Nikon to stop selling scopes?

MistWolf said:

Supreme Court clears way allowing a suit to be brought against Remington for Sandy Hook shootings.

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Folks have to keep a clear mind about the particular liability the Supreme Court said was fair game for litigation.

The decision effectively upheld a standard such firearms manufacturers are liable for their advertising practices which allegedly target under-aged persons who could not legally purchase their products. This is much akin to the suits of yesteryear against cigarette/tobacco companies, prohibiting youth targeted advertising. This significantly limits the expanse of reach for potential lawsuits which are “allowed” under this Decision - a much shallower victory than Liberals are celebrating, or Conservatives are lamenting.

Varminterror said:

Folks have to keep a clear mind about the particular liability the Supreme Court said was fair game for litigation.

The decision effectively upheld a standard such firearms manufacturers are liable for their advertising practices which allegedly target under-aged persons who could not legally purchase their products. This is much akin to the suits of yesteryear against cigarette/tobacco companies, prohibiting youth targeted advertising. This significantly limits the expanse of reach for potential lawsuits which are “allowed” under this Decision - a much shallower victory than Liberals are celebrating, or Conservatives are lamenting.

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You have a point, but it doesn't bode well for junior shooting programs. Another question we have to ask ourselves, can Remington survive this financially?

My point is that it appears companies are repositioning to minimize exposure to similar lawsuits.

In 2009, when I was in sporting goods sales, Nikon was getting tons of buzz regarding their riflescopes.

When things get relentless buzz, I tend to notice. Then I tend to buy. I was underwhelmed to say the least. Ocular bells seemed to be very large compared to Leupold. A trait I despise in scopes. Images were not bad but they were not great, again compared to Leupold.

I couldn’t tell what the fuss was about and continued to shrug my shoulders whenever anyone sung their praises. I do think that back then they had a pretty good value product for a little less than Leupolds started out at. I don’t buy value scopes though so IDK about that personally.

Add it to the long list of items that get so much attention but are pretty underwhelming for me. Vortex scopes are in that list too for many of the same reasons as Nikon.

earlthegoat2 said:

In 2009, when I was in sporting goods sales, Nikon was getting tons of buzz regarding their riflescopes.

When things get relentless buzz, I tend to notice. Then I tend to buy. I was underwhelmed to say the least. Ocular bells seemed to be very large compared to Leupold. A trait I despise in scopes. Images were not bad but they were not great, again compared to Leupold.

I couldn’t tell what the fuss was about and continued to shrug my shoulders whenever anyone sung their praises. I do think that back then they had a pretty good value product for a little less than Leupolds started out at. I don’t buy value scopes though so IDK about that personally.

Add it to the long list of items that get so much attention but are pretty underwhelming for me. Vortex scopes are in that list too for many of the same reasons as Nikon.

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I still don’t know why I did it because I’ve been accused my whole life of being a serial skeptic but when Vortex first came out I drank a keg of the Kool-Aid and purchased a 3-9 and a 2-7 Viper. To my eyes they were inferior in low light, eye box and eye relief to my Fullfield II’s. I sold them.

These business decisions are driven by profit. Nikon must have decided that either the return on investment was not enough, or they were spending too much time on a relatively unprofitable product line that was never going to grow. If they are like most brands, they had a few designers, a couple of traveling production representatives, a few contracts people and marketing types, but they no longer build the stuff inhouse. They subcontract to Chinese manufacturer's. All management had to do, was lay off the white collar employee's, and allow the contracts to end.

It happens all the time. Companies are not loyal to a product line or customers. They are only driven to maximize profits now. If this bumps the stock price up a bit, some smart Executive gets a million dollar pay raise. If it is bad in the long term, the guys who made the decision, have made their money now, and the future does not concern them. They are not in it for the long term.

Smartphones are cannibalizing the separate camera market for both still and video (although the major distinction is related to different treatment under trade laws from my understanding. Due to the proliferation of cheap Chinese glass, I'd imagine that profits are scarcer in rifle scopes than in the residual camera market where Nikon's market prestige is at its greatest.

I doubt this decision is much related to litigation or anti-2A as private gun ownership in Japan is and has been pretty much non-existent in the first place.

Sav .250 said:

The Perfect Union had a post by a member about the subject. it was dated April 25 2010.

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Why are there two pages of posts about something that nobody can say is true? Does anyone have a link or two to share that confirms the OP?

rbernie said:

Why are there two pages of posts about something that nobody can say is true? Does anyone have a link or two to share that confirms the OP?

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As far as I know there has been no official announcement from Nikon. I've seen the message my FFL buddy got from his distributor, but that does not a formal statement make.

One has to wonder if they have become "woke"?

ohihunter2014 said:

On Rimfirecentral.com they said the owner of Cameraland confirmed it.

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If Doug says it true that’s good enough for me.

rbernie said:

Why are there two pages of posts about something that nobody can say is true? Does anyone have a link or two to share that confirms the OP?

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I called Nikon just now (call placed at 11:19am Central time, Nov 19, 2019) to state I have heard riflescopes are being discontinued, and ask how this would affect the warranty of my current Nikon riflescopes.

During the 3 minute call, the representative (Vincent) stated Nikon has ceased production of riflescopes and will discontinue distribution of riflescopes globally within 2020. Warranties will remain to be honored, however, when I asked how riflescopes would be repaired or replaced under the warranty in a few years when parts and replacement inventories are exhausted, I was told, “that is information we have not been provided at this time.”

Don’t have to take my word for it:

Nikon Service & Support:

(800) 645-6687
Press 1 for English
Press 5 for support for other items
Press 3 for Riflescope support

Varminterror said:

I called Nikon just now (call placed at 11:19am Central time, Nov 19, 2019) to state I have heard riflescopes are being discontinued, and ask how this would affect the warranty of my current Nikon riflescopes.

During the 3 minute call, the representative (Vincent) stated Nikon has ceased production of riflescopes and will discontinue distribution of riflescopes globally within 2020. Warranties will remain to be honored, however, when I asked how riflescopes would be repaired or replaced under the warranty in a few years when parts and replacement inventories are exhausted, I was told, “that is information we have not been provided at this time.”

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And there ya have it - thanks.

Why are there two pages of posts about something that nobody can say is true? Does anyone have a link or two to share that confirms the OP?

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ETA - in re-reading my above post, it kinda seemed grumpy - and wasn't meant to. It was just a response to lots of folk talking about why they do / do not buy Nikon scopes when it seemed nobody had any first-hand knowledge of the situation.

And now we do.

rbernie said:

in re-reading my above post, it kinda seemed grumpy - and wasn't meant to

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Dude - you just described every post I make these days. Even with the best intentions, someone’s going to take offense.

I didn’t find your post to be rude, but I don’t read for feelings, I read for facts, and it’s always a good call out, in my opinion, to fact-check before fueling flames. Admittedly, I knew Nikon’s history struggling with concealing their hunting optics line from their larger, liberal customer base, and knew of their recent (surprising) discontinuance of their DSLR bodies, so it seemed logical they’d bail on riflescopes, but the only confirmation I sought was looking through a few “in the know” FB groups for a couple “in the know” folks who confirmed the rumor. Calling today was just a nail in the coffin.

I see lots of comparisons to Leupold, but it seems like comparing apples to oranges. Nikon has two decent low-mid priced lines ($3-500 for the Prostaff, $5-650 for the Monarch). Nothing against Leupold. I have one of their scopes, 1.5-5x20 Mk4 MRT that was about $850 two years ago. It's discontinued, and their comparable replacement (the Mk 8) is a $3700 scope. Their cheaper lines are closer in price, but I like the Nikon MK1-MOA reticle a lot better than the Leopold Wind-Plex or Boone and Crocket. The only combine vertical and horizontal hash marks on their expensive scopes.

Is the VX-3i Leupold's competitor to the Prostaff or Monarch? What scope makers offer similar quality, reticle design, and price point as the Prostaff or Monarch. Not trying to bash Leupold - I love my Mk4 - but I can't afford to put a $1500+ optic on every new gun I buy. At the same time, I don't want to put a cheap piece of crap on any gun I buy. Nikon seemed to split the difference pretty well with the Prostaff and Monarch lines. If it's true they're getting out of the scope business I'm very sorry to see them go.

Anything else out there with similar price point and decent quality?

for hunting scopes Leupolds Vx-F compares favorably to the Prostaff, the Vx-3is favorably compare to the Monarchs.
In tactical scopes Vortex offers DB tac and Vipers in the same range as Nikon's tac optics, Athlons has the Midas and Ares, Bushnell has a whole plethora of decent middle of the road optics....the list goes on lol.
I LIKE Nikon's, infact I prefer them to any of them to the roman numeral Leupolds. I way prefer them to most of the Vortex I've used.
When they went to the thick tubes and bells tho I stopped buying new ones just because I preferred the older ones. I don't think the optics improved after 2015 or so, least they didn't appear to change much to my eye.
Honestly my favorite scope from Nikon was the 2016 Buckmasters. it had the old Prostaff style tube, but better glass .

So in the space of one year we lose Weaver and Nikon. Definitely not good for the consumer.

cdb1 said:

So in the space of one year we lose Weaver and Nikon. Definitely not good for the consumer.

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But we’re seeing a LOT of new optic “companies” popping up, pedaling low prices imports. I’ve long said, there’s a reason “contract manufacturing” so easily truncates to “con man.”

Varminterror said:

But we’re seeing a LOT of new optic “companies” popping up, pedaling low prices imports. I’ve long said, there’s a reason “contract manufacturing” so easily truncates to “con man.”

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Good point. There are also some new companies with good quality stuff like Tract and GPO. I don’t use Weaver or Nikon but do believe the more choices there are for the consumer the better.

Varminterror said:

I called Nikon just now (call placed at 11:19am Central time, Nov 19, 2019) to state I have heard riflescopes are being discontinued, and ask how this would affect the warranty of my current Nikon riflescopes.

During the 3 minute call, the representative (Vincent) stated Nikon has ceased production of riflescopes and will discontinue distribution of riflescopes globally within 2020. Warranties will remain to be honored, however, when I asked how riflescopes would be repaired or replaced under the warranty in a few years when parts and replacement inventories are exhausted, I was told, “that is information we have not been provided at this time.”

Don’t have to take my word for it:

Nikon Service & Support:

(800) 645-6687
Press 1 for English
Press 5 for support for other items
Press 3 for Riflescope support

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Excellent work!

I am going to have to search for discounts on Nikon scopes. Once the word gets out, prices should drop. In so far as warranties, Nikon is probably holding some back as replacements. When those run out, maybe they will give customers a coupon for full credit on a camera.

ohihunter2014 said:

So would you guys scoop up some of these deals knowing they are going under?

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I won’t be. Something about using items that aren’t made anymore and factory warranties getting shady that I just can’t do. I tend to “retire” items that go out of production and don’t have factory backing any longer. I do not intend to buy a scope to retire it from use. I will most likely slowly replace my current nikons (4) with leupolds and keep the nikons as back ups or occasional range time.