Nikon Monarch Scopes - King of the Nikon Scope Line

Nikon's flagship riflescope series, the Nikon Monarch scope line competes with other premium scopes like the Leupold VX-3 and Zeiss Conquest rifle. The Monarch line is mainly focused on the centerfire hunting market and all models are available with Nikon’s BDC reticle which can be customized to specific cartridge/load combinations on their Spot On Website. This scope series has received many positive reviews across the web most of which focus on its clear glass, BDC reticle, and value.

Overview
Variety –  Nikon Monarch scopes are available in eight magnification and objective configurations with models ranging from 2-8x32 all the way up to 8-32x50. The Monarch line also covers a wide range of budgets with the least expensive models going for around $300 while the most expensive sell for $700.

Features – Scopes in this line feature a 4x magnification ratio which means that instead of a model being 3-9x, it will have a 2.5-10x thus giving the optic a wider magnification range than much of its competition. These riflescopes are also coated with Nikon’s high end UCC, Ultra Clear Coat, lens coating for improved light transmission. Finally, Monarch rifle scopes are compatible with customizable elevation turrets available from Nikon, which can be calibrated to your favorite hunting load.

Nikon Monarch Comparison Chart

Model	8-32x50	6-24x50	5-20x44	4-16x50
Picture
Estimated Price	$699	$649	$529	$499
Length	16.5"	15.5"	14.1"	14.7"
Weight	23.2 oz	20.5 oz	19 oz	19.4 oz
Eye Relief	4" - 3.5"	4" - 3.6"	4" - 3.6"	4" - 3.7"
Field of View	12.6' - 3.2'	16.8' - 4.2'	20.1' - 5'	25.2' - 6.3"
Reticle	NikoPlex BDC Fine with Dot	NikoPlex BDC Fine with Dot Fine	NikoPlex BDC	NikoPlex BDC

Click Here to Buy Now >>

Models

8-32x50 – The largest model in the line, the 8-32x50 version is 16.5” long and weighs in at over 23 ounces. The eye relief is listed as 4” at 8x power and 3.5” at 32x power, which isn’t a lot of variance for a scope in this magnification range; and while consistent eye relief is a good thing having it fall in the 3.5” to 4” range is ideal. The down side of this scope is that it only has 20 MOA worth of internal windage and elevation adjustment, which would be a hindrance for long distance shooters who dial in elevation adjustments. However, this scope with the fine crosshair with dot reticle and its high magnification would shine when used on small targets, like prairie dogs, where shots are often at several hundred yards on small targets.

6-24x50 – The 6-24x50 is the next incremental step down in size and magnification from the 8-32x50 model. One thing the Monarch series does well is offer plenty of options even at higher magnifications, which is an area many optics makers neglect. The 6-24x50 models have 30 MOA of internal adjustment which is still only 15 MOA worth of “UP” adjustment so like the 8-32x50 these aren’t meant for use as a long range (think 1000 yard) optic where elevation is dialed in. It too is probably most at home shooting small targets at intermediate ranges.

5-20x44 – While this magnification is just a small step down from the 6-24x50 model, the smaller size of this optic with its 44mm objective means less material and that translates into considerable cost savings with a Monarch 5-20x44 selling for about $120 less than the 6-24x50 versions. However, the fine crosshair with dot reticle which is favored by many varmint shooters isn’t available in this model.

4-16x50 – While 4-12x power scopes have recently been gaining in popularity with hunters to do their versatility, these scopes add to this versatility even further with a 4-16x magnification range. While the low end 4x magnification will handle most of the big game situations a hunter is likely to encounter, the 16x can cover distant shots on smaller targets like varmints.

Nikon Monarch Comparison Chart

Model	4-16x42	3-12x42	2.5-10x50	2.5-10x42	2-8x32
Picture
Estimated Price	$449	$429	$469	$399	$299
Length	13.5"	13.1"	13.7"	12.6"	11.5"
Weight	19 oz	18.7 oz	18 oz	16.6 oz	13.4 oz
Eye Relief	4" - 3.7"	4.0" - 3.7"	4" - 3.9"	4" - 3.8"	4" - 3.8"
Field of View	25.2' - 6.3'	33.6' - 8.4'	40.3' - 10.1'	40.3' - 10.1'	46.2' - 11.5'
Reticle(s)	NikoPlex BDC Mildot	BDC NikoPlex	BDC NikoPlex	BDC NikoPlex Mildot	BDC

Click Here to Buy Now >>

4-16x42 – The Nikon Monarch 4-16x42 is pretty much targeted at the same audience as the 50mm version mentioned above, however, if you don’t need the extra light gathering ability of the larger objective, want a smaller scope with the same magnification range, or just want to save about $50 then the 4-16x42 would be a good choice. Again Nikon did a good job of providing options for shooters at different magnifications.

3-12x42 – The most interesting scope in the Monarch line up to us is the 3-12x42 version. This Nikon scope provides the low end magnification found on the popular 3-9x40 models, while still offering the 12x high end magnification favored by fans of the 4-12x40. Furthermore, its 42mm objective is a nice compromise between the 50mm and 40mm models. Finally, the 3-12x42 comes with a side focus parallax adjustment knob which is a feature absent on many 4-12x40 models.

2.5-10x50 – The 4x magnification of the this series lets the 2.5x-10x50 model offer a wider range of power setting than traditional 3-9x50 scopes. Like all 50mm options the idea is to get more light into the optic thus providing a brighter picture especially in low light situations. Remember a bigger objective doesn’t increase the field of view, see the comparison chart above.

2.5-10x42 – Again more low end and more high end magnification than a standard 3-9x40 scope; furthermore the 42mm objective also offers a little more light capturing ability when compared to standard 40mm models. Also, noteworthy is the near constant eye relief of 4” – 3.8”, which allows the position of the cheek to stay pretty constant regardless of what magnification setting the optics in on. Besides offering the popular BCD reticle, this is one of the few scopes that can be had in this power range with a mildot reticle without target turrets.

2-8x32 – What scope line would be complete without an offering for compact rifles, the 2-8x32 is this lines entry, again providing more magnification than its 2-7x32 competition. Also, of note is that the 2-8x32 model is equipped with the BDC reticle, which is noteworthy because many of the competitors don’t offer holdover reticles on their compact scope models even though they are often used for hunting the same animals as their larger big game scopes.

Conclusion
The Nikon Monarch series is one of the most complete line of hunting scopes available, and the BDC reticle has became on of the best liked holdover reticles among hunters. The high end UCC lens coating and availability of custom elevation turrets help the Monarch stay caught up with the current innovations in this high end hunting scope category. However, the wider magnification range, variety of models, and constant eye relief help set it apart from the competition.