The test was carried out on the Monarch Riflescope 8-32x50ED SF with BDC reticle, which is the top of Nikon’s Monarch range, and retails for around $700 – $800 against a list price of $980. You may be able to get it cheaper than $700, but I haven’t found it.
It is certainly a beautiful looking instrument and it was crystal clear up to the x32 zoom. However, let’s start with a discussion of the company itself, because if you’re going to buy a Nikon viewfinder, you’ll want to know the background. This instrument has to be reliable in all conditions, so how does Nikon position itself in the riflescope market?
The company is well known for its optical products, most people are familiar with the range of Nikon cameras. In recent years the company has been trying to make a name for itself in the hunting scope market, now offering a range of hunting optical equipment including binoculars, rangefinders and scopes and now specially designed rifle scopes for the extreme top of the game market So the Monarch didn’t appear out of nowhere, but rather has a good pedigree.
The range of viewfinders Nikon offers are Prostaff, Buckmaster and Monarch, in that order. The Prostaff are the entry level products, aimed efficiently at the hobbyist who is looking for a scope for his rifle, but doesn’t want to pay too much. However, they are of good quality and you get a lot for what you pay for. It’s a shame that the quality of the other two ranges doesn’t increase in proportion to their price, but that would probably be impossible to achieve.
While the Prostaff range offers a good quality basic scope, the Buckmasters are better because they offer a wider range of magnifications and objective dimensions, as well as better light transmission. These are three very important properties in a riflescope, and while they are significant improvements, the Prostaff’s price increase is too steep to justify these differences alone. And then we come to Monarch, and that’s what we’re going to focus on (sorry!).
This is Nikon’s best, beating the other two in all features. The problem with Monarch is that there are too many: they are subdivided into a range of different products and it is not easy for the uneducated to know which one is best for their needs. For example, you can choose from the original Monarch UCC 3-9×40, the African, the Gold, the X-series, or just the simple Monarch, which I’ll refer to as the standard. So what is the difference between these?
It would take too long a review to explain the differences between all the Monarch models, so I’ll stick to the standard Monarch 17″ long 8-32x50ED SF with BDC, which is great for serious hunters.
Increase
The entire range offers the 1″ main tube that Americans prefer and a 4x magnification range. Starting power options start at 2 and increase up to a total of 7 possible starting points at 8, through 2.5, 3 , 4, 5 and 6. With these magnification ranges they come in the objectives: 2-8×32, 2.5-10×42, 3-12×42, 4-16×42, 4-16×50, 5-20×44, 6-24×50, 8-32×50 With several other options, you can buy 24 different scopes in the standard Monarch range.
Of these, this review is of the latest in that line, the 8-32×50 with ED-labeled glass, which stands for Extra-Low Dispersion that offers improved sharpness and color correction, particularly at higher powers (20x or higher). Our scope also had a BDC (bullet drop correction) reticle that compensates for bullet drop at specific distances on the reticle. The actual model number we tested was Nikon #8480, the pinnacle of the Monarch series.
eye relief
Anyone familiar with Nikon Monarch riflescopes will know of the Eye Box technology that offers four inches of distance between the eyes and 4x power magnification. What that means is that you can point your eye 4 inches from the eyepiece; this offers at least four inches of recoil before the eyepiece hits your eyebrow. When I tested the viewfinder, the 4″ was fine at 32x power, but at lower power, I could push the eye further out, but only about an inch or so. The Nikon Monarch 8-32x50ED viewfinder is better than many variable power riflescopes where optimal eye relief varies considerably with power.It’s best to be fairly consistent so you can get used to a certain stance when shooting – you don’t want to switch too much between powers with a variable power riflescope.
Optical properties
The Monarch 8-32x50ED was particularly clear and bright, even for the 50 objective lens. The ED glass has been explained, but it certainly makes a difference in clarity, especially at higher magnifications. Apparently this ED glass has been used in Nikon telephoto lenses as standard, and has been applied to the Monarch viewfinder, but only to the 8-32×50 as far as I can tell. It also offers excellent color compensation.
Nikon also have what they call ‘ultra clear coating’ on their lenses, claiming that it increases light transmission through them by 95% compared to 90% on the lower priced entry level Prostaff range. This really is excellent, particularly in low light conditions.
The SF in the name of the model we tested means that it is equipped with a side parallax adjustment, SF stands for Side Focus. This works normally, it just has a locking device whereby you pull out a locking ring to release the adjustment, make your adjustment, and then push the ring in to lock it in place. The setting then cannot be moved by accident. Adjustment moves in 1/8 MOA clicks offering precise parallax adjustment at ranges from 50 yards to infinity. The same 1/8 MOA adjustment is available on accessory target-style elevation and windage adjustment knobs and caps.
Bullet drop compensation
Nikon’s Monarch BDC models offer BDC reticles that feature four circles in the lower half of the reticle’s vertical axis, corresponding to 200, 300, 400 and 500 yard holdovers for standard cartridges. For magnum cartridges, with higher muzzle velocities of about 300 fps, each is 100 yards higher.
Simply aim using the appropriate circle for the appropriate range and cartridge type. This is a fairly simple and straightforward BDC system that still requires a bit of skill and knowledge to use accurately. BDC doesn’t come standard, but each scope can be configured using the system, so if you want it, you have to specify it.
unexpected extras
The model we tested came with a couple of useful accessories: a lens hood and two flip-up lens caps. That ensures you can’t lose your lens caps. They are apparently only available with this model of viewfinder, although they can be ordered as Nikon aftermarket accessories for lower priced models such as the Prostaff and Buckmaster range.
recommendations
This is a good viewer with some very useful features. The standard price of the book is possibly a bit high, but you can buy it for over $200 less online, so it’s a very good value for what you get. The glass is very clear with excellent color and the extra features are well worth having, particularly the side parallax lock ring which helps to hold the setting even when bumped.
Perhaps the 32x magnification is a bit high for this scope, unless you have a mount or bipod when using it, and the internal 20 MOA adjustment may not be enough for longer distances. However, for its intended use it is a superb viewfinder and you will have to search far and wide for better value for money (at online price) than the Nikon Monarch 8-32x50ED SF BDC.