So I don't know why I am posting this because I plan on snapping one or two up after Christmas, just in case because it's a great deal and something GREAT to have "lying around" for future use!

 

 

MidwayUSA is having their "end of season closeout sale" .. included among other things are some other optics including a bunch of assorted Weaver scopes (I am not a Weaver guy but if you are you should check it out).  ... But I am in fact a Nikon guy and they have a pretty sweet closeout:

 

 

a Nikon Buckmasters 6-18x40mm SF (Side Focus - i.e. the parallax setting is not permanently set [like 50 yds for most rimfire scopes, 100yd for most hunting scopes , etc.] )... if you are unfamiliar with Nikon- they are an excellent value company that produces absolutely fine glass for the price- perhaps one of the best values in scopes for the lower prices.  They are NOT NightForce or US Optics etc. but they are not claiming to be.  They compare with some of the Zeiss offerings straight up and even the mid-to-higher Leupolds... I have told the story that I lined up DIRECTLY NEXT TO EACH OTHER, side by side right after the other, a Monarch 3-9x40 and a Leupold VX3L 4.5-14x50 ... and when I did the Leupold first I thought, oh wow, these are really great... Leupold really does have some great stuff.. Then at a salesmans suggestion I tried the Monarch, and I was amazed.  at the very very least this was at equal standing if not better than the Leupold VX3L, which was $1199.99 vs. $499 for the Monarch.  in this case, it is a Buckmasters scope, which is on their hunting-specific line of scopes.  They have great glass and features, differentiating them from the Monarch is that not every single feature is available on every single Buckmasters, there are differences in the lineup (Whereas the Monarchs have top of the line everything on every scope model).   They have two reticle options left:

 

their Nikoplex (which is basically a 'Fine Duplex' reticle- I have one on a ProStaff- it's a standard "crosshairs" style reticle with thicker outside bars and thinner inside bars.  It's an IDEAL scope for hunting things like bigger-than-varmint animals like Deer - where you may not, would not, will not etc. use any type of ballistic compensation or holdover etc.  I use a Nikoplex on my 4-12x40mm ProStaff on my 597 .22LR, could not be happier.) 

 

and their Mil-Dot (which is *NOT* a 'normal' Nikon reticle- for all my love of Nikon they are a hunting optics company much much more than a tactical-optics company, they have very minimal tactical-style scopes and basically only a few have a Mil-dot reticle, so this is a great deal if you need one.  If I didn't have one of their top-of-the-line scopes on my Remington 700, a Monarch 5-20x44, I would probably buy this on general principle and hold it just in case).

 

The Nikoplex reticle scope starts @ $359.99 and is on a closeout sale, 36% off, $229.99 [A savings of $130.99]... and the Mil-dot scope is retailing for $389.99 on a closeout sale, 19% off, $314.99.

 

 

Anyway these are apparently one-time offers, I expect that they will never be available again as they most likely are being discontinued from Nikon.  Right after I bought my Monarch last fall they announced they were rebranding their lineups and they discontinued a ton of scopes, revamped their Monarch and Buckmasters lineup and re-badged their entire ProStaff lineup with a whole new lineup of scopes.

 

If you need a scope on the cheap this is the deal.  I will probably pick one or two up for the future because I have that much great experiences with my 4 Nikons.  Can't see how I would beat this in future use.

 

 

 

 

Ok hope this might help someone out there.

I'm having trouble finding the model with the Nikoplex reticle.  It shows the Buckmaster 6-18x40mm, and says that there's different options available.  However when you click on the link, it goes straight to the Mil-dot reticle with not option of changing it.

I guess they're sold out of the Nikoplex reticle models

Sold out of both apparently... there was 3 last weekend (Saturday and I guess Sunday, sometime on Sunday or into Monday the BDC reticle sold out.  Nikon's BDC reticle is unique and extremely appealing because of the Nikon Spot-On ballistic software and extreme customization, this is a conversation for a different time and place).

 

 

Looks like no more at all.  I was just going on to buy two. ... I was going to return the ProStaff 4x I just gave my Dad as a co-gift for the 597 HB I got him, buy one of these Nikoplex Buckmasters for the 597 and another for a rainy day purchase in the future.

 

 

 

lol.  And all the thread views, nobody but you said anything...somebody needs to at least say thanks for gankin my reccomendations lol.

 

Anyway dude I tried, sorry.

Ha, I'll say it.  Thanks for posting it up.  Something along these lines was on my short list of items to get.  Once I saw the price, I was going to order one right away with the Nikoplex reticle.  However, it looks like the model with the Mil-dot reticle is still available: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/123107/nikon-buckmasters-rifle-scope-6-18x-40mm-side-focus-mil-dot-reticle-matte

Yeah man I saw it but when I further thought about it, I had to decline for a few reasons.  I have ProStaff 4-12x40mm's on my two "sporter" .22LRs.  One on my Savage Mark II (with a BDC reticle) one on my own 597 with Nikoplex reticle.  Both are great scopes on amazing rifles with super amazing values-for-dollar all around.  For either of those, I don't see the need to "upgrade" to the Buckmasters... not even @ $229 for the Nikoplex but DEFINITELY not a Mil-dot $$315.

 

I have a Monarch 5-20x44 on my 700... top of the line Nikon scope.  Now the Buckmasters line of scopes are awesome hunting (and shooting in general) riflescopes which would make for a great upgrade for many people (on here and elsewhere in the world).  For me I'd be downgrading my 700.

 

 

And while I love the idea of putting awesome, super-ugpraded scopes on my Dad's new 597, a Mil-dot .22LR is just silly.  He doesn't know how to use a Mil-dot and could not care less.  Nor would we really NEED The optical quality of that scope.  I'd love to put it on and should have just done it when I could BUT- THAT IS HOW OPTIC DEALS go... you need to just always buy asap BUY.  BUY ONCE CRY ONCE is rifle optical mantra... truer word has never been spoken.

 

 

 

 

If you do indeed go for the Mildot I would love to get some in-depth photos and use videos/reports/technical explanations.

 

Thanks brother good luck and today, Merry Christmas.

I'm still on the fence about the mil-dot model.  I might jump on it because it's a decent deal, but I wouldn't have hesitated on the Nikoplex model.  Thanks again, and Merry Christmas to you too.

I'm still on the fence about the mil-dot model.  I might jump on it because it's a decent deal, but I wouldn't have hesitated on the Nikoplex model.  Thanks again, and Merry Christmas to you too.

I'm definitely no expert, but reading the info on the link, it appears the turrets are m.o.a. Having a mil-dot reticle and m.o.a. turrets is much more difficult to work with than m.o.a./m.o.a. or mil/mil.

I'm definitely no expert, but reading the info on the link, it appears the turrets are m.o.a. Having a mil-dot reticle and m.o.a. turrets is much more difficult to work with than m.o.a./m.o.a. or mil/mil.

 

Yeah, you got to be Rainman to do all the quick math in your head to make the mil/moa combo work efficiently. You can always pull out a calculator but that would slow you down considerably when having to make that one shot quickly.