Nikko Stirling Diamond scope

[madmanx]

Anyone know much about Nikko Stirling Diamond scopes.I have chance of a 3-12 x52 scope with 30mm tube and was wondering are they a decent scope.Cheers Steve

[Alycidon]

Nikko made some really good shotguns in the late 70s but thats about it. Think that scope is designed for the airgun market. Parrallax is likely is be set wrong for a powder burning rifle, as for optical quality, to be honest I have never looked through one but normally you get what you pay for.

 

A

[Tiff]

Nikko are excellent scopes - you can shot them end on as a reactive target, play rounders with them or simply use as a fishing weight.

 

However for use as a proper rifle scope, they are rubbish !

[grahamfarmer]

well i run three nikko sterling scopes two night eaters and a game king and they are as good as anything i have looked through especially if they are the new releases which have won many best new optics or similar awards around the globe. admittedly some of there past offering where average at best but they are having a good push to get back in the optics market .

 

now i have compared these directly against leupolds and s & b hungarians and both i and there owner where surprised that the leupolds was rubish against them and every bit as good as the s &b on low mag and better at high mags so all i can say is look through it and draw your own opion

 

but i havent had any problem yet and they are mounted on a 223 a 243 and a 308 so if they where going to break that lot would of sorted them out.

 

graham.

[Redfox]

I agree with Tiff I might use one for banging rabbits on the head or to prop the toolbox open, but as a riflescope no. I had a nighteater recently which was on a 308 and the thing wouldnt hold zero for 3 shots.

As for being better than a S&B hungarian or otherwise or a Leupold, I will not be rude about it Graham but suggest you research a bit about optics before commenting on them, there is absolutely no way that a plastic lensed chinese scope comes anywhere hear the other two for anything.

Redsfox

[Vermincinerator]

I have a borrowed 6x42 Nikko Sterling Diamond which the owner tells me is one of the early jap made scopes not the current Chinese/Taiwanese jobs.

It is a 30mm tube model and has excellent clarity and contrast but i do believe this is not the case with the current made examples.

 

Ian.

[menial 1]

well i run three nikko sterling scopes two night eaters and a game king and they are as good as anything i have looked through especially if they are the new releases which have won many best new optics or similar awards around the globe. admittedly some of there past offering where average at best but they are having a good push to get back in the optics market .

 

now i have compared these directly against leupolds and s & b hungarians and both i and there owner where surprised that the leupolds was rubish against them and every bit as good as the s &b on low mag and better at high mags so all i can say is look through it and draw your own opion

 

but i havent had any problem yet and they are mounted on a 223 a 243 and a 308 so if they where going to break that lot would of sorted them out.

 

graham.

 

Graham, I can only presume your post isn't meant to be taken as "tongue in cheek". You're surely not serious.

Pete.

[grahamfarmer]

pete,

 

no not tongue in cheek at all and all three came in boxes with made in china on them and the last one was a package one which came with my howa 243 and as ian has said in his post he has found excellent clarity and contrast and i suspect ian has looked through a lot more scopes than i have.dont knock them they are good and to come fourth at are little get together last year cant be that bad lot more expensive scopes around that day.

 

the main thing is nikko use to be good scope many years ago in the gold crown days then they went for volume at a price and they fell by the way side but they have now started using grade a japaese lenses and they are as good as any about even my haselblad camera has jap lenses in it which was a bit of a shock .

 

nikko ten years ago where rubbish but they have taken on the attiude of our eastern cousins we will produce the best at a price that all can afford have you seen any german digital cameras about and look at the quaility of image even the cheapest ones produce . howa rifles are the same they are a clone of the remmy 700 but they are silky smooth out of the box they dont need any fettleing like baldie does to a 700 .

 

now all i can say is that all three of mine box tested point of aim perfectly and hold zero, the two that are nighteaters are extended mil dots and they are spot on just take some getting use to when zeroing at range as they are 1 cm per click at 100 meters but ranging and holding over are no problem now getting use to them. as i pointed out these scopes took several best new optic awards in the recent past and with the releases that ziess and others made at the same time something must have caught the judges eyes.now people are judging them on past experiences when they are actually a completely different product now.

 

the only scope i would upgrade to at the moment would be a swarovski but it will be purchased in austria where they are made and austrian retailers insist they are fitted to the rifle for you . the factory is not far from where i go skiing and i have regularly looked through swarovski optics whilst in the mountains with my austrian friends so will have to drive out there one year.

 

 

every one is entitled to there views but at the moment i am perfectly happy with what i got .

 

 

graham.

[baldie]

We fettle remmy,s because they are worth doing Graham.

We dont sell howa,s.

The last one i rebarrelled was a bag of that which promotes growth and vigour, and it will be the last.

 

I remember the old gold crown,s they were excellent scopes. Then nikko lost it, just the same as tasco.

I know the big nikko,s have a following amongst the FT crowd, but out of the last 5 we had, 2 were faulty. Not good.

[Redfox]

I am certainly not judging on past experience, but very recent. The fact remains there is no comparison between these "ten bob specials" and the likes of Leu[pold, S&B, Swarovski et al, that is not subjective, but a fact of life.

You liking and enjoying yours is fine, but not a reference point for someone else to spend his money on.

Having spent time in these countries and working with their makers and employees, I know in depth how they work and what they produce.

The Japanese have learned what they know about lenses etc from Carl Zeiss, Leitz and the other European makers, who still lead the world in optics and optical glass manufacture.

Whilst on the subject of Swarovski, their main manufacture is Jewellry and Ornamental glassware, I have seen far more of their optics going back under warranty ( including 2 of mine) than the German makers scopes!

Redfox

[menial 1]

Pro stalkers don't fit cheap scopes to their rifles Graham, their jobs depend on them, especially if a guest is using their rifle for a trophy beast.

I'll put my faith in not being let down by S/B or Zeiss at that vital moment, and if asked for an opinion regarding the purchase of a scope, this is the direction I'd point the would be purchaser towards.

I have a 20+yr old 6x42 S/B that has seen some serious duty on deer and fox rifles and now resides on my .22lr, it's had an arduous life but is still crystal clear and functions perfectly.

Judging by the prices asked for second hand european glass, my old scope is worth more than I originally paid for it, will your taiwanese jobbies fare so well for the next 20yrs and still be worth something, somehow I doubt it.

Tasco and Simmons used to produce some quality products for reasonable money, but they don't anymore.

You're entitled to your considered opinion Graham, but your scopes just cannot compare to the europeans for build quality or longevity no matter how much you wish they could.

Pete.

[steven67]

hi mate if you want a cheaper scope ,try a hawk my mate put one on his cz and it was great, i was never a fan of hawk but i changed my mind now. i use burris myself , regards steve

[eldon]

I know we all have different opinions but don't go for the Hawk. A mate of mine raved about his and we went out rabbiting with the 22's in the rain all day. When we started lamping at night his was literally filled with water and you could see it sloshing about. Funny enough then I had a nikko gold crown (would be about 15 year ago when new) on my 22 and let it go with an air rifle. Wished I'd kept it later but too late.

 

Buy something a bit dearer say a meopta or bushnell elite and pay just the once.