Nikon Monarch VSD Dot Sight review

[625]

Can’t say enough good things about it.

First, it’s on sale here for $199 plus shipping. http://www.botachtactical.com/nimodotsi.html But, they only have it in camo. The web page is wrong. Still a fantastic deal. I took a Sharpie to mine, so it would match the Sig 556 I mounted it on. It looks like hell up close, but better than it did IMO. The Sharpie gave it a funny purplish color. No big deal, function before form in my book.

Anyway, back to the optic itself.

Nitrogen filled, so no worries about it fogging up. Clear, quality lenses that you’d expect from Nikon that afford a wide field of view.

It’s advertised as waterproof and shockproof. Eventually I may test those claims. The 556 shoots pretty soft. From reading the reviews on this optic, most people seem to be mounting these on big bore magnum handguns, so it’s probably built well.

One of the things that sold me on this was the variable sized dot (VSD). Not many red dots out there that can do this. Simply twist the middle knob to get the size you want. I love the 1 MOA dot for precision shooting. It has a nice meaty 10 MOA for close up stuff, plus a 4, 6, or 8 if those are preferred. The dot has 11 different brightness settings, which is nice too. The manual states that the battery lasts over 300 hours if left on the “4” setting which is plenty bright for indoor shooting with the 1 MOA sized dot. It takes standard sized lithium batteries that can be found just about anywhere. I picked up a couple spares and stored them in the pistol grip compartment of the 556. Some other optics have a much longer battery life, but since these batteries are cheap and I can store a bunch in the pistol grip and/or the stock, it’s really not an issue for me.

Mounting is a breeze. It comes with an integral mount, which is easy to work with and fits on Picatinny and Weaver rails. The screws have a hex head and it comes with the allen key to tighten them. Some type of quick release would be nice, but would add to the bulk. This mount is lean, but plenty sturdy. I don’t like the need for tools, but the allen key is easily stored in the pistol grip of a 556. YMMV.

Another nice feature, which is just pure dumb luck, is the fact that this optic would still work great as a peep sight if the electronics fail for some reason. What I mean is; when I flip up the factory front site, the tip of it perfectly touches the red dot. Bonus for 556 owners.

I’ve only shot the 556 once since I put the Nikon on, but so far, so good. Mount stayed tight and it seemed to hold zero fine.

This optic seems to be quality inside and out. All metal construction. Even the knobs and caps are aluminum. Comes with nice aluminum lens caps, but I’ll be replacing those with a bikini style cover because they are a hassle to screw on and off.

This is one optic that seems to be at home on the 556 because of the previous mentioned items, plus, it does not interfere with the charging handle.

I’ll post some photos later.

[aubie515]

Not to sound like a jerk, but you spent over 1k on the 556 and you skimped on optics. Not too wise if you ask me. Don't get me wrong, I like Nikon products, but I just think you should put on better optics for the 556. Say Eotech, Aimpoint, Trijicon...not in any particular order.

You also were "lucky" to even get your order processed...buying from Botach.

[625]

No offense taken. I think I can handle constructive criticism if it's based on facts.

What exactly makes more expensive optics better? Longer battery life? What else? How would you prove that an optic costing 2-4 times more is actually better than this one? I don't like holographic sights at all, so that crosses many optics off the list for me. Many of the Eotech's interfere with the charging handle on the 556 too. I wanted a simple optic that had a variable sized dot. How many of the Eotech, Aimpoint, Trijicon optics have that feature? I don't like triangles, circle dots, etc. This Nikon goes down to a 1 MOA dot. I really like that for shots at 200 yards or more. It has a 10 MOA for close up stuff. I mounted this optic way back on the rail, so it's easy to acquire a target close up, quickly, with both eyes open. I was looking at getting an Aimpoint CompM4, but just didn't want to spend that kind of money right now and they have a fixed size dot. I may end up getting one some day, who knows. I think it's a little early to make claims that I skimped without any facts. If it dies in the next year, or has some other problem, I'll agree. If you want to try it out, let me know, but assuming I made a poor choice regarding a sight that you never even used and know little about isn't very wise. I'll be more than glad to let anyone check it out. I never said it was perfect, just a really good deal.

Here is a pic of it fresh out of the box and bolted on.


Here is one after I took the Sharpie to it. It looks worse than that. Kinda purplish and shiny.


Looking through with sight down.


Looking through with sight up. The camera was angled a bit so the dot isn't aligned as nice as it is in reality.

[Kanatz]

So is the Nikon still around?

[mrnyman]

If its made by Nikon , its made right.

All the other junk breaks like any other optics, Eotech, Aimpint, Trijicon , they all have service centers because they all break like any other optics, if there stuff were so good they wouldnt need customer service department. Think about it. Spend your money on ammo and training, remember -you are the weapon.

Nyman

[Kanatz]

So 625 is the Nikon still on your rifle?

[625]

Yes, but I haven't shot the rifle much, so I can't say that the optic is as durable as it should be yet.

Oh yea, F botachtactical.com. They suck ass.

[Bravo Whiskey]

I know this about Nikon Monarch Bino's: I have the ATB midsize model which I picked up 5 years ago. They were almost $400. I try to fish// boat alot/not as much as I would like. I needed a pair that were bigger then the pocket size but something I could put in a ruck and travel with. The nikon has beenout in all weather,Sub freezing fall stripers and sporting events, to a week bareboat sailing cruise in the BVI's in the 90's. They have been on top of the console doing forty and I hit a wave too hard and they smash down on the deck(sometimes I push it) , the kids have dropped them, they bang around in my truck as I use them to survey roofline,ect.. I do not abuse them I just use them. They have never fogged and are super clear. On my friends huge trawler he has a big pair of Steiners, we both thought that the nik's were better. I know guys who have the Stabilizing model , takes the roll/pitch out so you can see while under way. They all love them.
Nikon monarch bino's come w/ a lifetime warranty . as long as you do not lose or melt them if you have a problem send them in and they will fix/replace.
I also take them on a canoe trip 1-2 times a year where they go in the center pocket of my alice pack and they always get soaked. Never had a prob.
Please let me know how you like the optic as I am thinking about going that way as well.

[Bravo Whiskey]

Also, I have been shooting w/ buddies Eotech and I do not like the size of the dot. I think that the ability to change dot size & brightness would be a plus.

[Kanatz]

I have been asking 625 for feedback on his. Evidently he hasn't used it enough to say anything on long term use. I have searched the internet every where and can not find anything close to this thread anywhere in regards to this red dot.

I bought one a few months back and love it. The adjustable dot and brightness is a major plus. A setting of 11 (brightest) and the 1 MOA is great for bright sunny days and 200 yards as well as any other time or distance. The only draw back was that it would not co-witness on the rail of my rifle so I put it on a Larue LT110 riser and all is fine. After roughly a 1000 rounds I have not had any problems at all. Quality optic for $230 on e-bay.

I have seen many other sights $400- $1500 and they are nice but I can not justify the price difference. This one actually does more option wise, weighs at least the same if not less than the others, but the battery life is not as good as the others. I can buy a pile of batteries for $500. I have many Nikon products as well as a few friends that own Nikon optics and they all are nice with no problems period, be it the rain, saltwater, freshwater, humidity, high temps, drops, sun, inshore, offshore, in the woods, at the range whatever.

http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/a...x/IMG_2933.jpg