Nikon Monarch 3-12x42 Scope Problems

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Nikon Monarch Scope Problems!

I have the 3-12x42 Monarch mounted on my T/C Encore. I selected this scope after looking at a lot of scopes. I had narrowed my choices down to this and the Leupold but when side my side the Nikon appeared to be brighter. It was not inexpensive either. The retail on this scope is over $400.

I was real happy with the scope and had no issues what so ever early on but a string of misses and near misses has shaken my confidence in this thing and I just can't hunt like that.

I have just recently returned from a hunt in Illinois in which I had an Issue with the Monarch scope. I had some accuracy issues last year also but I had taken a hard spill on a frozen creek that really gave the gun a good jar. I missed a super buck the last evening of that hunt. When I got home and shot the gun I could not hit an 18"X24" paper at 100yds.

The first day into the hunt this trip I got my feet tangled up and took another little fall. I was carrying the rifle safari style by the barrel but I was able to keep some up pressure on the barrel and keep the butt from hitting the dirt to hard. It was not enough of a bump to make me think I should shoot it to verify it was still on. I figured if it could not take that little shock, something was bad wrong.

Well, That was a mistake! and I know better. I should have shot it.

The next morning I had (2) does and a yearling come by. I decided to take a shot at the lead doe at 109yds. I hit her but it was high in the flank? I shot the yearling at 130yds. and dropped it in its tracks but I hit that one in the back of the ham and exited mid body, high. I had to shoot the doe again and actually made a good shot on the third shot and dropped her at 171yds.

When I realized how off the shots were I knew I needed to get to the bottom of what had happened. Later that morning Capt. Ricky and I set up a 100yd target and when I shot it was 9 1/2" left and 3"high. I adjusted the scope 42 clicks right and 12`` clicks down and shot again. Right on.

I think it was the next day that the gun slipped off a tree I had leaned it against and hit the ground again! !$%!%#$ 

When I checked the zero I found it was off over 3"right and 3" high.

I pulled the scope and checked the bases, they were tight as Dick's hat band. The only thing I can figure is the scope is having an internal issue and I am going to have to send this thing in to have Nikon look at it.

I have shot 1", 100yd groups with this combination so I know it's capable and when I take a braced shot and its way off, there is a problem. I would say the avg. group for this gun is about 1 1/2" at 100.  That is with a 200 gr. Shockwave and 120gr. of loose pyrodex powder. I would also note it has never failed to fire, ever! I have hunted in some pretty brutal conditions with temperatures as low as -9 and highs approaching 100deg., Rain, snow, heat, loaded for long periods, you name it. Pull the trigger and it goes boom!

I will hold judgement on the Monarch for now as I really love the scope otherwise but I am going to have to do some testing once it's back in shape so I know I can count on it to hold zero.

Part of the reason I bought the Nikon is the "full lifetime warranty". It's on it's way back to Nikon right now. I will add the results of Nikon's inspection as soon as I get them.

Best of hunts,
Larry S.

Bull Elk Survives Battle with Antler Tine Embedded in Skull!

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Bull Elk Survives Battle with Antler Tine Embedded in Skull!

My good friend Brady out in Idaho sent me this email with a pretty incredible story of a bull elk that was recently harvested in South Dakota with another bulls antler tine broken off in his skull that penetrated through the back of the eye socket. The elk survived and was apparently healthy at the time he was harvested.

Here is the note that was attached with the photo's. (from unknown source)

"2011 S.D. Rifle Elk



2011 South Dakota bull elk taken during the current rifle season. The additional pictures show evidence of this bull previously being in a fight with another bull elk. The other elk broke his antler off in this elk’s head. The taxidermist is guessing that the broken antler had been embedded at least one, if not two, years. The “extra” antler was found to be piercing the skull just behind the left eye of this elk but the surface had healed to the point of not being noticeable."

(Hunter is unknown)

That's a great bull and a pretty incredible story of survival!

Larry S.

Shootgun Sabot Slug Review

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Shootgun Sabot Slug Review

The Slugs I selected for testing are as follows:

1. Winchester Partition Gold - 2 3/4", 385 gr,
2. Remington Copper Solid - 3", 1 oz.
3. Hornady SST - 2 3/4", 300 gr.
4. Federal Vital-Shock-Barns Expander Tipped Slug - 2 3/4", 3/4" oz.

If you have not priced any of this type ammo lately, you are in for a shock! These rounds come in a box of only (5) and are $13-$15+ a box! Unbelievable! That's about $60 of ammo in these (4) boxes.
Use them sparingly!

I got a call from my huntin' buddy, Capt. Rick Friday. He had borrowed my range to try the new Hornady's in his Remington 870 with a worked over trigger and a fully rifled Hastings slug barrel. He reported the accuracy was terrible! He couldn't keep (3) shots on a 8 1/2"x11" paper at 100yds.

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been contemplating taking my Remington 11-97 Premier on a hunt to the farm we lease in Illinois. The only reason I would really consider it is that we will be doing some drives to try to thin the doe population down and some quick follow up shots might be in order.

I have been through this all before but I decided I would like to try some of the latest "Sabot Slugs" designed to be shot through a fully rifled barrel to see if there is any new ammo on the market with better performance than I got in previous testing. The barrel on my 11-87 is a Remington Barrel with a built-in cantilevered scope mount. I robbed a scope off another rifle for the testing and set up the bench at 100 yards.

(The shooting bench is some of Capt. Ricky's handy work)

"Lead Sled" Rest!

Remington:

I started with the Remington Copper solids. The first shot was on the paper high right. I made a scope adjust and sent (3) more rounds down range. No other scope adjustments were made during the testing. I had over compensated a little and the group was a little low left but a very respectable 1 3/4" group. That's pretty much as good as it gets for a shotgun. Unfortunately, I have found the performance of the bullet itself to be poor. See my more in depth report on these here: Remington Copper Solid Slug Review

Remington Copper Solids, 100yds, 1 3/4" group! (Remington 11-87 Premier)

Winchester:

Next up was the Winchester Slug. I had some tumbling issues with these the last time I tested them but they all struck the target square this time around. They came in #2 in the accuracy department but it was a little beyond acceptable with a (3) shot group of 3 3/4". That leaves a little to be desired. The bullet did show some decent expansion in the back stop.

Winchester Partition Gold, 3 3/4" group, 100 yds. 

Federal:

I was really looking forward to seeing how these babies would perform, Boy were they a disappointment! These things were so far off it was incredible. I fired (3) shots and none landed on the 24"X36" paper!! I could not even find where (2) of them went. The third hit the left edge of the pallet real low, over 24" from P.O.A. (point of aim).

I adjusted aim to the nail head at the very top/right of the pallet and the bullet impacted  level, 24" left for approx. a 20-24" group? Don't ask me. I was really pulling for the Federals. I expect the ballistic tip bullet would prove to have some good results on a deer. With the accuracy I got I think I would be better off with a sling shot.

Hornady:

The Hornady slugs were my last hope. This is also a ballistic tip bullet. I have had such great results in my T/C Shockwave bullets with ballistic tips I was hoping this one or the Federal would have the accuracy I was looking for. Unfortunately, this one came in #3 in the accuracy department with a (4) shot, 8", 100yd. group. Disappointing to say the least. One other thing I noticed is that the bullet rattles around a little in the sabot? This could be some of the accuracy issue if the sabot is not gripping the bullet to impart the spin from the rifling.

Hornady, SST, 8" group, 100yds

The other half of the equation is bullet performance or expansion. As noted in my first post on the copper solids, they performed poorly in this category and exhibited no deformation or expansion after passing thru a pallet and into a dirt backstop. It seems clear to me that the bullet is not designed with long, I should say, medium range performance in mind but 100yds is a short shot in the mid west.

The other three showed moderate tip expansion with complete retention of the core. The Hornady's opened up very nicely and the best of the four bullets tested. Too bad they came up short on the accuracy department.

Unfortunately, the results I got from all this and the money spent may not help you to much. From my experience, shotguns are very finicky when it comes to ammo types and all are individuals. Even if you have the same gun I shot, you will likely get different results. 

Hopefully you'll have some luck finding an accurate shell before you work all the way to the far end of the list.

Good Luck,

Larry S.