equal of the pro staff models. Just mho.
When you are dead, you don't know you are dead.It is difficult only for others.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ti-force Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2015 at 18:40
I used to have a 56mm obj Monarch Gold 30mm tube. Heavy rascal, or could have been a combination of heavy scope and a heavy rifle. It did have really nice glass, though.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JLud Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2015 at 18:51
I'm not saying the Monarchs are not better than prostaff, just that if I was spending that much I would go with something else. Also forgot to mention while I like the scope quality, I do not like the bdc circles as they obstruct too much.

Edited by JLud - November/02/2015 at 18:58
That thing on the left....my old ride, some days I miss her.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peddler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2015 at 19:08
Neither of my Monarch Golds are BDC.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote saltydog235 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/02/2015 at 21:29
I went through 3 Nikons in one deer season. That same season my Nikon Binos fogged up. They warranties all of it out. When I got the third scope I sold it before I removed it from the box. Great warranty, too bad you tend to use it. I don't spend money on Nikon any longer.
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